#Green-Eyed Monster (trope)

[pinkykats-place]

Jealous BakuDeku [Bakugo is jealous of Todoroki]

SFW

AO3 Fanfic Recommendations

Disclaimers!

None of the stories linked are mine.

None have smut … still read AO3 tags.

Art not mine - credit to @selpuku

Note: If you read any of these works and like them please let the author know with a kudos and/or comment!

Mine by Catsired

Summary: Todoroki has been spending a little too much time around Deku lately, and Katsuki isn't gonna stand for it.

{One Shot}

I watch you from afar (but I want you in my arms) by mnxyre

Summary: He wondered if the scars were more predominant up close. Maybe that’s why Todoroki was staring so intensely – staring at the way the thin slivering lines wrapped around Deku’s strong hands as he wrote.

He did notice how much that thought pissed him off.

— — —

Or Bakugou is jealous over how close Todoroki is with Midoriya.

{One Shot}

you could be the one that i love by yuhwanker

Summary: Everyone thinks that Izuku and Shoto are dating, but they couldn't be more wrong.

{One Shot}

Jealousy Trial by izukvs

Summary: A jealous Katsuki Bakugou makes a move on Izuku Midoriya before it's too late.

{One Shot}

Nitroglycerin by bubbleguchi

Summary: Since childhood, every glance from Katsuki has left Izuku in pieces, absolutely shattered by the feeling of being seen.

— — —

In which Izuku can't figure out what's got Katsuki so mad.

{One Shot}

Just the Right Height by Fawn_Eyed_Girl

Summary: Izuku is too short to reach all the items in the kitchen cabinets. Luckily, Todoroki-kun is always there to help him. But why does that make Kacchan so angry? Izuku needs to know.

{One Shot}

fuzzy inside by fromthefarshore

Summary: Bakugo is jealous.

{One Shot}

The Bakusquad's Guide to Wooing Your Crush

Summary: “Really?” Sero pressed his index finger against his chin and thumb under his jaw, looking up briefly before meeting Katsuki’s red eyes. “It sounds to me like you are scared. If you aren’t, then asking Midoriya out should be a piece of cake for you.”

“This is, like, the best thing I have seen in my entire life,” Kaminari whispered not so quietly to Ashido who was holding onto his arm.

Finally, after a moment of tense silence, Katsuki sat back down angrily on his chair. “Fuck off, Soy Sauce Face. I will ask him out.”

Complete | 5 Chapters

The roommate by silverynight

Summary: Most of them are ready to see if the guy is worthy of Todoroki's time, ready to tell him he'll have to face them if he ever hurts their friend…

But then he opens the door and all they see is bright green eyes (like emeralds), messy green hair and a face that's covered in freckles and the most blinding and sincere smile they have ever seen.

"I'm so happy you're here!" The young man says excitedly, his enthusiasm is contagious and honestly adorable. "I'm Midoriya Izuku!"

And just like that Midoriya charms his way into their hearts as well.

Pro Hero AU | Quirkless Midoriya

19/? CH | Last Updated May 2024

You & Me, Me & You by mynameis152

Summary: They were still the Wonder Duo. They were still best friends. The only real difference was that they didn’t go home to the same apartment, didn’t sleep in the same bed, or share lazy kisses in between breakfast, showers, and on-duty hours.

Katsuki was fine.

{One Shot}

Stupid F**king Kiwi by red_sneakers

Summary: “WHERE’D IT GO?” Katsuki's hands groped Deku’s stupid, fuzzy head of their own accord, tilting it from side to side, searching for remaining long hair and finding none. “HOW COULD YOU?”

“I—I . . .” Deku stuttered. “All Might said it’d make me more aerodynamic?”

-or-

Deku gets a haircut, and Katsuki’s fuming mad about it, for some reason. Then it’s Mina and the Bakusquad to the rescue! Mission: Help our emotionally constipated idiot get his mans.

Complete | 7 Chapters | UA Students

Movie Interruption by Tilly_1255

Summary: Bakugo has an extra movie ticket and reluctantly invites Midoriya to go with him. All is going according to plan until Todoroki shows up to the same showing…Cue a jealous Katsuki and a completely clueless Izuku.

{One Shot}

Of Shirts and Strawberries by EnduringParadox

Summary: He looked down at his shirt and gasped. "It is. How did that—oh, the laundry. I must've grabbed it by mistake. I'm sorry, Todoroki." Midoriya blushed; the tips of his ears turned red.

Shouto shook his head. "Don't be sorry. We had a really late night. It's fine. It looks better on you, anyway."

"I don't know about that, but thank you," said Midoriya with a chuckle.

There was a loud snap. Shouto glanced at Bakugou sitting at the table with Kaminari and Kirishima, textbooks splayed open and highlighted in an assortment of colors. For all that Bakugou was determined to bring their classmates' grades up, his temper sometimes got the better of him, as it now apparently had; Shouto saw the source of the noise was a pencil not so much broken in half but pulverized in Bakugou's grip. His jaw was clenched, and his teeth were grinding alarmingly.

Sounding both delighted and scandalized, Kaminari asked, "What's this about a late night?"

---

Shouto and Midoriya manage to bake a cake together. Afterwards, Midoriya accidentally takes Shouto's shirt, and Shouto is confused as to why Bakugou becomes so much more irritable.

{One Shot}

love in the mirror by endthisdream

Summary: “Kacchan,” Izuku said, amusement dancing in those bright, green eyes. “Just because we’re married to each other doesn’t mean that our parallel world counterparts would be too.”

Bakugou’s scowl deepened. He ignored the smug look in the Icyhot’s ugly face and the annoyingly similar sheepish grin on his husband’s copycat.

One Shot | Aged-Up BkDk

[inspectorspacetimerevisited]

That one time that Angie became jealous because the Spirit of the BOOTH was deposited into a woman, whom the Inspector accepted as the BOOTH:

‘Did you wish upon a star, and it came true?’

[vivwritesfics]

Charles Leclerc Masterlist

All of my Charles imagines, blurbs and series can be found here

NAGIVATION

Series

Rich Kids Club

Jester Stole His Thorny Crown

Fake It Till You Make It

Imagines

"He Can't Know"

Y/N Wolff and her father have always had a rocky relationship. Formula One was bringing them together. She's not quite ready to let her relationship with a certain Ferarri driver ruin that

"He Does Know"

Toto Wolff finds out about Y/N's relationship with Charles - the aftermath of that (second part to He Can't Know)

Green Eyed Monster

Jealous Charles (smut warning)

Pancakes

Charles Leclerc loves his girlfriend. He loves her enough to make her pancakes while half asleep to make her happy.

Inked Up

Y/N gets a tattoo in honour of her boyfriend, but it also traumatises him

Picking Up Stitches

Y/N loves knitting and crochet. She has her own art account where she posts all of her creations. Of course they catch the eye of the grids fashion icon, Lewis Hamilton (Charles is so proud of his girl)

Fake It Till You Make It

The Princess of Monaco is wild and out of control. She needs to stop being in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons. Charles Leclerc has had a spot of bad press since his very public break up. He needs some good PR. What better way to fix their problems than to pair them up? Fake Dating turned real dating trope

My Girl Can Ride

Another one for the horse girls! This time with Charles Leclerc

Not His Type

y/n is an author and not charles's usual type (he loves his writer girlfriend)

Girl Dinner

What does girl dinner actually mean?

Ink

Monaco Tattoo Parlour might be one of the most famous studios in the world. Famed for its incredible work and incredibly attractive artist. Appointment are booked a year in advance. But Charles Leclerc is worth it

Blurbs

Best friend charles x clueless reader

hate fucking charles

spagoot the snake

jealous, possessive bff charles

witch charles

No sex on rawe ceek

gryffindor charles

more gryffindor charles

more gryffindor charles

charles takes virginity

best friends brother

[puck-luck]

masterlist alert!!!

Trevor Zegras

> just visiting | oneshot | fem!reader & tz enjoy a one night stand in a bar bathroom > let it slip | blurb | fem!reader calls tz by a new name in bed... and he doesn't hate it > give him six | oneshot | tz takes his anger and frustration out on his girlfriend after a long game

Quinn Hughes

> coming home | oneshot | calling qh "captain" > explodin' (like a golf ball) | oneshot | fem!reader loves a certain video of qh > bloodsucker | oneshot | qh finds himself on the receiving end on fem!reader's wandering mouth > football fiesta | oneshot | a tailgate quickie inspired by fem!reader's outfit

Jack Hughes

> not-so quickie | oneshot | jh can't resist a morning quickie with fem!reader (which then runs long) > lucky lift | oneshot | jh & fem!reader get stuck in an elevator together and their hatred boils over into a steamy session. > wedding crashers | oneshot | after years of pining, jh finally convinces fem!reader to give him a chance to prove himself > a new birthday tradition | oneshot | for jh's 23rd birthday, fem!reader proposes a new tradition: birthday spankings. > code-breaker | oneshot | zegras!sister accidentally reveals her secret crush on jh when he shows up unexpectedly. > between the tiles | oneshot | fraternity president jh helps fem!reader get to the front of the bathroom line at a party

Luke Hughes

> the green eyed monster | oneshot | lh gets jealous and enters dom mode. > change-up | oneshot | a hinge hookup becomes very memorable after lh subverts fem!reader's expectations > sunrise celebration | oneshot | lh wakes up to a sweet present from fem!reader on his birthday.

Cole Caufield

> post game celly | blurb | cc cops a feel on fem!reader after a habs win. > take my medicine | blurb | fem!reader helps cc out of a funk. > frat fever | oneshot | fem!reader finds herself drawn back in by frat!cc, even when he might be seeing other girls...

Nico Hischier

> horror movies & puppy dog eyes | oneshot | fem!reader & nh go from roommates to more. > party favor | blurb | fem!reader & nh leave the end-of-season party early. > in memoriam: nico's mustache | oneshot | nh takes fem!reader on a scenic ride.. and fem!reader treats herself to a scenic ride.

Dawson Mercer

> one bed trope by design | oneshot | dm builds (& breaks) a bed in hopes of getting into fem!reader's pants > two beds again | oneshot | part two of one bed trope by design > the adventurous one | oneshot | dm & fem!reader take a hike > instigation investigation | oneshot | fem!reader relieves dm's frustrations after the april 3rd devils & rangers game (and fight)

John Marino

> the art of loving you | oneshot | jm & fem!reader celebrate their anniversary, a little belatedly. > moving along | oneshot | jm is traded from pittsburgh to new jersey & has to prove to fem!reader that the move isn't such a bad thing.

Seth Jarvis

> the open secret | oneshot | sj gives fem!reader something to suck on

Mattias Samuelsson

> gamer guy | blurb | ms looks hot, even when ignoring fem!reader to play his little video game > co-eds | oneshot ft. jack quinn | fem!reader and ms explore polyamory with jq

Alex Lyon

> play house with me | oneshot | al & fem!reader fulfill a childhood pact

&c., &c., will consider writing for anyone else if i feel like i can make it work<3

[disgruntledexplainer]

Deltora, a subversion of fantasy tropes (or perhaps more accurately going back to it's roots)

@yellow-eyed-green-crocodile OK, here we go.

Deltora Quest is a children's book series. It consists of 16 books, though it exists in an expanded universe which contains another 12 books, not counting Tales of Deltora, Secrets of Deltora, and Monsters of Deltora (as well as the little-known extra book The Land of Dragons, which contains about half of what's in Tales of Deltora plus 3 additional stories which you can't find anywhere else).

The books were written during that time when Scholastic was doing it's darnedest to get kids to actually pick up a book and read. You know, the era of Animorphs, Secrets of Droon, and other books like that. Pre-harry-potter stuff. But deltora always stuck out as somewhat... odd.

For one thing, the setting. Deltora is a land absolutely INFESTED with horrifying monsters. we're talking lovecraft-level stuff. indeed, these things are so powerful that going toe-to-toe with them in conventional combat is laughably absurd. I mean, just look at this thing:

each of those little globes is a stomach the size of a PERSON. a sword ain't doin SHIT against that thing. and it wasn't even the primary monster from the book it came from. do you know what was? THE SAND IT'S STANDING ON. YES, THAT ENTIRE DESERT IS A SINGLE MONSTER.

there are also dark sorcerers, capable of, for example, turning an entire town into a fetid swamp in a split second, and deflecting any weapon directed at them. the main villain is a sorcerer of such incredible power that he makes zeus and odin look like chumps.

in order to defeat these creatures, the main characters are consistently forced to use their wits instead of their weapons.

but this isn't what I am writing this post about. every fantasy book has monsters of some kind. probably. no, what REALLY stands out about the Deltora Quest series is the BELT.

this is the Belt of Deltora, a composite magic item formed from 7 gems, each linked to the power of the land, bound together by a belt made by a simple blacksmith who united the seven tribes of deltora and became it's first king. it is considered the single most powerful mystical object on the continent, and uniting it is Deltora's only hope for survival.

except from a generic fantasy perspective, it kinda sucks.

in most generic fantasy settings, the characters are attempting to accumulate magical power which they can use to engage their enemies directly in combat; alternatively, they may be trying to build a big enough army or something similar. but the gems don't work like that. lets take a look at what the gems can actually do, shall we?

the Diamond: Gem of Strength or Fortitude, can give physical strength, fortitude, and courage to the wielder, as well as the ability to cure diseases in the person who touches it. it punishes those who attempt to take it in a dishonorable manner with misfortune. It can allow the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal Diamond Dragons, and a nearby dragon of it's type boosts it's power, and vice versa. it also has this weird synergy with the topaz where the topaz can summon the strength of everyone who believes in the wearer (in a metaphorical sense) and the diamond transforms that belief into physical strength.

the Emerald: Gem of Honor, dulls in the presense of evil or at the location of a broken vow, is a remedy for sores and ulcers, and is an antidote to poison for whomever touches it. It can allow the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal Emerald Dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa. Note that out of all the dragons, emerald dragons are arguably the biggest and most powerful. It might have other powers as well, as it's potential isn't as well explored as the other gems.

Lapis Lazuli: Gem of Luck or Providence, protects the wearer from evil and brings good fortune. also may have some subtle effect on the weather, though that hasn't been confirmed. it is arguably the most powerful of the gems for the protection it provides, but the nature of it's power is ill defined, and certainly outside of the wearer's ability to control. It also allows you to detect the location of the Opal as if it were a compass, and is more powerful when in close proximity to it. It can allow the wearer to telepathically communicate and heal Lapis Lazuli dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa. If the opal has it's power boosted by a nearby opal dragon, the Lapis Lazuli's power is also boosted if they are close to each other.

Topaz: Gem of Faith, can allow the wearer to make contact with the spirit world during a full moon. the character can see ghosts, and sometimes the spirits of the hallowed dead (those who are in heaven) will appear to the character and given advice, those this is extremely rare. It also clears and strengthens the mind and protects the wearer from the terrors of the night (also ill-defined). It's powers are all strengthened during the full moon. It can allow the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal topaz dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa.

Opal: Gem of Hope, has the power to give glimpses of the future and can enhance the wearer's vision, and it can also fill the wearer with hope for the future (which helps counteract the panic that the visions of the future often produce). It can detect the Lapis Lazuli like a compass, and is more powerful when in close proximity to it. It allows the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal opal dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa. If the Lapis Lazuli has it's power boosted by a nearby lapis lazuli dragon, the opal's power is also boosted if they are close to each-other.

The Ruby: Gem of Happiness or Love, it grows pale in the presense of evil, or when misfortune threatens it's wearer. Can be used in conjunction with the emerald to fully distinguish between danger, evil, and vow-breakers, since their powers overlap a little. It wards off evil spirits (also ill-defined) and is an antidote to snake venom, and also apparently repels snakes and venomous creatures in general. It allows the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal ruby dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa.

The Amethyst: Gem of Truth or Wisdom, changes color in the presence of illness, pales near poisoned food or drink, and guides the wearer toward sincerity, security and peace of mind (AKA calming the wearer when touched). It also boosts the power of Toran Magic. By A LOT. It allows the wearer to telepathically communicate with and heal Amethyst dragons, and a nearby dragon of that type boosts it's power, and vice versa.

True, this is a lot of variety in powers, but with the exception of the Diamond most of this is pretty useless in combat. Especially given that the sorcerers in this world can do things like call lightning down from the sky, or create and control thousands of soldiers made out of goo. And compared to the combat capabilities of end-game weapons of other setting? it's chump change. it should be noted that the gems DO NOT allow the wielder to control dragons, only telepathically communicate with them, meaning that the King of Deltora must still negotiate to get any help, and the Dragons are rarely cooperative, even in the face of their own extinction. The gems don't give you the ability to control the elements, warp space and time, kill with a thought, fly, or turn into a glowing giant (whatever the anime adaptation might say to the contrary).

No, what the gems allow the user to do is: keep a level and clear head, detect potentially dangerous situations, and heal people of ailments.

but here's the thing; given what I said about the monsters in deltora, any of the spectacular kinds of magic would be pretty much useless. The Shadow Lord is beyond anything any mortal is capable of fighting; he has integrated his twisted will with the spirit of half a continent, and has experimenting with new and more twisted kinds of magic for thousands of years. Frankly, even by the standards of most "dark lords" like Sauron, Melkor, and Galbatorix, he is unimaginably powerful. a direct confrontation with him is laughable.

so then, why is the Belt considered one of the most powerful objects on the planet?

Well, because what it grants isn't power.

it grants FREEDOM.

freedom is defined as "the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness[...]" -Catechism of the Catholic Church section 1731

in other words, Freedom, properly defined, is not the ability to do what one wants; that is power, not freedom. Freedom is the ability to do what one NEEDS to do. Freedom to protest. Freedom to preach. Freedom to worship. Freedom to defend oneself both physically and legally. These are freedoms.

Now lets look again at what the belt enables one to do. It allows one to clear and calm one's mind and strengthens one's will, heals, protects from certain kinds of danger, and allows one to heal others. These are not powers, they are FREEDOMS.

oh yeah, and I forgot one more of these freedoms:

WHEN ALL THE GEMS ARE PUT IN THE BELT TOGETHER, THEY PRODUCE A MAGICAL SCREEN WHICH BANISHES DARK MAGIC AND THOSE WHOSE SOULS ARE TAINTED BY IT.

it is not combat power, but it is a power FAR GREATER THAN ANY COMBAT POWER COULD EVER FEASIBLY BE

In a sense, this subverts normal fantasy tropes by going back to its roots. When JRR Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings, he wrote a book about simple working class and middle class people defeating an evil by DESTROYING POWER (with a One Ring being a kind of stand-in for power itself in all it's forms). yet, it seems that every writer since has taken a look at his work and gone "look at all this cool world-building and monsters and magic! but the protagonists and themes are kinda lame. I KNOW, i'll REPLACE those complex and nuanced themes with EDGY GRIZZLED WARRIORS AND POWER-HUNGRY SORCERERS, and make the story all about CONSOLIDATING AS MUCH POWER AS POSSIBLE TO DEFEAT SOMEONE WHO HAS ALSO CONSOLODATED AS MUCH POWER AS POSSIBLE, BUT IN AN EVIL WAY. sometimes they even have their characters performing actions which are completely morally bankrupt (razing cities, killing civilians or surrendering enemies, etc), and justify it because "main villain is worse". because in other words, most fantasy writers decided to completely rip off all of tolkien's world, down to the very creatures that inhabit it, but HORRIBLY INVERT the themes

Meanwhile, Deltora seems to do the opposite. It doesn't copy Tolkien's world. there are similarities; the Shadow Lord is kinda like Sauron if you squint a little. but the world is populated with plenty of creatures that don't line up at all, and even those that are similar are only superficially so. meanwhile, Emily Rodda (the author) took a look at Tolkien's themes, smiled and nodded, and proceeded to ELABORATE UPON THEM. The kingdom of deltora fell because the rulers detached themselves from the needs of the common man and physically separated themselves from them out of cowardice. the shadow lord twists and destroys nature to produce his horrific experiments which mirror in many ways modern genetic engineering. the battle is won not through force of arms, but through planning, cleverness, and uniting the tribes under a common cause.

there are other things, like how each gem corresponds to one of the seven virtues, or how so much emphais is put on using logic to solve problems, and similar things, but this post is long as it is, so i'm going to stop here.

