#*comes out of the void and leaves this on your doorstep before disappearing again*

[runnning-outof-time]

After All this Time | Tommy Shelby & Daughter!Reader

Request: yes by anonymous

Pairing: Tommy Shelby & daughter!reader

Summary: Sometimes there's no forgetting what's been done in the past.

Warnings: broken family/father-daughter relationship

Word Count: 1297

A/N: this one was shorter than usual, but I still feel like the content of it speaks volumes. What needed to be said within it was said and, in a way, it was honestly reflective for me to write. Enjoy! :)

I’D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! - YOUR COMMENTS & REBLOGS HELP ME WRITE!

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future stories like this one!

(Y/N) (Y/L/N) lived nearly her entire life without knowing her father. Her mother gave birth to her in 1921, just over nine months after the night that she met Tommy Shelby.

The then gangster and budding businessman was looking for someone to fill the void caused inside of him by a woman who left him for America. (Y/N)'s mother filled that void and entered into a relationship with him. (Y/N) barely knew her father though.

She was young and didn't know much of what was going on around her. She did remember the look on her mother's face when Tommy told her that he was leaving her though...leaving both her and their daughter because the woman that had previously gone away was now back and ready to throw herself into his arms.

And so (Y/N) grew up without a father. She used her mother's maiden name because the Shelby name wasn't allowed in their household. (Y/N) didn't know otherwise...her mother changed it back the day after he left, which happened when (Y/N) was just over a year old.

When she asked about her father, (Y/N)'s mother only told her that he left because he was enamored by the life of luxury that was starting to surround him and that they didn't fit into it.

And then one day nearly thirteen years later, he showed up on her doorstep. "Hello, sir, can I help you?" (Y/N) asked, initially not knowing who this man was.

"Yes...is this Farrah (Y/L/N)'s house?" he asked. (Y/N) nodded her head before telling him that she'd go and get her mother. "No," he stopped her, making her turn around again. "I came here because I wanted to speak to you. You're (Y/N), correct?"

"I am," (Y/N) nodded her head, becoming concerned about this man's motives.

"I'm your father, (Y/N)," he told her, making the young girl's jaw drop.

"No...no, you're not," she immediately stammered out in disbelief, blinking a few times, wondering if he would disappear when she stopped. But he didn't. He was still very clearly in front of her.

"I am, love," he insisted, nodding his head slowly in hopes that he'd catch on.

"Where have you been all these years?" (Y/N) asked, her voice raw and deliberate. Her words ripped Tommy's heart right from his chest.

"I...I've been busy," he stammered out, a pathetic response, really, but it was all he could muster.

"Too busy to come and see your own daughter?" the girl's voice still held that raw tone. It made Tommy think back to the time that he and his brothers told Ada that they were going off to fight. (Y/N) sounded the exact same way.

"I..." he tried to respond, but the words died in his throat.

That didn't bother (Y/N) though, because she had something thought up already. "My mum said it was because we didn't fit into the life of luxury that you were mapping out for yourself."

"That's not true," Tommy shook his head, a frown forming on his face. Why would her mother say something of the sort?

"Then why did you leave? Huh?" (Y/N) raised her eyebrows as she posed her question, "and why have you come back here all of a sudden?"

Tommy still didn't know how to respond to her first question, because he couldn't quite remember where his head was at back then. He just remembered Grace coming back into his picture and he was blinded by the hope of a life with her. Somewhere along the way, (Y/N) and her mum fell to the wayside...the passion died away. So he didn't comment on her first question. Instead, he answered her second one. "I wanted to come see you...to come make amends," he told her, a look of hope flooding his features.

(Y/N) took a moment to process his words. Her brain was running at a mile a minute and she was trying hard not to let the pain that had built up over these several years cloud over her judgement. But it was so hard not to. In the end, she didn’t. “It’s too late for that,” she finally told him, choking back her tears as she spoke. “It’s too late for you to come make amends after you’ve essentially ignored me for the majority of my life. I don’t even know you...I didn’t recognize you when I opened the door. How does that make you feel?...”

“Terrible,” Tommy cut in, his response coming out in a low voice.

“How do you think that makes me feel? My mum and I needed you over these years, and you haven’t cared so much as to send a letter or a call. I’ve got nothing from you, and now you want to show up here and make amends? After all of this time?” (Y/N) paused for a moment and tried to control her breathing, with each word she uttered, her heart rate was climbing, and with that came shorter breaths. She also wanted to make sure that she spoke clearly when she uttered her next statement. “What makes you think that you have the right to just waltz back into my life after all of the pain you’ve caused?” her eyes were wide and she was now expecting an answer from him.

Tommy opened his mouth and closed it a few times, trying to think of words that were worthy enough of responding to the dire monologue that she’d just hit him with. “I...I don’t have the right. I was just hoping that there’d be a chance; a chance that I could get to know you,” he finally said. (Y/N) had to fight back the snort from leaving her lips.

“Well, I’d stop hoping for something that’s never going to happen. I learned that the hard way when I spent thirteen years of my life without a father; wondering just who my dad was. And now you’re here, standing in front of me, and I want nothing to do with you,” her words were like knives to Tommy’s heart, and he took them without pushback. She was justified in saying them. She was allowed to feel this pain; to express it. “I don’t even know your name, and you know what...I don’t want to ever know it. In fact, I don’t want to see you again, ok?” she insisted, her eyes now welling up with tears. This wasn’t what she expected meeting her father to be like, but this was what felt right to her. She’d lived her life this long without him...she didn’t need him for the rest of it.

“Ok,” Tommy responded in a dejected manner, nodding his head before he dropped his gaze to the ground.

“I’d like you to leave now. And please don’t ever come around here again,” she gave him one more demand, which Tommy nodded his head in response to.

“Goodbye, (Y/N),” he said in a voice just above a whisper. The girl said nothing in response and instead shut the door to her house. Letting out a long sigh, she wiped the tears that had fallen down her cheeks and composed herself before walking back into the sitting room.

“Who was at the door, sweetie?” her mother asked once she noticed that her daughter had entered the room.

“No one...just some salesman,” she brushed her mother’s question off before she sat down on the couch and closed her eyes.

It is better if he isn’t in your life, she kept telling herself. After repeating that statement three times, she was ok with it.

Tagged: @alreadybroken-ts @mgcllovdrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @golden-hoax @elenavampire21 @peaky-cillian @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @notyour-valentine @easilyobessedbutflighty @shelbydelrey @december16-1991 @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @sunsetmourners @anotherblinder @midnightmagpiemama @cillmequick

MASTERLIST

[secretbangtnn]

Best Of Me | One

Pairings : →ot7 x reader, poly!BTS x reader

Genre : → vampireau, yandere!au, age gap, gore, obsessive behavior, ddlg/caregiver, poly, fantasy, supernaturals

summary : It’s quite unusual to find a little baby on your doorstep, especially that their area was not of the poorest - you could say that a vampire town was efficient with money and snobby creatures. However over time the first idea of just giving back the little girl seems more and more radical and those moody vampires slowly start perceiving deeper feelings to human they even wanted to kill.

notes ~

So im not really as happy as i wanted to be with this chapter, but its the first one that i needed to translate. Suprisingly Its easier for me to write the whole thing myslef than translating it from my native language. + Remember to leave something and im happy to say that we can start an ask game with the characters from my books

next

Surprisingly this day was awfully ugly for such a beautiful season. Heavy rain was falling on the ground creating the big sheets of wall with those millions droplets that practically covered the whole view outside of the freshly cleaned window.

Tired sigh pierced the quiet, as for the household members, house only causing the weird tension to increase that was there from the early morning. Dark hair of the boy moved with him, now facing the cold, wet window.

Hyung…” Groaned the boy crashing on the couch closing the eyes in the process a little frustrated. Walking just next to him, a little taller man with bright yellow hair, looked at the dark haired one with a tired stare.

“I don’t have time Jungkook, go torture Yoongi or something.” A snort came out of the older one after the not so innocent proposition, as he kept carrying the big basket full of clothes.

And again he was alone. The youngest of the brothers, being the one who never knew what to do with his free time, wandering in the halls and every couch he could spot in their cosy house. His dark chocolate hair falling on his face, a little too long for his liking, but he was too lazy to actually do something with them.

Again that not happy groan left his lips, and wriggling similar to a child that did not get a toy he wanted, in the end forcing him to sit on the couch with a big pout. It was not normal in this household, the whole quiet and calm act, especially considering the residents he shared the home with.

They are more similar to animals than gentelems that appreciate a quiet time. So the weird atmosphere was definitely an unsettling thing for the youngest.

Again looking at the dark view outside the window, he tried to see the cause of all of this. Completely as if something was meant to happen, like the quiet before the storm.

And let me tell you, Jungkooks 6th sense never fails. Just as he thought that maybe just maybe this time he was wrong, a ring echoed in the whole household.

“Someone is gonna open it?!” He shouted being too irritated to even do it himself, despite being the closest to the doors.

Of course, nobody answered. So angry he was at this moment he got up from a nice cozy couch and with heavy steps he came to the big chunk of the wood.

He opened the door not that gently, mumbling an annoyed “what?”

So how irritated he got when he saw nothing, a void, the same doorstep and gate that stood there everyday, now with a big wall of rain to spice up the view. He looked around, now a little confused, while thinking that maybe someone was in the mood for jokes. But how stupid the idea of that was when he remebered, that for his hundreds years of living in this world the first time that actually someone managed to make fun of him was today.

And oh god he started to get so pissed.

So imagine how shocked he was when just before he closed the door he heard a really unusual sound coming from his feets. Unhappy sobs rang in the quiet afternoon immediately attracting his attention.

The young vampire was more than shocked, looking at the child in the pille of pastel colored blankets. Small sobs now increased in a big crocodile's tears with disturbing sounds of the kids crying.

“”No, no, no, please be quiet, we don’t want to wake up the old, ugly, moody grandpa. do we?” He panicked, whispering the words to the child that now laid in his arms. He just prayed that the actual old vampire really didn't take up because of the cries.

As the kid started to calm down, he stared at it with an unreadable emotion. It was a weird feeling, holding the delicate creature in his arm, knowing that just one wrong move, and the child would never cry again.

So what was that feeling that stirred down his stomach as the little creature grabbed his finger with a big open mouth. The sick emotion only made him panic even more, while looking back inside the house.

He decidied,. Sneaking was nothing new for his ninja move, and he strongly believed in his skills of not getting caught with a surprise in his arms. In the end the spiderman socks were a good choice, as their soft material made nearly no sound on the floor.

His stress level went higher with each step that brought him closer to the room that he knew he could not miss. The sound of a knife and cutting rung in his ears is similar to the music in horror music he likes to watch, now making him understand a feeling of pure fear.

Eyes closed while praying that the blonde man won’t turn around catching him in his act. But how wrong he was to believe in such a miracle. Nothing and absolutely gets past Kim Seokjin.

“Jeon Jungkook…” He died, completely freezing in place. Not opening his eyes he waited thinking that maybe it was just his head messing with him, and the blonde boy never actually turned to him. “What have you done again. If I need to clean the mess once again from the ketchup, I'm not going to…”

And as Jungkook thought that nothing can go worse, the little chil laughed a happy giggle while making the grabby hands for his bracelet.

“Jungkook?...What exactly are you holding?” The question like a knife cutted the heavy atmosphere in half. The silence just after that louder than everything he has heard before. He was even sure that he felt his nonexisting heart stopping. “Did you fucking steall a child?! I can’t be…”

“No! It’s not like that I swear I found it on our doorstep.”

“Do you really think think I am that stupid? How even the child could just appear there hm? Rolled there or better flyed on its plush unicorn?”

“Hyung, please you are going to wake up others.” He didn’t even hesitate to beg, looking at the blonde with such terrified eyes. The child in his arms happily munching on his bracelet completely unaware of the tension.

“Why would I care about others! You brought a child Jungkook, how can i be calm!?”

Dark haired unconsciously looked around with gritted teeth, now just waiting for the rest to appear. And he did not need to wait long, as just after he looked back at the blonde, someone came from the other side of the kitchen door.

Tall man with peachy hair and raspy voice, trying to get rid of the rest of his sleep, now scratching his head with confused expressions. Who wouldn’t be confused in this place, seeing a literal child in a house full of old vampires.

“What is this mess all about? You know what hour it is?” Said the tallest one. Blondie one only snorted as if offended while crossing his arms. “What?”

“Nothing.” Oldest mumbled irritated. The tallest only raised his brow, and repeated the question once again. Jungkook being now forgotten with the child trying to catch his attention with little sounds. “You dare to remind me of the hour?! Do you know how many nights I didn’t sleep because of you! If I just could silence you for good, you would have long ago ended like the voldemort, yes i'm talking about that nose of yours”

The taller one immediately touched his nose gasping not believing in what he just heard, now trying to silently disappear from the harash stare of his older brother.

As the peach hired one hid behind a counter, the attention now came back to the snaking Jungkook. More pairs of footsteps rang in the quietness of the home, slowly showing other people.

“Jin-hyung is angry again? What happened I want to see.” Announced the newcomer, sliding on his perfectly white socks.

“Who is angry here?! You want to see how angry I can be you...you…”

“You silly goose?”

“No that's to lame.”

“Dipshit?”

“You dipshit! Thank you Namjoon.” He finished with a red face. The newcomer only rolled his eyes, while making the shortest of the brothers that came with him laugh.

“Since everyone is here…” The tallest started.

“Wait, where is Yoongi.” Asked the red haired one, while leaning on the counter with a mysteriously made coffee.

“Here.” All of them shouted, hearing the sudden voice, and seeing the new person that appeared with a lightning of thunder. “So what’s this mess about?”

Everyone in the room simultaneously looked at the dark haired boy that immediately stopped in his tracks hoping for some power that could help him disappear. All the eyes slowly drifted down his arms, now staring at a bundle of blankets that started to move as if it knew of the attention.

“What is that?” Asked the tallest looking straight at the irritated blonde.

“Don’t ask me, I’m not the one that gives such a stupid example, making those idiots steal children.”

The kitchen is now again quiet, all the eyes on the little creature in the arms of the youngest. Only sound now being the child starting to sob again, making everyone tense.

“Shut it up you morons.” Said second oldest, annoyed at the loud cries. The blonde didn’t waste time, knowing how bad noise is for the black haired. Small body now shuddering because of the sobbing making the oldest coo at the little child.

His arms soon hold the bundle of blanket, trying to calm the kid down with his baby voice. It wasn’t hard to get lost in its eyes, them being mysterious and full of innocence, drawing up the blonde one. His big hand now on its red cheek, trying to feel the texture of the soft skin under his fingers.

And as the cries never happened, the child started giggling again trying to grab Seokjin hands with such a beautiful smile. It was a really soft sight to see making them all calm and giddy inside. But as the child opened its mouth Seokjin's smiles disappeared.

“What the matter?” Asked Namjoon a little bit taken aback by the change of his hyungs mood. The oldest only looked back at the rest of them with a terrified expression.

“It's a human.”

[xoluvx]

betty; p.parker

» pairing: peter parker x reader » song: betty » word count: 1.9K

There was a flutter in Peter's heart as he watched you from behind his locker. He was pretending to dig for something, but his head peeked from behind the door watching you enter the school. The glow of senior year oozed off you and the never-ending giggles of your friends wrapped around you like a safety blanket. Your bag hung on one of your arms as the other linked with an arm of one of your friends.

Peter's heart thumped as you approached his locker. Usually, you would come up to him, peck his cheek, tell him how much you missed him, and celebrate the fact you were finally seniors in high school. But that wasn't the case. You walked right past him as if he were invisible.

He followed you down the hall with his eyes, the chatter among your friends grew softer as you disappeared in the crowd of freshmen rushing to find their classrooms. His eyes were on you when you briefly turned your head finding his eyes. Embarrassed, you turned quickly. But his eyes were still on you until he lost you in the crowd.

Shutting his locker, Peter sighed.

"Hey," Ned's voice rang in the hallway as he hurried to Peter.

Peter greeted Ned, as they walked side by side towards their first period. "Are you going to her party?" Ned asked glancing at Peter. He knew it was a sensitive topic, one he hadn't disclosed all the details about yet.

"She hates me," Peter responded shrugging his shoulders digging his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"What happened with Gwen anyway?" Ned asked bluntly. He was tired of being left in the dark, of tiptoeing around the issue and tired of his best friend ditching him for most of the summer.

Peter turned to look at Ned with a blank look, flashbacks of summer invading his mind.

"Do you need a ride?" The voice startled Peter. He'd heard the car coming, but he hadn't turned to see who was approaching him. When the car stopped next to him, he recognized the girl. She had been in one of his classes, but they'd never spoken before.

"Oh no, thank you." Peter shook his head politely. He was carrying his skateboard, a wheel was busted so he was left to walk the rest of the way home.

"It's not a problem, I have nowhere to be." She added smiling at him, lifting her sunglasses, Peter made eye contact. Her eyes were friendly, lips curling into an inviting smile. "I don't bite," she added unlocking her car.

Peter gulped but approached her car. If he walked, it would take him another half hour. Why not?

"Peter, right?" she said. It was then Peter realized she was chewing gum, she blew a bubble take popped as she brought her sunglasses down. Peter nodded.

"Gwen. We had English together," she mentioned driving down the road. "Why are you out here all alone?" she asked casually keeping her eyes on the road.

Peter shifted in his seat, his skateboard awkwardly between his legs. "I was at my friend Ned's house," He said looking at her briefly. "But my skateboard broke-" he continued talking looking down at the skateboard with the missing wheel.

"You know how to fix it?" she asked.

"I think I have to get it fixed," he confessed. Or maybe Ned could help, but that would require transportation that he didn't have.

"I can take you," she offered and Peter's eyes widen a bit. He was confused by her generosity. He barely knew this girl.

"I have to get home. My aunt is waiting for me." It was true. Aunt May didn't play when it came to dinner. Even though the sun was still out, he had to be home for dinner in less than an hour.

"Tomorrow," she shrugged nonchalantly glancing at Peter as they stopped at a red light. Peter's eyes scanned her face, her round features, and her long lashes. The gum expanded once again in a small bubble.

"Sure. Okay," Peter smiled as he gave her directions towards his house.

Peter should've known then. He should've known how things would end, but he was too gullible and he missed you too much. You'd taken the camp counselor job and though you would only be gone for five weeks, they felt like the longest five weeks. Gwen was filling that void.

Gwen's company made the days slightly more bearable. It was innocent. It started that way at least.

"I saw them at the arcade together," Inez's voice was becoming staticky. Your thoughts fogged as you heard what she was saying. "I wanted to call as soon as I saw, but you were at camp." She frowned, it was ingenuine though. Like she was living for the hurt expression on your face.

She went in for a hug, but you moved out of her way leaving the mall. You weren't going to entertain this. Is that why Peter wasn't there like he said he would? At your doorstep waiting for you to come back from camp?

You could feel the tears forming as you approached your car. Fumbling with the door you finally pulled it open sliding into the driver's seat slamming the door, gripping the steering wheel as you let the tears flow. Your chest felt tight.

This had to be the worst welcome home ever.

"Hey," Ned waved and you turned in his direction. He was waving at you with a friendly smile. Peter was next to him looking like a lost puppy. You faked a smile and waved, ignoring Peter, before you got pulled away by your friends to your table in the cafeteria.

"Are you going to talk to him?" one of your friends, Alice, asked drinking from her juice box. Another cut in and it was all too much for you to process. They knew as much as Inez had told you, and they knew you hadn't spoken to Peter since you left for camp.

"I think you should talk to him," Abigail added with a concerned expression.

"No, don't. He's not worth it. Remember how he didn't even come and rescue you when Jack refused to take no for an answer at the dance?" Rebecca retaliated.

You remembered clearly. You'd just started dating. Peter was still shy. It wasn't a big deal. You weren't even expecting Peter to come to the dance and you wouldn't have known that he was there unless Inez made it a point to tell you later that night as you walked towards the parking lot.

"We've already gone over that, it wasn't a big deal." You reasoned still on Peter's side. Because that was the thing, even if Peter had betrayed your trust, you felt like you'd always be on team Peter.

Glancing at his table, you saw him talking with Ned and you wished you could just go up there and forget everything ever happened press reset, and start senior year how you'd been planning with Peter.

"What if he shows up at your party?" Rebecca asked and you snapped back to your table. Shrugging you poked at your veggies before pushing your tray away. You weren't hungry.

The week went by in a flash, but each day felt longer than the previous. You wrapped your cardigan tightly around your body as you got out of bed. It was Saturday, in a few hours crowds of people would be in your backyard celebrating the start of the last year of high school.

But you were too caught up on Peter.

The sound of a text notification caught your attention.

Can we talk? - Ned

That was weird. Ned wasn't usually one to text you. Peter was always there as the middle man. You were curious.

What's up? You typed waiting for his text in anticipation. Your phone rang and you caught your breath. You were expecting him to continue texting.

"Hello?" you asked cautiously.

"Don't hang up, please. I need to talk to you. You need to hear me out, please-" it was Peter. His voice filled your body with warmth until you remembered.

"Peter," your voice cracked. What could you say to him? Nothing, you were about to hang up when you heard his voice again.

"Don't hang up. I was stupid. I missed you and Gwen was there, and I know that's not an excuse for what I did but I never stopped thinking of you-" he was out of breath speaking quickly.

You felt your heart tighten, the familiar feeling of tears forming in your eyes took over.

"I'm sorry, Peter." You hung up. You couldn't deal with this. Not when Abigail and Rebecca were on their way. Wiping the tears, you discarded the cardigan on your bed. The one he'd bought for you last Christmas.

-

"Are you having fun?" Abigail asked squeezing your hand lightly. She was speaking over the loud music, her nose close to your ear. Nodding, you feigned a smile before looking into the crowd. No Peter.

"I'll be back," you motioned towards your house letting her know you needed to grab something.

But in reality, you needed some space. You'd been looking forward to this day. Towards your last year of high school, but plans changed. Sighing you sat on your porch. You could still hear the music and though the party was in your backyard, you needed a breath of air that wasn't congested by teens.

Swinging on the porch swing, you leaned your head back looking at the silent street. That's when you saw a figure. One hand deep in the pockets of his jeans, a skateboard in the other. It was Peter.

"Hi," his voice echoed drowning out the music. Your heart skipped a beat and you straightened up on the porch swing. You planted your hands on either side of you grounding you.

"What are you doing here?" you asked carefully getting off the swing.

"Just listen to me please," he said climbing up the three steps of your porch. "I messed up, I know I did." He looked at you with sad eyes placing his skateboard down. "It meant nothing to me. Gwen was a distraction. One that ruined the best thing that's happened to me," he was sincere with his words. His tone was gentle as he stepped forward.

"I thought becoming an Avenger was the best thing that happened to you," you joked folding your arms. That got a small chuckle out of Peter.

"That's a close second," he joked back, this time it was your turn to laugh softly. You were falling back into your comfortable state. One where only you and Peter existed.

"I can't ask you to forget what happened-" he was stepping closer. "-but please forgive me, I will do anything." He reached for your hands, your fingers intertwining easily.

"Anything?" you asked, your voice cracking.

Peter squeezed your hands nodding.

"Kiss me," you whispered pulling Peter closer with your hands still tangled together. A goofy smile spread across Peter's face and he happily closed the gap between your bodies.

He let go of your hands so he could cup your face. Yours instantly wrapped around his torso.

"I missed you," he whispered against your lips, your noses touching.

Smiling you kissed him again. The fabric of his soft lightweight sweater felt right under your fingertips. You could smell his fabric softener and shampoo.

It felt like home.

folklore masterlist

[dumdumsun]

Of Starlight

A/N: One more chapter!

Warnings: none that I'm aware of

Word Count: 4200

—————————————

Chapter 19: The White Violin

To say that Five was nervous would have been an understatement. Not only would he be meeting the children of the love of his life, but her mother as well. Just hours ago, he was trying to prevent an apocalypse, and fought for his life for the past eight days. Now he was worrying about whether or not Michael and Jada would like him? What a rollercoaster this week has been.

(Y/N) had made a pit stop at her home, mentioning she had to grab something. When she invited Five inside, he hesitated, but she insisted. So, he unbuckled himself and left the car, joining her at her doorstep. Once she unlocked the door, they stepped inside and then she left his side not too long after, telling him to “make himself at home”. Five instinctively shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts as he watched his love disappear down the hall to her bedroom. Letting out a quiet breath, he let his green eyes wander around the living room.

It was clear that (Y/N) had been living quite a comfortable life. Her home wasn’t as grand as their childhood mansion, but it wasn’t a small home either. All around her walls were framed abstract paintings, awards her novels had won, and family photos. On her wall across from the long leather couch was a seventy-two-inch flat screen television. On either side of the television was a bookshelf. Upon further inspection, Five noticed that the bookshelf on the left consisted of children’s story books, while the other was full of novels. As his eyes roamed, he noticed Vanya’s book in the ‘H’ section of the alphabetized system. He hummed and stepped back, wandering further into her home. He noted that the general theme of the interior was navy blue and white. A nice, calming touch. Something tranquil to come to after a hectic day. He shook the thought from his head as he approached the dining room. On the glass table was a cup that was knocked over. Five tilted his head and set it upright, wondering why (Y/N) hadn’t taken care of that. She didn’t seem like the type to leave a single speck of dirt around her home, but then again, she hadn’t been able to look after her home in days. He had himself to thank for that.

His attention was brought to the small table in the corner of the dining room, where a framed picture was facing down. Curious, he walked up to the table and picked up the photo, his stomach twisting in knots only slightly. It was a wedding photo of (Y/N) and Anthony. The man’s golden tan skin bathed in the sunlight, lighting up his lovestruck facial expression. He had dark black hair and full brows, sporting a well-groomed extended goatee the same color. His full body wasn’t in the frame, but it was clear he had somewhat of a muscular build and the way he held himself radiated confidence. His hazel eyes were gazing at (Y/N). Five couldn’t believe what puberty had done to her. She was the picture of perfection. Her (e/c) eyes sparkled naturally in the sunlight, the way her dazzling smile reached those eyes told nothing but the truth of how her life had truly changed for the better. The only time he had seen (Y/N) as an adult was the apocalypse, where he never had the chance to see her smile. The woman in this picture was a woman who had escaped the horrors of her childhood, who made something of herself, who didn’t let those horrors define her. A sense of pride swelled in Five’s chest the longer he stared at the photo. She had achieved true happiness.

