#I apologize for the ending it’s where the scene ended

[imaluckygirl]

bunggeoppang ( p.sunghoon )

synopsis: where your boyfriend comes back home with little somethings after an argument.

( 엔하이픈 ) - sunghoon x fem.reader ; fluff , crack & it reminds me of a cliche k-drama >< ( words : 3,2k+ ) ୨ৎ back to the bookshelf . . .

warnings : mentions of food ( obviously ) note : i didn’t checked this headcanon so it might contain some grammar error lol just ignore them !! ( there is the most waited headcanon from this previous pool i made, enjoy! )

sunghoon and you have been dating for about one year, and being friends for a decade. you still remember when he confessed to you. he came up with a “i like you” out of the blue and you remember to wide your eyes and gasp, while a red tint appeared on sunghoon’s cheeks; making him adorably purse his lips feeling embarrassed and shy.

but, well, in the end, that shyness unconsciously was brushed away the moment you said “me too- i mean, i like you”. um, you might not be wondering where you guys were at such a special and meaningful moment, and it was at a street fair. you know those street fairs where they sell those delicious and mouth watering street foods? that was the place where he confessed to you.

it might sound simple, and it actually was! both of you have been going to this street fair for ages! and it was kind of a daily night routine after a long and exhausting day at college.

you remember the first time sunghoon kissed you laugh. it was such a innocent and soft kiss that you melted the moment he crashed his lips into yours. it was clumsy, but it was so pure and full of love; that you felt like you were the luckiest person in this world for having such a precious boyfriend.

you also remember his family’s reaction after he revealed you weren’t his best friend anymore, but his girlfriend. you still have the clear memory of how happy his sister was and how shocked his mother was while his father laughed at his wife’s reaction; saying that he always knew.

things seems too sweet until i talk about arguments you had in the past with sunghoon. in the very beginning you didn’t knew how to manage your jealous over your — now — boyfriend. you were used to peak at his phone’s screen, trying to find out with who he was talking. even though sunghoon didn’t gave you any motives to doubt about his loyalty, you were concerned about other girls trying to hit on him — and perhaps, steal him from you somehow.

the day sunghoon found out you were peaking at his chats while he was distracted on his phone and how jealous you were, he felt betrayed. he was clearly upset that you didn’t trust on him. with that he confronted you about all of this. however, when he heard your sobs after he yelled at you, he knew he fucked up, so he hugged you. very very tightly, whispering so many apologies that you felt like you were hearing a broken record play.

you both apologised as both of you should. still, he felt so bad for yelling at you after figuring out you were super insecure that he went to that street fair and bought you bunggeopang — that warm rice waffle filled with chocolate. when you went out with him to go to this street fair for the first time — almost five years ago — you said your favorite desert was bunggeoppang after taking a savory bite of it. “id’s so gud.” you spoke with a stuffed voice, offering your friend a bite, making him laugh and lean to get a small bite out of it.

“are you okay?” a soft voice, sounding fearful, spoke close to your ear, making you slightly jump.

you were giving your boyfriend a silent treatment. it was his least favorite after-fight treatment. let’s say he prefer being shouted than being ignored by his pretty baby.

he was usually cling when he was back home from college, especially when you decided to call it a day. he was so used to spoon you when it was bed time or cuddle time, that it was weird for him to watch the scene of you watching tv with a straight face; instead of kissing him.

he doesn’t want to bother you or make you uncomfortable, so he gulps down tightly his desire to shower your face with wet kisses and hug you tightly like he always did. it was like a baby having to abandon the love of his life: his dummy. or pacifier whatever.

“jagi, don’t do this to me...” he hums, snuggling his face onto the gap between your neck and your shoulder.

you were also having a hard time resisting the urge to shower him with kisses, not knowing how much he wanted to shower you with kisses as much as you want.

realising you wouldn’t give in that easily, he sighed and glanced at his phone to check the hour. and you sighed just like him a second ago, and with a sudden movement your boyfriend went to your shared room. you pretended to not care and to not be curious about what he was planning to do or what was going on.

meanwhile, sunghoon was picking up a warm jumper of his — to face korea’s harsh winter — and walking out from the room with a calm face, avoiding your not discreet curious gaze. he picked up his phone that was laying on the sofa cushion — right beside you — and took his keys. however, before he went out, even though you were mad at him and he was kinda upset as well, he placed a soft and hesitant kiss on your scalp, whispering a very very light “i’ll be right back, don’t be mad, please...”

you tried to keep your lips shut and not show him you were forgiving him already, knowing how mad you were still mad at him since the previous day; because he forgot about the monthly couple dinner, making you wait for him for two hours at a fancy restaurant.

you heard the flat’s door shut and you sighed, thinking sunghoon went out to take a deep breath or sleep at a friend’s house to give you some space, when you actually don’t want this distance. you felt bad for ignoring him, but you knew he understood you — since he knows you long enough.

sunghoon rubbed his hands together, instantly regretting about forgetting his warm gloves at home, but he was already walking to that vaguely familiar tent. gazing at how the tents were illuminated, he remembered how sweet was the first time you two went there together.

“thank yo- oh my! sunghoon?! what are you doing here without a bigger coat boy?” the sweet old lady he met eight years ago hit his arm while being across the tent’s desert showcase watching how he shyly smiled. “where is that beautiful girl you were always with?” she smiled at him sweetly while handing the other costumers their orders.

“oh? y/n?” he chuckled, realising that old lady didn’t remembered your name since he was the one who walked to her tent more often. “she’s at home.”