[breezyzephyr]

Rollo Flamme - Twisted Wonderland

i like rollo's simple and clean look under his embellished robes.. it's kind of the feeling of "under all of that, he's really just a common folk" which plays into his story/personality. of course, i also enjoy the villainy of rollo and his hypocrisy in hatred of magic. it's fun to explore a character that's so simple but so strong in what few traits we see in him. his story was just a short event in twst but it ended up netting him a lot of attention from fans, to the point of getting his own card. i think that's proof that his simple story was impactful enough.

a lot of characters i like tend to be step-foward smilers or quiet and emotionless, so a character who actively frowns and looks so tired was fun to study! his eyes, lips, and eyebrows are very striking with their sharp lines and contours, but then you add bags under his eyes to the mix and it becomes quite a memorable face. i also like how he has green eyes? it completely pulls away from his outfit's color scheme by being opposite to the red, and maybe its that "green-eyed monster" trope they're going for

plus, his scowl is cute and his muttered cursing of others is really funny like dude, they can hear you---

[dadsbongos]

astro boy - y.itadori

part of the jjk movie marathon event / movie selection … warnings - my shonen trope writing is showing, idk stink monster? word count - 1.2 K / rating - PG

“This is disgusting!” Nobara huffs, stomping down on the cracked pavement below, “And they couldn’t have given us temporary uniforms or something?!”

Megumi shrugs, but the crinkle in his brows and the downturn of his lips cannot hide his revulsion, “Not like we can just back out now.”

Yuuji and yourself, meanwhile, are crouched over the manhole cover that Ijichi said you’d need to go down. You look at the boy, head tilted, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah!” he jumps up, clapping his hands, “I can get it no problem.”

“If you’re sure…” you slink back, nudging toward Nobara and Megumi as Yuuji kneels back down and slithers his fingers into the cover's holes.

He’s so sure. It might even impress you, how he’s able to so casually throw aside an entire manhole cover. You were the first person to welcome him to Tokyo. It helps that he finds you even prettier than Jennifer Lawrence, and even though he’s never gotten the honor to meet her: he’s certain you’re nicer, too. You just have to be.

“Is your back okay? You lifted with your legs, right?!” you rush over as soon as Yuuji’s tossed the metal disc.

You’re like an angel, after all.

“Yeah, ‘m all good!”

Megumi comes up between the both of you, nodding towards the sewer’s gaping maw. If this were a children’s cartoon, then you imagine toxic chartreuse fumes would be ribboning out in thick streams. You’re worried the stench may cling to your clothes.

“I’ll go down first, then you and Kugisaki, and Itadori - you’ll be last.”

Nobara lays her cheek against your shoulder from behind, “Huh? Trying to be a gentleman, Fushiguro?”

“I just don’t want you idiots making us fill out injury reports,” he grumbles, already waist-deep into the darkness and continuing down.

“Hey!” Nobara snaps, shuffling by you and Yuuji to go down the metal rungs, “Don’t you dare look up!”

Just before he sinks completely into the murky black, you catch Megumi’s aggravated grunt of, “As if I would ever…”

“Well, guess it’s my turn,” you hold Yuuji’s arm for balance as you slot your foot securely over one of the lower rungs, beaming up at him with a quickly chirped, “thanks!” before releasing him.

Yuuji can barely feel the lower half of his face with how hard he’s cheesing, but he certainly feels the thunder in his chest. His eyes follow you down, a breathy, wide-eyed, “yeah, no problem…” to pair with your gratitude.

“God, I can’t see anything…” he hears Nobara as his eyes take their time adjusting to the dark.

“Here, there’s…” the electric buzz and hum of a flickering flashlight, Megumi hits the shuddering bulb before it sparks to life and stays on, “this.”

Yuuji looks out at his group, the faint glow of Megumi’s flashlight glistens along their faces. Then it illuminates the dark, puddled pavement below their feet. Then the murky stew of browns and greens flowing to their collective right. Then straight ahead.

“Ah, shit.”

What Yuuji hears next is a sharp, piercing shrill from Nobara as she and Megumi are snatched by the ankles, and sucked into the gelatinous, translucent, vaguely putrid body of a curse. A gasp follows it, you shuffle back with a hurried look over your shoulder, reaching out for him. Like a nightmare, then, you’re pulled into the revolting, jiggly mass.

“Itadori!” is the last he hears you shriek.

That singe of fear down his spine is still apparent, even though this is far from being his first mission, but the sight of his friends floating, trapped in that goo is more compelling. He switches the weight on his feet, hands balling so tightly his nails snag into the meat of his palms.

“I’ll save you!” he’s referring to the group, but for some odd reason he only looks up at you, “I swear it!”

The blob wiggles with its giggling, a singular eye tearing over Yuuji’s smaller frame. A waft of frozen air curls through the sewer sending shivers racking through the boy’s body.

Above him, the curse’s voice echoes between sewage drips, layered like a scratchy, out-of-pitch choir, “Bring… a… jacket…!”

Another shiver, unrelated to the temperature, racks through him. Yuuji isn’t sure he’ll ever be accustomed to those chittering tones.

Instead, he swallows his fear and dips low, ready to launch himself forward with cursed energy coursing through his fists.

The curse lashes droopy, bubbling tentacles at Yuuji, but they are no match for the sputtering, repeated blows of the boy’s attacks. He strikes decisively and quickly, ferociously battering against the flabby curse until it rolls back: squelching and crying.

Foam leaks from the flattened bottom, bubbles rise to the surface, and the whole curse wriggles once. Then twice.

Its eye widens.

“So… cold…!”

And it pops.

Putrid, green slime bursts over Yuuji. Weighing his clothes down and slicking back sections of his hair. After clearing the fluids from both eyes, Yuuji rushes towards you.

“Are you okay?”

Yuuji uses the dry pads of his thumbs to swipe the slime off of your face, then carefully lifts your crumpled form by your forearms. He lets his hands linger, masquerading the need for your skin on his as concern.

“Hm,” you can still smell the morbid rot of the curse’s body around yours, “Yeah, I think I’m okay…”

His honeyed eyes are glassy, they scrounge over your body to double-check. As if you would miss some gaping flesh wound that he wouldn’t. Finally, he meets your gaze, and the pinched nature of his expression drops, a contented smile taking its place.

“Good,” he speaks softly, so unlike his natural boisterous greed for attention.

“You know,” Megumi calls, “We were in there, too.”

Nobara kicks the back of Yuuji’s knee, sending him into the frosty concrete below, “At least try to hide your favoritism, huh?!”

“It’s like you were only trying to save one of us,” Megumi smacks Yuuji up his head.

“Well then,” you lean down, arms circling Yuuji’s neck as he kneels before you. You press your slimy face against his, “I guess he’s only my hero!”

“Barf!” Nobara gags, already waving both of you off as she plucks her uniform from sticking against her skin, “This better come out, Fushiguro!”

“Why is it my fault?!”

“You were supposed to be our leader!”

The two continue to bicker as you pull Yuuji up from the ground, “Good job being the only one not caught, Itadori.”

He beams at the praise, warmth fluttering through his chest and tickling all down the ladder of his ribs, “It was nothing!” his fingers itch to card through yours, “I just wanted to make sure you three were safe.”

“Of course, we were,” you take the initiative and squeeze his hand in yours, “You were here to save us…” you laugh to yourself, refraining from a brutal cringe at the lingering scent of death from the curse’s remains, “Even though you’re the newest one to this.”

Yuuji wants to say something suave. Something to knock you off your feet and into his arms, but he is interrupted.

“Come on!” Megumi twists a hand into the cherry fabric of Yuuji’s hoodie, yanking the boy along, “We need to make sure the place is empty now.”

“Go easy on him!” you shout, and Yuuji grins at your defense.

Nobara loops an arm through yours, pulling you flush against her side, “I’m so not looking forward to washing this out…”

Eyes still on Yuuji trying (and failing) to scramble onto both feet while Megumi pulls him, you nod slowly with a faint smile gracing your lips, “Yeah, totally…”

“Hey! Pay attention when I speak!”

“Yeah, totally…”

[littleststarfighter]

One of my favourite books is ‘The Green-Eyed Monster’ By Melanie Tushmore. It was released way back in 2013 and is hard to come by. I’ll let the summary off Goodreads sum it up

‘Sky Somers is an ex-traveller; the son of a folk musician and a new age hippy. Sky's form of rebellion is electric guitars, and he wants his own band. His desire is to set the world to rights through music. Brandon Cruikshank is new to London, recently arrived from Glasgow. Charismatic, charming; a natural born performer. Brandon is openly bisexual, with a penchant for dressing in women's clothes. His desire is to be adored.

From the moment Sky meets Brandon, he knows he has to have him. Brandon, in turn, wants Sky. But that's when it becomes clear they both have very different desires in mind. Brandon wants Sky as a lover, yet Sky only wants Brandon as a singer in his band. Misunderstanding set aside—or apparently so—Brandon and Sky become firm friends. To escape equally troubled pasts and families, they change their names. Now, Brandon Fox and Sky St. Clair are ready to take over the world.

As the years roll on, Brandon's desire for Sky still simmers, waiting. Then a chance night sharing a hotel room sparks the desire between them, and this time, Brandon wants it all. Sky has never explored his desires before. Now, the passion and jealousy Brandon has unleashed in him threatens to shake the whole band apart.’

It’s a cracking read and hits my fave trope of misunderstandings and bandmates arguing. I love Brandon, he’s such a shit with a sexy Scottish brogue. Sky is a short arse ball of anger, and very much misses every hint Brandon throws his way. It’s a fun book. So I had to try and draw it. I expect the author didn't see Brandon how I do, but he’s such a preening sod taking forever to get ready for gigs and in love with his creepy fox shawls. I just love him.

[emberfrostlovesloki]

Day One, One Day [Hotch x Reader]

Photo credits: Left (@hazelwoodhandmadeuk) Center (@milla984) Right (@xjackxv)

Prompt: The reader is called to join the BAU from their team to help them solve a string of kidnappings and murders in a high school. To say the reader's first day and the case was eventful was an understatement, and Aaron can’t help but be drawn to the new face, even though he shouldn’t be. 

Pairing: Aaron x genderneutral!reader. The reader uses they/them pronouns 

Category: angst/comfort 

Word Count: 15K

Content Warnings:  kidnapping, mention of smothering, teen death (nothing explicit [three victims]), unwanted attention, imprisonment, mention of the foster care system, mention of abuse (not specified [reader]), tight space, possibility of being shot [Hotch], death by gun (unsub), language, bruises, mention of snuff films and porn [not explicit]. If I missed any, please let me know 

A/N: Hi loves! Here is another fic based on the amazing @imagining-in-the-margins January/February Writing Challenge. The prompt was to describe the character’s first day at the BAU. This fic came about because of the reader being flustered while meeting Aaron for the first time. And then the jealous!hotch got added which is an absolute favorite trope of mine. I had fun navigating the ins and outs of this fic, and I hope you like it too. It's another long one, so grab a cup of tea/coffee/whatever you like and settle in. If you do enjoy this fic, likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated! I hope you’re having a great start to your weekend and thanks for reading.  Love Levi - ❤️

List with all stories 

_y/n_  your name 

_y/l/n_ = your last name 

_________ = the nearest FBI field office to you. 

y/e/c_ = your eye color (aka brown-eyed, green-eyed, etc.)

_c/t_ = coffee of tea 

_c/s_ = cream or sugar (if you take neither in your tea or coffee, just ignore this one) 

_y/f/c_ = your favorite color 

Aaron had been CC’s on an email from JJ, as he drove toward the normal coffee shop that he stopped at before the office. He was slightly annoyed. The email indicated that the new agent. Agent _y/l/n_ was running late. If there was anything that Hotch didn’t like, it was tardiness. He hardly accepted it from his team, let alone a new agent just joining the BAU. While Aaron moved his car forward at the green light, _y/n_ was angrily saying, at their car, “Just start gosh darn it!” _y/n_ wasn’t one to let anger get to them, but today was a big day for them, and they needed their car to start five minutes ago. It didn’t help that it was so cold outside that _y/n_ felt like their fingers were freezing off. They had taken off their gloves to try and fiddle around with their engine. Even though _y/n_ was by no means a mechanic, they had hoped that a YouTube video and the willpower to try restarting their car would be enough to get it going. Unfortunately, _y/n_’s self-reliance wasn’t working out in their favor. Just as _y/n_ was going to call an Uber or Lyft to take them where they needed to go, a strong voice called out, “Hey. Is everything alright?” _y/n_ looked up at the tall stranger. He was dressed appropriately for the weather in a puffer jacket, gloves, a scarf that obscured some of his face, and a grey hat. Although the man was well-layered, he seemed put together. His outfit, unlike many _y/n_, had seen in the thirty minutes of hoping their car would cooperate, was put together. It looked expensive. _y/n_ would normally be weary of strangers. They’d seen enough bad things happen to people who seemed helpful at first but turned out to be monsters later. However, the seriousness in this man’s deep-set eyes and demeanor had _y/n_ reconsider in this rare case ._y/n_ normally liked to be independent, but their lack of car knowledge and need to get moving stat had them reply to the man’s question, “Not really. My car won’t start, and I need to get going. I was about to call a Lyft actually.” The tall, _y/n_ estimated, middle-aged man, stepped forward and said, “Mind if I look under the hood for a second?” _y/n_ stepped back from the infernal machine and said, “Knock yourself out. I can’t figure it out.” With a determined look, the man stepped forward and leaned down a bit to see if there was any issue with the car. 

The first thing he noticed was that heat was radiating off the engine even in the freezing weather. Of course, engines were hot, but not this hot. Aaron from a few close calls in his youth, had a good idea what the issue was.” He turned his head to the person, just as he was about to ask them if they’d replaced their coolant recently, recognized them as the last-minute agent he and JJ had selected yesterday afternoon for the latest case. He hadn’t realized it was them before because agent _y/n_ of the Crimes Against Children Unit was wearing a thick coat and their face was flushed from the cold. It was clear that _y/n_ hadn’t realized who he was yet either. It was so rare for Aaron to come across someone else in the FBI who didn’t know who he was, even if it was just for a minute or so. Hotch couldn’t help but notice how tense and anxious _y/n_ appeared to be. Aaron had been very hesitant to add a new agent so abruptly, but given the fact that five teenagers had gone missing from a public school in Texas, it seemed prudent to have someone who worked well with children onboard for the case.

Having to interview teenagers took a whole other set of skills than dealing with adults. JJ and Garcia did a fast but thorough scan of the possible agents that would fit the bill. The best fit for an agent that wasn’t actively on a case had been _y/n_. Hotch reluctantly signed off on it for JJ. Now that _y/n_ was standing in front of him, he decided to perform an informal test of their personality. Once _y/n_ recognized who he was, they would change. People always changed around him. He often found they became more closed off. Aaron stood straight and asked in a neutral tone, “You said you need to get going? Something happening this morning for you?” _y/n_ let out a measured breath and said, “Well it’s supposed to. This rental car kind of threw a wrench in everything though. I already sent an email explaining the situation to the people I’m working with, but I haven’t gotten a response yet. I hope they’ll understand, but I don’t want to hold anyone up. No matter what this is on me” Aaron nodded at _y/n_’s clear discretion. He asked, like he didn’t know already, “Is it a new job? What is it you do for work exactly that makes you need to email these people?” _y/n_ looked over at him. There was a flash of something in their eyes, but _y/n_ remained cool and said, “Not a new job exactly, more like a new team.” _y/n_ didn’t mention anything about the nature of their work, which Aaron appreciated. Given _y/n_’s attitude and choice of responses, Aaron let _y/n_ know exactly who he was by saying, “Well, I think I can help you. Maybe not with the car unless you’ve got some coolant back there. But I can give you a ride to work.” _y/n_ took a step back at the odd statement. This man seemed so normal, but again, seeming like anything didn’t mean much in their line of work. _y/n_ asked with caution, “Pardon me?” _y/n_ was ready to run or scream if this went bad. Now _y/n_ wished they’d had their gun on them and not in the glove box of the car. Hotch noticed the split-second change in demeanor with Agent _y/n_ taking on a defensive stance, even if it was masked as calmness. Aaron couldn’t help but applaud the instance change. It showed they were quick. Hotch clarified by saying, “I can drive you to work because my name is Aaron, Hotchner.” He flashed his badge to reassure them. Once _y/n_ looked at the badge and looked Agent Hotchner in the face, their eyes grew wide with awe. _y/n_ wanted to hit their head on the palm of their hand with how dumb they had been for not noticing. Agent Hotchner didn’t seem like the person to be easily forgotten. y/n_ composed themself and quickly said, “I am so sorry Agent Hotchner. I didn’t mean to hold you up, nor did I expect to meet you before our planned debrief this morning.” Hotch raised a hand. He was still slightly amused by the whole situation. However, he didn’t let that show as he replied, “It’s alright. You just killed two birds with one stone. I’ve met you now, and I can get us both to Quantico without any delays, but if we want to get there promptly, we should go now. I’ll give you a minute to get your things.” Aaron knew the traffic would get terrible if they didn’t leave soon. _y/n_ nodded and quickly pulled their go bag from the back trunk. They then grabbed their case files and gun from the front glove compartment. Even though _y/n_ wasn’t a part of the BAU, they often joined other teams than their own on cases that needed a CACU agent’s skill set. Given that fact, they already knew how to pack a go bag and get moving quickly. In under a minute, _y/n_ clicked the lock on their car and followed Hotch toward his car in the lot. 

As they started driving, _y/n_ reflected on the whirlwind of yesterday. They had just finished a case with their team in Kentucky. Their team had been in the office late, trying to finish up their report as thoroughly as possible. The Trafficking case had been difficult and dealt with lots of parties, so _y/n_wanted to give themself time to fill out the forms accurately but with concision. That task had taken longer than _y/n_ had expected. _y/n_ had rubbed their dry eyes when the ping of their email sounded. _y/n_ turned to their work computer and a message marked urgent was in their inbox from their supervisor. A twinge of panic hit _y/n_. They rarely interacted with their supervisor Most of the time, meetings, instructions, or the rare reprimand came from their Unit Chief, Agent Smith. With hesitation, _y/n_ clicked the email afraid that they’d made some mistake or something else._y/n_’s eyes grew wider and wider as _y/n_  read the contents of the email. It read: 

To: y/n_cacu@fbi.gov 

From: JessicaPola@fbi.gov 

CC: JeffinerJareaubau@fbi.gov, AaronHotchnerbau@fbi.gov, DrakeSmithcacu@fbi.gov 

Subject: Transfer Request 

Good morning, agent _y/l/n_. We have an urgent request for you. The Media Liaison for the Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico has requested your presence to help with the team's current case. You are requested to come as quickly as you can. You have been selected due to your team's case status, and your intimate knowledge of crimes against children. For more details about this choice, please contact Jennifer Jareau [CC’d]. For issues with travel and expenses, please contact the Travel Resource Office. I have already contacted your Unit Chief, and let Agent Smith know of this temporary shift of teams. Be safe, and good luck. 