And here he was, bringing all of that negativity back to her.

“Okay, I’m back.” (Y/N) announced as she stepped into the dining room. Five quickly set the picture down in its original place, but it was too late. The smile she wore faltered a bit, but when it returned, it was more melancholy. Her steps towards him were slow, cautious. “He reminded me so much of you, Five,” She whispered, her shoulder brushing against his as she turned the photo upright again. “He was so patient with my baggage, so gentle and careful. Like I was this porcelain doll to him. Not a single scratch could be left on me, it was so unbelievable sometimes.”

“Are you trying to say I’m gentle and patient?”

“With me, you are.” She giggled. She let her elbow nudge his as she shifted her arm. “I miss him… he couldn’t fill the void you left, but he was so wonderful to have known in life. A wonderful partner…”

Five’s frown deepened. “I’m sorry about Anthony, (Y/N)... He must’ve been pretty great if he was able to pull you out of… the dark? Is that what you call it?”

“Yes, the dark,” She whispered before her gaze shifted to his, which was already fixed on her. “Five, I-I hope you know I… I love you. I can never fully heal from Anthony’s death, but… I’m not going to just ignore this. What we have. Or had…”

“What we have.” He whispered back, stepping closer to her. Absentmindedly, (Y/N) set the photo back down as their lips grazed each other. Five’s hand gently gripped her arm and her free hand reached up to caress his cheek. Without another moment of hesitation, the two closed the gap between them, their lips colliding in a slow kiss. The feel of her soft, warm lips against his was almost enough to send his knees buckling, but Five held himself together. It was hard to, though, when the hand on his cheek moved into his hair. Tilting his head into the kiss, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer. Five could have time travelled and spent forty-five years in the apocalypse over and over if it meant he’d come back to this. Come back to this person who could be the beginning and the end of him, who could easily end his life if it meant hers was saved, who could tear down his walls simply with the warmth of her graceful smile. His beautiful Starlight.

His lips chased hers when she slowly pulled away and she quietly chuckled at him. The moment their lips were separated, their gazes met. Nothing, absolutely nothing but pure love and adoration. And if her confession seconds ago didn’t tell him, the look in her eyes certainly did. Her hands slid from his cheeks down to his arms, gently patting his elbows as she raised her brows. “Well… shall we get going?”

-------------------------------------------------

“So, we’re telling them everything? The truth?” Five asked as (Y/N) pulled up in front of her mother’s small home. The girl, after turning off the car, slowly sat back with her lips in a thin line.

“Yeah… That was the original plan,” She whispered. Five frowned in confusion and when she looked at him, she sighed. “We’re gonna pretend to be neighbor kids…”

Five blinked. “You’re not serious, are you? I thought the whole purpose of this was to be honest with them.”

“Well, yeah, but just think of how they’ll react. If it actually registers in their minds that I’m a kid… Oh my god, Jada will bawl her eyes out… Michael’s gonna have a panic attack, I just know it. A-And then they’re not gonna let me comfort them and then my mom’ll have to do it and they barely even let her do it-”

“Starlight-”

“And then if I introduce you as my lover, they’re gonna think I’m trying to replace Anthony-”

“(Y/N),” Five took hold of her hands that were flailing about. She stopped and stared at him with frantic eyes. “We’ll go with your plan. Does your mom know?”

She nodded.

“Okay…,” He slowly freed her wrists, watching as she began to relax. “Ready to go?”

She nodded again.

She was not ready to go. The second the teenagers stood in front of Michael and Jada, (Y/N) froze. Five gently nudged her to start off. She blinked rapidly and cleared her throat, waving shyly. “Hey, there… Um, we just moved in next door and… wanted to meet the neighbors.” She awkwardly nodded. Michael perked up and held his hand out to shake.

“I’m Michael! And I’m six!”

“I’m Jada!” The little girl laughed as Five gently shook the boy’s hand.

“I-It’s nice to meet you, Michael and Jada…” (Y/N) whispered.

Jada bounced on the couch, widening her hazel eyes in curiosity. “What’re your names?” (Y/N) immediately turned to Five in alarm. The boy placed a hand on her arm to calm her. He very slightly smiled at the girl and nodded.

“Well, my name is Five and-”

“Five?!”

“Yes-”

“Like the number?!”

“Yes, and this is… Star.”

This only made the children even more excited, their faces lighting up.

“Star?!”

“Yes.”

“Like the shiny things in the sky?!”

“Yes.” Five sighed and stared down at his feet. (Y/N) giggled. She then slowly knelt down in front of the two. She gulped and took a deep breath before lifting her head to look them in their faces. This was so much harder than she thought.

“How have you two been?”

Jada was the first to speak, “Oh, uh, good! I miss Mama. But she’s at work…”

“Yeah, but we don’t know when she’s coming back,” Michael scratched his cheek. “Because um… I remember one time when Daddy went to work and then, uh… he didn’t come back. I think he was hit… by a car. And I hope Mama didn’t get hit by a car.”

Five looked to (Y/N), who was shaking. He quickly knelt beside her and took her hand in his. “Your mom is fine, Michael, trust me.” He whispered.

“How do you know?”

“We saw her… before we moved. We met her. And she said that… she misses you two a lot. And… there isn’t a second that goes by when she doesn’t think about you. She hopes you’re happy and healthy. She… told us you two are her favorite people in the world.”

“Oh, yeah, she wrote a song about it!” Jada squealed. “She wrote a song about us and she sings it all the time!”

“It’s Jada’s favorite song.” Michael smiled and tried to hold his sister close so she’d cease her bouncing on the couch. (Y/N) let out a laugh as she watched her kids with tender eyes.

“She also said,” She started off, inhaling deeply. “That she didn’t want to leave you two. And if she could, she’d bring you two with her everywhere she went. But she can’t because- Well, she can’t… A-And she,” She stopped to wipe the tears cascading down her cheeks. “She hopes you two don’t hate her f-for leaving you for this long. And that she loves you… so, so much… You two fill her with so much joy and she doesn’t know what to do without you a-and-”

“Why are you crying, Star?” Jada hopped off the couch and hugged her mother tight. (Y/N) immediately wrapped her arms around her daughter. “Why are you crying?”

“N-Nothing, Jada, I just… I just feel bad because she misses you so much…”

Michael plopped down onto the ground in front of them, joining the hug. “Don’t feel bad. She’ll be home with us soon. That’s what she sings every night. That she… um… she’s gonna wipe our tears away when she comes back.”

“You’re right, Michael,” (Y/N) tearfully laughed. “My god, you’re so right…”

Michael turned to Five with a small smile, reaching his arm out. The time traveller looked around with a frown before pointing to himself. The little boy nodded and motioned him closer. Five shuffled over to the three and was going to ask what he needed, but Michael only pulled him into the hug. He was shocked, to say the very least. He considered leaving the hug, but when Jada tugged on his jacket to pull him closer, he gave in and wrapped his arms around the little family.

All the while, (Y/N)’s mother watched from the side, grinning through her tears.

-------------------------------------------------

“What’d you think of the kids?” (Y/N) whispered as she and Five strolled down the sidewalk, hand-in-hand. After the tear-fest, the two decided to get some fresh air and walked around the neighborhood. It was abnormally normal for Five to simply walk down a sidewalk without a task at hand, without answers to find. But right by his side was the answer to all of his questions.

“I think… Jada looks exactly like you,” The two shared a laugh. “But I must say, they are very intelligent children. And so kindhearted, as well. I mean, they just met me and were so comfortable with me.”

“I don’t know where they get that from.” She chuckled. Five gently tugged on her hand, causing her to step closer.

“You’ve got to start giving yourself credit for things like this. They’re your kids. Where do you think they got it from?” He smiled, raising her hand to his lips. “You’re the most caring person I know, Starlight.” He pressed a tender kiss to her knuckles as she leaned into his side. This beautiful and peaceful moment was squashed, however, when Five glanced over at a newspaper stand and dropped (Y/N)’s hand frantically. He rushed to the stand and took out a newspaper. “No, no, no…”

“Five?” (Y/N) stepped closer, her hand hovering over his shoulder. “What’s wrong…?”

“(Y/N)... we need to get back to the Academy.”

“W-What? Why-”

“The apocalypse is still on.”

Her car sped towards the Academy, the two hoping to god no lives had been taken in their absence. Arriving at the Academy, there was… Well, there was no Academy. It was in shambles, fire acting as a source of light in the night. Thankfully, in the midst of all the wreckage, (Y/N) could count four of her siblings standing around. Unfortunately, she didn’t see Vanya anywhere. The two teens charged out of the car and towards their siblings. “Guys!” Five grabbed (Y/N) by the hand and pulled her with him. The four all turned to them with exhaustion written all over their faces and bodies. “This is it. The apocalypse is still on. The world ends today.”

“I thought you said it was over.” Luther stepped closer to them. Five held up the newspaper he’d been clutching in his hand since he found it.

“I was wrong, okay? This newspaper, I found it in the future the day I got stuck. The headline hasn’t changed.”

“No, that doesn’t mean anything.” Diego shook his head. (Y/N) detected tears in his eyes and walked closer to comfort him, but he only held his hand up in dismissal. Backing off, she turned back to Five. “Time could’ve been altered since that newspaper came out this morning.”

“You’re not listening to me. When I found it, I assumed this place came down along with everything else,” Five glanced around at the wreckage. “But here we are. The moon’s still shining, the earth is in one piece, but not the Academy.” Five was nearly cut off when Klaus snatched the newspaper from him, flipping through its pages.

“I’m confused…”

“Then listen to me, you idiot! Vanya destroys the Academy before the apocalypse. I-I thought Harold Jenkins was the cause, but he was the fuse-”

“Vanya’s the bomb...” (Y/N) sighed in realization. Five gestured towards his love with an exasperated huff.

“Someone gets it… Vanya causes the apocalypse.”

“We have to find her.” Luther muttered as the sound of helicopter blades and sirens could be heard above them. A blinding light shone on all six of them from one of the helicopters. Diego stood and shielded his eyes from the light.

“We have to get the hell out of here!” (Y/N) grabbed a hold of Five’s arm. The siblings began to disperse, Luther commanding them to regroup at the Super Star Lanes. Pulling her close, Five blinked both he and (Y/N) there.

The boy would have pulled off the employee’s head and shoved it up where the sun didn't shine when she told him they needed to pay to get in, but (Y/N) stepped up and slammed some money onto the counter. It was more than enough for them and their siblings. She quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him to one of the lanes, sitting him down in a chair. The boy’s leg was bouncing rapidly and she had to place her hand on it in order for him to look at her. “I know it seems next to impossible, but please keep a level head, bub.” She leaned in and pecked his lips. He let out a sigh and gently pulled her to sit beside him without a word. The two patiently waited for the four to show up and when they did, they all gathered in the seats provided. Silently. No words spoken amongst each other. By this time, (Y/N)’s legs were swung over Five’s lap, the boy resting his hands on her knees as he stared forward, deep in thought. He didn’t break out of his trance until Luther spoke up,

“Look, I hate to be the one to say this, but everyone needs to prepare.”

“For what?” Diego furrowed his brows.

“To do whatever it takes to stop Vanya.” His answer earned him a smack to the chest with the notepad from Allison. Luther stammered and sighed.

“We may not have a choice, Allison.”

“Bullshit,” Diego mumbled as Klaus picked up the newspaper once again. “There’s always options.”

“Yeah, like what?” Five tested, but only received an ‘I don’t know’.

“Look, whatever we decide, we need to find Vanya. And fast, okay? She could be anywhere.” Luther stood from his chair.

“Or… here.” Klaus’s voice turned everyone’s head in his direction. He shook the newspaper a bit before they gathered around him. In the paper was an advertisement for the performance of the Saint Pluvium Chamber Orchestra, with Vanya as first chair. (Y/N) leaned forward to read it, Five placing his hand on her back to keep her from falling over.

“That’s right. Her concert is tonight.” Diego whispered.

“Hello,” The same employee from earlier approached the family, everyone irritably turning to her. “I hate to intrude, but my manager says if you’re not gonna bowl, you gotta leave.” She shrugged, walking off as said manager slapped a pair of bowling shoes on the counter. Luther, absolutely over this whole situation, grabbed a bowling ball and carelessly threw it. The ball bounced a couple of lanes over before knocking all ten pins down.

“Strike.” (Y/N) lazily cheered. She looked over when she heard Allison tapping on her notepad she’d just written on.

SHE’S OUR SISTER

“We’re the only ones capable of stopping this,” Luther stared intently at her. “We have a responsibility to Dad.”

“To Dad?!” Diego raised his voice. “No, I’ve heard enough about-”

“He sacrificed everything to bring us back together.”

“I’m with Luther on this one,” Five spoke up. “We can’t give her a chance to fight back.” When he felt his love move her legs off his lap, he turned to see her frowning in distaste. “What, are you against this?”

“Of course, I’m against this, Five, I don’t want to have to hurt Vanya.”

“What other choice do we have?” Luther raised his brows at her.

“There are billions of lives at stake. We’re past trying to save just one, (Y/N).” The boy gently held her hand. The girl sighed and turned her head away from him.

“It’s just that we’ve hurt her so much already…”

“Hey, you know, guys, uh… maybe I could help.” Klaus suddenly spoke, hopefully glancing around at his siblings. Luther blinked and shook his head.

“Now is not the time, Klaus-”

“No, let him finish,” Diego interrupted Luther. “He saved my life today.”

(Y/N) stared up at Klaus with a small smile. “Really, Klaus? You did that?”

“Yeah, yeah, I did… take credit for it. In fact, the real hero… was Ben.”

The silence between the family was deafening. Diego, Five and (Y/N) were intrigued while Luther and Allison were doubtful. Klaus sighed and walked in front of them. “Today… Listen. Today, he punched me in the face. Remember, I told you, (Y/N), you saw it!”

“Well… I didn’t actually-”

“And earlier at the house, he was the one who saved Diego’s life, not me.”

Luther scoffed. “You’re unbelievable, Klaus.”

“You want proof, is that it? (Y/N), did you or did you not see Ben punch me in the face today?”

The girl stiffened when she felt all eyes on her. Her own darted from Five, to Luther, then to Klaus, who waited with a hopeful smile. Inwardly sighing, she nodded. “Yes, I saw it.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Luther hissed. “You’re always defending his reckless behavior-”

“No, Luther, maybe I’m just the only one who listens to him-”

“No, you encourage him!”

“Fine, I’ll give you some real proof!” Klaus interrupted and grabbed a bowling ball. Readying to throw it, he stared at the space behind (Y/N). “Showtime, baby. Catch!”

Five quickly pulled his love into the other seat with him before the ball could get anywhere near her. She felt her heart sink when the ball smacked against the floor, slowly rolling away to the next party lane. She looked to Klaus in disbelief, now feeling like the world’s biggest fool. Her brother slowly lowered his arms as he stared back at her apologetically. “Is there any way to silence that voice in your head that screams out to be the center of attention? Or the voice that encourages it.” Luther leaned towards (Y/N), who nearly lunged at him.

“Fuck off, Luther!”

“You know, I liked you a lot better before you got laid,” Klaus immediately regretted that when seeing the shock on both Allison and Luther’s faces. “Which was a complete… It- It wasn’t his fault, ‘cause he was ridiculously high, right? And- And the girl, she thought he was a furry-”

“Stop!” Luther shut him down. He then slowly turned to Allison, who grabbed her notepad and walked away from them. Luther called out to her and followed quickly. To make things even more awkward, a woman suddenly walked over to the siblings with her son.

“Excuse me!” She beamed, the four turning to her. “Excuse me, it’s my son Kenny’s birthday today, and… uh… wouldn’t your kids be happier playing with kids their own age? Assuming it’s okay with your two dads.”

(Y/N) got quite the kick out of this, burying her face into Five’s shoulder and quietly laughing as the boy tensed in anger. “I would rather chew off my own foot.” He spat. The woman’s face slowly fell before she escorted her son away. (Y/N) was still laughing as she leaned away when she felt Five get up from his seat.

“If I was going to date a man, you’d be the last man I would date.” Diego stated. Klaus, offended, turned to his sister.

“He’d be lucky to get me.”

“Oh my god, I love you guys.” She snorted into her hand. When her laughter finally died down, she turned to where Five now stood. He was clutching something in his fist and something in her knew he was about to blink away, so she stood quickly. “Five.” She called out and rushed over to him. He turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Starlight, I have to take care of something.”

“But Five, you can’t.”

“I have to.”

“But where?! Where do you have to go?!” Her voice broke as she latched onto his sleeves. He glanced down at her hands before meeting her eyes.

“It’s The Handler. I need to… discuss something with her.”

“Five-”

“Starlight, I promise I will come back for you guys. I’ll come back to you,” He gently rubbed her shoulders. “Okay? I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. Five smiled warmly and leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss. She pressed hers right back to his as her grip on him loosened. When he pulled away, he gave her one last smile before blinking away. She willed herself to return to her seat by her brothers. They picked up on her anxiety immediately, watching her tap her fingers to her knee repeatedly as she bit her lip harshly. The two sat forward with concerned looks.

“(Y/N)?” Diego called, but she hadn’t heard him. Klaus reached over and grabbed her working hand.

“He’ll be back, dear. He wouldn’t just leave us, leave you.”

“I-I know,” Her voice broke, the girl cursing at the sound. “I just… e-every time he leaves, I’m terrified it’s the last time I’ll see him.”

—————————————

Taglist: @unfortu-nate-ly @43sparrows @sapphicsyn @m00n-sh @starcurrent @alexander-hamilhoe @youcandalekmyballs @wonderlandfandom @yrdadjstcallsmekatya @narikyuwu @sm0kingcrack @a-t-h-r-e-e-n-a @moatsnow @bubblegumflamingos @call-me-starstorm @rev-enviadhell @meowiemari @magicalgothpandamaker @simping-4-fictional-men @hehehehannahthings @harrystylescherrie @rhain3 @himikaphoo @zerocanonlywriteshit @xxeiraxx

[ukome]

white landscape [childe]

a/n: this is my valentines day gift dedicated to @genshinsimp​, who i got as my giftee in our genshin writers discord server! even though you aren’t here anymore, i loved our interaction when you were ^^ hope you enjoy!

warnings: none

format & genre: scenario + fluff and angst

pair: childe x gn!reader 

wc: 500

-

snow. the one and only thing that had stuck with you since the beginning of your birth. the thing that welcomes you every time you step out of your house. 

beautiful, but cold. a millennia and more worth of history lies in this very place you call home. sometimes you wonder, and sometimes you don’t. 

did he, too, call this place “home”?

             .                                               .                                                .      

it’s been a while since he’s come back. he would send hundreds of letters back to you and his family, and sometimes, you contemplated whether or not you should write back. 

his messages did little to fill the void within you.

the smell of his cologne often arrived along with his letter, separate from the ones he’d write to his family.

on days where you have migraines, you like to curl up & imagine a world, a universe, where childe wasn’t part of the fatui. wasn’t a fatui harbinger. wasn’t always hopping around regions, leaving you lovesick, leaving you alone. 

            .                                               .                                                .      

you’d gotten so used to eating meals without him, gotten so used to being left alone to wallow in your feelings, suffering, all alone. without him. so when he arrived on your doorstep, he couldn’t possibly blame you for shutting the door after an awkward moment filled with silence.

no words of warning. no, “don’t drop dead when you see me! 😋”. 

archons know how long he stood outside, but when you finally gathered your wits to open the door again, you mentally prepared yourself for him to have disappeared. it wouldn’t have been the first time. perhaps you should go see a therapist...

but no. the same man you were infatuated with, stood in the same spot you left him hanging. 

you blink once. twice. before dragging him inside your comfy abode, sitting him down, before examining his face again.

he was really, home. 

for how long?

who knows.

but he feels good in your arms. as if he’d stay forever for you. an eternity. tear mountains down to get to you. hold you. hug you. love you.

you two spend hours talking to each other, catching up with one another. he doesn’t disclose much information regarding as to why he was in a certain place, as that was information only to be known to the fatui, but you didn’t mind.

you still couldn’t fathom that he was here.

living. breathing. laughing. 

right in front of you.

            .                                               .                                                .      

“why’d you come back?”

he looks at you, in a confused manner, which gradually morphs into one of disbelief, before settling on a face that tried to withhold laughter. 

you were left annoyed, and slightly pissed off. 

but this changes into embarrassment after a while. after he explains to you what today was. and all you feel is shame, for not knowing, that it was valentines day.

“did you not come back because of me?”

he looks at you this time, face unreadable. 

“of course i came home for you, silly.”

[youwerenevermeanttofeelalone]

Only Growing | Five Hargreeves

✦ pairing — Five Hargreeves x Plus Size Reader

✦ word count — 2.6k

✦ summary — Five and you get a second chance. Like everything with The Hargreeves, it’s more complicated than it sounds.

✦ warnings — angst, spoilers for season 2 (the story doesn’t follow canon, though), mentions of violence, mentions of food, language, fluff.

✦ a/n — the brief text in italics is a flashback.

❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎

You were used to silence. Diego had never been one for staying home doing nothing. Sometimes he would leave you a note that said not to wait up for him if you were lucky, but you never had the pleasure to get home from work and have your boyfriend there.

Ex-boyfriend now. He had found himself someone else. Years had passed for him when a mere day went by for you.

You had been a fool, thinking things would finally go your way. Ever since Five disappeared, life proved you time after time how unlucky you were.

Nonetheless, you understood. No one had understood Diego better than you had, it was the reason why your relationship had lasted.

Diego hadn’t been a dick about it. He offered to give you time, reminded you to get closer to your best friend, and apologized for something that hadn’t been his fault.

He had said, “Talk to Five.” If only it was that easy. Five hadn’t visited you yet — according to Luther, who had driven Diego to your place so he could pack his things and introduce you to his new girlfriend, Five needed to take care of something first.

It was no secret that you would do anything for Five. Certainly not to Diego who many times had reproached you for missing his brother so intensely to the point of neglecting him.

You loved Diego, how couldn’t you? But you had never been capable of hiding how much you missed Five. Just like you weren’t capable of hiding how much seeing him with someone else hurt.

He had promised he would never leave and days later you had watched him carry his belongings to the doorstep with another woman by his side.

Now you were forced to fall asleep in a silent bedroom at a house too big for one person.

Woken up by incessant knocking on the front door, you grumpily walked down the stairs. Every single one of your acquaintances knew your schedule was hectic so you weren’t expecting any of them.

Swinging the door open, you were greeted by a tall man. His green eyes shined as he buried his hands in his pockets.

You didn’t understand why he was expecting you to speak first, or how a man could have such soft-looking hair.

Shaking the latter thought off, you asked, “Can I help you?”

“It’s me.”

“That... doesn’t answer my question.”

He sighed loudly. “I’m Five, you idiot.”

You crossed your arms. “Oh, yeah? And I’m a Nobel Laureate.”

“Ask me something only Five Hargreeves would know.”

You glanced past his shoulder, making sure there was no one nearby. “What’s the last thing I told you before you left back when we were kids?”

He lowered his head. “That you needed me.”

”You can’t attempt traveling through time! What if something goes wrong?”

Five shook his head. “I’m not stupid. Everything will go smoothly.”

You weren’t stupid either. Many things could go wrong. He could get lost, he could ruin the timeline, he could exhaust himself to the point of death...

“Five, please. I need you here with me,” your voice broke.

You couldn’t decipher the look he gave you. A blue flash of light blurred with your tears.

You dropped your arms and stepped to the side to let him in. “Why didn’t you use your powers?”

“I didn’t want to startle you,” he yelled from the kitchen.

You followed the sound of his voice. Some things never changed, it seemed. He was hovering over the coffee machine, tapping his thumbs against the counter.

“Since when do you care about scaring me?”

“Since my stupid brother taught you self-defense.”

You rolled your eyes, tugging the fridge door open. “You’re a trained assassin.”

“We both know I would never hurt you.”

Well, thank God. You would’ve been dead decades ago if he was willing to hurt you more than he had already.

Changing the subject, you poured yourself a glass of orange juice. “How come you look like that now?”

“Should I be offended?”

“You looked like a teen a few days ago,” you defended yourself.

Five’s semblance softened. “I guess one of the things we did to mess the timeline worked in my favor.”

“You ruined the timeline?”

“A little bit.”

Sensing he didn’t want to talk about it, you dropped bread into the toaster.

He offered you some coffee, but you declined. The last thing you needed was getting more anxious than you were already.

Five tilted his head. With a sigh, he put the cup down and opened his arms. “Come here.”

He didn’t have to tell you twice. His willingness to give affection didn’t come easy, and your eagerness for his attention had always been constant.

Arms around him, you rested your head on his shoulder. Five rubbed your tense back with one hand, pulling you closer with his other arm.

You squeezed him tight, trying your best to keep your tears in.

❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎

Five had always persuaded you to do anything he wanted. Never something that would put you in danger although on some occasions you had gotten hurt by accident, but always things you wouldn’t do if it weren’t for him.

Attending one of his family reunions was one of those things. But he had asked nicely.

He had said it would be something casual, you wouldn’t have to stay for too long. He just needed someone beside him to ground him in case a fight broke out.

Once you were ready, he dropped the book he had been reading onto your coffee table and offered his hand.

You took it without even thinking about it, giving him a squeeze to assure him you were ready to teleport.

Your stomach flipped at first. An underlying tickling appeared in the lower area of your abdomen. His powers had always had that effect on you, and you had missed the sensation deeply.

Not having visited The Academy since Five disappeared, you found yourself in awe of how little it had changed.

“How are you not throwing up right now?”Allison asked, pulling you into a hug.

“She had enough training as a kid,” Five answered for you, carefully dropping your hand.

Klaus giggled. “I forgot you two sneaked everywhere together.”

As you parted from Allison, you shared a look with Five. You had always thought it was a well-kept secret that every time you felt sad or Five had a nightmare he would sneak into your room or sneak you into his.

You hugged Klaus next, then Vanya. Luther was in the kitchen, Diego and Lila in the living room.

Greeting your ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend as warmly as you were capable of, you took a seat next to Five.

Seeing Diego with Lila didn’t hurt. Not like you imagined it would. His demeanor had changed from what you could tell, he looked calmer, happier. You were glad, the people you loved and their happiness were important for your own wellbeing.