Supervisor of the ________ Field Office, Jssica Pola. 

_y/n_ didn’t know that to think for a moment. To be joining the famous BAU team on a case felt otherworldly. It didn’t seem like a thing that could ever happen to them. One, because they were a relatively new agent, and two, the BAU was too important to need someone like them to help on a case. But _y/n__ practical side kicked in quickly. There would be time to think later. Now they needed to work. _y/n_ quickly emailed Drake and then spent more time emailing the BAU’s liaison about the details of the case. Only a few minutes after _y/n_ had sent that email, Agent Jareua replied with a couple of attachments including details on the current case and the BAU team. _y/n_ quickly finished booking their red-eye flight to Virginia at 1:00 a.m. before thanking the agent and noting that they would be in the Quantico office in the morning. _y/n_ had to quickly pack up and go home to get things for their absence. Once this was done, _y/n_ moved to the airport. They tried to relax, but the prospect of getting to work with the BAU kept them up. The team was legendary. And that was justified by the sheer amount of high-profile arrests the BAU made. _y/n_ ended up looking at the folder with the team’s information to refresh their memory of who was currently on the team. _y/n_ had met Agent Morgan and Agent Reid while they were a N.A.T., but the mercurial and stern Unit Chief had been gone on paternity leave while they were finishing up their training. But _y/n_ didn’t need to see Aaron Hotchner to know who he was. Apart from his team being praised constantly, his leadership after Gideon stepped down from the role of Unit Chief was unmatched. As soon as _y/n_ opened the file on the plane, they felt the exhaustion come on like a wave. _y/n_ closed the file and put away their phone, leaning into the tiredness that overwhelmed them. y/n_ would take the sleep now because there wasn’t going to be much later. When they landed in Virginia, it was 5:00 a.m. and an hour's drive to the Quantico field office. _y/n_ chose to rent a car and not spend a fortune of the FBI’s money on getting a ride share. That turned out to be a mistake, as _y/n_ nearly got to the office. _y/n_ had pulled into the parking lot of an unassuming coffee shop. They needed the caffeine for what was to come. When _y/n_ had returned to the car, it would not start. There was no getting the engine to rev to life. Thus, why she was in the passenger seat of Agent Hotchner’s car. _y/n_ didn’t try and give themself too much grief about not recognizing the man in the driver’s seat. They reminded themself that they’d never seen him in person before and that they hadn’t fully looked at the team folder Agent Jareua had sent them. 

Aaron could sense that _y/n_ was thinking. He cleared his throat and said, “Well, we might as well get the debrief done now instead of waiting to get to the office. That way the team can jump right in once we arrive.” _y/n_ nodded. They noticed the shift in Aaron’s attitude. A shift from one of apparent amusement to one of professionalism. Here was Aaron Hotchner _y/n_ who had expected to meet in the office. Hotch kept his eyes on the road, and said, “You’ve probably heard all of this before, but we take these things very seriously at the BAU. First, we work as a team and a unit. Keeping ideas to yourself doesn’t solve the issue. If you have an idea I recommend you share it with everyone. Second, you run things by me or someone on the team before you do them. Third, nobody gets over-involved with the witnesses or families. Fourth, we integrated with law enforcement and didn’t overstep. Fifth and final note, the actions of anyone on this team, permanent or temporary reflect on the FBI as a whole. I don’t tolerate bad behavior or ethics. Do you understand?” _y/n_ nodded. Here _y/n_ saw the dedicated leader of the BAU. _y/n_ understood that a man in Agent Hotchner’s position had to be firm, strong, and have rules, especially for young agents who just get added to a team that was well-oiled and worked well as what seemed like a machine. _y/n_ spoke up and said, “I understand Agent Hotchner.” They wanted to add, “I won’t let you down,” but from the reputation the BAU had, maybe they would. _y/n_ didn’t want to dwell on it too much. They didn’t have to, as Hotch added in a voice with a hint of warmth, “And, if you have any questions, you can ask me, or anyone on the team. Things move fast in the BAU, and it’s fine if you need clarity.” _y/n_ nodded and replied, “Thank you, Agent Hotchner.” _y/n_ reflected on the hot-then-cold nature of the man beside them. _y/n_ realized that perhaps that was why he was respected. Agent Hotchner was as stern as he needed to be, but underneath that facade, he was a caring man. Even if he tried to hide it. He made it part of his job to hide it. _y/n_ felt oddly warmed by the idea, but _y/n_ waasn’t so naive to believe this assumption. They’d need to see Aaron with the team to confirm their suspicion about his character. After all, he had been profiling for over half their life, _y/n_ wasn’t going to trust their judgment on a skill Aaron Hotchner had perfected. 

Hotch looked at _y/n_ and commented, “You’re team does good work. Difficult work.” Aaron wasn’t exaggerating. He couldn’t imagine having to work on crimes dealing with children in every case. To him, it was the most disheartening thing in the world. He was jaded enough seeing the killers he did. Having to do that with children specifically put his stomach in knots. He assumed it was because he was a father. When Jack came home with a runny nose he was instantly on high alert. Aaron took a moment to wonder if many of the agents in the Crimes Against Children Unit had children. He knew Agent Smith was married, but was unsure if the man had children. For some reason, Aaron turned his face to _y/n_, who was silently running their thumb over the pads of their other fingers in a gesture that might be nervousness. Internally Aaron thought, “They seem too young to have children.” His eyes glanced at _y/n_’s left hand. There wasn’t a ring there. Hotch snapped his eyes back to the road, not sure why he’d taken that internal tangent. He reminded himself of the no profiling agents rule, but when a new agent joined the team, even if it was just for a case, it was hard not to. That was why he did debriefs with new Agents. He did them firmly so he could get a natural read on their reactions. He did this to introduce himself to the agents and set the strict guidelines he asked his team to follow. Even with that plan in place, Aaron still found it hard to not try and read agents. He gave a small sigh and shifted his attention back to work, as they pulled into the bureau parking lot. Aaron took his reserved spot on the bottom floor of the parking garage. 

_y/n_ and Aaron grabbed their things from the car, and _y/n_ said, “Thank you for the ride, Agent Hotchner.” Aaron nodded and said, “You’re welcome.” The unlikely pair moved inside and Aaron was greeted, and greeted by many important Unit Cheifs. _y/n_ recognized many of them and had to act cool as they entered the building. It was a nice space. Clean and bigger than _y/n_’s field office. _y/n_ had to make sure they kept their face neutral and did not look like a kid in a candy store. This was a privilege, not a present. Once through security, Aaron led _y/n_ up to the BAU. As they rode up the elevator, many famous agents entered or left the metal box, _y/n_ continued to realize just how big a privilege this was. In their mind, _y/n_ swore to do their best while working with the BAU. To learn and grow from this experience. Even though _y/n_ felt inexperienced for this role, it was still a chance to gain new skills and learn how the most famous unit in the FBI worked. From their brief interaction so far, Aaron Hotchner seemed like a big part of that answer. Once they were on the BAU floor, they walked into the bullpen. _y/n_ noticed Agents Morgan and Reid right away. There seemed to be an electric energy in the air. Even with that being the case, there was a familiarity in the room as well. The way Agent Morgan was leaning on Agent Reid’s desk, and a stunning brown-haired woman, who _y/n_ assumed was Agent Prentiss, was standing nearby laughing at whatever Dr. Reid had just said. That kind of levity didn’t happen on their team. Lost in their thoughts,_y/n_ startled slightly as Hotchner called them saying, “Agent _y/l/n_.” _y/n_ perked up and realized that the Supervisory Special Agent had moved to the short staircase leading up to the upper level of the floor. _y/n_ snapped back to themself and quickly closed the gap between them. At the top of the stairs, they were met with a blond woman who stepped out of an office door saying, “Hotch, did you get my email about agent _y/l/n_?” Aaron nodded and said, “I did. Agent _y/l/n_ is here now.” JJ’s eyes widened as Hotch stepped aside and she saw _y/n_. The Media Liason looked over at Aaron with questions in her eyes, but he shot her the “It’s a long story look.” JJ gave a tiny nod of acknowledgment and instead of speaking to Aaron, stepped forward and extended a hand toward _y/n_. _y/n_ took the offered hand as the woman said, “Good morning, Agent _yl//n_. I’m Jennifer Jareau, media liaison to the BAU team. We spoke yesterday over email.” _y/n_ nodded and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jareua.” Aaron cut in for a second with a comment directed at JJ saying, “Let’s meet in conference in ten minutes.” JJ nodded and turned her attention back to _y/n_ saying, “Well now that you’re here, let me give you a quick tour. Sorry there isn’t time for you to get comfortable, but things move fast on this team.” _y/n_ nodded and followed as JJ showed her the break room, restrooms, a spare desk as well as a giving very brief history of the BAU team. At the end of the tour, JJ took _y/n_ to the conference room. Aaron was already there. An extra chair had been added to the table. JJ said, “You can sit at the end there. The team will be here in a minute.” _y/n_ nodded and took a seat. Aaron’s eyes briefly flashed to theirs. _y/n_ pulled the folder in front of them open and immediately realized that it was the folder JJ had sent last night. Even though _y/n_ hadn’t had much time to read over the file on the team, they had thoroughly read the case notes so far. The details were unfortunately familiar. That dull sickening feeling had washed over _y/n_ as they had processed the information and started taking notes. 

The sound of the door opening pulled _y/n_ from their thoughts. The rest of the team, plus Penelope, traipsed in the room. They all stopped momentarily, as they realized someone new was there. Hotch called them all to sit down, and he stood at the front of the room with JJ. He spoke in his normal, professional voice. Aaron said, “Everyone, this is Agent _y/n_, _y/l/n__ from the Crimes Against Children Unit out of _________.” The team looked at them and _y/n_ raised a tentative hand and waived. Everyone responded, and Rossi and Penelope specifically said, “Hi” and “Hello.” When Aaron cleared his throat, everyone looked back at him. He continued, “You’ll understand why I’ve asked Agent _y/n_ here in a moment.” JJ used the clicker to change the slide. Five teenagers' photos were displayed. JJ said, “Two days ago, five children in Dearborn, Texas, ranging from the age of fifteen to seventeen, went missing. All one day apart. All of the parents made a fuss, but one family did. The incredibly rapid disappearance of a group of children was shocking. The media is all over it, and many are panicked.” Hotch stepped forward, and JJ clicked on the next slide. Some graphics and information were on the slide, and Aaron said, “Two of the five children were found drowned in a nearby lake the following day. However, the mortician ascertained that the victims were dead before being dumped. They believe that the victims were smothered within hours of each other. One of the children, Kaden Morris, appeared to be beaten, but the other victim, Victoria Cross, had no signs of abuse. The next morning, a third body was found. Eli Perry is the oldest of the children. With Eli, there were defensive wounds and the same manner of death. None of the children had been sexually abused. The thing is that all of the victims, those that are deceased and the two that are possibly still alive have in common is that all of them go to the same high school. Also, they are all children in the foster system. The fact that there are two large overlapping factors is unique. Even with these things tying the victims together, the police in Dearborn haven’t gotten any leads despite a desperate plea from the foster parents and the police for information. So, we were called in to figure out what’s happening and try and get to the victims before anyone else is killed or taken.” The room was silent for a second, and Aaron could feel the tenseness in the room. With everything happening so quickly, along with the intricacies of the information involved, Aaron said, “It’s a long flight to Texas, so let’s save reading over the files from the jet. Wheels up in thirty.” 

Between the debrief and boarding the jet, _y/n_ was greeted by the team. Again they had to contain their excitement, as they got to shake Derek and Rossi’s hands, along with meeting Emily, Spencer, and Garcia. Once _y/n_ had shaken Deek’s hand, they said, “Agent Morgan…” Before they could say anything else, Derek said, “It’s just Morgan. It’s nice to meet you too.” The pleasantries only lasted a few minutes as everyone grabbed their bags and got ready for the jet. _y/n_ quickly called the rental company and explained how the car had died and where it was. They were assured that the car would get picked up or towed and that the rental company would be in contact once they had more information. On the jet, _y/n_ found a place near the side of the main few rows. Once the plane had taken off, the team took a few minutes to read over the case file and current information before the ideas started flowing. Ideas ranging from the unsub to the victims were varied. Things like the possibility that the victims may have tried to run away, or that the unsub was a peer. _y/n_ wasn’t sure about either of the assertions and said, “If the victims were trying to run away wouldn’t the unsub keep moving on? Why drop the three bodies off at the same place? They could have possibly crossed multiple state lines by now. Why stick around and do it again.” Rossi nodded and said, “_y/l/n_’s right. Also if the unsub has multiple victims, then they have to have a place to keep them. A home, or someplace where they can isolate themselves without being noticed. A trucker or good samaritan who offers to give a kid a ride doesn’t have the sort of space on the road. Spencer also noted that the rate of killers that are peers was so low that it was unlike, though not impossible. Reid stated, “Psychopathy or anger issues in adolescents don’t normally come to a head until their early twenties. So it’s unlikely that the unsub is another teen. Also, it takes a lot of force and desire to smother someone. Unless we’re speaking of a very large teenager, it’s unlikely they’d have the strength or willpower to follow through with one, let alone two killings. As the team, plus _y/n_, kept bouncing ideas off of each other Aaron listened and observed. Even though Agent _y/l/n_ was new and temporary, they seemed to blend well with the team. Unlike some more unfortunate temp transfers. _y/n_ was offering helpful information about the experiences children go through as well as statistics about the foster process. Information, that apart from Reid, the team didn’t know. _y/n_ had a deep wealth of knowledge about the system and how it worked for and against the kids in it. _y/n_ also didn’t butt in on conversations. Agent _y/n_ seemed to have picked up on the rhythm of the team’s conversation and added their thoughts at a helpful time. Each time _y/n_ spoke up, Aaron found his eyes in that direction. He told himself that he was just looking because _y/n_’s calm, steady voice was new, and he couldn’t help himself. That might have been part of it, but there was a certain draw to the younger agent that Aaron couldn’t seem to refuse. It had happened before he’d even known they were an agent in the parking lot of the coffee shop. Hotch let out a sigh and moved his gaze elsewhere. There wasn’t time to get distracted. Not now. And given the fact that _y/n_ was on another team and that he was a senior agent, there wouldn’t ever be an occasion to think about it further. The latest thought wasn’t even a conscious one. Just something Aaron’s subconscious stopped from sending to the forefront of Aaron’s mind. 

While Aaron was trying not to look at _y/n_ too much, the _y/e/c_ed agent was having the same issues. As exciting as it was to be next to Agent Rossi and Agent Reid, _y/n_ couldn’t help but look at Agent Hotchner. They were comforted by Hotch’s stern demeanor. The way he kept composted, and most of all his intensity. The way the man focused on things meant all of his attention was on the case. There was no wavering or distraction. Just the thing in front of him. _y/n_ got that from Drake too, but their Unit Chief was younger than Aaron by five years or so and hadn’t quite gotten to the point where he was that focused yet. Drake is a great team leader, just not quite Aaron Hotchner. _y/n_ averted their eyes as Agent Hotchner seemed to turn his head in their direction. The plane ride was long, and after two hours, _y/n_ got up to make a cup of _t/c_. At the Keurig as _y/n_ was preparing the hot drink, Emily stepped out of the bathroom, running her hands on her slacks. The woman smiled at _y/n_ and asked, “So, how are you liking it so far?” _y/n_ offered back a small smile and said, “It’s very interesting. I’m learning so much. I think I’ve heard more theory in the three hours I’ve been on this team than the twenty weeks I did in Virginia.” Emily nodded and said, “I understand. I felt the same way you did when I joined the team. Sometimes the best way to learn is to just do the thing, but that’s hard in a job like the FBI. We can’t exactly have unqualified agents on the field.” _y/n_ nodded, stirring in _c/s_ into their styrofoam cup. _y/n_ bit their lower lip for a second before acknowledging their hesitation, saying, “Honestly I’m not sure why I got picked to join y’all on this case. There are senior agents who could have been called.” Emily pondered the statement and replied, “I can’t tell you for sure _y/n_ some of it may be that more senior agents need to be around if a case on your team comes up.” Prentiss realized that she just essentially said that _y/n_ was a junior agent. But Emily added, “But these choices are well thought out. Of the pool of applicants, you were the best fit based on your performance and the cases you’ve completed. Temporary transfers to the BUA aren’t just a guessing game. JJ and Hotch picked you for our skills. You never have to question that.” Em paused for a second and added, “And for my part, you’ve fit well with the team so far. Some folks are far too shy, starstruck, or intent on making an impression. You haven’t done that.” 

_y/n_ smiled softly and said, “Thanks, Agent Prentiss.” Em smiled and replied, “It’s just Emily. And no need to thank me.” With that, Emily slipped past _y/n_ and back to her seat. _y/n_ felt a rush pass through them. They were both flattered at the compliment and a bit concerned that Emily had felt the need to reassure them. _y/n_ didn’t want to seem desperate or in need of reassurance. With a sigh _y/n_ moved back to their seat, more determined than ever to be an asset and not a weight to the team. As the jet continued its journey to Texas, _y/n_ listened and learned as the team worked every angle possible. When the plane landed West of Houston, the team rallied and got ready for the case ahead. 

The BAU was met by local law enforcement, and they piled into the SUVs and made it to the Dearborn police station. Once there, Aaron made quick introductions and then asked for a space to have the team work on building a profile. Once the slightly more private space was provided, Aaron said, for _y/n_’s sake only, “Let’s gather some evidence before we start building. We’ll split into teams. Myself, Agent _y/l/n_, and Reid will go to the school. Rossi and Derek, you take the dumpsite and then go to the hospital. Lastly, JJ and Prentiss, see if you can get in contact with the victims' families. Give them a preliminary interview. Any details they can recall will be valuable.” Everyone nodded and moved to their respective roles. _y/n_ moved into the backseat of the SUV while Aaron and Spencer sat in the front seats. Hotch looked in the rearview mirror and said, “Agent _y/l/n_when we’ve made contact with the school administration I’d like you to give an address to the students if the principal will let you. You have more experience in this field than either Reid or I, and I assume the student population knows more than they might be letting on.” _y/n_ nodded and said, “Of course, Sir.” _y/n_ was relieved to be helpful and be able to contribute in some way to something that they were used to dealing with -- the younger population.

Once the trio arrived at the High School, they parked and moved to the front office. After flashing all of their badges, the group was led to the main office. The Vice Principal, Stevenson, and the principal, Jackson, met the team with appreciation. Hotch introduced everyone and the principal said, “Let’s speak in a more private space.” The agents moved into a smaller, closed-off room with the senior staff of the public high school. Principal Jackson, who was in a wheelchair said, “Agent Hotchnerwe need help. Half of the parents are calling for the school to close for a week. The abductions have stirred everyone up, no thanks to the media circus.” Hotch nodded and said, “We can understand your frustration, Principal Jackson. We hope to be as unobtrusive as possible. However, if we could hold an assembly in the afternoon, we think we could glean a lot of information from the student population. Often students know of events that they might not even know about.” Jackson nodded reassuringly and said, “Anything you think can help. Agent Hotchner, I’ll indulge anything. I just want the rest of our students home safe. This school has a significant amount of students who are dealing with difficult situations, either with parents, poverty, drugs, or crime. This leaves many of our students in the foster system. I lead a support group on Fridays during lunch to try and help them as much as possible. Keeping a school like this up with a good ranking is hard when no one seems to care about us or our students.” Hotch started tapping his forearm. He realized that the man was steering the conversation away from the missing kids and that Jackson was rambling. Spencer caught onto this too, and when the principal paused, Reid said, “Well you’re certainly involved with your students. I’m sure they appreciate that. Now could you give us more details on the students that were killed and those that are still missing?” _y/n_ noticed how excited and happy Jackson got when he got praise which was an odd reaction given the terrible circumstances. Agent _y/l/n_ turned their gaze to Hotch to see if he noticed it too. Aaron’s face was set in a frown, and his features were tight. He didn’t look overly enthused by the man sitting in front of them. After a half-hour of rambling about how wonderful, kind, and resilient the missing and dead students were, Aaron couldn’t take it anymore, thanked the Principal, and led _y/n_ and Reid away to a private room to make a plan. It was clear that they all felt the Principal’s reactions and emotions were odd, but no one addressed that right now as they might be overheard. Instead, Aaron said, “Agent _y/n_ I want you to give the address this afternoon, given this is your area of expertise. Reid, until the assembly I want you to look through the files of the missing and deceased students and see if there are even more connections between them. I’m going to go and speak to the teachers who had those students and see if they can add insight. With the tasks assigned, everyone started their work until the assembly. 

An hour later, the whole school assembled in the auditorium. Aaron chose not to stand on the stage, as he didn’t want any of the students to feel intimated or pressured in any way. He realized he could give off a solemn attitude that didn’t always fit well with adolescents. And standing where he was, he could watch for any major reactions in the audience. Aaron listened as the principal spoke about the fact that school was still planned for tomorrow because the board of regents still hadn’t met for an emergency meeting, but “We’re trying to as soon as possible. To our faculty and students, thank you for your calm and respectful response. We have two FBI agents here to give you a little talk.” The man motioned for Spencer and _y/n_ to step forward. _y/n_ stepped up to the mic and said, “Thank you, Principle Jackson. As Principal.Jackson said, my name is _y/n_, and this is Dr. Spencer Reid, and we’re both members of the FBI. We’re here to try and find out what happened to your classmates and friends. At times like this, it can be a very painful and scary thing. Even if you don’t know the missing students. It’s okay to have big emotions around what’s happening. Please know that there are people who care about you. If you ever feel unsafe or need someone to talk to, you can speak to a teacher or counselor. You aren’t wasting space or time. Your feelings are valid. Now, if you’re someone who knows Kaden, Victoria, Eli, Baker, or Shyann, we’d like to ask you some questions. You won’t get in any sort of trouble for speaking to us. We actually think that you might know something that we don’t. So if you’re one of those people, before you get dismissed today, please talk to a teacher. Thank you.” _y/n_ gave a little wave, and they and Spencer moved off the stage toward Hotch. As Jackson gave the release for the teachers and students back to the classroom, Spencer quietly asked, “Anyone stand out in the crowd?” Aaron nodded no and said, “No one that I noticed. The kids seem genuinely scared though. And the faculty too.” Hotch’s eyes flushed from Reid’s to _y/n_’s, and he said, “Good job with the announcement. You described the situation with the weight it deserved without putting anyone in a panic. Hopefully, some of the victim’s friends will be willing to speak with us after school.” As the trio waited for the final bell to toll, Aaron called the other BAU teams to see what progress they’d made. Rossi and Derek had found some pink insulation flakes where bodies had been dumped which proved the teens had been kept in a house or business. As Hotch was talking, _y/n_ said to Spencer, “Because these kids are all in the foster system, do you think the unsub is trying to save them somehow? The system’s not perfect and a lot of bad things can happen to those kids.” Reid nodded and said, “It’s a good point. We might try looking at caregivers like nurses or counselors. People who might know that abuse was happening at home.” A short while after this conversation, the bell rang. Only a small group of seven teens came to see the agents. Jackson had three classrooms set up for each agent to use. For the next two hours, each agent would speak to a kid and ask them questions about how they knew the victims, any behavior change, or anything odd. Hotch took special note that the first victim had started to withdraw from the football team which had been his life most of high school. Large shifts in behavior or interest could mean something significant. Aaron made a note to speak to the football coach as soon as possible. 

Eventually, there were only three students left. _y/n_ finished their last conversation first, and once the student had gone, wandered into the hall. _y/n_’s eyes were fatigued, and they closed them and stretched. A semi-familiar voice saying, “Any luck from the kids?” from behind _y/n_ had them snap around. Principal Jackson was approaching them. _y/n_ sighed internally. Jackson gave them the creeps. Also, _y/n_ couldn’t talk about what the children had said to them. _y/n_ quickly fixed their face of annoyance and just said obliquely, “Oh, you know, we were just chatting.” Jackson pressed further and said, “Oh come on, you can tell me. If anything, I should know as their principle.” _y/n_ looked away from the man’s gaze for a moment, his lingered. After a micro-second, _y/n_ looked at the Principal again and said, “We were just talking. But I’d like to hear more about that support group you run. That sounds like a very kind and beneficial thing you do in your scant free time.” _y/n_ said this as a tactic. They remembered how animated Jackson got before while talking about himself, and they needed to throw him off the interview thing. _y/n_’s plan worked like a charm. The man thanked them profusely for noticing his “good deed” and jumped into what he did, and how he helped these struggling students. As the man talked for what felt like an eternity, _y/n_ noticed the man’s eyes lower to a place that made _y/n_ highly uncomfortable. _y/n_ looked around the empty halls. They wished there were other people around. However, Jackson had suspended all before and after school activity and let the teachers head home directly after contract hours to be with their families during this stressful time.

_y/n_ hoped Hotch or Reid would come out soon. They had an idea that if either man joined them, Jackson would stop ogling them while lauding his service. _y/n_ felt that the man in front of them wasn’t fully acclimated to social situations which was odd given his job. Jackson was and had acted like a teenager with a total need for validation. This was proved correct as the man bizarrely said, “You see me in ways others don’t Agent _y/n_. Can I give you my number?” _y/n_ jaw dropped at the audacity of such a question. It was also at this very moment that Aaron stepped out of his classroom. He heard the comment and instantly looked over at _y/n_. Hotch, unfortunately, misconstrued the situation, as _y/n_’s back was to him and he couldn’t see they were shocked, and they put off face. Nor how they shook their head no as the man slipped his number into their palm. It didn’t help that Aaron was tired and stressed about the rapid taking and dumping of the teenagers. Also, his odd feelings toward _y/n_ in the parking lot, jet, and even as they were standing around in the auditorium were coming up again. The issue was that Aaron didn’t want to have to think about the feeling. In his head, the feeling didn’t exist, but now that they were twisting into disappointment at a clear breaking of boundaries annoyed him even further. Hotch called out to the principal to ask about the football coach to distract himself from the growing disappointment he felt. It didn’t help _y/n_ was too shocked to move which Aaron read as reluctance to look at him which would mean they had something to hide. Although none of this was true, _y/n_ was embarrassed and their face felt warm from the ludicrous ask by Principal Jackson. When Aaron was done with his question with Jackson, he called _y/n_’s name. It was harsh with a hint of bitterness underneath it. When _y/n_ turned and walked toward him, they slipped the number in their pocket. Aaron thought for sure he saw hesitation in their face, and he grit his teeth. The small amount of admiration that someone so young who had joined the team and seemed to do well with it up to now felt crushed for Aaron because they were possibly flirting with someone involved in the case. He thought he had a better read on people, and _y/n_ was now baffling him. Aaron would have said something about how inappropriate their actions were, except Spencer left his room and at that point, they should head back to the station to regroup. In a clipped tone, Hotch said, “Let’s go and catch up with everyone.” 

As Spencer and _y/n_ followed behind Aaron, they could both sense he was angry but neither understood why. Spencer shot _y/n_ an inquisitive look, but they just shrugged their shoulders as bewildered as Reid was at the change in Agent Hotchner. In the car, Spencer tried to cut the tension by talking about the case and those they’d talked to. Reid said, “I was surprised that there were so few people that showed up to talk to us. There didn’t even seem to be people there who just wanted attention.” _y/n_ nodded and said, “I’m not actually. Given the information we knew about the victims, they all seemed like wallflowers. Given that, plus the fact that foster kids move around often, face a hard life, and have a probability of trauma in their past, they might find it hard to make friends or put down roots at school or home.” Hotch, who was wearing his sunglasses to mask his emotions shot _y/n_ a look from the rearview window. _y/n_ met his gaze and again felt that he was disappointed in them. _y/n_ tried not to fidget as they continued driving on the busy road. Aaron put his eyes back on the street and felt confused again. Now _y/n_ was acting like an intelligent well-seasoned agent with their head on straight. Not someone who would take a number from someone possibly under investigation. He realized as a few minutes had passed, that he’d only caught a snapshot of the conversation, and he wasn’t getting their side of the story. However, that didn’t mean that he didn’t have to ask them about it which he wasn’t looking forward to. The tension lingered in the car even as they all talked about what they’d learned and how odd Principal Jackson was. At the man’s name, _y/n_ cringed. Aaron stated to everyone, “Jackson just started the support group this semester, so it seems like he could want to be involved in some way. Involving himself in the scene and the victims like most unsubs do.” The desire to go back to the scene of the crime and watch the suffering of those being impacted was a need for most of them. After this, Spencer added the theory that the unsub might see themselves as saving the victims from a bad situation and trying to offer them something better in their eyes.” _y/n_ added, “If that’s the case,  the victims have to know this person well. To trust them, and once they realize what’s happening they panic? Try to leave which the unsub wouldn’t like.” The conversation kept going until they all reached the station. 

Inside, the trio was greeted by the rest of the team. Before anyone had the chance to share, Aaron said, “Agent _y/l/n_, I need to speak to you alone for a moment.” Those words had the team quiet instantly. If Hotch called you into a space alone it wasn’t good unless you were Haley before the divorce. _y/n_ couldn’t stand the silence, even for a moment and softly said, “Sir.” Aaron walked to the empty, windowless file room, opened the door, and let _y/n_ go in before him. Once the door was shut in the small, stuffy room, Aaron turned and he said bluntly, without preface, “Were you flirting with Principal Jackson at the school.” Hotch sounded stern and disappointed and _y/n_’s eyes went wide. They weren’t sure how he’d read that uncomfortable situation iso incorrectly. _y/n_ wanted to clarify that that was not what had happened and said, “No, Sir. I would never do that on a case.” _y/n_ didn’t add that they hardly ever did it off a case either. Hotch still looked unconvinced and asked, “Then why do you have his number in your pocket right now? Why were you so flustered when you turned around?” Aaron could feel that unexplored emotion bubble up in him again, and he said those questions with more bite than he intended. _y/n_ took a visible step back from him, and they looked slightly hurt. Hotch looked at the ground for a second realizing he’d been too harsh. He dropped his arms from his chest and tried to appear more relaxed. He looked back at _y/n_ and said, “I’m sorry that I said that like I was accusing you and not asking you, _y/n_. This case is messing with my head. Would you please give me the context of what happened?” Aaron watched as _y/n_ relaxed a little and then opened up about the man’s bizarre and downright threatening behavior. Hotch felt bad once he’d heard the full story and said, “I’m sorry, _y/n_. For acting how I did and that you were put in that situation. Even if Jackson isn’t the unsub, he certainly is strange.” Hotch’s comment and the tone he used while saying it had _y/n_ let out a chuckle that made Aaron feel warm in the chest. He couldn’t help but give a ghost of a smile that things seemed smoothed over. As _y/n_ looked at Aaron they said, “Thank you for listening to me, Agent Hotchner. For letting me clarify.” Hotch felt an internal tug on his ribs in the center of his chest before saying, “Don’t mention it, and you can call me Hotch. Now let’s get back to the team.” Hotch turned to the door and missed that _y/n_ was flustered again, but not in an uncomfortable way. In a pleasant way. As both agents emerged from the room, the team looked over to them. Hotch’s soft, “I’ll make sure you’re not alone with him in the future” had _y/n_ nod.

That scene, and Aaron’s soft, almost protective tone, told the BAU that whatever issue had brought the two into the files room had been resolved. Everyone let out a silent sigh of relief. As much as the drama was interesting, it was never helpful on a case. Once the duo was back, the team jumped into the day. Everyone got caught up with all the details. The major updates were that JJ got a press briefing out and set up a better tip hotline with Garcia ready to tap and trace in a few seconds if a useful call came in. Rossi and Derek’s find of the insulation. Emily and JJ noted that all of the families seemed appropriately worried and concerned about what had happened and there didn’t seem to be any indication of abuse at the families' homes. Then there was the odd behavior of Jackson, but it was too early to assume that he was the unsub. However, that didn’t mean he didn’t bear looking into it. From the information the team gathered, they made the basic profile that the person was likely a white male in their mid-thirties or early forties with the possibility of it being a woman. The unsub had to own or rent enough space to keep at least two teenagers at a time. They likely had a savior complex and experienced trauma in their childhood. They were strong enough to kill a high school football player who fought back. It was also likely that the unsub was trying to keep track of what the police, and now the BAU were doing to keep one step ahead of them. This was the profile that Aaron gave the police. He didn’t tell the officers that the unsub was not good at what they were doing. They might be strong, but they made mistakes. The impulsivity of killing two people in one day and dumping them at the same spot was reckless. Also, the insulation was something a more experienced kidnapper would get rid of. The team hoped that the unsub would mess up enough to leave a big enough clue behind to be found. The teams paced and worked and profiled and took unhelpful tips from the hotline. And after another two hours, Aaron called it for the night. It was 12:30 a.m. and he knew having the team even partially rested would give them a good start in the morning. 

The Comfort Inn and Suits was not far from the police department, and the tiredness hit the team like a brick. Aaron, Rossi, and Derek drove everyone to the motel where they had to call an attendant to check them in. There weren't rooms near each other at the motel, so everyone went their own way to sleep or keep working. _y/n_ got to their room and set down their things. As they changed into more comfortable clothes to keep working and look at the case from their area of knowledge. As _y/n_ took off _y/f/c_ blazer, Jackson’s number fell out of their pocket. _y/n_ felt embarrassed all over again which kind of pissed them off. There were so many other things to be angry and upset about. The victims, the families, everyone worried sick, and here they were feeling flustered because of some man. _y/n_ shook their head to clear it. They needed a boost and the vending maching in the lobby called them for something sweet and salty. _y/n_ got up, slipped on shoes, and moved downstairs. As _y/n_ was paying for a soda and bag of chips a familiar voice asked, “You holding up okay, kid?” _y/n_ looked over to possibly the most famous member of the BAU and honestly said, “Agent Rossi. I don’t know. I think I could be doing more. I feel like my head’s all over the place. More than usual.” The thud of the soda can and chips at the buttom of the machine made _y/n_ stop talking. They realized they were oversharing to the most important man in the FBI. Dave didn’t mind, and he responded, “I can imagine why. You’re on a new team with all new dynamics ot figure out on a difficult and emotionally draining case. My mother, bless her soul, she always told me, ‘Everyone has a day one, one day.’ And from what I can see, you’re doing very well on your day one on the BAU.” _y/n_’s eyes widened at being told that after the days events. They couldn’t stop themself from saying, “But I made Agent Hotchern upset.” Dave waived a hand and said, “Lot’s of things make Aaron upset even though he’ll hever admit it. And he’s clearly not upset at you anymore. Give yourself some slack kid, and an hour of sleep if you can.” Rossi half turned indicating the conversation was coming to a close and _y/n_ finished it by saying, “Thank you, Agent Rossi.” Dave nodded and walked to the front door to get something he forgot in the car while _y/n_ took their snacks up to their room for a few more hours of thinking. 

In his room, Aaron had taken off his tie and suit jacket. He also undid the top two buttons his his shirt. As he sat at the desk and switched the lamp on, his mind momentarily flashed to the encounter with y/n_ in the file room. He couldn’t get his anger or the way they’d stepped away from him out of his mind. Aaron knew there were more important things to think about, but he knew his mind couldn’t be fully on the case if there was conflict or tension on the team. Tension he had started. He replayed the memory again in his head to pinpoint what the issue was so he could move on from it. He had over reacted. He knew that. Aaron didn’t like that _y/n_ had moved away from him with a tiny flicker of fear on their face. Like he might do something to them. Provoking that response from a fellow agent was unacceptable to him. He didn’t know _y/n_’s personal background well. He’d only read up on their case work and the remarks made in their most recent reports. He didn’t have time to learn more about _y/n_  than that before addeding them to the team. After all, that wasn’t his job. If it was anyone’s job, it was _y/n_’s Unit Chief. But the interaction this afternoon had Aaron thinking that _y/n_ had some painful experiences in their past. Then again, most FBI agents did, but Hotch rarely saw such a visceral representation of that. Another thing that bothered him was _y/n_’s response to his apology. Their small voice saying, “Thank you for listening, Agent Hotchner. For letting me clarify.” All that statement could mean was that someone hadn’t listened to them before. And Aaron knew that was how bad things kept happening. That was why questioning victims was so important. Hotch made a plan to apologize to _y/n_ again in the morning, and he felt for now, he’d have to leave it at that. It might never be the right place or time to ask _y/n_ anything more about their reactions. They were a temporary agent, and his feelings for them, whatever they were would never be fulfilled or reciprocated. With that in mind, Aaron jumped back into the case work. 

The next morning, at five a.m., the worst happened. Another body was found, this time in a differnt location, a popular park, and another teen had been taken. The town was in even more of a panic even though the victims were very specificly targeted. The Education Secretary of Texas, Mike Morrath, had to step in and override the district and close all schools for the remainder of the week. With that being the case, Hotch had the team split up. He and Derek would take the latest scene of the dumpsite while Rossi and _y/n_ would head to the school and see if there were any clues there as the latest victim, Tim Groff, had been one of the students Spencer had interviewed yesterday. JJ and Emily were going to speak to the new victims foster family as well as the partents of the deceased. Everyone moved effienctly and as soon as _y/n_ got to the school, they asked to see the security footage which _y/n_ asked Garcia to analyze. Particularly footage of the parking lot and front door where cameras were trained. One thing Aaron, _y/n_, and Spencer had found out yesterday in the interviews was that all of the victims so far had their own cars or got picked up from school. None took the bus. So the teens were either taken from home, which seemed unlikely given how concerned the parents were, or school. School was the likely answer. If they had been taken from the high school grounds, _y/n_ hoped that the tech genius could help. _y/n_ had found out about Garcia’s amazing abilities online and with a computer on the flight too Texas when she’d crunched massive amounts of date, given to her by Spencer at a mile-a-minute, in minutes. To say _y/n_ had been impressed was an understatement. After _y/n_ had sent the hours of footage from the school systems to Garcia, they approached Spencer who was interviewing Jackson for any possible leads. Jackson was much like he had been yesterday. As the interview wrapped up, Jackson turned to _y/n_ and said, “Agent _y/n_ may I have your card or something in case I need to speak to one of you if I think of something new during the day?” _y/n_ frowned and replied in a restrained tone, “Agent Hotchner gave you his card yesterday,” in an attempt to rebuff any inappropriate behavior on the Principal's part. Reid caught onto their play and quickly pulled out one of his FBI cards with his name, email and work phone and said, “Here, have mine.” Jackson frowned and took it with a snap before looking at _y/n_ and said, “I’d feel better if I had everyone’s number. In case I can’t reach one of you fine folks.” _y/n_ sighed and handed their card over. Not because they wanted to, but to shut the childish man up, and so they and Spencer could keep looking for things out of order at while speaking to other faculty members. Once the duo were out of earshot, Reid asked, “What was that all about?” _y/n_ sighed, shrugged, and said, “I wish I could tell you, Reid, And that wasn’t even the worst of it, but that conversation can wait till later.” Spencer nodded and they moved down the hallway a little faster. Spencer did note that the principal had been highly agitated that school had been cancelled which was shocking to him given the fact that school appeared to be the most dangerous place for the students. _y/n_ agreed. None of his made sense. 