In fact, you were more than glad. The Hargreeves siblings seemed to have gotten closer, their bickering was only that now — Luther was more open, warmer; Vanya participated in conversations, finally smiling around her family.

Five looked comfortable, too. Laughing loudly at Klaus’ antics. His eyes shined as he turned to look at you, laughter still intact. You couldn’t help but join him.

“Five,” Allison called for her brother, “my car broke. Can you take me home?”

He searched for your acknowledgment and held your gaze, twisting his mouth upward. You blinked slowly, assuring him you could handle it. Five gave you a sharp nod, standing up in a quick motion.

Diego refilled your glass. “You’ve got a shot with Five now...”

You let out a shaky breath. “Don’t tell him anything, please.”

“He deserves to know.”

You knew he did. His shock when he found out you were daring Diego had kept you up for days.

Five’s arrival saved you from saying anything else. He fixed his hair as he sat back down next to you, glaring at Diego who had still been staring at you, waiting for a good explanation.

You didn’t have one.

❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎・・・・・❖︎

The TV in the living room was on when you got home from work. Laying on the couch, hands tucked under his cheek, you found Five fast asleep.

He hadn’t told you he would visit. He must’ve dropped by impromptu.

Covering him with the blanket he had tossed to the side, you muted the TV. He would probably need the light when he woke up to go to the bathroom.

He grabbed your hand before you could leave. Wincing, you whispered, “Go back to sleep.”

“How was work?” He sleepily asked.

“We can talk in the morning. Get some rest.”

“Did you have a good day?”

Desperate for Five to get a few more hours of sleep, you nodded.

He didn’t let go of your hand, curling up on the couch. Whispering his name, you shook your wrist so he’d loosen his grip.

He mumbled something, but you didn’t understand what it was. His face was red, eyes glued to the ceiling.

“Mmmh?” you prompted him to say it again.

“I needed you with me too.”

You kneeled on the rug, resting your chin on the arm of the couch. “You could’ve taken me with you.”

Scoffing, Five shifted on the couch to sit up. He let go of your hand, burying his fingers in his hair, tossing the dark locks to one side as he gripped them.

“You don’t know what you’re saying. You weren’t there. You didn’t watch everyone you love lying dead at your feet.”

“I had to lose you,” you reminded him, “and my parents in the span of two years.”

He whistled by mistake as he inhaled.

You didn’t let him speak. “I lived through hell staying with my uncle, you know how much he hated me. And I hated college but it was better than staying with people who blamed me for my mother’s death.”

“And then you chose Diego.”

“What does Diego have to do with anything?!”

“The last thing you said to me was that you needed me, but you still moved on.”

Calling it moving on was an insult. You had been willing to put your life on hold in case he came back, to be alone until he miraculously appeared one day and filled the void.

That was what lead you to Diego. Both of you were aware of the reason why you attracted the other — it hurt at times, not having your partner all for yourself, but you couldn’t complain when you weren’t completely his.

“You think I didn’t wait for you?” You chuckled bitterly. “Five, I swore we would get married and have a perfect life. But everything is easier at thirteen.”

He mocked you, “Oh, and you thought Diego would give you the perfect life you wanted?”

“No!” you yelled. “I just... I woke up, I guess.”

Five turned to his side to look at you. “Fall asleep again.”

“Five...”

“Do it. I’ll make it right this time.”

Your voice betrayed you by breaking. “What if you have to disappear again?”

He squeezed his eyes closed. For once, Five didn’t have an answer to your inquires, not even a sarcastic one.

You sniffed.

“Hey, hey,” he cooed, placing his hands on top of yours. “Don’t cry, please. I hate seeing you like this.

You twisted your hands so your palms would be against his, fingers finding their way between his nimble ones. “I don’t want to go through all of that again.”

“I’ll take you with me if I have to,” he promised, dropping his head on top of yours.

He just wanted to stay there, inhaling the scent of your perfume. Five felt safe with your hands in his, actually safe — he could close his eyes and not worry about horrendous flashbacks,

You were there with him, not dead on the ground next to his siblings. He caressed the back of your hand with his thumb, drawing circles on your soft skin.

“My knees hurt.”

Laughing softly, he moved away from you so you could stand up.

Five followed you with his eyes, twisting his body as you sat down beside him, rubbing your palms against your knees.

You gazed at him with watery eyes, bringing your hand to his face, tracing his jaw. God, you used to annoy him when you were kids, telling him he looked ugly every time he clenched it.

Smiling at the memory, you felt the movement of his muscles as he mirrored your smile.

“You still have dimples,” you told him, removing your hand so you could look at him properly.

He hurried to take your hand again, palm against the back of yours as he gripped it.

“Aren’t you tired?”

“You’re avoiding giving me an answer,” he observed, grip tightening around your hand.

You shook your head effusively. “It’s no secret I would follow you to the end of the world. Literally.”

“But this...” Five breathed out, “this is more than that, (Name).”

“You can’t even say it,” you mused, “and here I am, willing to give you everything I have and more.”

With his free hand, he cupped your cheek. “Don’t be stupid. It’s mutual, and I have no problem with expressing the way I feel.”

“What did you mean by ‘more than that’, then? Do you fear for my safety?”

“No.” He quickly rectified, “I do worry about your safety, but I’m capable of keeping both of us safe. I meant... things beyond being in danger and getting worried. That’s easy for us.”

You nodded against his warm palm, sensing he had more to say.

”I want normal things for us, good things. I don’t know how well I will do. I need you to know that, to be okay with me.”

It was like seeing that thirteen-year-old again, desperate to have the approval of his authority figure.

“I’ve been in love with you since I was ten,” you confessed through a breathy laugh. “You were insufferable, but I didn’t care. I’ve always been okay with you, even when you were an asshole to me.”

“I was trying to get your attention.”

“I know that now.”

His eyes, full of emotion, focused on yours. You didn’t care if he wanted to make sure you weren’t lying, taking offense would’ve been dismissing everything he had gone through.

His eyes fell onto your lips. “Should I...”

“If you want.”

Bumping your nose as he dove in, he caught your lips between his in a clumsy kiss. You held the back of his head with your free hand, pulling him closer.

He let you guide him, getting more confident as he went on. You tilted your head to the other side, sliding your hand off his to place it on his shoulder.

Before pulling away, you gave him short kisses. Feeling him smile against your lips had to be the best thing in the world.

Suddenly, he remembered, “Hey, did you eat anything for dinner?”

“No...” Before he could chastise you or complain, you asked, “Do you want a sandwich?”

“Sure.”

You gave him a final short kiss. “Pick a movie, yeah? Whichever you want.”

“God, I love you.”

Five’s love for you had only grown throughout all those years. Thinking about the time you had spent together as kids kept him going; it had been a bittersweet coping mechanism.

Nothing compared to his love for you growing with you there.

He didn’t know how he had survived without the swelling in his chest upon watching you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from across the room while he waited for you to press play on the first movie he found.

He only knew he would never let go of it.

[octania]

Midnight hunter ( Dabi x Reader 18+)

This is the second chapter of Midnight stalker.

Short description: Prepare yourself for a human hunt where your fiery hunter will not stop until he gets you.

Word count: 4.8 K

Warnings: Smut, yandere, human hunt, violence, death (not Dabis nor readers), mentions of noncon (nothing much, just a mention in a dialog),NSFW. _______________________________________________________

He forced his compass to point in any direction except hers. He went to places that were too much even for his hardened soul. He drank the sweetness of a woman's body without limits, getting drunk under the touch of cheap prostitutes as much as he could. But instead of asking the paid lady of the night for sexual consolation, he greedily tried to recreate the moment he stole from you.

I didn't fucking steal nothing, it’s mine. You are mine.

The last truth of his thoughts was pierced with the spear of condemnation. In those moments when the Pandora's box wanted to send the truth to the surface of his soul, in those moments he was the most dangerous. He turned into a raging beast that could destroy anything in front of them. Unfortunately, several prostitutes were harmed because of his struggles. After hearing the words of truth in his head, the reaction of the body came immediately afterwards. His palms bathed in a blue flame, burning the skin of the unfortunate woman's face, who had been trying to meet his needs until then. A tense kiss, thirstily absorbing the erotic dance of her tongue, squeezing her eyelids like yours, the only thing he had differently was that he ordered the prostitutes to sit on his lap. To put their legs around him as he held them by the waist and pressed them to his chest. He had to take his imagination to the next level, give it the illusion of consent. He wanted to imagine how you kissed him willingly, how you needed his lips desperately, how you needed to feed on his presence how he fed on yours. And after that he was poisoned. He left the room, leaving the painful screams of those he had inadvertently damaged with his flames behind him.

Dabi hated the smell of smoke. Ironically for someone who is almost always surrounded by that scent, but something in him aroused disgust at that smell. Especially the smell of burning skin. It reminded him of the misfortune that had befallen him, aroused in him things that were to blame for the person he was today. He knew the horrors of that scent, how severe and vicious its punishment was. Those who are punished in this way never forget it. He ran his fingers over his chin, rubbing his damaged skin. The wound may have healed, but the scar will remain forever. He didn't need a new scar. Especially not the kind that never heals, it only seemingly retreats, settles into the dark place of the human subconscious and lurks its weakest moment.

 "Tsc ... I should have finished you ..." he threw a glass of whiskey into the wall of the room. The glass shattered into thousands of pieces, while the liquid left a large stain on the white wall. The moment he pressed his lips to yours, his Pandora's box shattered in the same way, leaving feelings in his chest. He thought that by kissing you he would silence his desires and satisfy his obsessions, but he only deepened them. Hell, now he's trying to patch up the damage with others, how pathetic it can be. He clenched his fists as a blue flame wrapped around them. Dabi could not suffer humiliation, he could not let it go unpunished. He made a mistake, but now it is about time to fix it. He got out of bed just as he got up the first night he contracted this plague, pulled his black T-shirt over his taut shoulders, and headed for the exit.

It has been almost two months since the unfortunate event. Your quiet life turned into a nightmare in one night and you had no idea why. After tasting the lips of a dangerous stranger and daring to turn around even though he ordered you not to, you didn’t think the gates of hell would open shortly after. The pair of blue eyes in which the storm was pouring belonged to a very famous villain, a person you had only seen on the news, newspapers or arrest warrants until then. You never thought you would see him in front of your eyes, let alone taste him with your mouth. There was a void in your head, a war drum in your chest. Nothing that happened that night seemed real. You played that scene back in your head again and again so many times, but you still could hardly believe yourself. Impossible, it wasn't him. It was him. It was just him and no one else could sit in his place. Anyone normal would be imbued with panic and fear, running away without thinking after catching a glimmer of freedom after that attack, but not you. You stood frozen under the street lamp, staring into the corner where he had disappeared. You don’t even know how you got home after that, it all seemed like a crazy dream. Until the next morning, when everything became more than real. Two police cars were in front of your house at dawn. In addition to the two detectives, there were four police officers and they were accompanied by two heroes. Before you could speak, one of the two detectives pulled a photo out of his pocket. Your friend. You could feel the tingles of horror travel through your body. Fear permeated you before you even heard what had happened.

Your hands were shaking as you held the second photo the detectives gave you. You sat in your living room in your favorite armchair, which this time could not provide you with comfort. You stared at the image of a burning corpse, whose face, despite the disgusting wounds, showed an expression of pure horror and agony. You were the last person he was with, the last contact, so the cops and heroes rushed to your doorstep, not even knowing you had an encounter with the man who was guilty of murdering this young man. At first, you didn’t want to tell the truth. You lied, you kept quiet about the way you actually met. But the quirk of one of the heroes has distracted you from your lie. His quirk was a living lie detector and he read you like an open book. After the truth came out, there was silence. Initially, no one could explain the event you went through, but it didn’t take them long to come to their professional conclusion. He must have wanted to enjoy his morbid act, to leave someone close to suffer for the victim. A few moments later they explained to you how things would develop further, you would be placed under protection. Two heroes and three policemen will be constantly on duty in front of your home, in case the villain returns to finish what he started. You knew they were secretly hoping so, that this was a trap, and you were a living bait.

The days passed, weeks followed, but no trace of the villain. After the first month had passed, two police officers and one hero remained, now, after two months, only one hero remained. No matter how they eliminated the surplus people, caution still had to be on a high level. Because of that, you could not carelessly go where you wanted, just perform your duties, and even then you would be accompanied by a hero. You hated this situation, you could no longer be a prisoner in your own home, you had to stretch your legs somewhere more than just walking to the store. You walked resolutely from your room to the living room where the hero was on duty. He looked at you lazily, and you already had a pleading expression on your face.

 "I want to take a walk, I can't be locked up anymore." you protested, but still in a polite tone. He didn't scold you or acted rudely. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

"I know, I'm sorry ... but I still think it would be better not to go out on the streets, especially not at this time of night." - He gazed at your furry friend who in these two months has grown almost twice the original size when you found him.

 "We don't even have to go to the streets! Not far from here is a forest, we can go there! Please, I'm really not able to spend my days like this anymore, and the forest road is in one of the safest neighborhoods and you know it yourself! ”- you were persistent, determined, you knew that he was soft and that he would give in with a good enough reason. You could see how your words were valid. You knew he couldn't sit on your living room couch anymore, he'd been doing it for the last two months, and you could only imagine how tiring it was to do it to a person who had dedicated his life to action, to fighting villains.

"I'm not sure ..." you interrupted him before he could finish.

"Please! A short walk and nothing more! Not even the dog can jump just around the yard anymore! ”- the hero looked down at the playful puppy and you knew that was the last thing he needed to break. The little furry creature waved its tail, caressing his leg.

"Okay, but not for long and nowhere far. " he said, getting up from the couch.

Come, step into the night doll.

You made a mistake, you made a big mistake. You dared to tell , you dared to make a victim of yourself and seek protection from them. Why? Why doll? The only victim here is him, all of this is your fault, it's your fault because he's here. You did this, and he let you live for a small fee, just one kiss. Instead of feeling privileged and blessed for being let off the hook so cheaply and enjoying your last moments after you poisoned him, you dared to call on the greatest scum of this world to protect you.

 Do you like the taste doll? Do you like the taste of the rotten flesh? You do… don't you? Because you took a bite of my heart, and that is shit is rotten to the core. Feast  on that rot while you can and I hope you like burnt meat as much as rotten because you will soon be surrounded by it.

 He clenched his jaw as he followed your shadows as you imperceptibly tried to sneak up to the car. You chose the wrong evening for a walk. Was the taste of his lips so repulsive to you? The more he thought about it, the stronger the killer instinct was. Even though he came here with the intent to kill you, he felt betrayed. He retreated back into the shadows and hurried down to the previous street  where he saw a parked motorbike. He was skilled at picking locks, and hot-wiring a vehicle was no different. He also had a good  taste, his eye could not miss the kawasaki ninja ZZR 1400, a beautiful assembly of metal and engine. He ran his hands over the leather seat before sitting on it and held the balance of the heavy black beast with ease. It fused with him in a second, as the engine purred as it started. As expected, your car passed in front of him. He saw your happy face under the nightlights in the passenger seat. You won't be smiling for long.

He was cautious and went unnoticed. He followed you with no problem, even a little bit impressively. When he saw the car lights turn from the marked road  to a muddy path between the tall trunks of the forest, he couldn't help but smile sinisterly. He left the motorbike at the very beginning of the forest, covered between dense bushes. His step was lighter than that of a cat. He didn’t break a single twig, make a single sound that would reveal he was there. The two electric blue eyes gleamed like wild beasts in the moonlight. He saw you, he heard you, he could smell you. He licked his lips to recall your taste. Your lips looked delicious even in the dark. You looked almost unreal under the auspices of the stars and the shining moon, with your spirits lifted by the fact you were surrounded by nature once again. How your hair fluttered in the warm night breeze as thin strands fell across your forehead. He saw the scene in slow motion. For a moment the anger disappeared from his face, he allowed himself to watch you calmly. Calmly until the venom of pain and loneliness flowed through his veins again, the only things he could feel except wrath. That was exactly the reason why you were a thorn in his eye. You aroused pain and a feeling of loneliness. He needed you, he needed your touch, he needed your voice in his ear, your breath on his face, your fingers on his skin. Could you see him as anything but a villain? Would the same kindness shine in your eyes and would you extend your hand with the same measure of tenderness when you were rescuing an abandoned puppy from that dark street? Would you recognize what he really is, and he doesn't even see it in himself anymore ... He had to know.

You happily threw a stick to your puppy playing fetch, running along with him. You excitedly followed the dance of fireflies among the tall grass along the path. You paused for a moment, taking a deep breath with a desire to absorb as much of this forest air and its scent as possible.

"See? I told you it is beautiful and it certainly beats being locked up. ”- you said without opening your eyes. You were sure that the hero was enjoying this night out too. Even as you drove in the car you saw the relief on his face when he realized he could finally escape from your house.

"And that there is no one else here." you added, taking another breath. Instead of the smell of trees, the sour smell filled your nostrils. This smells like ..

"Oh..but there is." - the voice that answered did not belong to the hero who brought you here. That voice ... Blood froze in your veins and your eyes suddenly opened in panic as you turned at lightning speed. A grayish cloud between the suppressed trees and the tall grass. Like fog, the smoke remained in the air like a floating ball. You covered your mouth with your hands as it approached your nostrils. You thought you were going to throw up. This was the smell ... the smell of burning flesh. You could barely contain a scream in your throat when you saw a person stepping out from behind a tree, dragging something behind him.

"You ..." - you stammered when you saw the person who was to blame for your accident. The person you had on your lips just two months ago, the same night after he set your friend on fire.

"Tch, tch ... you can recognize me only because you disobeyed me and gazed at me when I told you not to ... naughty doll." - he said, throwing a burnt corpse in front of you. You screamed when you saw the same horror on its face that you saw in the pictures of your dead friend, but this was now the man who pleased you and took you here at your request. He's dead now. You instinctively took a few steps back as your knees were shaking.

“Was it worth it, huh? Disobeying me? Do you see what happens when someone stands in my way, doll? ”-he asked, rubbing the fingers of his left hand. The blue flame rose from his palm to his forearm, over his muscular shoulder to his neck, until he stroked his cheeks as well. You couldn't take it anymore, you started running. You made your way through the thick bushes and tall grass. The roots of the trees tangled under your feet as you tried to escape. You saw almost nothing in front of you except darkness, and your useless calls for help disappeared into the emptiness of the woods. You pushed the branches in front of you that were coming back and smashing into your body. You could feel the warm feeling that was pouring down your legs ... blood. Warm blood dripping from the scratches. None of that slowed you down. You kept running at the same speed. You thought you managed to lose him, you didn't hear anything behind you, but you didn't dare to stop. You continued deeper into the woods where there seemed to be no end.

 The blue light flashed before your eyes so intensely that it hurt. You covered your eyes with your hand, squinting in front of you. The heat made you back off and you succeeded at the last minute. The blue fire is blocking your path. Your eyes filled with tears when you realized what was happening. He's chasing you. He chases you like a beast, and he's a hunter trying to trap you. You turned and ran in the other direction. The road started going uphill. You could feel pain in your legs from the frantic climb, but it never occurred to you to give up. Even when a new wall of fire was created in front of you, you didn’t give up. You turned again, looking for any path where there was no fire. Your lungs were burning from the rapid breathing and the smell of smoke spreading through the air. The new burst of fire was too fast, it managed to reach your lower leg. You sobbed, quickly putting out the fire on your jeans. Your tears flowed harder from the pain of  burning your skin, but you knew you had to keep going. If you give up now, you will not be able to save yourself. Like the promised land, the sight in front of you almost brought a smile to your face. The crystal surface of the lake glazed under the moonlight. The water ... you forgot the pain in a second, leaning on your feet and running with all your might towards the lake. You jumped into the water without thinking. The cold flooded your body, and a sharp pain crossed your injured leg. It was quite shallow. When you surfaced, you realized that the water barely reached your chest. You looked around. The forest burned, and the blue fire cast its light high toward the dark clouds of night.

 "Smart..but it will not help you." - Dabi went through the raging fire as if it were air, reaching the water's edge. His expression was nauseating. When he watched you run, he felt a rush of adrenaline, pleasure, superiority ... feelings that he knew and gladly let them circulate through his body as he caught his prey. Human hunt, and God help those who are cursed with him as their hunter. That is a lie ... even God can't help you then. He thought it was the end, that he had finally found a solution and his salvation. Until now ... until you looked him in the eye again. The eyes that carried goodness, when he first saw you wake up and you didn't know he was there, they carried innocence ... and now ... he had to make sure what did you hid behind those mirrors of the soul before that same soul leaves your body. He stepped into the water, going all the way in till it reached his groin, getting closer to you. He touched the surface of the water with his fingers, and it obediently received his fire on its surface. It surrounded you, trapped you inside the burning circle.

"W..why .." - you stammered the most obvious question. He thought he was numb to that pointless question by now. It always sounded the same. But your voice ... your voice addressed to him now, directly to him. He paused for a moment, feeling what he had feared so much spring up in his chest. He must not waste time, he must not think too much. He was two steps ahead of you, grabbing you by the jaw.

"Oh, but why not?" -he responded, looking at your lips until then. He crossed over your lip with the tip of his index finger. He tried with all his might to make himself remember the longing, the basic need he had met so many times without difficulty. He tried to escape from the claws of feelings that were now awakening. Turns out your closeness is more fatal than he thought. Something in him pulled him closer, asking him to surrender. He didn't know what that hurricane in him was, and he reacted, as always, angrily. Why..you want to know why..I am the one here that needs to know why ..

“Why not doll? What, I am not good enough to be saved? I thought you liked picking up fucked up things on the street and mending them? So, why do you run from me then? ”- something in him broke. The rejection and fear he had not felt since he was young now took the throne over his feelings. He savagely entered your face, finally catching your eye.He didn't want to see it. He did not want to see the answer to his question, especially not in this vulnerable state. It may not have been visible through its exterior, but it was worse on the inside. In the eyes he had dreamed so much about, the eyes that radiated concern and kindness ... now only pure fear and horror poured out from them.

„Why am I not worth saving ?! Answer me! Because I am a monster!? I killed your so called, friend !? A guy who wanted to fuck you dry just so he can tell his homeboys about it ?! - he roared. What you didn’t know was that before he killed your friend and exposed him to the greatest torment, while he was still following him, he heard a conversation your friend was having over the phone.

"No, the stupid bitch didn't put out yet..yeah, I know..But that ass man. I swear if she doesn't lift that skirt next time, I will take it off myself. ”- those were the words of your so-called friend. With that, he signed his death sentence. Dabi made him pay for the crimes he intended to commit, and you had no idea. Even now you don't quite understand what he's talking about.

„You don't like murderers, only scumbags ?! They are worthy of your attention ?! Ok then, bet you will love this. ”- with one hand he grabbed the wet shirt on your chest, giving the order to his flame which ate the material in one second. Your upper body was now covered only by a bra that was intact, but not for long. Dabis finger slipped under the  thread between your breasts, the thread that connected the front of the bra cups. It tightened enough that it almost broke, making your breasts almost completely visible.

“No, please! Don't! ”- you tried to push him away with your hand, but he grabbed your wrist. He gritted his teeth angrily, looking back at you. Of course he won't do that to you, he may be a villain but he's not a monster, he's not a rapist. He let go of your bra, clenching his fist. You saw that something in him broke, you saw that the person you thought was to blame for your accident was not really the person they described him to be. This is someone who has the thorns of his exterior here for a deeper reason than pure malice.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. The person who trapped you was now alone pressed under the heavy weight of no one else but number two hero, Endeavor. He squeezed his body below the surface of the water, not giving him a chance to get air.

“You filthy scum! You thought killing heroes will go unpunished?! - Endeavor roared as he pushed Dabi deeper under the water. The thing was, Dabis flames made quite a fire, and the woods was now eaten by it, making a giant cloud of smoke. The same smoke that was seen by the locals and they called in the heroes and the police. Unfortunately, the first that spotted you two was no other then the ruthless hero Endeavor, who planned to show no mercy to the villain who killed a hero. He didn't know who the villain he kept underwater was, but he didn't care, he'd be dead in the matter of seconds.Dabi didn't fight back. All the water that was stirred was like that because of how Endeavor was pushing  Dabis body even deeper under the water. A man who had shown unbridled strength only a moment ago, now surrendered to a fatal fate. For a moment, you could make out his expression. An expression of loneliness, an expression of pain ... an expression of relief, as if this is the only thing that can save him from the horror he keeps in himself. This is not a monster.

You raised your hands toward Endeavor, releasing your quirk. It wasn't even a few seconds before the number two hero replaced the expression of anger  with astonishment and then fear. He waved frantically around, throwing his flame into the empty space. There was nothing around him, but you knew what he saw. The reason you loved the dark side so much, is because it has always been a part of you, and your quirk was one of the proofs of that. You could read man’s greatest fears, their worst nightmares, and manifest that horror in front of them. Now your power was bending number two hero like a fragile twig, forcing him to drop Dabi.He surfaced quickly, catching air, filling his lungs. He coughed out the water as he slowly opened his eyes. You. He saw you looking at him.

No ... that's not possible. Your gaze was direct but gentle now. Penetrating and compassionate ... and pointed at him. He turned and saw Endeavor still panicking trying to defend himself against something that wasn't there, and it didn't take him long to realize what had happened and what you were doing. You defended him. You saw something in him that was worth saving.

"Go, now." you said in a firm but sympathetic voice.

"Name." - he said without moving out of the water or interrupting your gaze. He couldn't turn away from the feeling you aroused in him, and he didn't want to.

„N..no..Please, just go, now! I can't hold him much longer and the others are coming! Go now, God dammit! ”- you said more briskly, more commandingly, but Dabi just knelt at the bottom of the lake, touching the water with his chin, showing you that if you don't tell him your name, your defense was in vain, and his destiny will not change, Endeavor will soon get rid of your illusion and finish the job he started, and Dabi will not fight back. The thought of the so-called number two hero taking his life again by pushing him underwater caused you to fear, a fear that was not the same as before. This fear bordered more with anxiety and the need to defend him.

"Tell me your name." he whispered, this time softly, in a deep voice, his eyes half closed. You bit your lip. You knew that after tonight, nothing would be the same anymore and these two clear blue eyes would emerge from the darkness again in search of you, but something about it woke up the part of you that you had been hiding for so long and needed immensely.