Everything and everyone got thrown off the rails, however -- even Penelope's analysis of the school footage -- when an anonymous tip came in from someone saying they were the killer and had the rest of the victims. This sent each member of the team rushing to the address that Garcia had picked up from the trap and trace. It was not what the team expected given the information they knew about the profile. The address led to an apartment complex and not an isolated home. The team surrounded the unit. With a hand signal, Derek, and Aaron broke into the unit, and the team plus police followed. Inside the dimly lit bed room, Derek found a twenty-year-old man with bad teeth playing some videogame with a headset on. It was almost comically easy it was for Morgan to tackle him to the ground. The man shouted in protest and said, “What the hell, I didn’t actually do anything. What the fuck man.” Derek pulled the man named Gerret, to his feet placing cuffs around his bony wrists saying, “Well I don’t know if you know if or not, but taking responsibility for a crime, even if you didn’t do it and interfering with a federal invesitagation is a federal offense. So say good by to Call of Duty and get ready to spend some time with some real criminals behind bars.” Morgan got the un-unsub out of the house and into a police cruiser. Even thought it was very, very unlikely that the man was responsible, the team did a quick scan of the apartment. Reid sent Garret’s IP to Penelope who was quick to confirm that the man was as serial troll who had swatting charges, doxing attempts, and one successful bomb threat to the public library in town. Outside, Aaron was talking to an officer and started to grow frustrated with the lack of leads even though all the information seemed right in front of them. He thought back to the principal and just how odd he was. Deep down, even though he might not have the reason to yet, Hotch felt that Jackson was the man behind all of this. Hotch wondered if the facade of strangeness was a way to get others to think him incompetent of such a crime. _y/n_ who had looked at the contents of Garret’s room stepped out for a breath of air. Hotch motioned them over and asked, “Anything in his room?” _y/n_ replied, “He had what looked like possible snuff films and hours of violent porn, but I don’t know what you expect from an edgelord that makes it into adulthood.” He’s not our guy and never has been. He’s certainly not a good guy, but not ours. 

After that two hour distraction, the team got back to the precinct. Everyone was annoyed and one edge. Especially Aaron. He paced and stated, “What it is we’re missing. We should have everything. What’s missing?” Hearing this, Rossi said, “Mayby we do have everything we need.” Hotch looked over at him unasumed and said, “What do you mean by that, Dave?” Rossi replied, “Now that we have someone in custody, we can play them off the unsub. Sure, Garret’s a nobody, but the unsub doesn’t know that. Hold a press conference and say we got the guy. That he killed the victims because he thought it was fun. It gave him a rush. If the unsub has a savior complex, he’ll have to call and correct us. He won’t be able to help himself.” Hotch nodded. It was a good plan and direct contact with the unsub might give them the final push they needed. Aaron got the filmed segment set up with JJ and the local television stations. It would take place inside the precinct's front room and they’d flash a mugshot of Garret on the TV screen to make sure the unsub saw how wrong the BAU had gotten it. They would run the segment on prime time at seven p.m. when the station had the most viewership. As the team prepared there was a tense anticipation. _y/n_ paced and got a text on their phone. _y/n_ pulled it out and it was from Jackson. They sighed not having time for his nonsense. They clicked off and silenced their phone, as they watched JJ film the press release saying, “I’m happy to announce that with the help of the Dearborn Police Force and the FBI’s involvement, we have been able to apprehend the man behind the abduction and killing of three Dearborn High School Students. Now the location of the still missed students is unknown, so an intense search is being conducted at and near the perpetrator's apartment. The man behind these killings is Garret Gripe. The FBI was able to get a full confession from the man who said he did it because he hated kids and couldn’t stand it when he found them living a better life than his own. The main takeaways are that this community is finally safe again thanks to the hard and tireless work of the police. 

The cameras stopped rolling and Rossi moved toward JJ saying, “Great job. If this doesn’t get the unsub angry, I’m not sure what will.” JJ gave a small smile and replied, “I only hope it works. KSAT10 said that it will be a half hour before it airs. They need to make sure the audio is clear.” Aaron nodded at JJ. The plan did work. It worked to a T because twenty minutes after the press briefing aired, the tip line got a call. Aaron set Garcia up for the trap and trace and then picked up the line and put it on speaker. A muffled voice on the other end of the line shouted, “You think a child, a child could do what I do? A punk ass kid would hurt them! You’re all idiots. ALL OF YOU! You didn’t catch anyone and I’m going to keep taking, them forever.” The person on the other end of the line had yelled so much that he had to take a few deep breaths. Hotch looked over at Spencer who was on the line with Penelope. Reid held up five fingers to indicate five seconds more. Hotch didn’t want the unsub to hang up in a rage and said, “Why do you need to take them? What is it that you’re keeping them safe from?” The muffled voice said, “You’re the smartest man in the room Agent Hotchner, why don’t you figure it out? Or Dr. Reid, or Agent _y/n_? You’d like to, but you can’t, can you? You’re just as stupid as everyone else.” With that the line went dead. The specific call out for himself, Spencer, and _y/n_ upped Aaron’s suspicion about Jackson. Spencer took off the headphones and put Penelope on speaker as Hotch asked, “Did you get it, Garcia?” There was mad clicking of keys and then she said, “Yes. Just in time.” Hotch nodded and said, “We need the address, Garcia.” Some how the typing sound increased and Penelope said, “And the address is… 527 Humphry Drive. It’s a big house and lot. Owned by… one… Van Jackson.” Hotch stood and ordered the team to move out which they all did quickly running to the SUV’s.  

The Sherrif and five cop cars followed behind them as the team sped onto the road. On the radio, the Sherrif said, “You really think Van’s our guy? How can he take out kids when he’s disabled?” _y/n_, who was in Aaron’s car clicked the radio and said, “He gets in with them. Get’s to know them and make them trust him. Get into his car even.” Hotch nodded and asked, “What’s his story? Who is Van Jackson?” The Sherrif replied, “It’s can’t possibly be Van. Everyone one loves Van.” Impatient, Hotch said, “Yes everyone loves him, but who is he?” The Sheriff sobered and said, “Well he’s a bit of a local hero. He was born and raised here. Had a trouble childhood but made it out through a sports scholarship for football. He made it to the semi-pro’s joining the Capitol City Bison team in Austin as a linebacker. He made a good bit of money. He went into education and came back here. A year ago he got into a mountain bike accident and broke his back. It was really tragic.” Hotch could only think the tragedy was the dead chidren, but he didn’t voice that. Instead he shifted his thoughts to those who were still alive a possible trapped in the unsubs home. Aaron radioed the team and said, “Remember, there are still possible victims inside. Jackson might try and use them, so don’t shoot unless you have a clear shot. If not, don’t shoot. Use the profile. He need attention, feed into that.” The other two cars rogered that and soon after with a screeching halt, they arrived at the large, and fancy house. 

The house seemed quiet, with all the lights off and no sound coming from inside. However, the Principal’s car was parked out front, and the team took a stealth approach. Hotch indicated for Spencer and Emily to search outside. The rest of the team slipped into the home after breaking down the door as quietly as possible. He motioned for Rossi and Derek to take the upstairs and attic, and that he and _y/n_ would take the downstairs. All throughout out the house there were accessibility ramps for anyplace there were stairs. There was even a lift to get to second story of the house. This all matched up with the fact that Jackson was in a wheelchair. In the living room it was all quiet until there was a soft sob from somewhere either in the walls or close by. _y/n_ and Hotch froze. _y/n_ had good hearing and pointed toward the bookcase which is where they thought they had heard the sound come from. Aaron approached the shelf and looked it over in the dark of the room. As the felt along the side of the shelf he felt a gap and then a hing. Hotch motioned a swinging door, and _y/n_ moved behind him. They would have called for back up, but the sound would give them away. Hotch pulled out his side-arm along.  _y/n_ did the same. They both kept them pointed at the ground. Aaron pulled at the side of the shelf and it swung open silently. There was a light on at the bottom of some steep stairs. The steps were so steep in fact that they couldn’t see to the floor beneath. Without much choice, Aaron and _y/n_moved down the steps with Aaron in the lead. At the bottom of the stairs was a very small room and at the end, standing up in what seemed liked a modified crawl space, was Jackson and the latest teen to be take. The man had a gun to the teens had and tears were streaming down their eyes. Jackson said softly, “Do anything rash and he dies. And not a pretty death.” Aaron and _y/n_ nodded and they both dropped their weapons on the ground. They both noticed the pink insulation on the wall. Johnson turned his gaze to Agent _y/n_ and said, “Back up the stairs and close the door and then come back down. Keep your hands on your head at all times or I’ll kill him  and Agent Hotchner.” _y/n_ looked at Hotch and he gave them a slight nod. _y/n_ slowly and deliberately moved up the stairs, There was a button to close the door, and _y/n_ pressed it with their elbow. As the door closed, _y/n_ felt for a moment like they were being placed in a tomb. With the door closed, the sound of their breaths could be heard, showing just how soundproof the space was. _y/n_ turned around and then walked back down the stairs. 

When _y/n_ was next to Aaron, Jackson moved forward with the teenager. When the intimidating man reached the guns on the floor, he bent down with a bead still on the high schooler. He took Aaron’s gun and then pointed it at the Unit Chief, pushing the student aside. Jackson’s anger was building, as his nostrils flared. Hotch took a reassuring tone as he said, “You don’t have to do this.” Jackson’s face reddened, stepped forward, putting the gun an inch from AAron’s face. With such a deadly weapon so close to his head, Hotch managed to keep his cool. This fact bothered Jackson and he said, “Still the tough guy. Well, let’s see how tough you are with your brains on the walls.” This statement gave _y/n_ an in and they said, “You can’t do that Mr. Jackson. Van.” The man turned his furious gaze from Aaron to them and said, “I don’t think a whore who doesn’t text me back deserves a word, but tell me why not because I’m killing you next.” _y/n_ swallowed, and Hotch realized that his life was in _y/n_’s hands. _y/n_ tried to take all their training, everything they’d learned on their team and with the BAU, and went on instinct saying, “Because there are children in the room. Because you saved them from violence and you want to help them, and if you blow Agent Hotchner’s head off in front of them, what would that do to them then? What damage would they incur?” _y/n_ could see a tiny moment of hesitation in Jackson’s eyes, but he tightened the grip on Hotch’s gun anyway. _y/n_ took another breath and said, “You saved them and gave them a better life with a parent that loved them. Why throw that all away for this?” The instant Jackson hesitated the second time. Hotch pushed the gun up to the ceiling and Jackson fired hitting the light. The room went dark and the teenagers screamed. _y/n_ took out their phone. They could hear grunts and punches landing, but mostly it was the high schooler’s screaming. When _y/n_ managed to use their phone light to find their gun and shine the light at the writhing mass on the floor, it was too difficult to tell who was who. The sound of gunfire had _y/n_ cringe and hope beyond hope that it had been Jackson who got shot. For a second there was just heavy breathing in the blankness before _y/n_ asked, “Hotch?” The reply of “Yeah,” almost made _y/n_’s knees weak. But just for a second. They then quickly ran up the stairs, opened the door, and shouted for help. 

The next three hours passed by more normally than _y/n_ would have imaged for such a dramatic ending to the case. That was because they were doing what they did best, comforting those who had been taken. Even in shock _y/n_ provided what comfort they could, getting blankets and water. _y/n_ then intercepted the set of foster parents and told them what to expect, and how to act to best be reunited with their kids. And Aaron watched as the coroners placed a sheet over Jackson. He’d know the shot was clean because he’d pinned the man to the wall with nothing between Van's body, and he was glad that it had been in the dark because the aftermath hadn’t been pretty. The teenagers were escorted out of the room by _y/n_ before light had been restored to the room. And somehow, as if time warped around them, the team was back in the jet at around 4 a.m. headed to Virginia. Even though everyone should have been exhausted, there was still energy on the plane as so many aspects of the case still didn’t seem to match up. They all wanted some closure. The discussion started when Derek said, “So why fake the disability? Why choose to be in a wheelchair for over a year? Did he have Munchenson’s syndrome or something?” Emily replied, “He would have faked more illnesses than that if he had Munchenson’s. I think it was because he was a complete egomaniac. He couldn’t stand to not have the attention be on him.” Spencer added to this line of thought, saying, “More than an egomaniac, he probably had histrionic personality disorder. He not only felt like he needed to be the center of attention, to him he had to be the center of attention.” Hotch who was sporting a few bruises to the face, nodded and said, “He couldn’t keep playing football forever and just being generous and well like in town wasn’t doing to for him anymore, so he facked the back injury and everyone believed him. But then that grew old and his aspirations got bigger. He needed something new. He must have seen something in the first victim and thought that he could save them. Be a hero.” Morgan was still a bit hesitant to believe such a thing and said, “But does that happen? I mean, it did, but what’s the precedent?” _y/n_ now spoke and said, “Sherri Papini for one. She faked her own kidnapping with the help of an ex-boyfriend. She was a pathological liar and felt she deserved the attention.” JJ asked the next question to _y/n_ and the liason said, “_y/n_,” they were all on first name bases now except _y/n_ still called Aaron, Hotch, and Rossi, Rossi, “Why did you think to bring up violence when you were trapped down there. How did you know that would stop Jackson?” Everyone’s eyes turned to _y/n_ and they felt a bit uncomfortable under the gaze of the whole team. _y/n_ didn’t want to fully admit that it was a guess on their part, but ended up being honest, saying, “I wasn’t fully sure it would work. But a comment the Sherrif made about Jackson having a hard upbringing made me think it might stop him enough to think. Violence doesn’t always have to be physical either it was the broadest term I could think of instead of abuse. I think that when Jackson is under stress he becomes emotionally stunted somewhere in his past. Somewhere painful. That’s why he acted so strangely while we were around. So I tried to use an easy concept like a child might.” The team processed the information and nodded. Dave said, “Well whatever the cause was, you did good, kid. We’ll never know the whole truth, but at least the town is free from his reign of terror.”

Everyone agreed and then soon after the tiredness came now that they’d talked it out. So people grabbed blankets and sleep masks and soon the cabin was mostly quiet. Only _y/n_ Aaron and Rossi were still up. _y/n_ was sitting on a chair on the far side of the jet looking out the window. Aaron could see they were deep in thought, a slightly troubled look on their face. He moved closer, and once he sat across from _y/n_, he said, “What’s on your mind, _y/n_?” They turned their head toward Aaron and said, “That town is never going to be the same again. Those children in Jackson’s Friday group, or those who survived, I don’t know what’s going to happen to them.” Hotch nodded but didn’t say anything. He could tell that _y/n_ would say more, and after a few seconds, _y/n_ added softly, “Jackson really thought he was doing the right thing. He thought he was saving those kids. It’s hard for me to reconcile when someone’s good intentions cause so much harm.” With the last sentence, Aaaron saw _y/n_’s eyes slip away from his and to the side. To some point on the jet’s wall. Hotch could tell with that sentence and _y/n_’a avoidant gaze that they weren’t just thinking of Jackson anymore. They had that look of going back into painful memories of one’s own. Again, the fact that Aaron didn’t know what had happened to _y/n_ in their youth ate at him, so he softly yet firmly said, “They were still wrong. He was still wrong. Good intentions don’t make a thing good. In time, people may come to understand that.” _y/n_ had turned their head back to look at him, and Aaron saw the tears welling in their eyes. _y/n_ said, “I hope so.” Hotch nodded, pulled a tissue from his pocket at handed it over to _y/n_. _y/n_ took it and rubbed it under their eyes catching the falling saline droplets that threatened to mar their face. Hotch shifted forward ever so slightly in his chair. He felt the tug and emotion in his chest again as he asked, “Do you want to talk about it?” He wondered now if _y/n_’s Unit Chief had ever asked them this. Had noticed the pain lingering under the surface of _y/n_’s skin. _y/n_ thought about it and shook their head no. They weren’t quite ready to have that conversation. They did say, however, not even sure why, “Maybe some other time?” Again, Aaron nodded. He briefly looked around the cabin and suggested, “Maybe you should try and rest? There’s still a few hours until we get back.” _y/n_ nodded and slumped over in the chair saying, “Thanks, Hotch,” as their head landed on the armrest. 

Aaron moved to the back of the jet and made a cup of coffee before moving back next to Dave. He was still upset that he hadn’t figured it out sooner. Couldn’t have saved the last victim when the unsub had been right in front of him the same day. Rossi had watched the whole interaction with Hotch and _y/n_ and found it highly interesting. Aaron was not always so gentle. Hotch had been acting a bit strangely the whole case around Agent _y/n_. Rossi had a feeling he knew what was going on, but was going to wait for the right time to say anything about it. As Hotch sat across from Dave in the small space, he couldn’t keep his despairing thoughts to himself as he said, “How did it get so bad? I was pretty sure I knew it was him. And I think _y/n_ knew it was Jackson too, but I got angry and someone else died, and he was right there?” Rossi could see that Aaron could talk this way, in circles, for hours if left undisturbed. So Aaron’s friend laid out the facts as clearly as possible. Dave remembered that Aaron had once been a young agent too as he said, “Aaron, we had no right to search Jackson's house until we got the call. You might have just thought he was a weird man. There are lots of weird people who don’t turn out to be killers. And, the Sheriff said they had all had a meeting at Jackson’s house three days before we got there and no one saw any kids or heard anything. They had no clue the people they were looking for were under their feet. Plus we were almost working with two personalities. Not Dissociative Identity Disorder or anything, but there was the egomaniac and the child. The child in Jackson was disorganized and needy, and you don’t expect that from a grown man. It was a weird case. Plus we had a new agent in the mix.” When he spoke about _y/n_, Rossi looked at Aaron and gave him that look. Hotch rolled his eyes and said, “Dave, please, not this again.” Rossi shook his head and said, “It’s been a year since Haley left, Hotch. You’re allowed to look at someone attractive.” Aaron scoffed and said, “Dave _y/n_’s not even a part of the team. Once they get to Virginia, they’ll go back to the _______ field office. It’s not that I don’t find myself attracted to them, but that I can’t. I just can’t.” Rossi shook his head and just said, “Aaron, at some point you’re going to have to give yourself grace. Not just on the case, but about how you feel too. You’re only human after all.” The conversation ended there and the jet continued its silent journey home. 