"(Y / N). My name is (Y / N). ”- a satisfied smile on Dabis face was the last thing you saw, before the blue fire flashed and blinded all prying eyes. When it disappeared, he was gone, and  heroes were around you, helping you to your feet.

[temilyrights]

every bit of sunshine

Summary: Jack Sloane x Reader.  It was meant to be casual. You weren’t meant to develop feelings, and you definitely weren’t meant to fall in love, and yet you do and now you’re too weak to put a stop to it. You need her and you’ll pretend she needs you to.

A/N: A little shorter and a little different than my normal fics. Fluff, angst, and heavily implied smut. As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated :) Enjoy!

Read on AO3

The first time it happens you’re both drunk out of your minds. It’s quick and it’s hot and when you leave Jack’s house that night you can’t quite look her in the eye. Monday morning comes around and she’s the same as always, acting like it never happened, so you do the same.

Two weeks later it happens again. The case had hit too close to home and you just needed to feel something. You’d turned up on her doorstep and she had taken one look at you and understood. Neither of you discusses it afterwards.

The third time it happens it’s Jack who turns up on your doorstep. It’s the anniversary of Afghanistan and she needed an escape. You don’t question it, just pull her into your apartment and let her pin you up against the wall.

It just becomes this unspoken thing between the two of you. Something in the dark of night to escape your demons.

It’s nearly three months in, the first time you wake up beside one another. It’s not planned, but it’d been a long day and by the time you’d gone three rounds, Jack had fallen back into your bed, mumbling something about moving in a moment and the next thing you know it’s morning. Her light snoring is what wakes you, and you can’t stop yourself from laughing. It’s loud enough that it stirs her.

“Whatcha laughing about?” She mumbles, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

“You snore.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Sure.” You smirk, eyes dancing with humour as she grumbles.

“What’s the time?” She asks, moving to sit up. The sheets fall down her body, revealing her bare chest and your eyes linger, looking at the skin you’d spent the previous night exploring. There are still a few marks and you smile smugly to yourself.

She turns to look at you, her lips tugging into a smirk when she catches you staring. “Time?” She prompts again.

You roll your eyes, but rollover to grab your phone from the side table anyway. The screen lights up and you sigh, “Six.”

“Just enough time to get home and shower before work then.” She leans over, placing a kiss to your cheek before making her way out of the bed and in the direction of the bathroom, picking her clothes up along the way. Your eyes trail after her, and when she disappears down the hallway there’s a slight ache in your chest that you quickly stamp down and ignore.

The next time you’ve barely come down from your high when she’s rolling out of bed, already searching for her clothes that you’d littered around the room. You sit up slightly, pulling the covers up to cover yourself as you admire her naked form. Jack notices you staring and shoots you a devilish smirk, eyebrows raised. “Enjoying yourself?”

You hum. “Be a lot better if you got back in this bed.” Her smirk drops from her face and she looks away.

“I can’t. Poker night at Leon’s.” She looks at her phone. “Which I’m going to be late for if I don’t hurry.” She clasps her bra up, before sliding the t-shirt over her head. It shouldn’t hurt this much. You know that’s not what this is. It’s sex. Just sex.

You slide out of bed, put on your dressing gown and head to your kitchen grabbing yourself a cold glass of water. You’re just finishing it when Jack enters, now fully dressed. “I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.”

You nod. “Have a good evening.” She looks like she wants to say something, but she doesn’t. The energy in the room is a little off compared to normal.

You offer a smile and that seems to please her as she offers one back. Her eyes go to her phone. “Shit! Now I’m really going to be late.” She smiles back at you before quickly making her exit and you don’t move until you hear the front door shut.

A sour taste fills your mouth, and you release a deep sigh as you try to push the ache in your chest away. You knew you needed to stop this before the feelings you were desperately trying to ignore took control...but you couldn’t. You needed her. You enjoyed the moments where she’d stay a little longer too much. You held onto them and tried to bury the dirty feeling that settled through your body the times she was out the door as soon as possible. It felt worse knowing that she had plans straight afterwards, reminding you of the secret you are to her.

You head back to your bedroom but stop in the doorway. The smell of sex still fills the room and when your eyes find the messy sheets you just turn back around, the couch it was tonight.

Three days later she’s back in your bed. You’re softer than normal, taking your time to trail kisses over her body and watching her squirm beneath you with frustrated whines.

“I swear to god, Y/N.” She whines seconds before you nip at her thigh and she moans.

She’s louder that night and you take satisfaction from it, but when it’s your turn and she flips you over and captures your lips with a hungry kiss your heart drops.

It was just sex. Just sex. You try to remind yourself. Nothing more. It couldn’t be more because she doesn’t want more.

Jack notices your change in mood and instantly stops, sitting back in your lap, her fingers gently stroke your cheek. “Everything okay? Do you want to stop?”

And you don’t. You really really don’t, but you think that means you should. “I don’t know.”

“We’ll stop.” She says but doesn’t remove herself from your lap as she continues stroking your cheek, her eyes filled with concern. “But are you okay?”

“Yeah, I think I’m just tired. It’s been a long day and I’m a little worn out.” You force a smile to your face that she sees straight through, but instead of pushing she rolls herself off your lap. You expect her to get out of bed and grab her clothes but instead she lies down beside you.

“I know the case today was difficult.”

You shrug, “Not harder than any other. Just frustrating. I wanna catch this guy.”

“You will.” She hums, her voice full of such conviction that you can’t help but smile.

She snuggles into the pillow, her blonde hair splayed out on it and you know it’s going to smell like her once she leaves. “Comfortable?” You laugh.

“Very.” Her eyes fall close and it’s then you realise she’s not planning on leaving. Your heart thumps in your chest but instead of commenting on it you get comfortable and let your eyes fall close. It doesn’t take you long to drift off to sleep.

You wake up in the middle of the night and find yourself wrapped up in her arms. You smile sleepily to yourself before falling back to sleep.

In the morning, she’s gone.

You try to keep your distance after that, but it only lasts four days before there’s a particularly bad case and you crave her. You need her. Need the comfort, the distraction, the care.

She tries to get you to talk when you turn up at her place, but you keep distracting her with kisses and she quickly gets the hint. That night she’s the one that’s soft with you, and you’re the one quickly fleeing the house afterwards.

Neither of you can stay away from the other. What was originally two weeks, had quickly turned to one week and now it was practically every other day. It wasn’t just about escaping the demons, it was more. Your composure was dropping at work, you found yourself reaching out more, and smiling brightly at her, and dropping off surprise coffees…and you knew, you knew, you needed to stop.

The team was going to suspect something if you couldn’t get control of yourself. Your eyes kept trailing after her whenever she left a room and Ellie was beginning to shoot you curious looks. You couldn’t have them finding out because it would destroy the thing between the two of you. It was one of the only rules the two of you had - no one can find out. The other was about there always being complete professionalism at work.

Two weeks later it finally comes to a head. You enter Jack’s office to find Ellie pushing Jack for information about her date and it feels like someone has stabbed you in the chest.

There’s a dress hanging up in her office, and it’s beautiful and you know she will look absolutely amazing in it. But she wasn’t dressing up for you. She was dressing up for them.

You clear your throat, earning you the attention of both women. You completely avoid Jack’s eyes. “Uh, Gibbs has got a lead he wants us to check out.”

Ellie nods her head, looking back to Jack with a grin, “Hope the date goes well. I expect all the details tomorrow.”

She nods and you can feel her eyes burning into you, but you refuse to look in her direction as you follow Ellie out of the room.

You had to end it. You couldn’t do it. Having half of her wasn’t enough.

You text her when you get home that evening. It’s later than normal, nearly 10 o’clock. It’s a short text but it gets your point across without disclosing any of what you’re feeling.

I don’t want to do this anymore. I think we should go back to just being friends.

Barely five minutes have passed before she phones you, and you answer with dread in your stomach.

“Over text? You’re ending us over text.” You can hear the anger and pain in her voice and your eyes fall close as you sigh.

“There isn’t an ‘us’ Jack. There never has been. We had an arrangement and I'm voiding it.”

“Just like that?” She huffs.

“Just like that.”

There’s a knock at your door which you ignore, but then another, more insistent knock sounds, and you sigh. “Look I’ve got to go; I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

You don’t wait for her response as you hang up and make your way to the door. Your jaw drops in shock when you open it and reveal Jack standing on the other side, eyes brewing with tears and in the dress she wore to her date.

She was breathtaking.

“What if I don’t want to stop?”

“Were you standing outside my house?” You frown.

“I was already on my way over when your text came through. I didn’t go on the date. I got ready, I drove there and then I sat in my car for twenty minutes before driving away because I couldn’t do it. I want you. I love you.”

You forget how to breathe for a moment. “You didn’t go on the date?”

She shakes her head, tears trickling down her cheeks. “I never even wanted to go. Leon’s been pushing me to meet up with his friend for months though and I finally accepted because it was that or confess to him that I couldn’t because I was in love with you.”

You chuckle as your own tears break free. She steps closer, pulling you into her, her fingers softly drawing patterns on your lower back.

“You love me?”

“So much.”

“I love you too. I thought you didn’t feel the same way.”

“I’ve wanted this from the beginning. I was drunk but I knew what I wanted. You left in the middle of the night though and I thought you regretted it.”

“I was confused.” You shake your head, “but you always leave so quickly afterwards.”

“I couldn’t let myself fall any harder.” She huffs, “Obviously that didn’t work, but leaving meant you didn’t kick me out and I could pretend I wasn’t in way over my head.”

“I could never have kicked you out. I craved every moment I spent with you.” Your hands trail up her arms and you softly stroke a strand of hair from her face.

“Let me take you on a proper date. We’ll go to dinner and spend an evening together and I’ll walk you home and kiss you on the cheek and I won’t come in, even though I want to. I’ll go home instead and then text you an hour later because It was so amazing and ask you out again.”

You giggle, rolling your eyes at her proposal. “Yes, to dinner, but if you play your cards right, I’ll invite you in and spend the evening making you know just how much I love you.”

She smiles softly and leans in and kisses you. It’s soft and careful and a complete contrast to all the other kisses the two of you have shared.

You don’t want her to leave. You don’t want to wait for another night.

“How about you come in and we’ll order some food and spend the remainder of our evening together because I really don’t want you to go home.”

She smiles and nods her head, “I’d like that. I’m paying thought, consider it our predate date.”

You laugh again and drag her into your apartment and shut the door behind you. She steps in close to you and kisses you again. Drawing back with a soft hum.

“What sort of food are you thinking?”

“Your choice.” You smile.

She grins and steps back. “I’ll go look at the takeout menus then.”

You watch her as she makes her way to the kitchen, and you can hear her digging through the draw you keep the menus in. You collapse back into your door and sigh, allowing the love and relief to fully encircle your heart and allowing all the pain and anguish to melt away.

“I’m thinking Indian. That work for you?” She calls from the kitchen.

“Sounds perfect.” You grin, pushing yourself off the door and making your way to the woman who owned your heart.

[trashforhockeyguys]

Don’t Hold Me -7- Carter Hart

A/N: YEEEEDOGGIE we’re back again! Don’t mind the slight technical difficulties. It’s been a LONG DAY. BUT we’re here and it’s back. A lot of things happen in this chapter. It’s a little wild but it’s setting things up for the chapters to come! As always, all preivous parts are linked in my masterlist!

“C’mon!” Your roommate laughed, tugging your arm, “It’s a small party! It’ll be okay!”

“The last time I went to a party, it didn’t end well.”

She sighed and looped her arm through yours. You knew she just didn’t want you to sit in your room all night. Travis and the boys just got back this afternoon, but you were trying to give them space. They had a rough road trip, and you knew they’d all be worn out. 

However, that didn’t mean that you didn’t want to go racing over to see Trav. You’d grown used to having him nearby whenever you needed him. It was nice, you liked knowing you had someone to help you out. 

You missed being near your brother, so Travis naturally filled that void. Plus, Nolan was always around too, and he blanenced out Travis, more than he probably knew. Both of them together made you feel more like yourself that you had in years. 

“Fine, but I’m not drinking, and if it gets too crazy I’m coming back,” You warned her. 

“How about we both be sober tonight?”

You laughed, knowing full well she wouldn’t stay sober all night. But you liked that she was at least trying for your sake. You knew you really shouldn’t have agreed to go with her, but you wanted to have a little bit of fun. You’d been feeling good lately, you’d been getting good grades in all of your classes. You just wanted one night. One night to feel like a semi normal college student. 

“You aren’t wearing that.” 

“I’m not wearing your stripper skirt again, either,” You laughed. 

Two hours later, you were sitting on the couch of a frat house, minding your own business as everyone around you danced and drank. You were fine with it though. Because at least you weren’t alone. Even if all you wanted to do was call Travis and ask if you could go over for a movie, you stayed put.

But another hour after that, your stomach started to growl. You didn’t trust any of the food here, so you set out to find your roommate and tell her you were going to leave to find something to eat. 

She was dancing and laughing with a boy she’d been with a lot in the last few weeks, “Come dance!” She yelled when she saw you. 

“I’m actually going to go find food.”

“Ughhhhhh fine! Call me when you get home!”

You waved as you made your way out the door. Much to your entire family’s dismay, you liked walking around Philly. You liked the quiet, even if the streets were anything but quiet. It allowed you to think, and feel like you could breathe for a little while. 

You used to walk everywhere back home, and you missed it. So you tried your hardest to keep being able to do that. It also didn’t hurt that campus wasn’t far from a lot of your favorite places. 

You walked to your favorite little cafe, needing one of their sandwiches. The place was quiet because of how late it was. You couldn’t help but wonder if Carter had found this place yet. He’d like it, he’d like how quiet it was and how hidden it seemed to be. 

You pulled out your phone, almost tempted to text him. But surely he’d be sleeping after all he’d just done. There had been a few tough losses, Carter was in net for both of them. You were sure the last thing he wanted to do was go out on the town, even if it was to just meet you for some dinner. 

You wanted to smack yourself. You weren’t meant to be friends with Carter. You weren’t meant to feel things for him. He was Carter...you weren’t supposed to go down this path.

So instead, you settled into your usual booth in the corner and waited on your food. You happily sipped on hot chocolate. All you really wanted to do now was eat and go curl up in your warm bed. You’d prefer to be in Travis’s because it was more comfortable, but that would mean that he’d go crash on the couch and you wouldn’t ask that of him again. 

You didn’t even notice someone else walk into the empty cafe until they spoke up at the counter. You knew that gravelly voice, laced with something you could never quite pinpoint. The mop of messy hair, the way he stood. 

It felt like a hole had been punched in your chest. Fear crept in before you even had a chance to think about anything else. The walls were closing in on you. He was here. You had to get out. You had to get somewhere safe. 

You waited until he had his back turned to you and the exit. You dropped cash on the table and all but ran. Your heart thudded as you got out, hoping he wouldn’t come after you. He was here. He wasn’t meant to be here, but there was nothing to stop him now. 

 You ran hard and fast. You didn’t even know where you were going, you just had to get away from there. You were cold and shaking, fighting back tears. You were running away from campus, the last thing you wanted to do was be alone in your dorm room. 

Before you knew what you were doing you were pounding on the door of an apartment. The second the door flung open your knees buckled. The tears came, there was no stopping it. The person on the other side of the door caught you. 

His body was warm and strong against yours. Everything in you shook as you clutched onto him. You shouldn’t be here, you knew that. But he was the first person you thought of, somehow you knew he’d keep you safe. 

“Y/N? What’s wrong?” You could hear the panic as he slowly got you inside the apartment and got the door closed, “Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“He’s here,” you knew he wouldn’t understand. But that was all you could think to say. 

That was all you could say. 

“It’s okay,” He whispered, “I’ve got you. I’m just going to call Teeks.”

“No!” You yelled, “Don’t...just don’t go.”

You clutched onto his shirt harder. You couldn’t be alone, even if he just stepped away for a phone call. You didn’t want to be left. He was here...and you needed someone to stay next to you. Your whole body shook more. The realization started to set in, he’d really found you. 

After all this time, the second he had a chance, he came and found you. The city that you loved didn’t feel safe anymore, not with him in it. You didn’t feel like you could walk around, or go to your favorite places. What if he was there too?

Eventually you fell asleep, still in Carter’s arms, clutching onto him for dear life. 

Carter didn’t exactly know what to do. He hadn’t expected you to show up on his doorstep, crying so hard that you could barely breathe. In fact, it was the last thing he’d expected from you. He almost panicked, because he didn’t know what to do. But the way that you held onto him, somehow, he knew that you trusted him enough to be here. 

He thought about the nightmares you’d had the last time you were in his place, and if this had anything to do with them. He didn’t know who spooked you so much, but he knew that TK needed to know.

He shifted enough that he could reach for his phone, without disturbing you. You’d all but passed out, eventually just too exhausted to even keep your eyes open. But you were still whimpering, a few stray tears still slid down your cheeks. Carter just wanted to make it all go away, he wanted to see your smile again. 

“Hartsy, what’s up man? I saw you a few hours ago!” TK’s voice rang out from the other end of the line. 

“Y/N’s here. It’s bad man I don’t know what’s going on,” Carter told him, carefully and quietly. 

“She’s what?”

“Dude she showed up on my doorstep, absolutely freaked out. Kept saying ‘he’s here’ I don’t know what’s going on, but you should get over here.”

An impressive string of curses left Travi’s mouth, “Where is she now?”

Cater sighed, looking down at you with an unknown sense of fondness, “Literally passed out in my arms.”

“Okay...I’ll be over in a minute. And then I’m going to make a lot of phone calls and figure out exactly what’s going on.”

You stirred when Carter called for Travis to come on in. You tried not to move much, knowing you were more or less on top of Carter. You felt horrible, you weren’t meant to do this. You weren’t meant to be here, with Carter, like this. 

“Is she okay?” was the first thing Travis could ask. 

“She’s been like this since before I called you.”

“What happened?” another voice joined in, Nolan. Nolan was here too. 

You wanted to just disappear. You didn’t want any of this to happen, you didn’t mean for it to. You just wanted to go somewhere that you felt safe. Carter was the closest. But you didn’t mean for this to happen like this.

“I don’t know. She was banging on my door, and she was crying. She just kept saying ‘he’s here’ she collapsed in my arms and then passed out a while ago,” Carter explained, “I’m worried about her.”

“Damnit,” Travis cursed, “Patty, stay here with them. I need to go call Ethan.”

You could hear him in the other room, trying to figure things out with your brother. You knew Travis had figured out who you meant the second Carter said it the first time. Nolan figured it out when he said it again, you were sure of that. The only person who didn’t know was Carter. You didn’t want him to know, but you dragged him into it all when you showed up at his door.

“Damnit!” This time Travis yelled, before making his way back into the living room, “I don’t know how the hell he’s here. He can’t be within-”

“Because the order isn’t valid anymore,” you finally sat up, “I got a call from the lawyer last week.”

“And you didn’t fucking tell anyone?” 

“I didn’t feel like mentioning that I didn’t have a protective restraining order taken out against him anymore,” tears fell again, but this time you tried to be firm.

“What’re you talking about, Y/N?”

You swallowed hard, “It’s nothing.”

“I swear to god, you don’t get to hide shit like that from those of us who helped pick up the pieces, and then show up at his doorstep and brush him off,” Travis warned. 

He sounded so much like Ethan, you’d almost forgotten about the days the two of them would get mad at you for doing something stupid. They’d lecture you for what seemed like hours, and they always won. 

“Either you tell him, or I will.”

“I-”

“I swear to God, I’ll get Ethan on the first plane out here, and we’ll go deal with this guy. But you need to fucking tell Carter. He deserves to know now.”

This fear was different. Holding Carter at a distance meant that he’d never need to know that something like this happened to you. He’d never have to find out. But somehow, he’d worked his way into your life, so much so that you showed up on his doorstep when you really needed someone. 

And now you had to tell him what happened. Because Travis was right, Carter deserved to know. You showed up at his door like this, so he deserved to know why. Even if you weren’t sure how you could explain all of it. 

“It’s okay, cut her a break, Teeks, she’d had a rough night.” Carter’s voice was soft.

You shook your head. You didn’t want to have this conversation. You didn’t want to have to relive it all again, much less the night that he’d shown up in Philly. But you also knew that you were somehow starting to consider Carter to be a friend, and if he was really going to be your friend, he needed to understand a few things. He needed to know what happened to you before you came.

“You guys can go, I’m okay,” You told Travis and Nolan, not wanting to have this conversation with them here. 

“No, you’re going to come stay with me tonight. I don’t want you going back to your dorm alone,” Travis replied. 

“Travis, no offense, but if he wants to find me, he’ll start by looking for you. He knows I go to UPenn, but he won’t bother if I’m with someone he doesn’t know. Besides, roomie knows about what happened, and if she sees him she’ll be the first one to call the cops,” You explained, “I’m fine.”

“No, you aren’t.”

“She can stay with me,” Carter spoke up, “I have a spare room, she can stay here for the night.”

“I don’t think that’s-” 

“Y/N, it’s okay. I don’t mind.”

“Fine.”

“I’ve got her TK, don’t worry,” Carter assured him.

Travis looked at me, I could see how worried he was. The last time something like this happened I locked myself in my room for days and refused to leave. He was waiting for a breakdown that wasn’t going to come. I’d gotten it all out of my system. I would be different this time. 

“Call me if you need me,” He begged, “Please. And let Ethan know you’re okay.”

“I’m fine. I’m sorry you got dragged into this Nolan.”

He smiled softly and hugged you. For a second, you couldn’t help but tense up before relaxing in his arms. Nolan didn’t often hug you, he knew you didn’t like physical contact. Travis ignored all of that, since he’d known you for years, and remembered the little girl that always latched onto him for a big bear hug. 

“Be careful, okay?”

When they finally left, Carter went to go get both of you a drink, claiming you needed to rehydrate after crying so much. For some reason, it made you laugh, which you hadn’t expected. 

“So, not to be weird or anything, but you’re always in like sweatshirts and stuff...so why the bodycon?”

You’d forgotten about the dress your roommate put you in, “Shit. Um, I was at a party. Apparently you can’t wear a sweatshirt to a frat party.”

“You went to a frat party?”

“Uh, I kind of sat in the corner with a water bottle all night,” You admitted, “It’s not really my thing, but my roommate wanted me to go.”

He almost seemed to laugh, “I’m going to go grab a pair of sweats and a shirt for you,” He said, “And then you can go to bed.”

“Carter-”

“I meant it, I don’t need to know. I’m not going to force you to tell me. As long as you’re safe, I don’t care.”

Something seemed to swell in your chest. You couldn’t explain it, but the way he was looking at you and the way his voice sounded. You were feeling much more than you were meant to for him, but you also couldn’t bring yourself to care. 

“Carter, I-”

“It’s okay. I promise. You need to get some sleep, we can talk in the morning if you want.”

“But I-”

He shrugged and walked away to get clothes for you. When he came back he showed you to the guest bedroom, and waited on the bed for you to change in the bathroom. Oddly enough, he tucked you in and gave you a spare charger for your phone. He promised that if you were to need him, that you just had to come wake him up. He swore he didn’t mind. 

Just as he was getting ready to leave your bedroom for the night, he turned to look back at you. Something was swirling in his eyes, something you couldn’t explain or understand, “Did you love him?”

It was the last question you’d expected him to ask. Yet, at the same time, it seemed like the only question to ask. 

You had to blink a few times to rid yourself of the burn that was building in your eyes. How could you fully answer that question? You bit your lip and thought hard. All these years you tried not to think about your last relationship and everything you’d felt during those years. 

“Yeah,” You finally forced out, “I did, because I thought he loved me too. But that was before I realized that wasn’t what love was. He never loved me. But I was stupid enough to love him.”

[thefanficmonster]

Hey Vy! 📚🌻 Here!

How is your week going? My roller skates just got here and I'm so happy omg! My protective gear haven't got here yet so I'm trying not to fall but a almost hit my face so many times- i have to stop for some time now because I need to clean my room :_: but here's your three words of this week: Paradise, curly, radio

A lot a lot looot of loveee,

📚🌻.

Hi darling 📚🌻 !

Please be extra careful until your protective gear arrives, I'd hate to hear you've injured yourself 🥺 Anyways, hope you have fun with your roller skates (always stay safe though)! 🥰

Here comes a short drabble with your three words! This one’s gonna be a little different though - no OCs and not for the Resident Evil fandom, but rather the How To Get Away With Murder fandom, more specifically - for my favorite relatioship/characters on the show! Hope you enjoy!

All my love, Vy 💌

Better

Laurel Castillo x Frank Delfino (How To Get Away With Murder - AU: Canon Divergence; AU where the characters tolerate each other XD)

Warnings: Slight spoilers (Nothing too major though), Swearing

Laurel runs a hand through Chris’ curly hair, admiring how peaceful he looks now that he’s finally asleep. He’s got a fever that’s been giving him crying fits for two days now. Having to deal with a sick two-year-old while simultaneously trying to keep up with work and her final studies has been exhausting to no end. She’s been receiving some help from Michaela who seems utterly desperate to keep herself busy at all times, even when she’s supposed to be relaxing just so her mind doesn’t spiral into the void of loneliness she’s fallen victim to as of recent. Connor and Ollie have babysat for her a few times as well, another gesture she’s incredibly grateful for. Asher has offered to look after the toddler too on numerous occasions but that’s one offer Laurel’s never taken up. She appreciates him offering her his help, but everyone would justify this action of hers considering how reckless Asher can be at times - aka 90% of the time.

The Keating 5 has come through for her when it comes to both looking after Chris and keeping up with her studies, proving their friendship to be  one of those rare ones. However, Keating 5 aside, she’s received the most amount of help from one particular person. Someone who’s prepared to turn up at her doorstep at three in the morning if she needs him.

Frank Delfino

The two had a rocky start, to say the least. Their on-again-off-again relationship as colleagues with benefits. Their constant back and fourth. Then came Frank’s disappearance and Laurel’s involvement with Wes, all occurrences blowing huge holes not only in their romantic relationship but also their friendship which has always been a second away from ceasing to exist, all things considered. Friendship is hard to maintain with such a strong, hypnotic and magnetic romantic connection. Some people just weren’t meant to be friends, ever. Frank and Laurel are among them.

Speaking of Frank, the man’s been rather concerned lately, the lack of calls and messages from Laurel worrying him more with each passing day. He overheard Michaela mention Chris’ fever in passing conversation with Asher when she was bailing on a date with the excuse of helping Laurel look after the sick toddler. He’d been surprised to hear that, initially thinking it was a cheap excuse of Michaela’s to avoid spending time with Asher considering things between them have grown sort of complicated. But when Connor confirmed this claim of hers, Frank couldn’t help but grow very concerned. He’s grown used to knowing what’s going on with Chris and Laurel before everyone else so having someone else be in the know while he was kept in the dark made him feel oddly jealous and hurt.

And he could only hold his worries and assumptions at bay so long...

Responding to the knock at the door, knowing who it probably is at this hour, Laurel contemplates whether opening the door would be the right thing to do. She’s double-checked that it is indeed him, that bringing her more uncertainty than comfort, oddly enough. She’s been doing her best to distance herself from him and his life for quite a while now. She’s been meaning to give him an opportunity at a normal life, away from her mess and chaos. She’s been wanting to give him an escape from the fiasco she always finds herself dragging him into.

But he still comes back to her, by his own choice.

“Laurel, it’s me.“ His coarse voice reaches her from the other side of the door.

“Yeah...“ She trails off, forcing her hand up to turn the lock, “...I know.“

Opening the door reveals the concern on his face a lot better than she saw through the peephole. It makes her heart swell up and all she wants to do is throw her arms around him in a tight embrace. But she can’t do that, she won’t. She’s not willing to give him any reason to hold onto her whatsoever. In her eyes, he deserves a lot better. And maybe he does, but he doesn’t want anything or anyone better.

“Hey...“ he mutters, unsure of how to start of the interaction. Things have never been easy between them and, looking back, it seems like they’ve only gotten harder. Somehow, their connection has only grown stronger though. A connection he wants to uphold and a connection she wants to sever.

“Hey...What are you doing here so late?“ Ok, that’s a sustainable question considering it’s 10PM, but then again he’s come to her apartment at odder hours. Only difference is, those other times, she called him over.

“Though I’d check on you. You’ve been rather dead with calls and texts recently. Also missed Chris, heard he had a fever so I got worried.“ She hears the undertone of accusation in his voice loud and clear. It makes her bite her lip with guilt she wishes she wasn’t feeling, especially when she’s supposed to be doing the right thing.

You can’t decide for him. If he wants to keep coming back, that’s on him.

That thought hasn’t crossed her mind yet. It almost feels like she’s letting herself off the hook, feeding into the temptation to embrace what her and Frank have.

“You hungry?“ Now that is a bit more out-of-place question, but it’s accompanied by her taking a step back to allow him inside, “I ordered Thai food I never got to finish.“

He follows the signal, growing a bit more hopeful now that she’s let him in the apartment, thinking maybe she isn’t avoiding him after all. “Loss of appetite?”

“Partly.“ She replies, hearing the click of Frank locking the front door before following her in the kitchen where the hanging lights are dimmed. “Chris was throwing a fuss all day, I couldn’t really do much but focus on him.“ She motions to the living room where the coffee table is littered with sheets of paper and highlighters, some of which have found a spot on the floor as well. “Not to mention the ton of crap I need to do for school and work.“

“Would’ve been a lot easier on you had you called me, you know?“ He comments, walking over to the fridge, taking out the two packs of Thai takeout, suggesting she had been expecting him. She wasn’t really, she was just quietly hoping he’d show up at her doorstep.

“Didn’t wanna bother you. It’s nothing serious, a simple cold, I can handle it.“ She replies, approaching the small vintage radio in the corner of the kitchen counter, turning it on to a quiet volume so some tunes could fill the silences that are bound to occur frequently with the amount of tension between them.

“You could never bother me, Laurel. I’ve told you countless times before...“ putting the food he’s now moved onto a large plate into the microwave and turning the machine on, he turns to look at her, “I love Chris like he’s my son. In my eyes, he is my son and I love him with all my heart. Just like I love you.“

Instead of allowing the deafening quiet to take over them again - the soft music from the radio aside - Laurel lets the loudness of her mind surface. She lets it seep through the barriers she built in order to protect herself and protect everyone around her from herself: “Do you never stop to think you deserve better, Frank? Better than some grown-ass woman with her life in shambles and a kid whose father’s dead. Do you not think you deserve someone who knows what they want and where they’re headed with their life? Someone who...” her confidence is slowly leaving her to fend for herself and so she does, the best she can. “Someone who can cook and do their projects and work and take care of her son simultaneously. Someone better, Frank! Do you never want someone better?”

She hadn’t realized her eyes had been darting all over the place, looking everywhere but at him. How that her gaze has once again landed on his face, she feels her stomach turn at what she sees. That concerned, hurt and disappointed frown only further fuels her guilt, making her wish she’d never opened the door in the first place.

“Laurel, where’s this all coming from? Did Bonnie say something to you cause if she did...“ she cuts him off.

“No, she didn’t. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now actually. All I am to you is trouble and a burden and...“ he gets back at her, cutting her off himself.

“And you’re none of those things, Laurel. Your view of yourself is interfering with your perception of this, of us, of what we have. You and Chris are my family. The family I choose. It’s not about deserve or idealism - it’s about what brings you joy and makes you feel complete. What and who makes you feel at home. Who is your home.“ Always cautious of her personal space, Frank takes a hesitant step towards her and another when she doesn’t back away. “Lord knows it’s no paradise, but what we have is special, Laurel, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world.“

Against her best attempts at keeping her emotions at bay, Laurel feels her eyes brimming with tears as she gazes up at the man she’s never been in the clear with. She never realizes what he means to her until it’s too late. She only realized she loved him when he disappeared. She only realized he meant the world to her when he had already slipped from her grip. And she refuses to continue that pattern.

Instead, she’ll work on finding out what they are exactly and even if she doesn’t reach that epiphany, she’ll still embrace it, no matter the oddity and unfamiliarity of it all.

“Thank you.“ she manages to whisper past the knot in her throat.

“Don’t thank me, you should never thank me for the things I do for you or Chris. I choose to do them. I choose to be here. I choose you because I want you. You and no one else, Laurel.“

Just then, the microwave beeps, alerting the two that their close-to-midnight meal is warmed up. Taking the plate out and placing it on the counter to cool down a little, he turns to her with a small smile on his face, “Let’s see what’s so troubling about that project of yours, shall we?”

And just like that, the tension has lifted, allowing for a smile to appear on her face as well. That ease of the mind is not something she’s been very used to throughout her life, constantly having shit to worry about and people to deal with. That’s why she’s never wanted to be a burden on someone’s back. She’s never wanted to be a major part in someone’s life, at least not until she gets her shit together.

And although she might never get her shit together, she’s got someone she loves and someone who loves her by her side. Lord knows he hasn’t been on top of his own shit either. At least they’ll be figuring it all out together.

[shittykawagirl97]

Phoenix (6/6)

Words: 3582

Pairing: Steve McGarrett/Danny Williams, Chin go Kelly/Malia Waincroft, Kono Kalakaua/Adam Noshimuri

Summary: Malia's Funeral. Chin and Alyssa philosophically drink. Danny and Steve bickering.

⚠ Set during and after 3.02 ⚠

Funerals, whiskey, and tears.

Alyssa hated death.

She loathed it with all her heart, not because of death per se or the gigantic hole someone left in your life without knowing it, she hated death because of the consequences that it had on the living.

The loneliness, the sorrow, the tears, the cold, the heartache, the mental and emotional breakdown; Alyssa abhorred seeing the people she cared for in that kind of pain because she felt and saw it too many times. Any professional would have said it was kinda unhealthy, at that point.

Death was Alyssa's solo, steady, companion in her life and she despised it.

At the first funeral she attended, she was six and no one had to explain to her what had happened or what was happening. She knew that her Nonno Alberto wasn't sleeping in the casket and she felt like she would have never been able to talk to him ever again, but she was okay with that in a strange way.

She was sad, obviously, but after her mother and sister talked to her, she accepted that it was a fact that no one could change.

What had broken her into a pathetic whine was the devastation that she could see on her parents and sister's faces; she didn't want them to feel that way, she wanted them to smile, to laugh, to enjoy the food it was passed around, but she was six and she couldn't do anything to help.

That broke her spirit and her little heart.

In the mare eight years after, Alyssa attended other four family funerals. The last one, when she was fourteen, was her mother's.

For the first time, she didn't just saw the agony in her grannies' faces or her dad's or her sister's; Alyssa felt it, felt the voidness in her chest, the crack in her soul, the ultimate clusterfuck of emotion that her brain was, one moment she was crying for her loss and the next she was hysterically laughing.

Everyone was telling her to be strong. To be courageous. To be there for her dad, but she just wanted to disappear, to stop feeling, to lose herself into the void.

Everything was too much and she didn't know how to copy. The sun was too bright, the sorrow of the people gathered too fake, the emotions too troublesome and Alyssa just turned it all off.

It took hours, a panic attack at the thought of never being able to feel again, and a hurtful headshot with her cousin's forehead to evade the nothingness and being able to feel again. Years later she would have learned that she had her first emotional overload that day.

But death wasn't done with her.

Her mother's cousin, her mother's aunt, her two grannies, her father's aunt, all died before her twenty-second birthday.

Death wasn't a stranger to Alyssa but she now could handle the aftermath.

At least, that was what she thought before Danny's call.

It had been a long work night. She had just finished examining a young boy that was brought into ER at an hour where you can't tell if it is too late or too soon when her phone ringed. Danny's voice cracked when he told her about Malia's death.

Alyssa was so out of it that she breakdown in the middle of ER. The nurses had to take her phone and tell Danny to come, take her home. Her blond friends didn't leave her alone that night: he brought her to his home and tackle her on the couch, under soft sheets. Told her to wake him if there was anything she needed.

Alyssa the world became blurred after that.

Danny was always present. Showing up on her doorstep every time he could, bringing her something to eat or drink; they passed the hours sitting on her couch silently drinking their sorrow away. She knew Steve was away for a few days – this time the idiot told them – and when one afternoon Danny showed up with his brunette partner, she just buried herself in the hug that Steve was offering.

It was only a couple of hours later and a call away that Alyssa learned that Doris McGarrett was alive and being watched by Catherine, Steve's ex. That afternoon she learned that Danny had to thought for Grace once again, too.

It took Chin a couple of weeks to organize Malia's surfer funeral ceremony and he asked for her help. He knew how strongly tied Alyssa and Malia had become during the past year and it would be offensive to not include her in it.

They met at a twenty-four hours diner and set together almost all nights; they needed someone to talk to, to mourn and cry with. Someone that could understand the hole Malia left behind at a hundred per cent.

Sometimes Steve showed up, no words, just a cup of coffee and his presence - the worst nights his strong arm could have been found over Alyssa's shoulders. Other times Danny followed him and there were a lot of words included, but they were soft and warm. She found herself smiling softly at the couple more and more times alongside Chin.

And then the day came.

The sky was impeccably blue, no trace of clouds, and the sun could break a stone. Alyssa, wearing her most elegant black suit, was standing on the beach barefoot; in the water, a few meters away, Chin was releasing Malia's ashes. Her eyes were burning because of the tears but she stood rigid, head high, paying her silent respect to one of the best women she ever met in her life.

At her right, Danny was squeezing her forearm to remind her that she was not alone in that. Alyssa breathed shakingly and throw a rapid glance in his direction.

Danny's expression was contracted and his jaw was rigid, tightly closed; his eyes were dark and shiny, a little tear had escaped his left eye but he wouldn't wipe it away: one hand closed around her arm and the other was tightly buried into Steve's suit.

Steve, on the other side of the blonde, had an arm around his boyfriend's waist and was whispering things, trying to console the other man. For all the things that had happened in the last few days, Alyssa was really happy that at least these two were finally together.

Kono was at her left and had taken residence against Alyssa's shoulder, hold protectively by her arm; the woman hadn't yet won against the demons that were telling her that Malia's death was her fault and for that, she hadn't been able to be at his cousin's side in the water. Alyssa had promised Chin to keep an eye on her.

Behind them, a little distant, there were Adam and Cathrine.

Alyssa had yet to meet Kono's man but she knew was told that between him and Chin there wasn't a good relationship; that alone explained why, even though Adam wanted to be there for Kono, he was standing respectfully away. Everyone was pretending he wasn't there – no one wanted to witness a fistfight at a funeral – but now and then Kono would look back and waved a hand to tell him she was alright. Alyssa looked at him only a handful of times, their meeting every time and she nodded, just once, to tell him that his girlfriend was alright.

Cathrine was an entirely different story: she wanted to help Steve but stood back a little from them because she didn't know Malia personally and didn't want to intrude.

In the water, the surfers started shouting and splashing the water.

Malia was gone.

The wake had been good. A lot of people passed by for condolences and even more arrived armed with alcohol.

Alyssa, Kono, Danny, and Steve helped Chin in every way they can – from taking the food from a newly arrived woman to greetings people when Chin hid for a moment – but when their common friend would bench them because "I'm suffering not an invalid", Danny had an entire argument against that, they would find themselves in a corner of the room mourning and sharing stories about Malia.

Alyssa brought the glass to her lips and sipped the brown beverage. She wasn't a whiskey woman – rum, rum was her go-to for the sourest nights – but it was the strongest alcoholic drink that had been left around.

Not even two hours in and Five-0, minus Chin, was called away for a case. Alyssa found herself alone, with not a lot of booze left around: the Kelly-Kalakaua clan turned out to be composed of pro-drinker.

Snatching away a glass, and the last but already opened bottle of whiskey, she went outside and sat on the porch's steps. It was only two weeks and she already missed Malia as she would have missed a limb.

There was a huge void in her life, in her work, in her daily activity by now. It was said that you understood what you had after you had lost it; Alyssa always thought she had understood what she had in Malia – a coworker, a friend, a sister – and yet she felt like she had just lost a piece of who she was.

She felt desperation, rage, sadness, and numbness; she felt it all at once or nothing at all.

God! She felt precisely the same as at her mother's funeral. This time, though, she had booze to drown herself in.

Her phone vibrated again but she ignored Steve's text: the brunette wanted an update on her and Chin, every five minutes. Yeah, she was starting to understand why Danny was always in yelling mode.

She sipped again at the whiskey – no but seriously, why no one had brought rum? – and looked nowhere and everywhere.

«Are you okay?» Chin's voice asked her. Alyssa looked over and watched the man stumbled towards her and slumped (fell) next to her (almost on her). When had he become so drunk?

«Shouldn't be me to ask you that?» She retorted, settling him the best she could.

«Meh. I am good for now: the Okolehao helped». He raised his still full glass. «But you are not drunk, not speaking, and starting at nothing».

Alyssa smirked and sipped from her glass.

«What are you? A policeman?»

Chin's elbow found a new home in her left side. Hard. Ouch.

«I'm not so gone that I can't see you burying your emotion under your scary amount of sarcasm», he warned. «I had worked with Steve and Danny for over two years now, I am trained. And Malia complained about it. A lot. And loud enough».

Alyssa snorted. Gosh, that woman!

They settled in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

Chin knew that Alyssa was dangerously similar to Steve when it came to coping mechanisms: where his boss coped from trauma with an insane dose of recklessness, the woman used a foolish amount of sarcasm.

Just like Danny... A lot like Danny.

Chin looked at the dark-haired woman and couldn't stop himself from thinking that she was what Steve and Danny's child would have been like. Grace had saved herself from becoming that thank to Rachel.

«I thought I become good at managing it», Alyssa's voice brought Chin back to the present.

«Managing what?»

«Death, mourning... The void». She answered with a tight tone before dipping the whiskey, trying to force down the knot that was forming in her throat.

«Death is death, Lyss, there is no way around».

She snorted before drinking again. «Didn't I know that».

Chin cringed at her level of sarcasm. Malia, during a rare night spent on the couch with Netflix and ice cream, had confessed to him that she was preoccupied with her new co-worker's coping mechanism. Steve and Danny hadn't yet become her patients at that point.

The two women weren't even friends but, because Malia was the only one that Alyssa respect enough to not insult, their boss had asked Malia to talk to the younger woman. She had made a nurse cry that day, after blowing up for a stupid reason; Alyssa had probably been at her breaking point because she opened up to Malia the instant she asked her what was wrong. The unhealthy amount of sarcasm used during the explanation – it had been her mother's death anniversary – had left Malia on edge for the rest of the day.

«I'm sorry», Chin mumble apologetically.

Alyssa winced.

«God, Chin. No!» She exclaimed, passing a hand on her face. «Don't ever apologize for something like that. Your sorrow isn't less real than mine cause I had a lot of people taken from me! That is a very, very wrong idea to have!»

«And yet, you're undermining your own only because you attended more funerals than me!» He threw back at her. «Losing a loved one is never easy! Even after fifty damn funerals».

Alyssa shakingly breathed in and filled her now empty glass. She needed a lot more alcohol in her to be able to survive that discussion.

«Death touched me when I was a baby, Chin», she gulped down a good amount of the brown beverage, burning her throat. «I grew up with death breathing down my neck. Wherever I look there was death in a way or another. That scars you for life; the only way out of that ache is accepting.

Accepting that death is real. Death is everywhere, at any given moment, and we can't do shit about it. Life's meaning is death and that's it».

Chin watched her eyes puffing and reddening with unleashed tears, he drunk.

«I understand what you mean but I think you are wrong on two things».

«Enlight me, please», Alyssa's tone was sarcastic but her face was grim: she honestly grew up thinking that she hadn't any more rights to feel the loss of a loved one because she had lost too many.

Chin's heart strung at the revelation. He wanted to kill every idiot that made her feel that way and then protect her a lot more: she was a beautiful person, with a gigantic heart; she didn't deserve all the suffering she had been through.

«First», he choked out, «I think that we can do something about death. Yeah, we can't save anyone and death is the destination of everyone's life... But we can help to make their life a little bit longer and a little bit safer. I become a cop cause of that and you wouldn't be such a good doctor if you didn't think the same. At least, subconsciously».

«Second», his voice lower, careful and full of affection, «I think that death can help us understand life better. Can let us appreciate what we have a lot more, never giving someone for granted. I thought that I had the rest of my life to spend with Malia and I feel that I hadn't told her enough how much I love her».

Alyssa shook her head vigorously.

«Malia knew how much you loved her, Chin. She never questioned your seriousness or your resolve. She comprehended how much you were giving her and she worshipped it.

«Never, ever guilt yourself with her death. Please, please, believe me when I tell you that Malia loved you with every inch of herself, despite knowing that one day you could have died in action or that your work could have followed you home. She knew what she was going up to and she never regretted any of that. That was the kind of love she was willing to give you and the kind of love she knew you were giving her every single second of your life».

Chin sipped from his glass and closed his eyes, trying to contain his tears but losing miserably when one ran down his sharp cheekbone. He didn't even try to wipe it away, too tired.

«I wasn't the only one she loved, Lyss», he remarked. «She thought of you as the little sister she never had. She cared about you as much as you cared for her. Yeah, maybe you didn't know her for long, but you have the same rights as me to be upset. To be angry. To be sad.

«She was your friend and you can be broken because of her death. No matter how many people you lose or how many funerals you attended».

Alyssa felt her eyes stung like bitches and didn't fight the tears or the emotional breakdown. She sobbed loudly, hiding her face with her free hand, letting herself honestly mourning her best friend for the first time since she had been told she had died.

Suddenly, a weight was left from her shoulders, and Chin was there to keep her together. She didn't know what he had done to deserve such good friends but she was thankful for them all.

Chin embraced her for what felt like forever, encouraging her to let go of everything, before the sobs subsided and she stopped crying. They stayed like that – her head on his shoulder and his arm around her shoulders – a little more afterwards, just to know that they were not alone.

The only sound was the neverending buzz of her phone.

«Are you going to respond to Steve's text?» Chin asked after the umpteenth notification.

«Nope, he should learn a little bit of patience». Alyssa responded truthfully. «And I am enjoying my mental picture of Danny bitching at him at every new text».

Chin snorted.

«I think you forget who you are talking about in that bottle of whiskey you stole».

Alyssa scuffed and admitted to herself that she was starting to feel a little tipsy; it was a good feeling. For the first time in days, she felt the void inside her subsided a little bit.

«He has a job to do and he should stay focus on it», she smirked. «We have alcohol to keep us at bay and each other, obviously, because misery loves company».

The dark-haired man laughed at that.

«You would have been right if you were talking about anyone else, but you talking about Steve McGarrett here. He will terrify someone for life just to being able to return here immediately and smother us with worries. If you think that Danny will not partner up with him on this, I will say you drunk too much».

The woman rolled her eyes and was ready to retort that yes, Steve and Danny were practically insane and unstoppable when worried for their ohana but this was different because they knew where they were; when the rumble of an engine tore the quiet air in half and suddenly a silver Camaro was stopping in front of Chin's house with a dangerous screech.

The car went silent a moment after and the first thing the two cuddling friends heard was Danny's scared-pitched ranting. Immediately, they couldn't understand the single words – obstructed by the car door – but then Steve swiftly got out of the vehicle and Danny followed him.

«I was screaming for my life you Neandertal animal!» He was wailing, waving his hands everywhere after closing the car door. «You went up to the red zone of the speedo and never come down! You are officially insane and I should have dragged you to a psychiatrist some time like yesterday!»

«I was preoccupied!» Steve ranted back, now at Danny's side with an I-can't–understand–why-are-you-shouting-at-me face. «She isn't answering her phone! Everything could have happened!».

Danny made a large and circular gesture with his hand and ended up indicating Chin and Alyssa.

«They are drunk, you shmuck! They are at a wake, they are grieving the loss of a very special woman in their life, they are crying, and they are drinking an unhealthy amount of alcohol! Just look at them, they are fine!»

Steve let his gaze follow Danny's hands and he finally noticed that the sources of his concerns, cuddling on the front step of Chin's house. Their glasses were half empty, the whiskey in the bottle was dangerously close to the bottom, and their cheeks were stained with dried tears.

No dangerous whatsoever.

He felt his face flush and shyly waved a hand in their direction.

Alyssa laughed out loud at that because, yeah, Chin was right and she had forgotten who Steve was: a closet mother hen. Hell, if she didn't love him for that.

Chin joined in her laugh and she caught the shitty smut grin that Danny was giving his boyfriend.

Alyssa felt alive and at home. She felt secure like she could be herself even in the worst moment of all with her Ohana around.

She hadn't to hide her sadness and sorrow anymore because now she had insane, lovely people that would help through all of it.

Part (1/2/3/4/5/6)

[dinrenan]

Dinrenan Origin

It took me ages to finish it all together, I had to rewrite it because the file on my computer got corrupted or something! Go and restart, then it did not save. So I opted to write on my phone and send it all to my discord server where I keep all my stuff, texts included, ported it to Drive and tadah! here you have it!

WARNING! This chapter contains: Mental torture (implied), physical torture (implied), mention of torture and blood, cannibalism, child poisoning and death. And Bad english grammar in some parts.

--

Sylaise had many children, but none of them survived, no matter how hard she tried to keep them alive. Until one did, a daughter, this one survived longer than any of her children and reached the age of 6 before passing out due to poisoning, the goddess found out pretty soon who it was, Hellathren, the child's slave and keeper while the Goddess had duties to attend to. The girl died in her sleep and Sylaise was devastated, no matter how much she tried to reach for the weakening spirit still inside her body. In desperation she went to the one who could help her, Falon'din, who did not know of the girl's existence, nor did the other Evanuris, they just assumed that the last child was dead, like the others. But this one had been the child she and June always wished for, and they tried many times to make any of them live enough after their first breath, and when this one made it, it was taken from them. Falon'din agreed to help the Goddess out, but made no promises of his success; he also needed to confront Ghilan'nain and his brother, Dirthamen, if he wanted to succeed. The young Goddess accepted to help, although not knowing for what she agreed to, and gave Dirthamen the knowledge he needed. Dirthamen on his part modified that knowledge, for it had flaws, and made it perfect if applied in the right way, if not the child would turn into something like one of Ghilan'nain's new experimental creatures, a beast with horns and grey skin, good only to fight like a rabid beast and nothing else.

-

Sylaise wanted to join the other Gods in this ritual while June simply mourned the loss by locking himself in the chamber they both shared, but the woman wasn't going to give up on either her Husband or child, there was still something that could be done and when Falon'din asked for blood, she gave it. She gave the traitorous woman who poisoned her daughter to Falon'din, for she had to live till the day of the ritual, then came the blood of her High Dragon Guardian, its unhatched eggs, and a vial containing her own blood. Falon'din chose the location, an underground temple he used to his own pleasure, few loyal slaves were permitted to stay there but mostly spirits roamed its dark and dreary walls.

-

When the time came only Falon'din was in the chamber, the high dragon throat was slit open to permit the blood to flow in the little canals carved on the floor and slide in the well, previously filled by a fountain figuring an owl, that was now empty of the stone structure and the child's body lay limp on the tiles. He had fun carving his markings on Sylaise traitorous slave, the blood still pouring from them was steadily forming streams in the canals and mixing with the High Dragon's Blood, filling up the empty space at the center, reaching the corpse.

He could feel the power held in the blood, and how it sought to enter the child's body, an empty shell perfect to host it and flow again, live again, it needed a spell to adjust itself and Falon’din was working on it when something started to go wrong. The Dragon's body began to spasm violently when the child's body got fully enveloped by the blood and the beast’s heart came out from its throat like it had regurgitated it from its place. The heart was big and pulsating, Falon'din lost his focus on the well and the spell broke loose, making the God hit the nearest wall, it was a moment before it all happened. The child's body began floating in the air, at the center of the pool, the heart was shrinking and reshaping itself while where once the High Dragon's and Slave's body laid, only a pile of bones could be seen now. The eggs that were placed on a corner started to explode, masses of blood, meat and scales flew towards the heart, now shrunk to a chest sized living organ, and with a stupor the God saw as all those materials started to mold over together and create a round shape, an orb. A blinding light had him covering his eyes, his ears could hear the screams of agony coming from the girl, he didn't move an inch, fearing that the sentient being, whatever it was, would strike him. And strike him it did, a stream of blood resembling a hand reached for him while he was still blind due to the light but heard the air moving, he reacted and tried to defend himself, only to be cut in the process, that did the trick, a thick line of blood got absorbed by the shaped blood claws and it all disappeared, like a spirit who lost its interest in him.