The team took the rest of the day off, and _y/n_ got a motel. They would need to finish their forms and turn them into Hotch before returning to their team. The following day, _y/n_ got a temp desk which only reminded them that this thing, being on the BAU, was temporary. Even though the case had been very stressful, _y/n_ was already thinking about how they would miss this team and all that they’d learned at the BAU. As it turned out, despite all the hype and fame that the team received, they were still just agents. The best agents, but they acted like people and that had only added respect for the team in _y/n_’s eyes. At the end of a long day of writing, _y/n_ moved to Aaron’s office. _y/n_ knocked, then entered the lamp-lit space. Hotch’s dark eyes found theirs, and they both felt something between them. _y/n_ quickly averted their gaze and moved toward the desk. _y/n_ had looked away when the feeling started, not because it wasn’t enjoyable, but because it was, and _y/n_ was sure there probably wasn’t supposed to be feelings. Hotch cleared his throat and said, “Are you finished with your file?” _y/n_ looked at him again and extended the manilla envelope, saying, “Yes, Sir.” Hotch extended a hand and took the folder from theirs. Aaron said deliberately, thinking of what Rossi, and had said, “You did a good job on this case, _y/n_. If another case mostly involving children should come up and you’re available, I’ll ask for you again.” From Hotch, this was high praise, and _y/n_’s eyes widened. They responded, “Thank you, Sir. It would be an honor. I understand why this team is held in such high regard. Thank you for having me.” Aaron nodded and asked, “When’s your flight back?” _y/n_ looked at the clock on the wall and said, “Eight p.m. I should probably go straight to the airport. I checked out of my motel this morning.” Aaron nodded and said jokingly, “Please tell me you’re not taking another rental?” That made _y/n_ laugh. It was bright and happy, and it warmed Aaron to hear. _y/n_ shook their head no and replied, “Not this time. I’ll call an Uber or something.” Hotch frowned slightly and looked at his watch. It was already five and the traffic would be awful this time of the evening. Not only would it take over an hour to get to the airport, but it would cost an arm and a leg as well. Aaron said, “I can drop you off. It will be quicker and it won’t be a hundred dollars down the drain.” _y/n_ raised a brow in surprise and said, “Are you sure?” Aaron nodded, and as he stood he became even more sure as he said, “Yeah. I’m sure.” When Hotch held the door open for _y/n_ they looked at him while walking out. This time _y/n_ didn’t turn their eyes away from him as a ghost of a smile formed on Aaron’s face. In the car, they both felt very differently than the last time they’d driven together. That had been out of need, this was something else. As _y/n_ sat, they considered how somewhere in the future they would be back helping the BAU again, and the feelings they both had for each other, whatever they were to become when they met Aaron again, well, only time could tell.

______________________________________________________________

Tag List: @tgskitten @geminitapestry @criminalskies

Want to be added to my tag list? Please see this post, CM Tag List (linked)

Want to request a fic or mood board? My requests are open. Please see this post before requesting, CM Request Post (linked)

[purikkura]

collision report — s.hanbin

❪ ★彡 SYNOPSIS. ❫ ──── you've witnessed your best friend cause one too many train accidents, but never did you ever expect your heart would be caught in one.

❪ ★彡 PAIRING. ❫ ──── sung hanbin x gn!reader

❪ ★彡 WORD COUNT. ❫ ──── 2019 words

❪ ★彡 GENRE/TROPES. ❫ ──── angst... really bad angst, high school au (was tempted to set it at university, but didn't know how fitting that was <;/3), best friends

❪ ★彡 WARNINGS. ❫ ──── allusions to & mentions of death; reader's hella paranoid and delulu; hanbin's lowkey a red flag, but we choose to look past that

❪ ★彡 NOTES. ❫ ──── first fic... y'all, this took ages. i'm 98% sure there's no way i'll be able to pump out requests at a fast rate as most, but i'll try to get to that point. eventually. this was loosely inspired by doushite mo kimi ga suki da by akb48, hence why i brought up trains so often. get my sisters to 1 million on spotify, they're so close!! alternatively titled as 'heartbreak prince!'

You told him you’d be gone for no more than 5 minutes.

And usually, when you tell Hanbin things, such promises become your top priority—for no reason in particular other than that he was Sung Hanbin. Everyone liked Sung Hanbin, whether they’d admit to it or not.

Perhaps you stood ahead in line than others—reap the benefits of the title as his best friend, why not—but that position was distressing as it was rewarding considering all the train wrecks you had to witness practically firsthand. Cringing upon the first whiff of smoke in the form of heartbreak, you could only feel bad for that week’s victim who had fallen ill to Hanbin’s charms, who shoveled their nerves and confessed to him, sooted hands waiting to be taken by a pair as pure as his.

He never did. He never could; that, you knew very well based on the horrified looks he snuck over to you during the first few incidents. He’s gotten better at it, though—derailing the other person’s high-speed emotions, making it not as messy of a bloody blue ruin. As per every rejection, it ended with you two turning your backs and heading homebound together. Envy wasn’t always a green-eyed monster. It could also take on the form of a devastated high school student, eyes discerning the back of your head (rather than the obvious space between you and your friend) as though you had kicked dirt on them just then. Don’t you know better? The body’s still warm.

Homebound is where you should be right about now, but much to the shock of everyone else, you had a life outside of playing the role of “the one that always stands next to Hanbin; are they his significant other?” and, besides, you were people-pleasing elsewhere. Needing some last-minute material for an upcoming test, your teacher obliged the offer, but that meant taking time out of your day to actually confront them. You thought it would take no more than 5 minutes.

You told Hanbin that at approximately 4:37 PM.

It’s 5:23.

Perhaps on the way, you could sum up a valid excuse as to why you stayed way later than expected. Hanbin knew you were lagging behind in the class; he was the one helping you all this time, and it was more than likely that he was the one who tipped your teacher intel that you needed extra studying material in the first place. He tends to do that often. Care too much. Then again, you always tried to return the favor in other classes, no matter how bad you were, or, at the very least, attempted to buy or share your lunch. You physically had to fight to put a chip in his mouth once, which might or might not have resulted in choking, you profusely apologizing, and him simply smiling as if he didn’t almost befriend death.

It was the small things that made you love him.

Made people love him—you liked him a very normal amount.

. . .

Who are we fooling?

You were absolutely, tremendously, without a doubt, down terribly in the trenches in love with him! And it seemed everyone was well-aware, including your math teacher who not-so-subtly dropped the question only a few minutes ago, “Are you two an item yet?” Only problem was, you couldn’t tell the one person your feelings mattered most to. No, really, how could you? After every crush people have caught? After every crash he caused?

You weren’t willing to ruin what the two of you currently had. A relationship that exceeded mere acquaintances—one you always hesitated asking if it ever meant more to him. You even hesitated to ask someone else if they drew some sort of boundary with their friends when it came to physicality. It wasn’t uncommon for you and Hanbin to randomly entangle together, arms haphazardly overlapping with the other’s, however unintentional it may be. It was comfortable for the two of you, though perhaps not so much for passersby that looked at you with rage. A stark contrast between the way Hanbin looked at you with an unbelievable amount of tenderness.

. . . Regardless.

Hanbin was your best friend. 

You couldn’t leave him, and he wouldn’t leave you.

That’s what you thought before making it to the courtyard. No Hanbin in sight.

Huh. That was strange.

The thought of him leaving you…

Your shoes kicked into high gear while the sun trickled to disappear. As if a ghost of one of Hanbin’s victims possessed you, a surge of unbeknownst confidence compelled you to try. Because you were tired of standing at a railroad crossing. Because you were fascinated by train wrecks.

There was no doubt in your mind. You love Sung Hanbin.

Didn’t matter how other people felt or how anyone would look at you. You were practically first on the waiting list anyway; you should feel more than willing to announce your feelings to the world and let the wind carry your words over to him.

Thankfully, Hanbin takes extremely slow strolls, so you managed to catch up to him right when he crossed the railroad crossing. (That’s also strange. You guys rarely take this shortcut.) Unfortunately, you arrived right when the gates fell.

“Hanbin!”

All you could see was him. Him. Him. Him alone. You could already imagine how beautiful he’ll look when he turns around, unable to hear laughter blocked out by what sounded like a siren.

You called his name another time. Possibly another.

Though the last was cut off by the incoming train, bells ringing, severing the red thread that connected you two until parted by death.

You braced for impact, a grimace replacing your previous dazed expression, but all you really felt was the wind pushing you back. You think the universe saved you just now.

Then the ringing stopped. You opened your eyes, expecting him to initially chastise you for being so reckless before teasing you for saying his name like a lovesick fool. But all he did was stare at you. Sure, there resided some specs of endearment in his eyes—that would never change—but the rest of his features reminded you so much of the horror-struck looks he gave you upon every confession. All he did was stare at you.

Meanwhile, all you could do was stare at her.

You’ve seen her before. She’s pretty—long sleek hair adorned by a headband, an accessory Hanbin doted on in the past for a reason beyond your one-sided awareness.

However, it wasn’t the headband that drew your attention or made your eyes bulge out of their sockets. It was the space between them, or lack thereof when you noticed their hands glued together.

You must’ve stared long enough not to notice the gates rose, clashing with your confidence that diminished instantly right to the soles of your shoes.

You only picked your head up when he called your name, as gently as he could.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” he mirrored in the same nervousness.

Glancing between them was a difficult task not to do. “Sorry it took so long, I… had to get some help from my teacher.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” he made sure to say that first, sneaking a look to the side. It was still his part, and you knew this script far better than anyone else. “I’m sorry — I forgot to introduce you.”

You didn’t catch her name. That was, without a doubt, the least interesting part of his sentence. Still, the words ‘My girlfriend’ resounded perfectly in your ears.

“Oh.” Congrats, you incorporated your first-ever adlib in your role, but please, follow the script. “Since—since when?”

“Since now, I think,” the girl finally took charge of the lines, attentive to neither yours nor Hanbin’s broken expressions, but she (at the very least) picked up on the awkward situation unfolding. “I guess I asked Hanbin out a few weeks ago? And he said yes, but we didn’t go anywhere from there until today when I… asked him to walk me home.”

“A few weeks ago?” Your breath fell short despite saying only four words. 

Hanbin didn’t necessarily have the gall, but to better his conscious, he had to deliver an answer. “It happened in the middle of a convenience store.” Translation: he didn’t think that much of it.

“And you said yes?” Your voice was quiet. For the first time, Hanbin forgot what to say. For the first time, he forgot how to redirect the train. There was only one rail, and it was headed straight for the two of you.

Out of every confession leading up to now, this was by far the worst.

“Yes.”

At some point in time, he lost his girlfriend’s hand, but she delicately laced it back with his as pure reassurance, prompting him to add: “Yeah, I mean, I’ve been crushing on her all year. I figured, why not?”

He’s been crushing on her all year? He’s never mentioned that before, has he? If so, how could you not have possibly known?

“Why not…” Your body’s breaking down, losing function. “Why didn’t…” …you tell your best friend? Why didn’t you tell me you were on the cusp of killing your own best friend? “Why don’t you walk her home this week?”

That definitely wasn’t the response Hanbin was expecting, or wanted. But the director is intrigued, seeking confirmation as to whether their actors know their characters as much as they did, persisting in the change in script.

“What?” Anyone could’ve heard how his voice dejected an octave lower.

“Yeah… yeah, you know,” you trailed in, unsure as to whether you really meant what you were about to say, “I’m staying after to study for the test soon. I wouldn’t want you to walk home alone. Either of you.”

Hanbin convinced himself those last few words were rushed because the ones before were definitely a direct hit on him, and there’s not a second in this situation when he doesn’t regret saying yes to his girlfriend’s homeward request.

“You sure? I wouldn’t want to impose—”

“Are you serious?” He didn’t mean to interrupt his girlfriend as he did, and he especially didn’t want to sound as exasperated as he did. Nothing could stop your eyes from flashing a bit of concern; it was built into your system that Hanbin’s well-being was priority #1. “If you still need help, I could come over.”

Was he upset with you? Anger is common as far as human nature goes, but the genuine kind never rose between you and him. You’ve certainly seen him tense up in situations like confessions or tests even he didn't study for (no thanks to you), but did his shoulders always buckle so tight?

“I think you’ve helped enough.”

There, you’ve done it. Now, there lies two casualties. That red thread of fate did last until the very end.

“B-But I’m here now!” You sounded more enthused than you were. “And I don’t want to hold either of you up, so let’s start walking, yeah?”

You extended your arm, gesturing for them to lead the way. Part of you hoped he’d take your tainted hand instead, but he never did. He never could. His girlfriend had to tug for his body to finally react, and you witnessed his face surf through a plethora of emotions before settling on a forced cordial smile—one he used after every killing.

This moment felt all too familiar. Déjà vu all over again, only you felt out of place. This was a change in scenery. Rather than spotting the sunset, you watched as the couple turned their backs, your eyes boring into the back of an innocent’s head, who walked in the position you once had.

You were prepared to play the kicked puppy, a gate of tears ready for their cue. But you couldn’t, not when the boy who did away with your innocence walks already guilted with so many bodies, some that hadn’t even gone cold.

So, you never did.

You told him you needed all but 5 minutes. If it had been 5 minutes, would your life have been spared?

[pinkykats-place]

BakuDeku ft. Jealous Midoriya

SFW

AO3 Fanfic Recommendations

Disclaimers!

None of the stories linked below are mine.

All are SFW … still read AO3 tags.

Credit to @spatziline for the art.

Note: If you read any of these stories and like them please let the author know with a kudos and/or comment!

His by sister_elric

Summary: Izuku would like to consider himself a pretty level headed individual. Sure, he had the occasional tunnel vision, especially when it came to training. And hero work. And Kacchan. But, overall, Midoriya felt as though he typically kept his cool. Well, maybe that was a stretch. But, at the very least he could understand his own emotions.

So, it surprised even him when an unfamiliar emotion coursed through him as a first year approached his boyfriend, Katsuki.

What did she want?

One Shot | Second Year au

The Way You Make Me Feel by lostintheclouds321

Summary: Izuku doesn't understand how Kirishima befriended Kacchan so easily when Izuku has always been pushed to the side. What was so different between the two of them such that Kacchan will never let him get close?

{One Shot}

Wildfire by RunningInRoses

Summary: A wildfire rages inside Izuku's head, taking his functioning brain cells with it.

He knows he shouldn't be so irrationally angry. He knows.

- - -

A fic in which Izuku is jealous over how touchy Bakugo lets Kirishima get with him. They duke it out because that's the only way they've ever known.

One Shot | SFW

dry your smoke-stung eyes by gravitates

Summary: And then one day, Shimizu cracks a joke, and Kacchan is laughing. It’s a beautiful sound, cutting through the atmosphere like something wild and carefree, accompanied by the feral grin curling his mouth. But Izuku hears it like the shattering of glass, or maybe that’s the sound of his heart breaking.

Where his body used to turn away, Kacchan is now leaning closer to her, the distance between them collapsing centimetre by centimetre as the weeks stretch. And all Izuku can think is, I want to sit with you during lunch too. I want to make you laugh like that in front of everyone too.

There's a new girl who keeps following Kacchan around. Jealous doesn't seem quite enough to describe what Izuku feels.

{One Shot}

Quirkless & Support Course Deku

keep you like an oath by gravitates

Summary: Because once upon a time, he’d dreamed of becoming Kacchan’s hero partner too, saving the world together as a wonder duo. And doesn’t everything boil down to this, the fact that he could never be that person? Camie—dazzling, beautiful, who has an illusion quirk. Izuku—plain, invisible, quirkless. It’s this line between them that determines who gets to hold Kacchan’s hand in the open, and who gets to be kept as a secret.

Whose love gets celebrated, and whose love gets condemned.

— — —

Kacchan and Izuku get caught together on a tabloid. To divert the rumours, Kacchan's agency makes him fake date Camie.

{One Shot}

Aged Up AU | Quirkless Midoriya

No Longer His (Was He Ever?) by Inkspill7

Summary: Izuku overhears Katsuki confessing his feelings to Kirishima.

Complete | 5 Chapters | Second Yr au

You belong with me by KTDKJ0LYNE

Summary: So no, Izuku wasn't usually prone to jealousy, but in this moment he felt a very ugly feeling shoot down his spine.

— — —

Or: Izuku has anxiety, Katsuki is an idiot, and Shinsou is a lifesaver.

{One Shot}

Just Friends by KittKatt420

Summary: A new hero has transferred into the agency and much to Izuku’s dismay, she's an old friend of Kacchan's: Camie Utsushimi! And she has replaced Izuku as Kacchan’s partner for not only their usual patrols, but for their summer PR event too. And when rumors begin to circulate that Kacchan is dating his new partner, Izuku can’t understand why she begins to feel so jealous- or why Kacchan begins to invade her thoughts the way he does. But the more she sees them together the more she feels like this.

Is Kacchan really dating Camie? And will Izuku be able to confront her own feelings for Bakugo and confess?

Complete | 3 Chapters

Pro Hero au | Female Midoriya

Rated - Teen & Up

Kacchan by Eternal_writes

Summary: It’s one thing for Midoriya to call Bakugou, Kacchan. It's another thing entirely for Denki to call Bakugou, Kacchan. And what shocked him the most was that he got away with it. He expected to die on the spot. He expected to explode. And then everyone else started calling him Kacchan too, and nothing comes of it. So they keep doing it, and something unexpected happens. They realize it’s not Bakugou they should’ve been afraid of. Not by a long shot.

— — —

Or the 5 times that Class 3-A got away with calling him Kacchan, and the one time they didn’t.

{One Shot}

Rated - Teen & Up

"Ugly, Ugly Jealousy" by the_fanfic_addict2423

Summary: He didn’t get it.Izuku just couldn’t wrap his head around it.It wasn’t anything strange about today, another Saturday afternoon, another day of Class 2A piling into the common room of UA’s dorms for their weekend off. They could watch movies, play games, but the majority of the time they simply chose to chat about nothing and everything all the same. They’ve been together for nearly two years now and they were family. They were his family. Especially after all they’ve faced together. So, why did this strange feeling bubble in his chest whenever he was around them?

Complete | 3 Chapters | Second Yr au

[fafayayarhen]

I wanna draw yandere Spain so bad

Saw an ask @j-ellyfish answered about yandere Spain and Austria and it hasn't left my mind

TW: some pretty dark, twisted stuff under the cut cause y'know, yandere trope = bad so be warned tee hee

This man is perfect to slap every yandere archetype into him because no one will suspect a thing. He's friendly! He's nice! He's so charming, the red on his shirt he said was from the tomatoes that he was mid harvesting but oh no, some got squished and stuff! The colour is suspiciously dark brown when it dried up but there's no reason to question it.

That eerie, vacant look in his eyes from time to time when he sees a certain someone standing a little too close to Austria — when asked why he's glaring sharp daggers to dig and carve into the poor man's back, the Spaniard would shrug it off and steer the conversation away easily.

Here's the thing that nations don't die but you can sure as hell hurt them like a bitch, and this green eyed monster would woefully lambast; "It's a pity, really, I'd rather you be gone from this world for good if I have to see you breathe the same air as mi querida does but mutilating you beyond recognition is a fair trade."

"Porfa, be good for me and scream loudly as I torture you. It'll do wonders, promise."

His possessive and downright obsessive behaviour would be insane, and the kicker to all this is Austria being aware of his beloved beast's depravity but you know.