With slow movements, he rose up, dusted his clothes and advanced toward the Well. It was now void of blood and the orb was nowhere to be seen but the child was there, sitting on the floor and fixing him down with void glassy eyes, they were violet mixed with blue gems filled with nothing but despair in them. He swore he could feel his heart feel something resembling fascination, his brother and him were always curious after all. Some sentinels felt the blast and came bursting through the door to make sure nothing was attacking their lord, when they noticed the girl they all fell silent, for they could feel their Master magic radiating from her.

"Take her, my part is done" He decided to ignore the little pang his heart did but noticed the sentinels didn't move an inch when the girl simply turned towards them, staring at them this time, and with a scoff, Falon'din used his magic to make the girl float out of her 'nest' and right in front of the sentinels, they refused still to lay a hand on the girl, his temper wasn't known to last long, especially not after something came after his blood.

"Did I stutter?" He was now getting angry, he gave a simple order, were these loyal sentinels of his gone dead? He just marched towards them, took the girl in his arms, and walked off, if they weren't going to obey simple orders, he was going to do it himself. The girl did not speak during the whole time and was focusing her eyes on him again, he had to speak with his brother and focused himself on the task of reaching Dirthamens's room before a new day started. The child was not his problem to deal with anymore, or so he thought.

-

Sylaise received the child at the doorstep of her chamber situated in one of Elgar'nan palaces, the man had some territory issues to talk about, little did she care when she saw the girl. The two guards that accompanied her were Dirthamens's and she gestured them away while letting the girl inside, but something was off, she couldn't feel the same energy as before like it was replaced by something else.

"My girl...how do you feel?" her voice was trembling, she feared the worst and when the girl turned to look at the mother, glassy eyes was all she could see, the same eyes her brothers and sisters shared when the Goddess tried to revive them, something tore inside her once again, another failure. But with grief came rage, if the girl was nothing more than a useless shell there was no space for her love, but in reaching her the Goddess got stuck to the floor and no matter how much she tried to free herself, what kept Sylaise on the spot wasn't ice, no, it was too solid and transparent, she was being held by thick crystal.

"Mother" was a feeble little word that made the Goddess stop her struggling, if the girl spoke then it wasn't too late, she could still make her regain full consciousness, the crystal cage disappeared as soon as the rage inside her did, and the girl was between her mother's arms in a moment, not that the girl seemed to care, she just stayed motionless.

"It will be alright, I will make this right"

-

But the child had to remain a secret to the other Evanuris, Ghilan’nain did not know what her knowledge was used for, Dirthamen just told her he was seeking new knowledge and the Twins had little care for the existence of the girl as far as Sylaise knew. June was happy and relieved to see his daughter breathe again and held her body gently between him and Sylaise that night, fearing she would disappear in a cloud of smoke.

The day after, all the discussions were done, Falon'din and Elgar'nan had a disagreement, Sylaise cared little, she was ready to walk in her and June's room, take the child and go home, Her husband had made a little piece of jewelry for the girl, to hide her aura and give the illusion she was indeed a grown child, not even a teen yet, but enough to be used as a maid to the Goddess, and since there seemed a fight was to come, she wanted her daughter by her side if things got to the point of fleeing.

When Falon'din’s knight died both parents were ready to leave, their presence was requested no more, June gave a little look to his daughter, only to find her walking towards the fallen elf and with a firm voice, he called her, hoping she would obey.

"Maid, you are not supposed to leave your Mistress side " with those words Sylaise turned as well and tried to not panic in front of the others.

"It seems like this one does not listen to you, what family did you say she comes from?" was Andruil sneering comment, she always hated how Sylaise went around with a noble's kid always at her side, just to feel like a mother, she told the huntress a long time ago, Andruil did not understand the other and simply scoffed at whoever child Sylaise put her claws on every decade. The girl, in the meantime, had approached the elf lying there, Elgar'nan's knight looking down at her like she was a pile of dragon dung, but little did she care, she just knelt beside the dying elf, she could feel the regret for something inside him, and his life slowly fading, the elf wasn't dead yet and so she did the only thing she remembered made her mother relax. She started to sing while cleaning his face from the blood, his eyes focused on hers and his ears focused on her voice, he suddenly wasn't scared to close his eyes anymore, and for a moment he felt peace in the arms of someone so young willing to help a dying man finding his last breath, he hoped the best for the girl and wished that her life wouldn't end in slavery. When he finally went limp, the girl smiled sadly down at the pale face in her lap.

A soft hand reached for her and in a second she was on her feet, Falon'din himself was dragging her away while the other Gods were stunned, except for Elgar'nan, who smiled coyly at the other. Mythal simply shook her head, Sylaise and June froze on the spot, the Goddess didn't dare to reach for her daughter and June knew better than to go against Falon'din, so kept both hands on his wife's shoulders, to stop her from moving if she tried.

-

When the Eluvian closed behind them the girl had no trouble adjusting her eyes to the dark corridor they arrived in but had to look down when Falon'din turned to speak with her.

"Do you have a name?" His voice was a mix between cold and veiled amusement and on her part, the girl did not know, she never had a name for all she knew, her mother and father only called her with nicknames and Hellathren called her young Master, so she simply shook her head and subtly looked up, the God was smiling. He noticed right away the glossy emptiness had left her eyes, that meant she had regained her will to live. Then came the rational thought, such being could help him, and since she was so young he could easily use her as he pleased, he needed her voice, with the future wars to come the girl would be a valid asset. He had to deal with some problems, the girl's parents for a start, but he had time.

"Then welcome home, first off, remove that thing around your neck, I will ask June to make another one and I will infuse it with my own spell...and burn those clothes, you are not going back to your lifegiver anytime soon" with that he started to walk and the girl diligently followed him, not looking at anyone, she simply stared at the head of the God, or well, at his black long hair. After a short walk, they reached a throne room full of slaves and sentinels, there were some tables as well filled with Nobles who whispered between themselves as the God walked toward his throne, the girl still in tow. When he reached the throne the girl had stopped at the steps, not sure what to do with herself, she could smell the meat on the tables and something inside her stirred, her mouth started to salivate and she gulped, fixing her eyes on the clean floor, she had to stop that urge of biting and chewing, although something disagreed inside her. Falon’din saw as to how the girl tensed at the smell in the air and made a gesture towards one of the sentinels, he ordered that one chamber was to be made for the girl as well as a cell in the dungeon, near one where enemies were left to slowly fade away, only then he spoke aloud, to let everyone in the room listen to his claim.

"Let this be a joyful moment, for a new member joins my court, my loyal friends, I present to you my future High Priestess, Dinrenan!" with a smile he gestured with one hand towards her form, and she understood that he just gave her a name. All around the nobles all started to clap loudly, it was unusual for Falon'din to have a new member joining his court, more so if said member was no more than a child in their eyes. The feast was going to be that same night, Dinrenan was escorted to her room by Falon'din himself and whispers started to spread all around, thanks to the working slaves that saw them. Could she be the Master's daughter? Was she some powerful spirit that chose to form a body? What was her purpose? She had a scary look.

-

Her life was a simple one to the eyes of the people, singing when people died during a battle, for Uthenera, for the Gods, singing for the future to come, to mourn the lost, nothing more and nothing less. What they didn't know was that Dirthamen started to train the girl, under the permission of his brother, and discovered soon after her strengths and weaknesses. Unlike her mother, she wasn't a powerful healer, but more like a crafter, like her father. She had the ability to shapeshift in every living creature as long as she saw it first, and he tested that in every way possible. He had locked her in a black cell filled with people who couldn't give him any more knowledge, and he couldn't turn them into slaves, they were no use to him until he decided to starve the girl and see how she would survive. Survive she did, when the elf chose to reopen the dungeon, five months later, all he could smell were the rotten flesh of the decaying corpses and almost dry blood, it didn't take him much to scan the room: on the far corner were all white bones, near them there seemed to be a tall crystal bowl of what he could only assume to be wastes, even although the room didn't smell like them. He saw on how there was a pile of ragged clothes forming a nest of sorts, and on top of that body parts with flesh still on them, but Dinrenan was nowhere to be seen, then his gaze checked the walls and she was there, hiding in the darker corner where the light did not arrive, she seemed to be one with the wall, he could only spot her because of her blue and violet glowing eyes roaming his form like he was her next prey. Only once she stepped towards him he noticed that she had discarded the jewelry Falon'din made June craft for her and she turned back to her true size and looks, a girl of 6 years old covered in dry blood, with nothing but rags and sharp teeth shining in the feeble light, then he noticed the crown of horns on her head.

“I see, to survive you gave in to your dragon instincts...I won’t let you go out of this place until you return to your...civilized state, I thought this could happen...but it won't be a problem, you will have to stay with me for at least another three months, do you understand me?" he wasn’t going to let a feral thing run through his temple, she would burn everything down if the chance was given to her.

The girl did understand him, but at the moment she wasn't totally sure how to react to his presence, a part of her wanted to attack him, tear his limbs apart and drink his blood to satisfy her bloodlust, the other part, the rational and weak one, wanted nothing more than to beg him to let her out, to let her wash herself of the dry blood. As if sensing her intentions Dirthamen smiled coldly at her, his yellow and purple eyes shining in the dark.

"You won't get out of here unless you turn back, young one. My brother will be pleased in knowing he just has to starve you before locking you up with those who refuse to worship him..." he saw as she nodded slowly and the horns on her head faded away. She wanted to speak, to let him know she wasn't feral at all, not yet, the last meal had enough meat on his bones to fulfill her hunger, for the moment being.

"Food" it's all that she managed to say before walking, more like stumbling, towards the black-haired man, who at the sight felt a little guilty and disgusted, that was not something he was used to, the guilt. Only when he looked away from the creature, he saw the spirits in the cell, spirits of mercy, pity, hunger, and shame, they all stayed in the near corner where he stood, with grey colors as to not be seen by him got curious.

"How long before she killed you?" He asked them but it seemed like they did not want to answer, no one spoke aloud, they only stared at the girl and refused to answer the God, which meant he wouldn't get a straight answer from them, but Dinrenan spoke before falling on her knees and arms.

"I...I sang, I sang to them, to reassure them nothing was going to happen...and some of them refused to wake up...so...I...I..." she couldn't say it, Dirthamen saw on how the girl struggled to get the words out of her mouth, he only scoffed and turned around, leaving the door open, the girl was no threat once her instincts died down and so she was free to leave, he had a guest to attend to after all, and it wouldn't be kind to let him wait. The girl did not understand, she looked at the spirits and they all walked towards her sides, patting her on the back and on her head, she gave them the mercy they requested, to listen to her voice and never wake up again. With a sniff, the girl picked up the broken necklace she destroyed in a fit of rage and walked toward her so-called freedom, as long as she behaved normally and didn't give in to her dragon instincts Dirthamen had no interest in keeping her secluded. Step after step she found herself walking in the shadows to avoid the slaves and sentinels till she reached her room, but someone was already waiting for her, one of Falon'din noble sentinels that years later would still protect her from herself and keep her memory in order to protect her until the day she was ready to face them.

His name was Dinlin.

Someone that years later she would call Pity. -----------

Took me long enough to finish this! I started with a picture and ended up with another, the end picture is somewhat decent while the first I made included more bones, blood, and all happy stuff. Had to cut some parts as well, a friend of mine that read it threw up her dinner, so I choose to cut the Slave Carving, remove the reason as to why Hellathren did what she did (It will be explained in Dirthrenan "Blood relationship" with Dinrenan), the other funny exercises Dirthamen put her through and along the way I got carried away and put Dinlin in it as well...so, for the most part, now you know who Dinrenan's parent are!

[hideawayintheimaginationworld]

Parenthood Chapter 1

He knew he was leaving her behind but what choice did he have? This would never end as long as they stayed together.

Guilt was eating him but the thought of him snatching her away also had scared him into action.

He hid under a hoodie and pulled it down his face to cast a shadow and make himself unidentifiable to any potential seekers. He marched along to what would be his final ever journey with his darling daughter bundled up in his tight embrace.

He couldn't help but cry, he had to disappear forever, to safe her.

Lefty was washing out the taste of popcorn from his mouth, having only just arrived home from the cinemas twenty minutes before and now ready to settle for the night.

It was an okay evening, Helpy had convinced him to join him, Debbie and Matt to see the new Spiderman movie after work, it was nice to be around people who he knew appreciated him. They were also people that didn't majorly freak out Lefty, who was once described by Mike as a “Perfectly Imbalance of a Volcano ready to blow but never knowing when”, it was true Lefty was known for an explosive temper... But he was also known as a really sweet guy, he had taken care of Helpy when he was recovering from having his appendix taken out, he had taken a couple of teenagers under his wing and guided them in a proper direction.

Best way to describe it? He was up for anyone getting a second chance if they deserved it.

And he meant if they really deserved it... To him second chances had to be earned, as rough as it sounded to some people who heard him say it, Lefty had met too many people who didn't deserve any second chances.....

They were the people that actually scared him.

He gargled water in his mouth, spitting it out into the sink then he walked away, turning off the bathroom light.

He was already dressed in his pyjamas, a loose dark grey shirt with short black pants that came down to his knees, he had already removed his fake eye and covered the black empty void with an eyepatch, he found it was more comfortable to sleep without the fake eye, plus the only purpose it served was purely aesthetic, he learnt people could get thrown if they saw you were missing an eye.

He was walking towards his room when he heard a round of fast knocking at his front door that sounded urgent.

“That's extremely odd..” He remarked, his eye looked at the clock, with the time being 10:25 pm. He tried to think who would come to his house late at night, the only person he thought that maybe there was Toby, who would only disturb him this late at night for a good reason.

He walked forward to the front door, he peered out the window at the side and saw no one was at his porch which kind of frustrated him, as he was certain there was somebody who knocked. He was about to retreat to his bedroom when he heard a peculiar sound that he shouldn't have heard.

The peculiar sound sounded like a fussing child.

A young fussing child.

He looked out the window again, no one was there but Lefty wanted to check outside quickly just to make sure, thinking the sound could possibly be an injured animal.

Lefty unlocked his front door and opened it slightly, he looked outwards into the world outside then looked down.

Before his feet was a baby.

A real baby.

Wrapped in a pale blue blanket, seated in a basket.

It was like this was a cartoon movie.

He guessed the baby was a little girl, she had white skin and black hair that’s loosely reminded Lefty of his own short black hair, in fact, he also had pale skin.

But before anyone would say this was his child, Lefty knew he had never been with a woman before so this child couldn't be his.

Why was it here on a warm night on his doorstep of all places?? Lefty was absolutely puzzled.

The girl let out another fussy noise like she was cold from the lack of human contact and being in a basket on the ground didn't help.

Lefty opened the door wide going down to pick her up, he never had kids but he knew how to hold a baby from the times he use to babysit Sarah Denford from her infant years while her parents were busy.

He held her in his arms looking around for anyone walking nearby that might be the mother or father, he became more nervous when he couldn't see anyone.

Then he heard the baby make a different sound, a giggle and happy babbling mixed in, he looked down to see her big green eyes looking up at him like she was happy to see him.

Lefty couldn't in good conscious leave a (possibly abandoned) baby outside his doorstep, so he turned on his heel and brought her inside.

The moment when he lifted the little girl made the man's heart swell with sadness and relief.

“He’s going to take good care of you, my baby girl...” He whispered quietly watching Lefty bring the baby inside then closing the door.

The reasonable thing to do was call the police in Lefty's mind, but he decided to look for a clue first.

He brought the girl into his living room, he had turned on the light figuring this was going to delay his actual sleep for a while.

He unwrapped the blue blanket and saw she was wearing a pale green button-up onesie with blue socks on her feet. He did see a clue at this point.

On her wrist was a small shiny silver bracelet medallion, about the size of a small coin almost, he gently lifted up her wrist to try and get a look at it but she pulled her hand away making a annoyed noise.

He was slightly irritated but lifted her up into his arms which seen to really please her, she smiled at him, she didn't appear to have teeth yet so Lefty concluded she would have to be younger than six months.

He could finally look at the bracelet and saw an engraving:

“Charlotte”

“That's got to be your name...” Lefty muttered knowing some kids had baby bracelets with their name engraved on them. “It would be more ideal if I had your last name then I could find your family.”

Charlotte didn’t look too worried about being alone, but Lefty reasoned it was because she was a baby and they don't think about the important things.

He had shifted Charlotte to one arm and grabbed the basket which he brought inside and sat on the small table in his living room. He had seen a small envelope and took it into his hand, ripping it open and unfolding the small note then reading it.

Please take care of her as I can't anymore, love her like your own.

What. The. Hell.

Did whoever write this note have the expectation he would raise Charlotte?!

He knew many more people who were suited to the role! Lefty himself never had any siblings just his father who had to give him to Uncle Marion when he was seven years old.

He didn't like the idea.

He looked at the time.

10:57 PM.

Most of the people he knew would be asleep by now.

Charlotte had started to chew on her sleeve, Lefty grabbed it pulling on it, “Get that out of your mouth,” He sternly spoke.

Toby had rolled over when he heard his phone ringing, he blinked a few times as he just woke from a heavy sleep unexpectedly. He reached for his phone and pressed the icon to answer.

“Yes?” He yawned.

“It's Lefty, can you come over? It’s urgent.”

“Oh... Give me twenty minutes...” He responded.

“Thank you, Toby.”

“No problem...”

“Get out of bed now, get up. You might fall asleep again.”

Toby nodded, “Yes! I'll... I'll be there..” He got out of bed, with Lefty vaguely reminding him about the incident where Lefty injured himself at home and was asking him to take him to the hospital, only for him to fall back asleep when their call ended.

Thankfully it didn't end their friendship.

Toby hung up the phone, going about making himself look semi-presentable, putting on a pair of normal pants and a shirt, no point in brushing his hair, he was just going to Lefty's house.

He quickly brewed a cup of coffee, deciding he should have some caffeine in his system to speed up his waking up process especially considering he did wake up abruptly.

He didn't even know what Lefty wanted. He hoped there wasn’t another teenager like the one they met that was nearly kidnapped.

He had transferred the coffee into a travel cup and drank some of it before getting into his car.

He took a few minutes then started the car and drove the ten minute trip to Lefty's house.

Once he arrived, he noticed the lights were still on so Lefty was definitely still awake by this point so he knocked at the door.

“Toby?” Lefty asked from somewhere inside.

Toby replied with: “Yep!”

“The door's open. Come in.”

Toby stepped inside, closing the door behind him, immediately he heard a noise that rose his suspicions.

It was a baby's laugh.

Toby was now face to face with Lefty who was to his shock holding a baby.

“Lefty where did that thing come from?!?!”

“I don't know! It was outside my door! I think... Somebody deliberately left her there... For me to care for her...” Lefty huffed.

Toby raised his eyebrows, “Like... Like you..?”

“Toby I told you the story... My father left me with my Uncle... There’s a big difference between leaving a young child with a known family member and leaving a baby with a stranger... There's no clue as to who her Mom and Dad are, only her name, Charlotte.”

“Charlotte...” Toby smiled, “It’s a really lovely name... There are countless nicknames for that too... Lottie... Charlie... It’s cute.”

“Well, it is cute but... She isn't mine... She could have been snatched from her crib for all I know...”

“Really?”

Lefty hesitated then responded, “Well... I did have a quick look online... No missing babies... But I’m not equipped for a baby... And this is only temporary until I find someone from her family... Maybe a grandparent or Aunt, Uncle... A cousin?”

“So you need help from your pal?”

“Exactly... In the morning I’ll search for her family... But I need some items... To have an extra pair of hands is ideal.”

“Once again as they say: Lefty and Helpy are solving dilemmas for all!”

The catchphrase was initially a joke made by a co-worker but it was now being used so regularly by them.

It’s finally began...

[bangtan-gal]

Consequences

Hwang Hyunjin x Fem!reader fallen angel!au word count: 2.3k warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, mentions of past abuse, mentions of toxic relationships

Masterlists  Other Angel AUS: Chan | Jisung |

Your neighborhood was constantly infested with crime and gangs. You were used to the gunshots at midnight, the constant screaming, and the car alarms going off. So that must’ve been why you were so calm when the bloody body appeared on your doorstep and didn’t call the police. The rules of the neighborhood were commonly known: keep your mouth shut and you won’t get hurt. 

Blood splattered across the white tiles and stained your couch as you struggled to drag the body into your house. Part of you knew that you should’ve just left the boy outside to just rot, but you still had your heart. You just prayed that you could get him patched up and out before your boyfriend came back home. 

Just as you knelt down beside him, washcloth and isopropyl alcohol in head, your phone started to ring. You stared at it, watching as your mom’s caller ID flashed wildly. You wanted to answer, your hands started to shake because of it, but you couldn’t find it in yourself. You were more scared of the consequences.

You started wiping the cuts and scratches on his face, staring at the pale skin that appeared beneath all the blood and dirt. As you continued on, silently bandaging up his arm and disinfecting the cut on his eyebrow and lip, he started to stir. A grumble escaped and he started to shift. 

Then as fast as lightning, he sat up, hand wrapping around your wrist and eyes turning to you. His eyes were dark, but they seemed to be glowing green from the small slants of sunlight peering through the window. His dark brown hair was matted to his face from the sweat.

“Where am I?” He asked. He didn’t even seem phased from his current injuries. He should’ve been slightly light-headed, but he seemed completely fine.

It made no sense. 

“Um… in my apartment?” You mumbled, pulling out of his tight grip. “You were passed out and all bloody on my doorstep.”

His mouth opened in an ‘O’ and then a sad sigh escaped him. He looked down at his fingers, flexing them. He brought his knees up to his chest and cleared his throat. Fear was burning in his eyes. You found yourself actually feeling bad for this one.

“I’m Hyunjin,” he hummed, holding out a hand. You shook it, staring at him, still in confusion.

“Y/N…” you trailed off, “do you know how you got here?” “Father banished me,” he stated simply, standing up. Then he groaned and fell back onto the couch, clutching his head. You pursed your lips. 

“Your… father banished you?” You asked, voice growing quieter. Was he younger than he looked? Was it possible he was like you and living in an environment he didn’t belong in?” His eyes met yours and his expression softened and you could see some ancient sadness brimming in their depths.

“It’s hard to explain,” he muttered. His stomach rumbled and his gaze darted downwards. His hand worriedly patted his stomach. 

“I’ll get you some food,”  you sighed. 

He frowned. “I’ve never had to eat before.”

You didn’t hear that last statement as you hurried into the kitchen. You made a bowl of cereal and brought it to him. Confusion was evident on his face as he stared at the bowl in his lap. Although he wasn’t a child, you treated him like one as you scooped up a spoonful and moved it towards his mouth. His eyes met yours as his lips wrapped around the spoon and he slowly swallowed. After that, he took the food from you and practically inhaled it.

As he did, you turned your attention to your phone Two text notifications sat on the lock screen and your stomach started to revolt. You let out a shaky breath and unlocked your phone, reading over the message.

DK: I won’t be back in town for a week

DK: And you know the rules baby, none of them should be broken

“You’d let someone treat you like that?” The question startled you. You snapped your phone off and dropped it in your lap. The boy stared over your shoulder, eyes focused on where your phone sat. It made no sense, but he looked angry. He took a slow breath and then leaned away from you. 

“You shouldn’t intrude on others privacy like that,” you scolded, standing up. His gaze followed you. 

“You’re no one’s pet, Y/N.”

You froze, fingers tightening around your phone. That was what you used to tell yourself every night before you went to bed until your hope was crushed under the toe of that horrible man’s shoe. Sometimes you swore that you heard someone whisper that in your ear in your darkest moments.

“Who exactly are you?” You asked. Hyunjin stood up and this time he didn’t collapse back onto the couch. He staggered towards you, clutching his stomach as he did so. 

“Your guardian angel.”

Then he passed out again and smacked his head against the carpet.

⧪⧪⧬⧪⧪

When he came to again, it was dinner time and just like before, the boy was starving. You didn’t ask about whatever nonsense he had mumbled before his accident. You just fed him and yourself, the both of you silent as you ate. Hyunjin was like a vacuum the way he consumed food. One second it was there and the next it was sucked into the void that was him.

“And we always made fun of humans for eating excessively,” he groaned after he finished. This time you stared at him, your brain struggling to wrap itself around exactly what was happening.

“What?” Hyunjin’s gaze was sharp when it met yours.

“I told you didn’t I? I’m your guardian…” then he trailed off, eyes going down to stare at his hands. “Or at least I used to be.”

You stood up, clasping your hands together. Your body was visibly shaking and your teeth were working vigorously on your bottom lip. That wasn’t possible. It was logic, it was law. God didn’t exist. Angels didn’t exist and neither did demons.

But what ab—

“I’m going to bed, there’s an extra bedroom down the hall,” you said. Hyunjin opened his mouth to interrupt you, but your voice grew sharper. Then you hurried to your bedroom, changing into pajamas quickly and covering your mouth as you struggled to muffle your sobs. 

Eventually you fell asleep and you weren’t sure what time it was when someone delicately knocked at your door. You roused from your sleep, watching as the door creaked open and Hyunjin stepped inside. The moon outlined his body as he approached the bed and knelt down beside you. 

“I’m sorry if I scared you,” he apologized. You squinted into the dark, trying to see the supposed angel that sat just a foot away.

“It’s not the first time,” you replied softly. You weren’t any calmer, but you forced yourself to keep an outer composure. “Are you actually an angel?”

Hyunjin was silent but you could hear him moving. The bed dipped as he sat on the edge and his fingers traced along your arm. They were soft and delicate and his touch was sending shivers down your spine. 

“I don’t know,” he whispered. There was no sense of worth in his voice. “I chose humans over my duties and now… I’m actually here.”

You reached for the lamp, blinking as light flooded your room. Hyunjin perched on the edge of your bed, chin resting on his knees. The green in his eyes had disappeared and his eyes were almost completely black. His mouth was set in a grim line and his eyes were focused on the window. There was a longing in his eyes; a longing that you’d seen hundreds of times in the mirror.

The want to escape.

“Ok,” you started slowly, “let’s say you are an angel. Why are you here? How’d you get all hurt? Can’t you just leave?”

Hyunjin stared at his hands and then shook his head.

“I was banished by my Father. I didn’t have a choice of coming here… and the fall from heaven is far. I-I fe…” His gaze moved to you. A million emotions seemed to swell on his face; sympathy, longing, sadness… and something that seemed almost loving. You sat up on your elbows, cheeks starting to flush.