This pretty gemstone enables it because Antonio is doing it for him, isn't that romantic? (Roderich is no better in this aspect of morality. Spain is hot when he goes a bit nuts = Spain should get to do whatever he wants.)

[arvensimp]

Honestly I've been shipping N and Arven a bit lately. Your Green-Eyed series inspires 'angry-I-have-feelings' trope writing in me. *coughs* just put a self insert into that floofhair sandwich-

Hoo boy SO

I'm glad!!!! This ended up being way longer than intended and STILL ISNT DONE BUT HERES PART 3 LETS GO LESBIANS

-

Green Eyed Tera-Type Pt. 3

Arven x Reader, ft. N

This one has an insinuation of potential SA, but nothing of the sort actually happens. It's entirely a misunderstanding. Same as last time there is some slight violence/gore.

--

There are crystals... Shining, reflective crystals like mirrors all around you. They gleam, opalescent, casting artificial rainbows that are so bright it makes your head throb.

You squint just to see.

Just the tiniest movement sends the reflections all haywire. Your vision can't focus.

You try.

Is...is that you..?

You think that's your reflection in the crystal...but something's wrong. Reflections...don't do that. They change based on angles. This is like...a camera feed shown in 12 places at once...and...it's wrong. It's you and not you all at once.

You blink hard.

The image shifts.

It's...the professor...and the penultimate monster of a paradox pokemon you took down before the time machine was finally stopped.

The professor's eyes gleam that same colorless and yet every-color-at-once opal.

You open your mouth to say something, anything, and they're both gone, swirled together.

The rainbows turn sour and dark, churning like rancid milk until it becomes a sticky black tar...crinkling with red electricity...

The wild hare eyes of Cinderace meet yours. They're reflected a thousand and a thousand times more in the glass mirrors (not mirrors) that surround you, unblinking.

You want to brace for the impact of its attack, but all you can do is shake like a smoliv. Your mouth is open; you're screaming so loud that it hurts; your throat feels like fire, but no sound escapes you.

Then you're being shaken--no.

Rocked?

Rocked...

Rocked......

It's gentle.

There's cold air and warmth all at once.

Hands on you...

You hear a voice, but you don't understand it other than soft hushes.

It sounds nice. Gentle... Calming... You want to focus on that.

Then there's a pink light that shines from beyond your closed eyes (when did you eyes close? They're too heavy to open now...)

And you drift into nothingness.

-

N silently thanks Chansey for the heal pulse that helped send you back to sleep.

He's still got you in his arms, holding you gently as a pokemon egg as he brushes his spindly fingers through your hair in an attempt to be comforting.

At least you're not quivering like a leaf anymore.

He wonders if fever dreams like this are common after head injuries. Is it a fever dream? Is it a sign of infection?

He really wishes he could get you somewhere better. Safer.

He could send out one of his pokemon, but where would they go? From whom would they search for help?

Wait.

His pokemon can't help here...

But one of yours probably could!

N reaches over as best he can with you still cradled in his arms and drags your bag over by his foot. Once it's close enough, he reaches in with a hand and pulls out a pokeball.

Skeledirge is inside, and it loudly greets the two of you with its usual Jurassic sounding cry.

The crocodile probably wouldn't be the best for getting help, but it will definitely help keep you both warm.

N tries to explain the situation as best he can, and Skeledirge seems to understand well enough. It dawdles over and curls up around you, huffing warm air with each sigh. It also vibrates a low, mournful sort of humming sound. Certainly not a dirge, but definitely sad.

N grabs another PokeBall and lets its inhabitant free.

He's met with a quadrupedal...dragon? Thing? He's never met this pokemon of yours before, but it eyes him up and down curiously before chirping and shaking its head satisfactorily.

He tries communicating with it as he has every other pokemon he's ever known, but...this one doesn't...seem to respond the same way. He thinks the dragon understands. It sidles up to you and rubs its face against your arm, making a soft worried sound, but other than that, it doesn't seem to listen to anything N has to say. Or really respond to him.

N sighs. Dragons really don't like ice. He won't ask this pokemon to go out in the storm, so he resigns himself to grab another ball from your bag. However the moment he reaches down, your dragon lifts its head, looking out of the exit to the cave, as if hearing something far off, and then it darts out into the cold.

N's stomach sinks. He really hopes the dragon is off to get help and that he didn't just release a pokemon you'd been trying to tame.

...Maybe he should leave the remainder of your PokeBalls alone.

-

Arven paid out his ass to get a cab to Montenevera in this storm, and the cabbie was more than displeased at him for the hassle. Arven thanked and tipped him profusely for the trouble before he hauled ass back down the mountain to safety for the poor bird pokemon.

Shit. Arven wasn't going to be able to rely on another cab.

...and none of his pokemon were really suited for the cold. Sure cloyster is half ice, but...not really one for hiking. Scovillain is half fire, but the other half is super weak to ice.

Fuck.

At least he has his good puffer jacket and layers that he was able to change into in the cab. He also double checked that he has plenty of first aid supplies for...whatever mess he finds.

He just has to keep moving. Just don't stop.

If he stops he'll think about area zero, and then he'll think about--

Nope he's not letting his mind go there.

He can't go get more herba mystica with you to fix you up if you're the one who's unresponsive and--

He's not going to think about it.

He just starts up along the path with barely enough presence of mind to text Penny that he's going up a mountain to look for you and that he's leaving his location on in case something bad happens.

The storm is absolute bullshit. He hates the cold. He hates snow. He hates not knowing where the fuck you are. The fact that that weirdo is with you? The fact that he hung up? And wouldn't answer any other calls? Fuck. He's seething. He knows for a fact now that anger can't keep him warm because the bitter bite of the wind only adds to the maelstrom raging in Arven's mind over this whole debacle.

Fuck, he hates the cold.

He swears loudly when a particular gust of icy wind knocks him off path.

The snow is falling fast and thick, snowflakes clumped together in thick bundles larger than any raindrop would ever dare to be.

Arven braces an arm in front of himself against the wind and keeps trudging forward.

He yells your name into the gale, but it's swallowed up entirely.

He doesn't even know where he's going. A cave, maybe? Should he look for a cave?

But how can he look for anything when all that's around is blinding white snow and the angry grey of the sky?

He yells your name again, his voice cracking on it.

Is he crying? His eyelashes feel crunchy and hard when he blinks.

Arven falls to his knees in the snow.

How is he supposed to find you? What is he going to do? Has he lost his mind? He could die out here.

You...

You could already be dead.

A sharp, familiar cry catches his ears, then the sound of crunching snow behind him.

Arven turns to find 'Raidon there, and his jaw drops.

"B-buddy!" An exceedingly rare nickname for the brute. "Where--" The wind picks up, blowing snow into his mouth. Arven coughs and struggles to stand, so the dragon moves closer, helping balance and lift him up and get him mounted.

Once seated, Arven leans in. "Do you know where to go?" He asks.

Raidon gives an affirmative full body shake and zips off with a chirp.

-

You've got a fever. N is nearly certain of that.

But...you're shivering, even with Skeledirge wrapped warmly around you.

N isn't sure what to do about it.

Fevers are good. Right? Not permanently, of course. But they kill of bad bacteria in the body? So, should he let you sweat it out? Or...should he be trying to cool you down?

You probably need water, too...

He rifles through his bag for a water bottle. Luckily he has one that hasn't frozen over.

N lifts you up a bit to sitting, and you groan. Chansey stands from the corner to try and assist some. She helds keep you steady in N's grasp as he holds the water to your mouth.

"C-can you drink? It's just water..." He says it in his language, which he knows you don't understand, but hopefully you can pick up the calm tone of his voice, like a pokemon would?

He wracks his mind trying to remember the Paldean word for water for a moment before it hits him and he says that instead.

That seems to do the trick, and you start to drink just a bit.

N rubs your shoulders gently as you do. "You're okay... You're safe." He tells you, again in Paldean.

"...N?" You say groggily after taking a break from drinking. Your eyes are still sorely closed, your brow furrowed in pain.

His heart lurches a bit when you say his name.

"Y-Yes! N!" Even in his excitement, he still speaks softly to you. "Here. Water." He encourages you to drink more, and you gratefully accept.

"What...what happened...? Everything hurts..." Your voice cracks into a bit of a sob, but the act of heaving breaths to cry only makes you hurt even worse.

N shushes you gently, running his hands through your hair in what he hopes is a comforting gesture.

"Cinderace raid...went bad..."

"Where..." You try not to heave your breathing, but you're finding it difficult to get air. "Where are we?"

"Uh... Snowy...big...?" N tries to tell you.

Your brain hurts, and you can't think well, so you drop it. "Sure..." You cough lightly, and N offers you more water, which you try to guzzle down.

That ends up being a mistake, because you end up choking and coughing at the same time.

The act of coughing then reopens that stupid fucking wound on your torso, making you cry out in pain and promptly black out again.

N falters for a moment, moving as best as he can to look at the injury.

His hands falter. You're out like a like a light and bleeding all over.

This is so bad. He needs bandages, and he really doesn't think it's a good idea to keep you in a wet, bloody shirt in the cold...

He does his best to move you as little as possible as he removes your shirt to examine the wound. You groan terribly in your unconscious state but are otherwise immobile and unresponsive.

His hands hover over your covered but bleeding injury as you moan. What is he going to do?

-

Raidon gets Arven to the entrance of the cave as quickly as it can, and it seems like it isn't a moment too soon. He could hear your shouts of pain from a distance, and as he enters the den, he can see that green haired bozo hovering over your shirtless form as you miserably cry.

Arven sees red.

"Hey!" He shouts, hopping off the dragon and bounding over to the two of you in less than two paces.

Raidon stays by the mouth of the cave.

N stands and turns with an utterly terrified look across his features.

"Arve--" He starts.

Arven decks him with one swift motion. "Who the fuck do you think you are, doing something like that?"

N hits the ground hard and backs up to the wall.

Arven releases Mabosstiff from his ball. "Keep him there, bud." He commands before turning to you.

Mabosstiff growls lowly and approaches N with a menacing sneer.

Arven is down on his knees at your side in a second.

He was hoping he could just grab you and go if he could, but he's not sure he can move you like this.

"Shit, shit, shit... Hey, buddy... Can you hear me?" He asks, opening up his backpack and pulling out the first aid kit.

You groan.

Arven feels his vision going distant again, so he blinks hard and presses his nails to his palms as he keeps talking to you. He won't let himself dissociate because he's in a state of panic.

"I-I'm gonna... I'm gonna patch you up, okay?"

Arven tenderly unwraps the...shirt? That was previously used as a bandage around your torso's injury. The wound is jagged and ugly and bleeding, and Arven wants to look away, but he can't. He won't let himself turn away when you need him.

He grabs a disinfectant from the first aid kit and takes your hand in his.

"I dunno if you can hear me, but I'm sorry in advance. This is gonna sting, but it's better than getting infected. Okay? Squeeze my hand if you need. I'm here."

You give a noncommittal sound in response, and he pours.

You give a gutteral cry that breaks into sobs, jolting up and heaving forward into Arven. He holds you tightly there, squeezing your hand comfortingly.

"Shhhh...I know... I know... It'll fade soon."

"A-Arven...?"

"Y-Yeah, bud... I'm here..."

You're silent again after that. When your breathing steadies, Arven leans you back against the wall to examine the wound. It seems like the disinfectant has wiped away a good bit of the blood. You're still actively bleeding, but it's less of a mess now that a lot of it has been cleaned.

He takes some gauze and antibiotic cream from his kit and lightly presses it to the injury. You stir but don't have nearly the same intense reaction as the burning disinfectant.

Arven sighs, a little relieved, then gets to work cleaning up the rest of the drying, coagulating blood on your torso and getting you wrapped up in bandages.

He moves you gingerly with careful hands that are used to working with a sensitive and dearly loved patient.

Once he's got your wound at least temporarily cared for before he can get you to an actual medical professional, he rifles through his bag again, pulling out one of his hoodies. Sure it'll be big on you, but it's warm and dry.

He dresses you like a doll, speaking softly and hoping you keep answering even if only in little mumbles or groans.

You eventually slump forward into him, and Arven holds you there gently, rubbing circles against your back.

"I got you... I got you..." He repeats softly, over and over again, and he isn't sure if it's to comfort himself or you.

The two of you sit like that for a long time as the storm blows angrily outside the cave.

Eventually a soft voice speaks up from behind Arven.

"Good...?"

Arven turns slowly to look toward N, and he can feel murder sink into his veins. He's about to ask him what the hell he thought he was going to do to you, what with your shirt off and those hovering hands and you crying, and, fuck, Arven feels sick just thinking about it. He wants to punch him again right in his filthy, horrible mouth, knock his teeth in, break his fingers for even attempting to touch you like that. Especially when you're so horribly hurt.

But...he sees Mabosstiff there, curled up happily at N's side, lazily wagging his tail while N mindlessly strokes his dewlap, one of his favorite spots.

Mabosstiff doesn't just let anybody pet him there.

N sees the baffled look on Arven's face and smiles weakly through a rapidly bruising black eye. He gently pats Mabosstiff.

"Him and I are friends. He is a good boy."

Mabosstiff boofs and wags his tail with a bit more gusto.

Arven looks to his dog. He told him to keep N in place menacingly, but now he's all sweet as a puppy with the foreigner.

Mabosstiff isn't one to just be swayed by treats or something.

Arven narrows his eyes.

"What did you do?"

"We talk... He is a good boy. He loves you muchly."

"What do you mean, you talked? He's a pokemon. He can't speak." Arven holds you a bit tighter. What was this freak's deal?

N shrugs. "I...talk pokemon."

Mabosstiff boofs in agreement to the statement and leans heavily upon N who continues to give him those good scratches.

"I... I don't care what you speak. I saw what you were doing when I got here, you sick freak. You're lucky there were more pressing matters to attend to, or I'd have beaten you into a pulp for what you were trying to pull." Arven positions himself in a way such that you're even further from N, and Arven himself can act as a barrier.

N tilts his head to the side. "I do not understand..." N gestures to you with a nod. "...Better? I ask Chansey to help, but..." He motions to the Chansey which Arven only just now notices is nearby, shuffling next to N as she tries to look at his black eye. "Not lots of the help?" He says.

Arven heaves a sigh.

"A pokemon can't patch up an open wound like this." He says, though he doubts N really gets it. "Then again, heal pulse probably has anti-anxiety and calming properties... That maybe helped with the panic and shock?" He knows now that N isn't following. Maybe...maybe this guy really wasn't trying something funny?

"You don't know anything about first aid, do you?"

N gives him a blank stare, and Arven lifts up his medical kit, while still keeping one arm protectively around you.

"First. Aid." He says slowly. "If you get injured."

N shakes his head. "I don't have first aid... I'm sorry. No...uh...first aid," He repeats the term, "So..." He motions to the discarded and bloody shirt he'd wrapped around you earlier. "That for...ouch." N winces. He knows that isn't the word he wants.

"The injury." Arven corrects.

"That for the injury. Thank you."

Arven nods slowly, and he has a feeling that...maybe...maybe he might've been a little bit of a dick punching N in the face.

He doesn't really regret it... Maybe. But still.

He sighs.

"You should get some ice on your eye." He gestures to N's bruising. "Plus..." He rifles through the kit and removes a bottle of anti-inflammatory pills. "These should help with some of the soreness. Take 2." He holds up two fingers then tosses N the bottle.

N looks dumbfounded but catches the bottle regardless. "Uh... Thank you." He didn't entirely understand, but he trusts this should help. "Mm...Water?"

He kinda let you finish his last water.

Arven blanches, grabbing a massive bottle from his bag and handing it over.

"You have no water left?"

N would have turned a shade or so pinker had he not currently been fighting to stay warm without one of his usual layers.

He shakes his head and gestures to you.

That's something Arven immediately understands. "Well. Uh... You should take those pills. But..maybe not on an empty stomach..?" Fuck, Arven can feel himself shifting into parent mode. He's supposed to hate this guy! But he did try to look after you...and it seems like he needs someone to look after him too.

He reaches back into his bag and pulls out a sandwich. Nothing fancy, but it's something.

N's eyes light up, and he licks his lips.

"Here," Arven says, handing it to him. "We're probably stuck here while we wait for the storm to let up anyway, so we may as well get fed."

From the corner of his eye, Arven spots 'Raidon trying to sneak toward N and his sandwich. Arven stops him with a hand and a quick "Hey! I've got food for you too, you brute, just hold on..." He starts rifling through his bag again to find another sandwich that he tosses the dragon's way.

He entirely misses the way N's eyes shine as he bites into his sandwich, how he's nearly brought to tears over how good just a simple bit of food is after such a harrowing experience.

He also misses the way his eyes gleam as he watches N share more food with 'Raidon and the other pokemon in the cave, even the wild Chansey.

Y'all were going to be stuck here a minute, so even if he started off on very much the wrong foot (or fist) at least he's quickly making amends.

[writing-heiress]

Juliet

TV Tropes: Juliet Belladonna

All Loving Heroine: How the Celestial Realm see her.

Animal Motifs: Moths.

Bitch in Sheep’s Clothing: Juliet acts as if she is as pure as an actual saint in public, mainly the Celestial Realm. Only her family members and those who live in the Devildom know what she’s actually like.

Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Despite being a horrible person, she genuinely loves and cares about her family, especially her parents.

The Fake Cutie: How easily she was able to maintain her cutesy and innocent persona is almost impressive.

Foil:

To Seraphina: Seraphina is Juliet’s opposite in every way. Juliet comes from a sorcerer family, having bonds (angelic pacts), strongly detests Solomon & demons, & wanting a relationship with Micheal. Meanwhile Seraphina comes from a long line of witches, having several pacts plus some bonds, views Solomon as a big brother, has a more positive relationship with demons, and not wanting anything to do with Micheal. Juliet is extremely envious of Seraphina because of how things comes seemingly easy for the latter.

Gemstone Motifs: She tends to give the Seraphs/Archangels gemstone-like nicknames, with each gemstone strongly associating with their respective Seraph. Not only that, she refers to them as her “precious jewels”.

Green-Eyed Monster: Juliet becomes crazy jealous of Seraphina because of when Micheal, Raphael, and Jophiel have repeatedly shown interest in Seraphina rather than herself.

Light is Not Good: Despite having holy magic and being revered as a saintess, she is anything but.

Manipulative Bitch: Given how she manipulates the Celestial Realm as well as the Sorcerer’s Society, thinking that she’s a good-natured individual.

Politically Incorrect Villain: She has a strong hatred for demons and anything associated with them. This even extends to hating Solomon for his 72 pacts & Seraphina being romantic relationships with 7 of the most powerful. She strongly opposes to Diavolo’s exchange program.

Villian with Good Publicity: Her with the Celestial Realm & the Sorcerer’s Society.

@adrianasunderworld @queen-of-twisted @yukii0nna @yumeko2sevilla @liviavanrouge @achy-boo @abyssthing198 @the-weirdos-mind @starry-night-rose @fair-night-starry-tears @rosietrace @the-trinket-witch @lorkai @absolutepokemontrash

[gemwing1988]

Heart, Soul & Mind — King Dice TV Tropes

Warning, this fanmade trope will contain spoilers for the Cuphead fanfiction, “Heart, Soul & Mind” and possibly the sequel, “Playing With Loaded Dice”. Please read with care and enjoy.

The manager of The Devil’s Casino and the secondary antagonist of Heart, Soul & Mind. A despite being referred as a good for nothing lackey by the Devil himself, King Dice remains loyal to Old Scratch and is willingly to partake in his wicked schemes to take over the Isles.

After his humiliating defeat at the hands of the Cup Brothers in the events of the game, Dice is left bitter and determined for some revenge best serves cold. But he’s also hoping for a consolation prize when our heroines and their friends wind up on the Isles, his eyes on Lexie…

Abhorrent Admirer: He up and decided to make himself Lexie’s unwanted suitor despite knowing she is already dating Liam. And Dice as abhorrent as he comes.

Actually Pretty Funny: Or in some case, actually pretty catchy as he happily snapped his fingers to the beat of Elvis Presley’s song, “Return to Sender” as it blasted out from the card the Dreamstones send to him and the Devil thanks to a spell Natty casted. He also commented that Lexie has great taste in music.

Amusing Injuries:

And Now You Must Marry Me:

Whatever he has to pass up as a heart, he has it set on making Lexie his wife and “Queen of Diamonds”.

He attempts to do this straight once he kidnapped Lexie in the sequel.

Ax-Crazy: In the sequel, “Playing With Loaded Dice”, he becomes severely unhinged when in possession of a crown once belonging to an evil king that makes him demonic and Drugged on Power.

Berserk Button: Aside from losing a bet, Dice develop another one in the form of Liam “getting in between him and his gal”.

Big Bad: In Playing With Loaded Dice due to the Devil’s absence.

Baddie Flattery:

Brainwashed and Crazy: Under influence of the evil crown he possessed in the sequel.

Co-Dragons: With Anubis. He might be the Devil’s right hand but Anubis is the Devil’s number one Bounty Hunter, both valuable to his assets in their own right.

Crazy Jealous Guy:

Deadpanned Snarker:

The Determinator: No one or nothing will stop him from getting what he wants and that’s Lexie’s hand in marriage.

Didn’t See This Coming:

Didn’t Think This Through:

Embarrassing Nickname: Katie likes to call him “cheese cube” just get under his skin.

Entitled to Have You: Despite knowing that Lexie is dating and eventually engaged to Liam, Dice is adamant of making her his gal, believing he has the best of everything a girl could want.

Even Evil Has Standards: He might be sleazy but even he wouldn’t bring himself to spike a woman’s drink.

Evil Cannot Comprehend Good:

Evil Gloating:

Evil is Petty:

Evil is Not a Toy: The mysterious figure he paid to find the two crowns warned him that overusing the power the evil king’s crown would make go mad with power and he would never break free from its influence. Dice really should have listened…

Faux Affably Evil:

Forceful Kiss: He is pretty much prone to plant one on Lexie every chance he gets.

The Ghost: Gets mentioned a couple of times in later fanfic series, especially when he’s compared to his TCS counterpart.

A God Am I!: When he turns Brainwashed and Crazy by the demonic crown in “Playing With Loaded Dice”.

Green Eyed Monster:

Humiliation Conga Line:

Hypocrite:

Idiot Ball:

I Have Your Wife:

I Have You Now, My Pretty: He doesn’t waste time having Lexie to himself with the flirting and Evil Gloating.

Karmic Butt Monkey: While he’s still a threat to the Dreamstones and their companions, he suffers a lot of karma in the Humiliation Conga Line variety.

Karma Houdini Warranty: After several chapters of getting away with stealing Mugman’s soul, Dice faces his biggest comeuppance at the hands of the very same mug he had hurt when Mugman gets his soul back in the final battle.

Kick the Dog:

Laser-Guided Karma:

Malicious Misnaming: He enjoys calling Liam “shrimp”. He also calls Natty “pinky” because she wears a pink shirt.

My God, What Have I Done?!: After he is defeated and the crown is destroyed, the heroes couldn’t resist telling him he had carelessly said some unsavoury things about the Devil as the crown had warped his mind. To say the least, he dreads to think how the Devil would react should he ever get hear about it.

Never My Fault:

Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!:

Not Brainwashed: Subverted. Despite warnings from the figure who sold him the crown, Dice willingly placed it on, granting him dreadful powers his imagination. At first he’s pretty much in control and knew what he’s doing but he eventually grows Drunk on Power and becomes much more unhinged akin to Magnifico’s path of full on villainy from Wish

Oh Crud!:

Red Eyes, Take Warning: More like green eyes, take warning. When his eyes turn jade green when he’s at his most despicable, better get ready for whatever he has in store.

Revenge:

He was eager to get some payback on the humiliation he had received after the Cup Brothers had busted him up in the events of the game, managing to nab Mugman’s soul.

Again, he doubles down in Playing With Loaded Dice.

The Rival:

To Liam when it concerns Lexie.

He often alternates between Katie and Natty.

Screams Like a Little Girl:

Slimeball:

Smug Snake:

Stalker with a Crush:

This Is Gonna Suck:

Thinking Up Portals: Much like in the game when you visit the Die House, Dice is capable of conjuring plot holes beneath his feet and jump down into them to teleport from one place to another anytime he wants. He also has portals into his own little pocket dimension on occasions.

Trash Landing: Dice gets tossed into a dumpster full of trash Tom & Jerry-style thanks to Aya’s telekinesis.

Tyrant Takes the Helm: Since the Devil is imprisoned in the Astral Planes at the end of Heart, Mind and Soul, Dice takes stage as temporarily the Big Bad as the Big Bad after he takes brief ownership of a crown that contains demonic powers. Since it was in possession of an evil king, the crown warped Dice’s mind, corrupting him into a much more ruthless and more tyrant-like until it was destroyed after his defeat.

Underestimating the Hardcore:

Undying Loyalty: Despite the fact that the Devil called him a good for nothing lackey since the final showdown in the game, Dice still stays as his right hand man. He is genuinely horrified at what unsavoury things he must have said about the Devil under the influence of the crown in the sequel after he is defeated.

Villainous Crush: The moment he laid eyes on Lexie for the first when he and the Devil were observing her in the prologue, he was instantly smitten. And is heck bent on making her his gal.

Villain Takes an Interest: Upon seeing Lexie as the Devil was spying on her in the prologue, Dice was instantly smitten.

We Can Rule Together:

You Gotta Be Kidding Me!:

You Meddling Kids!:

[crazyforteyam]

My True Love (part 2) - Realization

pairing : triangle love between Neteyam, f! Omaticaya reader, and Va'ru (my OC)

part one

summary : Y/N felt the turmoil inside her as she just realized the little things Neteyam always did to her. Is she pick the wrong person to love all this time?

notes : This fic takes place 20 years after Avatar 1 & events in ATWOW don't exist + reader is Kaa’ni & Saeyla's daughter (they r hunter trainees under Tsutey and go with Jake in his Iknimaya on Avatar 1)

contains : forbidden love + unrequited love + slow burn trope + angst and fluff + Neteyam is a simp but the reader is oblivious xx

“Are you gonna wear that?” Neteyam's brow furrowed, judging the top you wear.

“Yes. Why?” You look at your top, decorated with iridescent feathers. One of your favorites.

Neteyam frowns. “The feather looks dull. Also, the ropes are too thin. Change it, I’ll fix that top for you tomorrow,”

Your face filled with confusion. In your mind, the top is just fine, and nothing to worry about. But you finally turn around and change into another top, and you put your old top next to Neteyam’s stuff.

“How about now?” You stand in front of him.

“It’s better,” he looks at your new top and nods. He then wears his ikran visor. “I will go to patrol today with Dad. Also, Mom told me yesterday, that she will be happy if you help her sew some ornaments for the celebration,”

You nod. “Sure, I’ll help her,”

Neteyam smiles. “Okay, I’ll go now,”

You watch his departure with his ikran. Your relationship with him now is somehow a bit changed, now becoming more relaxed. You enter the marui again, and your eyes find the engagement necklace on your stuff. Luckily a woman found it near the marui and gave it to you. Now, your parents will never be angry.

You hold the necklace in your palm and observe it, as some new thoughts fill your mind. It’s a beautiful necklace actually, with a light blue pendant. You take a deep sigh and finally wear it around your neck. 

~~~~~~~~~

Neteyam flies around the Hallelujah Mountains. His patrol with Jake is done, luckily there is nothing to worry about. He also already collected the feathers and some tree roots for fixing your top. He is about to fly back home when he thinks of something. So then he flies to Angel Falls, the waterfall that separates the forest and the ocean.

the atmosphere around the waterfall seems dangerous and the sound of the water is very thunderous, it seems that no one can afford to live here. Maybe Norm is lying about Va’ru? Until Neteyam saw someone appears between the trees just a few miles from the waterfall. He couldn’t see the person clearly, so he landed his ikran on the nearest branch and walks sneakily between the trees. He squints his eyes and tries to recognize the person. It's Va’ru. Finally, Va’ru is found. 

When Neteyam sees Va'ru, he feels something strange in his stomach. He don't know how to react, should he be happy? The reason of his happines is you, but your source of happines is always Va'ru.

He grunts. It’s the green-eyed monster. He couldn’t hold it and he think of it all the way back home. 

While Netayam secretly finds Va’ru, at the same moment you are sitting in Neytiri’s marui, helping her to sew some beads to the dancing costume. A celebration will be held in two days, to remember the clan's victory against the sky people in the war 20 years ago. Everybody is busy, and Neytiri asks for your help to sew some costumes.

The two of you are sitting face-to-face. You always adore Neytiri, she radiates a strong aura. After Mo'at's passing, Neytiri became Tsahik. She is also a warrior, the only Palulukan Makto in the clan. Not only that, but she is also a gorgeous woman. Minutes passed in silence with both of you sewing, until she finally spoke.

“So, how are you with Neteyam?” she asks, her hands going up and down with the needles, sewing some costumes.

“We are all right,” you faked a reassuring smile, trying to convince her.

Neytiri smiles. Then she said, “Neteyam never touched any woman before he touch you,” 

Really? You furrow your eyebrow, as you know the facts that some girls here are completely head over heels for him, hoping to be his mate.

“But, I think there are plenty of girls here who like him?” You lifted your face, eyebrows raised in confusion.

“Of course. But he never interested in them,” Neytiri answers calmly.

Then she grins, as her eyes lighten remembering something from the past.

“I remember, when he was still 10 years old, he went back running, with a grin on his face. He hugged me and said, ‘Mother, I found the girl that I’m gonna marry!’ and when I asked who is that girl, he answered without any hesitation at all. ‘It’s Y/N, Mother!” 

She giggles and continues the story. 

“Of course, I thought his words were just some kid jokes. But look now! Seems like the Great Mother herself unites the two of you,”

Is it what Great Mother wants? Is my fate to be Neteyam’s mate, although I never love him? The question arises in your mind, as you listen to Neytiri's story, try to look excited.

“Y/N,” Suddenly, Neytiri stops sewing and she stares deeply into your eyes. “Take care of Neteyam, will you?”

“I will try my best,” 

Neytiri smiles. “There is always only one woman in Neteyam’s life, and that woman is you,”

Then she pulls back, passing you some clothes and needles, and orders you to finish other costumes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is always only one woman in Neteyam’s life, and that woman is you.

Neytiri’s words play again and again in your mind like a never-ending speech. You begin to be restless. It’s just a simple word that she said yesterday, but why it still haunts you now?

Now your gaze fell on Neteyam's figure, who is fixing your top. You are standing behind him, facing his broad shoulders decorated with stripes. His long fingers move with ease, his talent in sewing is as good as his mother's. When he finally finishes, he stands up and looks a bit shocks when he realizes that you are already looking at him. Neteyam approaches you with your top in his palm.

“It’s finished. You can wear it to the celebration,” He says.

“Thank you, Neteyam,” You say your gratitude, and smile to him. His eyebrow is lifted by your action, but he smiles back at you.

The celebration starts at night. You and Neteyam get dressed and then enter the celebration together. Of course, you wear the engagement necklace. Neteyam wears a beautiful woven choker made of iridescent stones, and for the first time, you find him looking quite handsome. Your parents, Ka’ani and Saeyla find you both, then talk in some conversations until the music starts.

Ka’ani smiles. “You two must dance!” and he shoves both of you into the circle. The music starts to play. So, you and Neteyam dance together. It's awkward at the beginning, but it gets better then. Actually, you are quite surprised that Neteyam can dance well.

In between the music, you tease him. “I don’t know that you can dance,”

He chuckles. “I practice a lot,”

Practice? You remember Neytiri said that Neteyam never touched any girl before, so his answers confuse you. You ask him again. “With who?”

“Kiri,” he answers with a slight smile.

Unbeknownst to you, there is another fact in his word. Yes, he practiced with Kiri. But he only practices so he can dance properly with you.

However, knowing the fact that you love Va’ru, he doesn’t want to hope much. His courtship with you will end soon, and you are not his. As the dance goes on, he gets a bit sad inside. He already finds Va’ru hiding place. So that means that you and Va’ru will reunite soon. He knows that you always choose Va’ru instead of him, although he is the future Olo’eyktan. Even if he has all the titles in this world, he still can’t be with you.

All these sad thoughts made him feel dizzy. He needs a distraction. His eyes look at the corner, to find Lo’ak and his friends sitting in a circle, drinking and laughing. Maybe a drink can help.

When the dance stops, he says to you. “Just enjoy the party okay? I will go to get some drink,”

You nod and go to where food is placed, some fine teylu and fruits. Tuk and Kiri find you, and you sit beside her. Then you took some teylu and ate. You and Kiri are having some talks when suddenly, Lo’ak approaches you with a panicked face.

“Y/N, please help us. Neteyam is heavily drunk!”

Both Kiri and you gasped, and Kiri gestured to you to follow Lo’ak. So you follow him, and walk toward the circle on the corner, the place where Na’vi usually gets a drink. When you finally find Neteyam, you see him completely plastered. He is swaying, staggering, bumping into walls, and knocking stuff over. Damn, how many drinks did he have?

“Is he always this drunk?” you ask Lo’ak while you and he drag Neteyam’s body to a dark corner so people won’t see the future Olo'eyktan in this condition. Seems like Neteyam doesn't realize his surroundings, as he keeps talking and grins widely like a fool.

“Well, he sometimes drinks. But, I never see him drink this much before. Something must be bothering his mind,” Lo’ak shrugs with a pout on his face.

After that, you and Lo’ak carry Neteyam’s body together, with you on the right and Lo’ak on the left. Both Neteyam’s arms curled in your and Lo’ak shoulder. The three of you left the celebration through a back lane and walk back to your marui. 

Lo'ak and you then put Neteyam in a sitting position inside the marui, leaning against the wall. He still mumbles and his head swings around crazily.

Lo’ak then looks at you, with his hand stretching his neck. “Um, Y/N, I’m sorry, but I still want to go to the party,” he grins innocently.

“It’s okay. Thank you Lo’ak. You may leave, I’ll take care of him,” You smile at Lo’ak, then observe Neteyam’s conditions.

“You’re welcome, Y/N. Yeah, he may be drunk, but sometimes, drunken words are sober thoughts, right?”

Your ears perk up hearing Lo’ak words and when you turn your head to question him, Lo’ak was already gone. Neteyam suddenly stands up and mumbles again, even more, crazier than before. You approach him, standing face-to-face.

Neteyam’s eyes found you. “You’re soo pretty,” he mumbles, and approaches you closer, his hand touching your hair. You can smell the intoxicating scent from his mouth. “Pretty, pretty girl!” Neteyam lifts his arms and walks in a circle, making some moves like dancing. He stops suddenly, in front of you again.

“Hey pretty girl, can I say something?” 

“What?”

“Nothing,” he grins, then explodes into a giddy laugh.

“Hey pretty girl, guess what? I found your lover yes-teerr-daaayy,” Neteyam babbles again.

“What!?” you ask him again with a raised voice, but he only giggles. 

“Pretty girl have a l-oo-verrr, and that’s not m-ee!”

“Where did you find him?” you grip his shoulder and try to talk to him, but it's no use. He is still drunk, even now his necklace is untied accidentally, caused by his crazy moves.

Shit. How can you talk to a drunk person? You take his necklace from his neck and save it on the table. Then you sigh and stand in front of him, making sure he doesn't break stuff around him.

“I know, he can make pretty girl ha-p-pyy! No, he surely will make her happy, the happiee-e-stt girl in the wo-o-rld! Obviously more than me-e!”

His words make your eyebrow furrow. What is he talking about? 

“I know, when Va’ru sees pretty girl again he will shout her na-m-ee,” Neteyam made a funnel in front of his mouth with his fingers and began shouting your name. “Y/N! Then pretty girl will run to him. Run-run! Finally, pretty girl runs back to her lo-vee-rr!” 

Neteyam laughs out loud. “Then I would watch it all!" But now his smile disappears, and his eyes become empty. "The pretty girl taught me how to break my he-aart,” 

You stunned. Are these all the things he’s been hiding all this time? You know his words can be just some bullshit, but you can’t resist as a strange feeling suddenly crawls inside your chest. You drag his body closer to the hammock. 

Seems like all of Neteyam’s energy is now drowning, as his eyes become heavy. He suddenly collapses on the hammock. You sit beside him, and his fingers touch your cheek weakly. 

“Hey pretty girl, can I say something?” 

"What?" You whisper.

“Nothing,” His face engrave with a stupid smile. Then he closes his eyes, and snores. Finally, he is asleep.

You lie next to Neteyam in the same hammock. His braids are lying in a mess around his head, some even covering his face. You tuck all his braids behind his ear, so now you can see his face clearly. Neteyam’s eyes clenched shut and his ivory patterns glow in the dark. Your fingers linger on his forehead, tracing all his stripes, then down to his cheek and jaw.  

Your eyes blink slowly, and your mind travels back to some events of the past.

How he saves you and brings your body back into the marui.

How he instantly flies into the forest to collect the yalna bark for you.

How he notices that your top is looking dull, and fixes it on the next day.

How he is still willing to help you, even after you yelled at him. 

Your eyes get teary as you nuzzle into his chest and close your eyes, feeling his heartbeat. Without your knowledge, you fall asleep in that position.

Although he says nothing, seems like now you see everything. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, you wake up and find an empty space next to you. You squint and walk forward. Turns out, Neteyam is standing outside, leaning his figure on the marui walls. 

This morning is surely a surprise to him, to find himself waking up hugging your body. Shit, what did he do last night? The last moment he remembers is sitting beside Lo’ak and drinking. But after that, it’s just a bizarre memory. How did he suddenly sleep with your arms curled in his body? Although he can’t deny that he feels warm when you do it. Then he turns his face when he hears your step. You appear from inside the marui.

“Good morning, Y/N,” He greets you.

 You reply to him. “Morning, Neteyam,”

Neteyam sighs, his face filled with guilt and he shook his head. “Look, I made a mistake last night. I get drunk, and I don’t know exactly what words I was saying. You must know, it’s all just rubbish,” 

"It's alright. You didn't say anything," You smile, trying to ensure him. He tilts his head and seems surprised by your reaction. Other things pop into his mind, a thing that he should have told you before.

"Also, I have to tell you something,” Neteyam speaks again. “I found Va’ru hiding spot. You are right, it's not far from Angel Falls.”

You nod but say no word. This response somehow makes Neteyam confused, so he asks you again. “So, when are you gonna meet him?”

“How about tomorrow?” You offer an option.

“Okay. Tomorrow I’ll take you there,”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

note: to be continued! I will be very happy if you leave a reaction whether like/comment/reblogs, lmk what you think of this fiction! :D

taglisst : @strawberryclouds22