“Why did you fall?” “You… I fell for you,” he murmured, “I saw all this abuse and I wanted to step in and I tried… but Father stopped me. I got mad, I screamed at him and tried to hurt him. It just made no sense: what’s the point of having guardian angels if we can’t even do anything to physically protect you?” He was crying. Hyunjin sniffled and wiped at his eyes, lips quivering. His whole body was shaking as he covered his face, trying to hide himself from you.

“Chan got away with it, he managed to save his… and then escaped Father’s wrath,” he sobbed, “I t-thought I could do and instead you’ve suffered so much because of my failures.”

You knew you should’ve comforted him; you wanted to. But you were just frozen as you stared at the boy in front of you. There’s no way this was real. Yet the look in his eyes screamed that it was and that he was actually hurt because of your misfortunes. He kept wiping the tears away only for his cries to become louder.

“I’ve failed you Y/N, I’m really sorry,” he gasped out. You fully sat up and shook your head. It didn’t matter how crazy this was. You saw someone trying to take the blame for something they couldn’t control.

“It’s not your fault, Hyunjin, you couldn’t have done anything about it,” you mumbled, “if that was your rules, you couldn’t break them.”

Hyunjin shook his head adamantly. 

“But I could’ve.”

You glanced at the clock and saw that it was near two in the morning.

“Hyunjin, I’m worried, I really am… but if you’re human now you need sleep,” you sighed, “we should get some sleep and then we can talk about it in the morning?”

He wiped away another round of tears and nodded. 

“C-can I stay in here?” He asked, not meeting your stare. You nodded, too tired to care as you rolled over and made space for him. Hyunjin slid in beside you and went still. You glanced over your shoulder at him, guilt tugging at your heart when you saw his tear-stained face. His eyes jumped to yours when your hand wrapped around his and squeezed. 

“I promise nothing is your fault,” you murmured.

Hyunjin didn’t reply.

⧪⧪⧬⧪⧪

Morning came quickly and you taught Hyunjin how to make pancakes. He was almost like a little puppy the way he stood at your side, eyes wide as he watched everything you did. The two of you ate in silence and then he proposed the idea. So that was how you ended up in a car, cruising down the main street.

“How do you know where he is?” You asked nervously, eyes flitting around the area. You rarely left the apartment and it must’ve been so long that you turned into a hermit. Just the idea of leaving gave you anxiety and you were sure you were about to start crying any second.

“I mean… I lost my abilities, but I know what an angel aura feels like… and Chan’s was special,” he explained, “he came and talked to me the night he came to earth and told me where he was going if I ever wanted to see him.”

He stared out the window and then pointed to a building.

“There.”

You felt nervous as you parked and stepped out of the car. It was a library and it smelled of dust as you stepped inside. Hyunjin didn’t even stutter as he marched through the aisles of books and then stopped. You nearly bumped into him and then you looked around him. A blonde boy sat at a table, reading a book and sipping out of a mug. Something weird and powerful radiated from him and you could feel the belief start to set itself deeper into you.

Hyunjin had desperately wanted to see Chan and although you hadn’t been sure, you could hear the need in his voice. You wondered if seeing Chan would help him realize it wasn’t his fault. When you’d woke up in the morning, Hyunjin had been crying again. If Chan helped, you would take it.

“Channie!” Hyunjin whisper-shouted and started to walk towards the table. The blonde looked up, eyes momentarily sparking green and then he smiled when he saw Hyunjin. The sun was bouncing off his skin and he practically looked like he was glowing. Chan stood up and hugged Hyunjin. When he stepped back, his gaze skimming over Hyunjin, his smile stammered.

“Your powers are gone,” he said. His eyes sharply looked up to see you spying from the corner. His gaze darted back to Hyunjin. “What happened?” Hyunjin turned around and waved you over. Your body was vibrating as you made your way towards them, avoiding Chan’s inquisitive stare. You stood as close as you could to Hyunjin, unable to explain why you felt nervous around the other angel. His eyes burned into you, the green starting to grow deeper. Then it faded and he smiled sadly, looking at Hyunjin.

“You fell for a human,” Chan hummed.

Your mouth opened slightly and it hit you. The reason Hyunjin fell wasn’t because of his fire to protect you. He fell because of the intention behind it. You stared at him, watching as his eyes flickered and he glanced over at you. Sure, he fell from heaven for you, but first he fell in a different way. 

He fell in love with you.

[paellaplease]

Firebird | Chap.6

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 7

Apologies for the long wait, everyone!

Chapter 6: Of Monsters and Metals Part 1. 

Strength is not measured by your willingness to meet fear’s gaze...

*

Revali dove, slowed, and eventually landed, talons gracefully touching down on the rocky ground below them like a falling leaf to water.

Maiya lifted her head from his shoulder, the smell and sounds of waves crashing into stone washing over her as she opened her eyes. Looking around, she saw that they were standing on a long slab of rock, hovering above the tumultuous waters of Lake Totori.

Another departure deck, her mind supplied for her.

The hylian quickly clambered off the rito’s back, the freshwater spray chilling her to the bone. She realised just how much warmth Revali’s feathers had provided her, feeling the full brunt of the elements as she pulled away. Maiya shivered, regretting her earlier decision in leaving her thicker coat at the inn.

As her feet touched the earth, her legs immediately gave way.

“Holy— ”

Revali caught her arm, steadying her moments before she smacked into the ground.

“Give it a moment.”

“No, it’s alright.”

Stubbornly, Maiya took another step forward. The rito warrior clicked his tongue as he caught her again. “You are unaccustomed to flight. Stand still and move your feet slowly, let the normal flow of blood return to your legs. Unless of course you’re extremely keen on acquainting yourself with the floor.”

Embarrassment colouring her cheeks, Maiya closed her mouth and turned her head away, allowing herself to lean on him but refusing to look him in the eye. She stared forward into the distance, surveying their surroundings as she waited for the tingling feeling in her legs to disappear. As her eyes adjusted, all she could see was a looming cliff before her and a thick wall of evening fog. Night had set in around them, making visibility difficult in the dying light.

“So...where is that cave we saw earlier?”

Revali’s free wing pointed down to the empty space in front of them, following along the platform until the point where she guessed it would connect to the cliff a few metres away. “On the other side of this departure deck, beyond the fog.”

The Enchanter pulled her jacket closer as another strong gust of wind blew past, mussing up her dark hair again and cooling the sweat on her brow. Small waves continued to crash against the platform, powerful enough at times she swore she could feel the ground shudder. Quietly, she marvelled at how different the scenery appeared in comparison to what she saw in the sky earlier. From afar, the cave seemed so...removed— detached in its stillness. Now up close it felt like she was in the midst of a storm.

What an odd place to have a smithy. “So your forge is cut into the rock holding your village aloft in the sky?”

The rito warrior’s jade eyes were still trained at the distance in front of them as he regarded her evenly. “We are still within village grounds, enchanter.” His expression turned thoughtful. “And that is more than just a rock in the middle of the lake. The cliff face you see in front of you is Wayrakuchuyna, or simply Wayra. She is ancient, older than Chief Kamori and many of those before him, and is the foundation from which Valoo’s Spire was carved.”

“Thats,” Maiya paused, mulling over her words. “That’s actually very interesting. I thought the Spire was carved by your people?”

“Carved by the wind.” The rito corrected her, the rarest hint of a smile in his voice. “Technically speaking, we are underneath the main village structure. Valoo’s Spire is the epicentre of our way of life. However, Wayra had been a part of my people for as long as rito could fly.”

“As such, according to Chief’s Law, so long as we are connected to her, we are always home.” He looked up, gazing at the cliff-face for a quiet moment.

Maiya tilted her head, mimicking his stance. Due to the angle from where they stood, she found it difficult to spot the Spire amongst the rocks and fog. She only managed to catch the faint details of the bridge she’d crossed a day ago, hanging far away in the air above them, illuminated by the waning gibbous moon.

Feeling that enough time had passed, she gave her leg an experimental shake, relieved that the pins and needles had finally subsided. “Hey...I think my legs are back to normal.”

“Continue forward if you must then. You are capable of making your own decisions.”

“I would but,” despite her irritation at his previous comment, she allowed a laugh to slip through. She cleared her throat and pointed to her shoulder. “You can let go now.”

Feathers rising, Revali quickly withdrew his wing, stepping to the side. “Take caution where you tread,” he groused, suddenly very interested in readjusting his pauldrons. “I won’t be responsible if your clumsiness results in you cracking a few eggs.”

The Enchanter shrugged, too tired to deal with the rito’s changing moods, and started walking.

Both hylian and rito made haste across the departure deck, the gaping maw of the forge’s main entrance slowly coming into view. The cave-like opening was tall as it was wide, and Maiya estimated it would easily fit about three of her across. Enshrouded in fog; dark and foreboding, it looked to suck all life into it until there was nothing but open emptiness.

Except it wasn’t empty.

“Someone's there.” She murmured.

Smoke escaped from the mysterious figure's pipe, making them appear like a shadow in the creeping darkness. They were leaning against a tall and looming object. Upon closer inspection it revealed itself to be a heavy metal door, several locks lining its side.

Their face flickered by the flame of a rusty sconce, wavering in the midst of blistering winds. They had feathers of mottled black and white, and a jet black scraggly beard which was pulled into two hanging braids. They stood as if dragged down by the weight of the world — a hunch curving their back and an elderly face dominated by two white-feathered brows pinched together in a scowl. Whilst unable to see their eyes, she still had a feeling that they were watching them closely, eyeing them like a hawk as they drew closer.

Above them, a sign swung and creaked in the whistling wind. Jackdaw Metalworks and Weaponry it read, complete with a carving of two rito's and an anvil resting between them.

“Yieni,” Revali said from behind her, voice unusually careful and diplomatic. He bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Allin tuta, it has been a while.”

Maiya’s eyes widened in alarm. Yieni? Then that means—

The Blacksmith lifted his head, revealing a pair of fierce, cloudy eyes. He threw Revali a questioning look, before zeroing in on the Enchanter and the dagger that hung innocently at her hip. Maiya felt frozen in place, the rito’s glare piercing in its quiet fury. It was as if he was surveying a defective sword, seeking what was left of its worth.

Revali gently nudged her with his wing, pulling her from her thoughts. "Courage now," he whispered.

Maiya grimaced, straightening her back and ignoring the rope of anxiety knotting in her chest. She cleared her throat. “Good evening, Yieni." She didn't think it was possible, but his scowl deepend. Don't panic, just continue. "I am Maiya from the land of Akkala and I’m hoping you can answer some questions regarding— ”

“Get out.”

She blinked. “Pardon me but wha—”

“I said get out! Leave this place." He rasped, smoke escaping his mouth. His eyes narrowed as he glared daggers at the blue rito. “What in the void possessed you to bring an Enchanter to my doorstep, Revali?”

The warrior raised his wings up as if in surrender. “I mean no offense, Yieni.”

“Hah!” The elderly rito hunched over as a dry cough racked through him. "I cannot imagine what inane quest has sent you here but we’ve had enough trouble brought upon by your kind, Enchanter. Now run back to your teacher and never show your face on my property again.”

Maiya’s felt her enthusiasm drain, her gloved hand warming alongside the bubbling of her unease. "You don’t understand. So much of my people’s knowledge has been lost. I know you have a level understanding of our craft. Please.” Fucking listen!

The rito shook his head. “I’ve been bitten more than once by feeding the rabid dog. I refuse to extend my arm out once more as it bears its teeth."

“That makes no sense!”

"I make no deals with Enchanters,” he spat. “Make sense of that, child.” Putting his cigar out, Yieni wrenched the heavy door behind him open, stepping through.

Maiya raced forward. “Wait, hold on!”

The door was slammed shut, cold metal inches from bruising her nose. She took a step back, bumping into the warrior behind her.

Maiya looked at him, the locked door, and slumped. “Okay, perhaps I need to rethink my strategy here." Or perhaps he really hates Enchanters and I'm just wasting my time.

Revali crossed his wings. “Perhaps?” he said, beak curving. “A welcome like that and you honestly still think you have a wing in the door?"

The Enchanter looked to the open lake, feeling cold droplets hit her face as the rain above began to fall. "This would have been a waste of time if I decide to give up now." She rolled her shoulders, ignoring Revali's muttered “Evidently” and bunched up her sleeves. “I’m not leaving til that door opens.”

The blue rito moved to the side, gesturing her forward with an exaggerated wave of his feathers. “The floor is yours.”

Maiya clenched her jaw and moved to knock again.

Knock, knock. Her first attempt garnerd no response.

Knock, knock, bang! As did her second.

“Stubborn old bird.”

She felt the veins in her left hand begin to burn again, the rune no doubt responding to the shock and stress of the day’s events. Taking the glove off, she shook her hand vigorously in the air, trying to cool down the scar which had heated up considerably in the past few minutes. The edges glowed a light blue. She hissed.

“Are you well?” Revali asked.

She looked at him from the corner of her eye. Good going, he thinks you're going to burn the place down now. “Nothing, ignore me. Stinging as always.”

Gritting her teeth, she raised her left hand again. She was inches away from slamming it into the door when the metal surface shuddered.

Reflexively, Revali reached for his bow. Maiya held a hand up, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. “Wait—”

She took a cautious step back as the clicks of several locks were heard, the unusual symphony joined by a cacophony of keys turning, latches being pulled, and bars sliding to the side. Smoke left hidden pockets located at the hinges, making a hissing noise as billowing clouds escaped from the cracks, dissipating into the surrounding darkness.

A creak and screech echoed, the sound ricocheting off the rock and making small pebbles fall from their perches. Metal scraped against metal, joining the activity as the noise reached a crescendo, building up until suddenly— there was silence.

Maiya released the breath she was holding, clutching her gloved hand to her chest. "Did I do that?"

"No,” Revali said. He pointed to a rounded mirror-like object which hung above the burning sconce, something Maiya thought was merely for decoration. "That glass is not reflecting our images…”

At that moment, the flame went out.

“Someone’s watching us.”

And the door swung open with a bang.

Lying before them was a dark corridor. It was cold and eerie, a void tunneling into the rock. Maiya was surprised to find that no one was on the other side to greet them, and wondered briefly how the door could have opened by itself. “There’s something mysterious at work here,” she whispered.

It was completely barren except for a small hanging lantern at the furthest part of the hall. The quivering flame marked the beginning of a spiral staircase, its flickering light illuminating the start of stone steps leading down.

The Enchanter stared into the darkness, fear of the unknown making her hesitate. As she retreated into herself, she took a step back, her hand brushing the hilt of her dagger. The latent energy within it sent a small spark up her fingers, and for a moment she remembered the way it spluttered and burned within the confines of the Blacksmith’s clamp.

Her mentor’s words reverberated in her mind. ‘Do not let fear dictate your freedom.’

Maiya groaned, stepping foot into the dark corridor and began walking with renewed purpose. “Into the unknown, let’s go.” She grumbled. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

She was surprised to hear Revali following close behind her, the sound of talons against stone echoing throughout the passageway. Pausing abruptly, she swivelled around to face him, taken aback by how close he suddenly was.

She backpedalled and crossed her arms, ignoring how he was only a step away. “Hold on. You’re coming with me?”

Revali mirrored her stance, folding his wings. He looked at her pointedly. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but there’s no stairway to the Spire from here.”

“So you’re sticking around to fly me back up, huh?”

“Precisely.”

Maiya huffed, lifting her head higher to glare at him. “Chief Kamori told you to watch me, didn’t he?”

He wasn’t even looking at her, choosing this moment to inspect the feathers on one of his wings. He flexed it in front of him as a hylian would when checking their nails. “You wound me, enchanter,” he said, voice bored. “Do you really believe I’d make you scale the cliff in the dark?”

“Oh.” She laughed humorlessly, turning around to continue her brisk walk to the end of the hall. “Absolutely.”

 Maiya kept a steady palm on the smooth stone column beside her as they continued deeper into the cave. In their descent, she traced the lines of the column, feeling it grow colder the further they travelled into the cavern in almost full darkness. It was one of the few times she was grateful for the dull glow of her hand, leading the way and stopping her from taking a bone-breaking tumble to the bottom floor. At least the stress did something good for once.

The spiral staircase seemed to wind forever, eventually unfurling and flattening, lantern light appearing in the distance as they reached the very last step. They eventually found themselves in an open room, under a high ceiling full of vents.

The Enchanter marvelled at the flow of the air as she watched smoke leave like ribbons through hidden pockets in the room, seemingly replaced by a fresh batch almost instantaneously with the lift of a vent in the ceiling.

It appeared that most of the heat in the room was originating from the giant metal structure sitting at its centre. Blackened and spluttering soot, its presence dominated most of the space; a metal monster with a belly reddened by flames.

The forge’s oven.

The familiar clang of hammer on iron reached her ears, followed by the hiss of steam as it was dipped in the slack tub. The hylian was immediately transported back in time, remembering the workshop in Akkala and the days she spent as a young girl observing Teacher in her workspace.

Maiya was but a novice then, but the silver-haired woman was always in her element. She could recall watching her mentor hammer out a swordsman’s blade, forgetting her notes and daydreaming instead of the moment she would finally decipher the secrets of the anvil and impress the Sheikah Enchanter with her first proper weapon.

Except you failed her, she thought bitterly. No matter how hard you try to make amends, your dagger has rejected its master. And in that, you have failed your purpose.

Maiya blinked back into reality, the figure she saw standing in the middle of the forge no longer her mentor. No, Maiya realised. The person holding a cooling blade in the air wasn't even rito.

Seeing her step into the room, the smith rested the blade on the edges of a clay bath. As they lifted the protective mask obscuring their face, Maiya's eyes caught a teal fin peeking from behind it. A fish? Her mind stuttered.

The mask was lifted further, revealing a lean face and sharp smiling teeth. They stood with a straight back, posture impeccable as they smoothed their leather apron over.

A zora!

“Good evening, Traveler,” they said, voice soft and polite as small bells. They looked at her calmly, golden eyes serene. Maiya’s eyes caught the intricate silver ornaments decorating the side of their face, hearing them clink as they removed the mask entirely.

The zora angled their head higher, finally seeing the person behind her. “What a surprise, Master Revali.”

“Uleh.” The rito nodded curtly.

Maiya looked between the two of them. She noticed some soot staining the Zora's arms and cheeks, painting their shining scales a smoky grey.

Coughing into a closed fist, they cleared their throat. “Apologies for earlier. I’m not sure what’s gotten into Mister Yieni this evening. He is usually more accommodating, but I theorise that the wine might have been more potent than usual."

"You're his assistant?" Maiya asked.

"An Artificer." They corrected. “You could say I’m on...an extended industrial study tour.” The zora smiled to themself, enjoying their own inside joke, before bowing low. “I welcome you, Enchanter. It has been many years since someone of your vocation has stepped foot in ‘Jackdaw’s. I would offer my palm for the greeting but,” they raised both their gloved hands, “I must keep these on for the time being. There is much work that needs to be done.”

Maiya blinked, still bracing herself for the anger that ultimately never materialized. “Hold on. You know I’m an Enchanter? Why then...why haven’t you yet—”

“Kicked you out as Mister Yieni had?”

“Yes.”

“I hold no quarrel against you or your people.” They said, beginning to coat the blade in clay, expertly avoiding its edges. “In fact, I want to help you.”

The Enchanter did not immediately celebrate, silent for a moment and lost to her own thoughts. As much as she was happily surprised by this stranger’s willingness to assist her, she was once again hit by a gut-punching suspicion that had been plaguing her mind since she left the village’s library.

She was slowly learning that there’s always some sort of catch.

"And what exactly does this help entail?" Revali asked, reading into her discomfort.

"Simple,” Uleh said, gently painting the finishing touches of the clay coating with a brush. "I need you to extract a rare ingredient the forge has been lacking in for awhile. After you’ve done that, I can arrange a meeting.”

Maiya shifted her weight from one foot to the other, unconvinced. “How can you be sure he would want to converse with me in the first place?”

Uleh chuckled, clipping the blade into a wooden holder to dry. "Mister Yieni can be ill-tempered, prejudiced and especially cantankerous, but he will always honour a good deal." The zora looked up at her, golden eyes gleaming. "Find him that ingredient, offer it in exchange for information, and he will answer whatever you ask him."

Maiya eyed the silver jewellery framing Uleh’s face, thin and long sheets twisted like intermingling spirals. Ultimately, it would be within her best interest to trust them. She’d just have to roll with the punches and accept the consequences of what was to come after that. She could compare her situation to skipping stones. Nothing left but to cast the rock and count the ripples from the sidelines.

Your willingness to trust will get you trouble one day, my dear. Her mentor’s ever serious voice echoed warningly.

The hylian rubbed her eyes, too tired to argue with herself anymore. Grab the ingredient and strike a deal. Easy. She thought to herself. It's okay. It will be okay. That just leaves me with...

Gazing up, she flashed Revali a tentative grin. The sharp lines of the rito’s face softened a fraction, then fell back into its default haughty glare as he looked away. "What is it?" He asked sourly.

"...are you going to help me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Well, I'm going regardless."

Revali sent her a knowing look. "And you will probably encounter trouble along the way.

The hylian shrugged, unbothered. "It's not a given but with the increase of monster activity out there, coupled with some Yiga sightings, I probably will—"

"Then the answer is obvious."

"You don't have to be rude about it."

"You shouldn't ask moronic questions you know the answer to."

"Fine!"

"Fine."

Maiya shook her head, turning back to the zora who was still patiently waiting for her answer. She cleared her throat, trying to regain whatever professional dignity she'd shed in the past minute. “If it will grant me an audience with the Blacksmith, then I'll do it."

Uleh's face broke out into a smile. “Fantastic.”

Rising from their sitting position, the zora picked the blade up with their iron tongs, carrying it back to the oven. As they plunged it back into the red hot embers, the fire casted dancing lights and shadows against their teeth, drawing Maiya’s attention as they spoke their next words.

“Now onto business. Have you ever heard of a Frost Talus, Enchanter?”

[btswrckd]

Hunting a Hybrid I

Black Panther!Hybrid Jungkook X Fem!Reader

Summary: Four years after it’s made illegal to acquire hybrids as pets, you’re approached by the daughter of your old employer to find one that was gifted to her

Warnings: Slight violence, eventual smut, hybrids are looked down on A LOT in this.

A/N: If you read the teasers and find that some stuff is different, it’s because I was so excited to get this out there that I posted a teaser before I did any real editing. Also, if you’re wondering why I’m posting it all over again, please refer to my earlier announcement. Thanks guys!

--------------------------------------------------------------

The smell of cigarettes burned her nostrils as she scrunched her nose up in disgust, her hands firmly at her side so as not to touch any surface lest she contracted some kind of disease from such a filthy place. She sneered at the dust particles floating about and brought a hand to her face to keep herself from gagging at the acrid smell of what she can only guess is piss filtering in from the alleyway. If she weren’t so desperate, she’d hightail it out of that “office” as fast as possible and never look back. But she was in need of a service that required skills as calculated as yours.

“You don’t belong here, princess,” A deep voice cut through the atmosphere and she nearly jumped a good foot in the air. He chuckled as her face burned bright red at having not noticed him lounging in a chair upon her arrival. He was so tall and lanky, his long legs stretched out so far in front of him that it was a miracle she hadn’t tripped over him. His head tilted in amusement, silver earring dangling from his lobe in a way that she was almost drawn to him, his entire aura screaming dangerous and yet she couldn’t bring herself to look away. He was gorgeous as he was clad in all black from the his entire head of hair right down to his steel toed boots. 

“I’m looking for Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N.” She squared her shoulders and held her head high, refusing to allow this handsome stranger to distract her from her goal. Eyes scanning the dark room once more, she noted the scary array of knives lined along one desk she presumed was yours seeing as a leather jacket much too small to belong to a man hung on the back of a broken down chair; given your particular services, she doubted you had any time to sit down anyways. She nodded to the weapon filled desk, “I think I’m right where I belong.”

“She doesn’t like visitors, you know.” The man spoke, rising from his seat and rolling his eyes at the two men who flanked her side coming to stand in front of her. “Especially visitors that clearly have no business with us.”

“Maybe you should let her decide that.” She shouldered past her bodyguards and held out a briefcase, raising a brow when he hesitated to take it from her. “There’s $10,000 dollars in there. If Y/N agrees to my request then there’s twice that amount sitting in my safe with her name on it.”

“Ye-Jin.” Your voice came from behind her, startling her bodyguards and causing them to turn quickly, one man reaching for the gun in the waistband of his pants. You were much faster, grabbing hold of his wrist and pushing him back as hard as you could while your leg swept out to kick the other man in his gut, the steel toe of your combat boot digging into his gut and sending him tumbling backwards. You wrenched the armed man’s wrist around to his back, easily taking his gun and shoving him to the floor next to his partner. A smile flashed across your face as you disassembled the gun before his very eyes and handing the parts to your friend, the guard’s mouth falling open.  

“What are you doing in my part of town, Nam?” You turned to Nam Ye-Jin, listening to the rustling of her two goons dusting themselves off as they stood from the ground. “Teahyung’s right. We’ve no business with you so leave.”

“No,” Ye-Jin pushed her nose in the air and you took in a deep breath to keep yourself from reaching over and strangling her. “You haven’t had much business since my father stopped hiring you---.”

“Correction, princess,” You scoffed and stepped towards her, getting a small sense of satisfaction when she shrunk back in fear, “I stopped doing jobs for your father, not the other way around. Don’t let daddy twist that pretty little mind of yours more than he already has.”

“Regardless, you could use the money. How long have you been staying in this dump, Y/N?” She smirked when your shoulders tensed at having been called out on your bullshit. She had seen the mattress occupying the corner of the already crowded room, women’s vest tops and black combat pants that have been ripped from fighting strewn atop it and coming to the only conclusion that made sense. “Now, are you ready to hear my proposal and take this money that you so clearly need or are you still going to turn me away?”

Taehyung narrowed his eyes at Ye-Jin, now recognizing her bravado came from none other than Nam Hyungsik, her father and for a while, your only source of income while what you and he had specialized in was still legal. He folded his arms and leaned against your desk, eyeing your posture and taking in the way your hands curled into fists and your jaw set at having taken the bait.

“I’m looking for someone,” Ye-Jin supplied as if that small bit of information was enough reason to take her money. “Well, more like something. A hybrid. My hybrid. It was a birthday gift from my father and it escaped.”

“Oh, I see,” You laughed and shook your head in disbelief, “so that’s why you came to me. You can’t go to the police because trafficking hybrids is illegal. Or did daddy forget to tell you that when he bought you one?”

“He purchased this hybrid for me as a surprise four years ago, back when owning them was perfectly legal.”

“And now it’s not. Your father’s deal with his buyer is void under the hybrid protection act no matter when---.”

“You’re awfully law abiding for someone who specializes in tracking and moving said hybrids.” She snapped and Taehyung quickly moved between you two before you did something rash and gave the local police even more of a reason to throw you in jail. “You were the best, Y/N, and now you’re just another hunter gone to waste because the government gave these animals rights to live freely among us. I’m not asking you to find me a new one, I’m asking you to find what was already mine.”

“Why the hell should I? Give me one good reason I should risk being thrown in prison for life for you.”

“I gave you 10,000 reasons,” She turned to the briefcase that Taehyung had set on your desk and popped it open to reveal a hefty sum of money. “And when you deliver this hybrid to me, I’ll give you 20,000 reasons why it was worth it.”

You looked to Taehyung to find him fixated on the amount of money neither of you had seen in two years. It was more than enough to get the both of you settled somewhere nice for life, never having to track, capture or even sometimes kill a hybrid again. And for damn sure never having to worry about someone like Ye-Jin showing up at your doorstep ever again. This was a chance at a new start, a chance to disappear and create a whole new you. 

“How did your hybrid escape?” You asked with a sigh, giving in and taking a folder that one of her guards held out containing every bit of information you needed.

Ye-Jin smiled wickedly and hummed at her small victory, “Daddy brought it to me in a cage and it seemed pretty docile, so---.”

“You bit off more than you can chew,” You snorted as you skimmed the papers in your hand and giving them to Taehyung when you didn’t think they were important. 

“It broke through its restraints and killed half a dozen people before making it off the property.”

“Why do you want him back so bad if he’s not tame?” You question as you catch the hybrid’s name and determine its gender. 

“That’s my business.” 

“I guess your daddy didn’t tell you much about how this works, did he?” You shut the folder and toss it at her feet in an act of defiance to show her that she can’t get away with mouthing off to you simply because she’s your employer. “I hunt hybrids for more reasons than just money. So tell me, why is this one so important to you?”

She glared at you, nostrils flaring at the way you pried and tsked while crossing her arms, “It’s a rare breed, pure bred and worth millions.”

You cocked a brow as a way of telling her to continue or else the deal was off.

“It’s a panther. A black panther.”

“Has your father lost his fucking mind?!” You hissed, running a hand through your tangled hair and tugging on the knotted strands in the process. “Do you even know how close to extinction they are? What kind of dumbass---?”

“Can you do it? Yes or no?” Ye-Jin demanded as you rattled off how unbelievably stupid her father seemed to be. 

“No way.” Taehyung answered before you had the chance, shaking his head. “An animal like this is dangerous and he’s better off on his own than caged up in your home. Panthers are fast, strong, and because this one was kept in a cage for all of his life, he’s twice as aggressive. Y/N, tell me you’re not really considering this.”

“We’ve hunted worse, Taehyung,” You tried to argue and not show any bit of fear to Ye-Jin, but he was right. In all of your time hunting, you’d never crossed a panther let alone a black one and given that this one had been bred and held in captivity for all of his life made him unpredictable. He was dangerous and his ability to fight in the trees, on the ground, or in water gave him the upper hand and you didn’t like that one bit.

Taehyung poked his tongue against his cheek in irritation, unwilling to say any more until Ye-Jin let out a small ‘hmph’ and barged towards the door with her two bodyguards in tow, her nose high in the air and a pep in her step now that she was getting exactly what she wanted. When she was gone, he waited a beat before letting out a large huff.

“This shit is dangerous and you know it,” He watched you approach the briefcase and close the latches before you braced your knuckles against your desk and dropped your head in defeat.

“We don’t have a choice, Tae. We’re not exactly raking in money anymore since the hybrid protection act went into effect. Aren’t you tired of barely scraping by?”

“I’d rather be begging on the streets than putting my life on the line for some spoiled little brat who has no regard for hybrid life. Yeah, we used to hunt them but we knew when to draw the line. You heard her, Y/N, she doesn’t give a damn about that panther, she just wants him as part of her collection. You know better than anybody what goes on behind those walls, that family is sick and Ye-Jin getting her hands on that hybrid will kill him. You want that on your conscience?”

“I want,” You whirled around to face him, exasperation written all over your face as his every word sinks in and an internal battle starts within you, “I want to start over, Taehyung. I want to live a life where I never have to consider something like this again. We are criminals, Tae, that’s never going to change as long as we stay here. With this job, we can cut all ties and just leave. We can finally be free.”

“You mean like they want to be?” Taehyung countered and it left you stunned; you spoke of freedom as if you hadn’t had the option before. But the truth was that you chose to be a hunter and you dragged Taehyung into that life with you all those years ago. “Hybrids have been treated like slaves for years, hoping and dreaming for the day to come when they could be free, Y/N. Now it’s here and you want to track down this panther like an animal? For what, some spoiled bitch who’s no doubt going to kill us as soon as we deliver her ‘property’? There’s no way in hell Nam will hold up her end of the deal, especially not if this hybrid is as expensive as she says he is.”

“If he’s killed people then we can’t leave him out there.” Pulling your hair back into a long ponytail, you grab the briefcase and pry open one of the floorboards to stuff into the hiding place only you and Taehyung know about. “He’s volatile which means if he’s out and about among people and he’s cornered, he’ll lash out. We’re better off finding him than leaving it to the local police. The hybrid laws are still fresh and if he’s caught with human blood on his hands, they’ll hang him anyways.”

Taehyung watched you stand and clap your palms together to rid them of the dust and dirt you dug up when pulling at the wooden floor. His eyes followed as you pulled your jacket from the chair and slung it over your shoulders, plucking four or five knives from your collection and tucking them in the various hiding places your combat pants provided and even one into the side of your boot. Something wasn’t right about this situation, there was something Ye-Jin wasn’t telling you and he wasn’t exactly keen on going in blind but he couldn’t very well leave you to track the panther on your own.

“I’m not saying we’ll hand him over right away. I’m saying we need to find him before Ye-Jin hires other hunters if she hasn’t already. I may be her best bet at catching him but I don’t come with a guarantee, she’ll need more than just us looking.”

“You think she went to other hunters?” Taehyung followed you to the door and stepped out into the rain that had started a little less than an hour ago, the droplets of water beating against the window keeping him awake and that’s when he’d spotted Ye-Jin.

“I think if she really wants this panther as bad as she says, then we’re not the only hunters with 10,000 reasons to find him.” You pulled on the door roughly as it was old and the latches didn’t catch securely so it needed that extra oomph just to close the damn thing. The hinges creaked as you jerked it closed and you turned into the pouring rain, hands stuffed into the pockets of your jacket to keep your fingers warm as you reached an older modeled jeep. You yanked on the door and hauled yourself into the driver’s seat while Taehyung did the same on the passenger’s side.

“We’re going to get killed, you know.” He leaned back into the seat to make himself comfortable after you started the ignition and pulled onto the busy streets. “It was nice knowing you.”

--------------------------------------------------------------

The steel cage Ye-Jin kept in her apartment sized room seemed relatively secure to the naked eye, which is why she would have never noticed that the lock was being slowly sawed off until her hybrid had enough strength to break free from his ‘restraints’, which consisted of a chain collar and leather wrist cuffs. The sight alone made you shudder and bile rise in your throat at the thought of what she could have done to him. 

“You mean to tell me that you had him for four years and you never noticed how fragile the lock was becoming on his cage?” Taehyung questioned, holding two pieces of what would be a latch if it wasn’t snapped in half. His eyebrows shot up at how truly naive Ye-Jin had been, judging her and trying his best to keep from voicing how stupid he thought she was. 

“I’ve only had him for five months.” Ye-Jin tried to defend herself with narrowed eyes and missing the slight laugh coming from you as you examined the inside of the cage. 

“You said he was purchased four years ago,” The gears turned in Taeyhung’s head, recalling the obvious lie you’d been told back at the office and trying to piece together whatever truth was hiding behind it.

“Yes, but daddy simply put down...a deposit, if you will.” She turned to look at you eyeing the tray of scraps sitting on the floor not far from the cage. “It was a present for my 24th birthday this year and daddy secured it before then to make sure no one else purchased it. Daddy hates to disappoint me.”

“Why wait so long to move him?” You asked and toed the tray of scraps that looked about three days old. He was eating, unlike most captured hybrids that nearly starved themselves before accepting their fate of being a pet. He had been building his strength, waiting and allowing Ye-Jin to believe he was becoming domesticated before a chance finally arose for him to break free.

“He wasn’t mature enough to be brought into our home yet.”

“Mature enough for what?” Your head snapped to lock eyes with hers. There’s only one reason people preferred nubile hybrids and it made your skin crawl to think of the kind of abuse they went through to fulfill the desires of the perverts that owned them. “What did you want from him, Ye-Jin?”

“How dare you?!” She squeaked with a flushed face and stomped to her bedroom door, holding it open as her way of telling you to leave for offending her. “If you’re not going to find my hybrid, then leave. There are plenty of other hunters willing to do what I’ve hired them to, no questions asked. Frankly, Y/N, if you’re so worried that I mistreated it then maybe you should take a good, hard look at what you’ve done in the past and recognize that you contributed to hybrid abuse more than anyone else. You are the one who delivered them to people who actually use them for sexual desires, are you not? Don’t accuse me of mistreating my animal when you’ve done much worse.”

Gritting your teeth, you were quick to cross the space between you and Ye-Jin but Taehyung had swooped in and caught your arm before you got too close and killed her. You really couldn’t argue with her when she was right; you’d captured and delivered hybrids without a second thought if you were given the right amount of motivation.

“You came to me,” You reminded her with a growl, hands fisting so tight they shook. “I’m your best chance at finding him and bringing him back to you alive. Need I remind you that you didn’t set any boundaries or give specific instructions when it came to his capture? You think any of those other hunters will bring him back breathing?”

Ye-Jin’s breath caught in her throat; she hadn’t thought of that. She simply asked for her panther to be found, whether he was dead or alive wasn’t a condition that was established among her other employees and they all seemed quite eager to find the cat. Tears glossed over her eyes, whether it was from the distress of losing something she actually cared about or the thought of all that money invested gone to waste, you weren’t sure. 

Blinking back the tears, she looked down at the gun tucked into your thigh holster, “You said you’d bring it back alive. What’s with the gun?”

“Relax, it’s full of tranquilizers.” You rolled your eyes and patted said weapon, almost laughing as she jumped in fright. She’d never been around firearms before, that much was obvious and it was a little entertaining to watch her squirm around a gun that wasn’t even lethal.

“Find him,” She conceded and turned on her heel to exit the room but not before stopping and adding over her shoulder, “or you’ll be living in that cage as his replacement.”

“She really isn’t going to admit how in over her head she is, is she?” Taehyung finally let go of your arm and turned back to the panther’s cage. “I at least give her props for setting him up in a much nicer cage than most hybrids experience. Some are just tossed in a dark room or basement,” He stalked back over to the cage and tugged on the bars to test its resistance and finding that any normal human could probably rip it apart. His eyebrows drew together in confusion, “Why did he wait five months to escape? He could have easily broken out his first night.”

“Not if he was weak.” You nodded to the tray of food you found earlier and pointed out the stacks of other trays underneath it. You then pointed to the sawed off lock in pieces on the floor and then to the leather restraints that were gnawed at but not obvious enough for Ye-Jin to notice. “He’s smart, smarter than Ye-Jin was led to believe.”

“What the hell are we dealing with, Y/N?” 

“A predator,” You moved to the window of Ye-Jin’s bedroom, scanning the tops of the trees of the woods you were about to explore in search of one Jeon Jungkook. “I always knew the Nam family was a little extravagant, but only they would be dumb enough to buy an undomesticated hybrid and then move it to their cabin in the woods.”

“Sounds like a good horror movie if done right.” Taehyung moved to be at your side and leaned against the window pane. The trees rustled in the wind, leaves were picked up and swirled around, and a pair of critters ran back and forth with playfulness. “He’ll need food soon if he hasn’t already found his way into the city limits.”

“Let’s get busy then.”

----------------------------------------------------------------

“Ugh, gross,” Taehyung swore as he slapped a hand against the back of his neck and grimaced at the squishy guts of the mosquito he just killed. “Why the hell did I let you drag me out here? You know I hate nature.”

“Because you could use $20,000 just as badly as I could,” You grunted when you lost your footing and fell forwards, landing on all fours and cursing your lack of nature skills. You didn’t usually hunt in such a rural setting but Taehyung had found hybrid footprints just outside the Nam home where he’d jumped from Ye-Jin’s window. “This is your fault anyways, jackass. You’re the one who pointed out the prints to Nam.”

“Hey you’re the one who said we had to catch him before other hunters did and I know you didn’t clock that pair of four wheelers sitting outside Nam’s garage. Other hunters are here and we got a head start.”

“Yeah, some head start,” You kicked a pile of leaves in his direction and laughed at his glare as he dusted the wet leaves from his pants. “And by the way, I did notice them but I bet you didn’t notice the snake decal on one of them, did you?”

“Aw fuck,” Taehyung sighed heavily, “Suho’s guys. Figures.”

“Stay sharp. They follow their 'shoot now, ask questions later' policy to a T.” You peeled your jacket from your shoulders and tied the sleeves around your waist. Taehyung always gave you shit for keeping a leather jacket that was a good 10 years old and frayed at the cuffs; there were much nicer jackets that could easily take the place of your stretched out one, but you weren’t willing to part with it. It drove Taehyung up the wall and he would have thrown it out by now if you wouldn’t murder him for doing so.

“If I get caught up in some poison ivy, I’m shooting you,” Taehyung threatened just as the sound of ATV’s being revved up shook the trees and sent the birds soaring. “Shit.”

“Split up. We’ll cover more ground and you’ll handle the situation better if you run in to them.” You braced a hand against a nearby tree, other hand resting on your knee as you doubled over in exhaustion. “We’ve been at this for hours and it’s going to get dark soon. We’ll meet back up at Nam’s in an hour.”

“Fine,” He frowned, hesitant to leave you alone when there was a predator lurking around, an unstable one at that. “An hour, Y/N, if you’re not back by then I’m coming back out to find you.”

“Deal,” You nodded and stalked forward while he turned back to start in a different direction. The damp leaves were quiet underneath the weight of your boots, the rain subsided after your arrival at the Nam home. You could hear crickets chirping and the rush of water coming from a nearby stream and you followed the sound to a clearing that could have easily been a pit stop for Jungkook. Your throat suddenly felt dry, the temptation of the water drawing you near and you knelt to cup your hands and splash cold water on your face. Bringing your hand up to wipe at your brow, you plopped down on the dirt and rested your elbows on your knees. 

You and Taehyung took on too much with this job. Not only was this hybrid smart, he was observant and calculated in ways that made your blood run cold. He reminded you of yourself and you thought it would make chasing him easier, thinking you could predict his every move only to be proven dead wrong when his tracks took you and Taehyung in one giant ass circle for the better part of an hour. Head hanging and shoulders slumped, you really contemplated saying ‘fuck it’ and giving up on the job; you were no match for the black panther Jeon Jungkook. You weren’t even sure why you let Ye-Jin goad you into taking it anyways. Money was your excuse when Taehyung asked you that exact question but pride was the real reason you didn’t back down from her. She’d called you the best and trash all in the same sentence and it stung.

The snapping of a twig had your head whipping around in time to find a fully grown, fully shifted black panther not 10 feet from you, the air leaving your lungs immediately. His fur so dark it resembled the night sky and his eyes so green, a person would think they were actual emeralds. Truthfully, out of the many hybrids you’d encountered, you’d never seen anything more beautiful. His stare pierced yours, studying you and getting ready to pounce as you slowly came into a crouching position, your hand settling on your gun. You took in a deep breath and got ready to draw your weapon when your name came echoing off the trees in a panic, sending Jungkook turning and dashing into the throng of trees.

“No!” You cried and sprinted after him all while knowing damn well you’d never actually catch him. Your name was being screamed somewhere off in the distance and you recognized it as Taehyung, he was in pain, but you were so close to Jungkook. Feet pounding against the ground heavily and breath ragged, you found yourself leaping over a large fallen branch and losing your footing, falling to your knees. You cried out in pain as your hand came down to stop your fall and landed on a sharp rock, the stone slicing the inside of your palm but you continued on, quickly jumping back to your feet to chase down Jungkook.

You came to a sudden stop when you realized you could no longer see his massive black coat, whipping your head around in every direction and trying to locate any sign of him but found nothing. Steadying yourself, you listened carefully for the rustling of his paws or the heavy panting of his breath, doing your best to drown out the wails of Taehyung and your own shallow breathing. Ultimately, the only sounds you were met with was the chirping of birds and crickets, the trees and leaves blowing in the wind, and “Y/N!” 

Your jaw ticked as the panic of Taehyung being hurt washed over you. You’d been taught to set those feelings aside and focus on the task at hand but Taehyung was your friend, your best friend who needed you. A giant blur whipped past you and you weren’t able to react before being tackled to the ground by a body full of black fur. You both went tumbling down a small hill, your grunts of pain followed the sting of being cut by sharp rocks and twigs before you finally stopped rolling. You groaned and turned onto your back while you wrapped an arm around your torso having felt Jungkook’s sharp claws take a swipe at you and blood coated your fingers.

“Shit!” You hissed, turning over to your knees and trying to catch your bearings but a low growl had you freezing in place, your head coming up slowly to find yourself almost nose to nose with Jungkook. His lips curled back into a hiss, a low rumbling in his chest as you grit your teeth and heard Taehyung calling for you one more time; his scream was loud and full of agony. For all you knew, Jungkook could have gotten to him first and mauled him in defense. 

Gritting your teeth, you decided to take the risk that came with trying to outrun Jungkook and you were on your feet, bounding in Taehyung’s direction faster than you’d ever run in your life, the heavy pounding of Jungkook’s paws moving further away from you in the opposite direction. “Taehyung!”

“Y/N!” He howled as you finally came into view. He’d gotten caught in a snare trap, tripping over the wire and causing the pointed stick to plunge into his calf, blood and dirt running down his leg. The stick was too deep to remove on the spot so you opted for sawing at the wire and having him limp back to the Nam house with the trap still lodged in his leg. 

“Holy shit, you’re heavy,” Your arm was wrapped around his waist while his hung around your shoulder to help him out of the woods. “What the hell, Tae, how did you get caught?”

“An ATV was close behind me and I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” He groaned with every step he took, “Think Nam will get pissed that I’m going to get blood all over his floor?”

“Only you would joke in a situation like this.” You rolled your eyes and finally came upon the Nam house, your knees buckling and almost falling to the ground with Taehyung if one of Suho’s men hadn’t caught you guys. You passed Taehyung off to the much stronger man and took one last look over your shoulder into the dark trees.

“You might want to get that checked out,” Suho’s other man gestured to the blood seeping from your shirt, the injury forgotten in the chaos of getting to Taehyung and then dragging him back to the house. “Looks pretty deep.”

--------------------------------------------------------

“Who was it?” Ye-Jin seethed after gathering her team of hunters into the living room while Taehyung was being tended to by the Nam family doctor.

“Who set the trap?!” She repeated louder. “I’m not paying you idiots to try and kill each other! You’re being paid to catch my hybrid!”

“Isn’t it obvious who did it?” You answered her from the doorway where you stood, hands in your pockets as you sauntered into view. Turning to Byun Baekhyun and Oh Sehun, you ran your tongue along your bottom row of teeth in irritation. “Every hunter knows how Suho operates and that he’d have his men do anything to secure a deal. I’m surprised you haven’t taken each other out yet.”

“Morons!” Ye-Jin screeched and reached out to land a vicious slap to both of their faces and all they could do was stand and take her abuse, not bothering to deny what they’d done. “Why are you wasting my time and yours by setting useless traps?!”

“Well you would know that they’re useless, wouldn’t you, Ye-Jin?” You chuckled when she whirled around to face you, a murderous glint in her eye. “You’re keeping something from us and I’m giving you the chance to tell the rest of them now or I can do it for you.”

Ye-Jin pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration and was tempted to throw something at you. Even when you worked for her father, you were the most defiant of hunters and she wasn’t sure how much more she was willing to put up with.

“What the hell are you talking about?” She sneered as the other hunters turned to look at her accusingly. 

“Why didn’t you tell us that he was a full shifter?” 

A collective ‘what the fuck?’ sounded throughout the living room as the other hunters all shared a knowing look. That piece of information should not have been withheld from them and you, it changed the whole game plan. This was no ordinary hybrid meant to be caught with ordinary techniques.

“You saw it,” Ye-Jin wasn’t visibly phased at having been caught in a lie, “that means you got close.”

You nodded silently as the room turned to you, giving you their undivided attention.

“And you let it go?”

“I went back for Taehyung,” You stepped in her direction, only this time there was no one to stop you, other hunters equally as pissed at the malice in her tone. “Taehyung who was hurt chasing your hybrid. Now if you’re done looking down on us hunters, maybe you’d like to fill us in on what else you’ve been hiding about him.”

Ye-Jin sighed in defeat and sunk down on the couch, fingers running through her perfectly combed hair. “It came from a breeding farm with a bad reputation, they were pretty much known for crossbreeding hybrids and the results were less than pleasant. When my hybrid began causing trouble as it got older, the farm owner locked it away and called my father to sell it. Daddy was just excited to start building his collection again since you decided to stop working for us, Y/N.”

“Hybrids aren’t trophies, Ye-Jin, how many times did I try to drill that into your father’s head?” You dropped your head back and began to wonder just how much stress the human body could take before the person keeled over dead. “So you know nothing about Jungkook? Nothing at all?”

“I know that it was supposed to be the start of a new panther lineage but it wreaked havoc whenever it was time to breed.”

“He,” You corrected angrily stepping in her direction to tower over her, “his name is Jungkook and he’s one of the smartest hybrids I’ve ever encountered. All of us combined couldn’t catch him.” You turned to the rest of the hunters that were hired to address them, “He’s fast, strong, and most importantly, he knows exactly what he’s doing out there. Most hybrids panic after an escape, not being taught how to function in the city among humans but Jungkook,” You shook your head, “he’s unlike anything else we’ve ever gone up against.”

“This is crazy,” Sehun raked a hand down his face and turned for the door but Baekhyun caught hold of his arm to stop him.

“Boss told us to get this job done.” Baekhyun tried his best to keep Sehun from leaving but was only met with a frustrated huff of breath.

“Boss can kiss my ass. This hybrid can shift into a full fucking panther, we’ve never dealt with something like that and I’ll bet my life that neither has Suho. We’re not equipped for this, Baekhyun, none of us are.”

“It’s just a fucking hybrid!” Ye-Jin interrupted their argument, “it’s not like it’s military trained. You’re hunters, so fucking act like it.”

“Screw you, princess,” Sehun seethed and Baekhyun had to brace his hands against Sehun’s chest to keep him from moving any closer to her. “You’ve never had to work a day in your goddamn life so what the hell would you know about hunting? Just because your father tried to build a collection of hybrids doesn’t make him or you an expert. Hybrids are 40% animal, sweetheart and sometimes that 40% overpowers the 60 that’s human. Especially when one’s been mistreated like your precious panther.”

“Not mine,” Ye-Jin assured with grit teeth, “it’s---.”

“He was raised on a breeding farm, Ye-Jin, get your head out of your ass! That farm is overpopulated by products of unsuccessful  breeding because the idiot owners don’t know what they’re doing.”

“I can’t believe you bought a full shifting black panther hybrid that was abused all of his life, and locked him up in a cage so weak that a simple human could easily break free.” Baekhyun, paced the room angrily and chewed on the nail of his thumb. “You didn’t think about how dangerous that was?”

“Of course not,” You scoffed and crossed your arms, heading for the hallway to the room where Taehyung was resting, “because daddy assured her it was okay. That because they’re rich and own half the town that they weren’t doing anything illegal, and yeah maybe buying Jungkook before those laws were passed was legal, but it was still inhumane.”

“You didn’t seem to think so when you handed that leopard hybrid off to us all those years ago!” Ye-Jin screamed at you to take the focus off herself and paint you as the bad guy.

“And what happened to her, Ye-Jin? Mi-Sun died not too long after because your father hadn’t a clue how to take care of hybrids!”

“That never stopped you from delivering more. Admit it, Y/N, you never gave a damn about what happened to the hybrids you caught because the money was too good to pass up. I know that’s why you took this job. $10,000 would be just enough to disappear and start anew but guess what, you can erase every physical trace of yourself but you can’t erase the past!”

You leapt onto the coffee table separating you from Ye-Jin and charged at her, tackling her to the floor and raising your fist high before your wrist was caught and you were hauled away by Baekhyun. You struggled against his hold as you and Ye-Jin threw barbs at each other loud enough to have Taehyung stumbling down the hallway to see what the commotion was about.

“You spoiled ass princess! You think your money is so fucking great that you won’t be held accountable for the kind of person you are?!”

“You think the world’s going to forgive you for being a money hungry bit---?!”

“Enough!” Taehyung’s voice boomed and you stopped squirming against Baekhyun’s hold. He looked between you and Ye-Jin and shook his head, annoyed at your bickering. “The fuck is going on?”

“Jungkook is a full shifter,” You supplied while shoving Baekhyun away to straighten your clothes. “Something Ye-Jin failed to mention earlier.”

“Yeah, speaking of which,” He pointed to your torso where your shirt had ridden up to expose a sliver of the bandage that covered Jungkook’s scratch, “what are you doing trying to fight with a scratch like that? You probably opened the stitches, stupid.”

“You don’t seem all that surprised about the panther,” Sehun directed at Taehyung and felt a small stab of guilt when he had to limp into the living room. 

“I saw him shift. It’s why I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and got caught in your guys’ snare.”

“You said you didn’t want to be caught up with them,” You accused, “that they were close behind you and that’s why you were distracted.”

“I wasn’t sure how you’d react if I told you what I saw,” Taehyung ducked his head in apology but also took the time to joke, “thought it might scare you off if you knew.”

“Screw you, Taehyung.”