“why didn’t you came with her? i think the last time i’ve seen her was three years ago!” she chuckled too.

sunghoon laughed at the old lady’s comment saying: “we had an argument, nothing really serious...” it was serious, but he didn’t want to expose his relationship in that way.

“aigoo...” she cooed, frowning. “you young couples...” the old lady muttered shaking her head.

sunghoon felt embarrassed, like he was being judge somehow. however, he knew she was an old lady and her opinions about the reality are clearly different, so he just shrugged and pursed his lips while cringing himself; because of the cold wind blowing on his face.

“why did you guys fight?” she asked curiously.

“i made her mad and we fought, now i need to apologise.”

“mhm, your mum raised you well sunghoon.” she tapped his cheek twice, praising him like he was from her family and she was a proud one.

“thank you.” he bowed his head, thanking her. “can i order?” he asked after an awkward silence.

“oh! yes, i got a bit carried away!” the old lady giggled. “what would you like to order? remember our hotteok? now we have tanghulu too-”

“bunggeoppang.”

“mhm?” she leaned a little bit to hear him a bit clear.

“i want a bunggeoppang please.”

“how many bunggeo-”

“six.” he coughed after answering her like he was desperate; and that was exactly how sunghoon felt.

“seems you really want to apologise to her, right?” she playfully asked laughing, grabbing a tong and picking up the fish shape sweet snack. “good job young man.” her eyes shined when she smiled, feeling her chest hurt after noticing how much that little shy boy has grown.

“oh... thank you so much.” he took the small paper bag from the old lady’s hand across the tent’s table, handling her the money to pay for the six unit of bunggeoppang’s.

“no, no! keep the money and go see your girlfriend!” she waved her hands, refusing to accept the small amount of cash he was handling her.

“no, let me pay it’s just six hundred won...” he pouted when he felt her wrinkly hands pushing his hand out of her sight.

“go to your home and say sorry to her!” she interrupted him, nodding her head to the right direction, like she was telling him to rush home.

“but-”

“go sunghoon! i’ll be happier if you come back with her instead of paying me.” she chuckled. “now, go!” she gestured with her hands, telling him to rush home another time.

“okay, i will come back with her then.” he nodded his head at the smiley old lady like it was a mission and he has to succeed.

she nodded her head, trusting on him and yelling an good luck before he started dashing back home to you. hopefully a bunggeoppang would fix things up.

as like luck began to get closer to his side, a stranger was giving random flowers on the street. he handed the flowers to strangers while some of them were in a rush after work, with their friends, partner, family, shopping and even handing flowers at foreigners; speaking a funny english with a ridiculously stupid accent. “thankiu!”, “hab’ a gud naith!”, “beourtibbul!” he would scream at a cute young couple, gesturing hearts exploding and sending them flying kisses.

that funny man was making people on the street stop just to laugh at him or record him, specially locals, who weren’t used to see such a funny and smiley man in the middle of their evening after work; it was even more rare when it comes to seoul — because mostly of the time these events happens to happen in hongdae or itaewon.

as i mentioned above, his luck was by his side, even though his face expression was blank towards the guy, the man seemed like taking it as a challenge, so he called sunghoon out. “hello love bird, where is your other love bird?” his brows went up and down, teasing him while following along his own way.

“why are you following me?” sunghoon cocked a brow, not really interested on what the man wanted.

“ugh... rude people nowadays...”the man quietly muttered, rubbing his eyes with a bit of annoyance, but he quickly recovered his enthusiastic energy, putting a smile on his own lips. “take this flower and give to your other half, trust me.” he handed sunghoon the prettiest rose he could find in his full hand without even hesitating or waiting for his reply.

sunghoon just scoffed, but not out of annoyance, but because he knew how lucky he was for meeting this guy.

you were already laying on bed and taking angry deep breaths, feeling left out by your own boyfriend. even though you thought he was pretty coherent for letting you have your own moment. feeling frustrated you got under the covers, covering your whole body — from head to toes.

however, you wanted him to come back and cuddle you on this cold bed. so, hesitantly, you grabbed your phone and called your boyfriend. you wanted him to not grab his phone, but in the other head you wanted to hear his voice so bad.

meanwhile, sunghoon was just unlocking the flat’s door and walking in with no hesitation, excited to see you and apologise for his stupidity. his phone was silenced and inside his trousers pockets

“love?” he called you when he realised the room’s light was turned off. “can i turn the lights on?” and when he heard no answer, he turned the lights on. “baby?” he whispered while walking closer to the edge of the bed, sitting there. “baby… are you okay?” he softly asked while waiting for you to say something.

“hoonie…” you finally gave in, your head peaking out from under the covers and revealing your red eyes and regret tone.

“oh-?” he gasped, placing the rose and the small paper bag with bunggeoppang’s aside and quickly went to place his hands over your cheeks. “my baby…” he rubbed his thumb over your soft skin from your cheeks. “why are you crying?” he frowned his eyebrows, feeling guilty that somehow he was one of the motives behind your tears.

you shook your head, like you already had read his mind, “there’s nothing to do with you, i was just-” you quietly sobbed and sunghoon pushed the covers off from your chest and hugged you very very tightly.

“i won’t ask why are you sad anymore,” he gently kissed your temple as he had leaned over your body to hold you. “i just want to see you okay.” he caressed your face, like he was trying to wipe that sadness away from you. “it’s okay,” sunghoon leaned forward again just to hold you even tighter — if that’s even possible… — “i’m here now.” he was rubbing your back once he got you to stand your body a bit upright.

you just closed your eyes and enjoyed his manly scent, a bit sweeter than you remembered. his smell was the perfect mix of the sweet and the citric. you just want to shove your face into his neck and smell the out of him.

his hands are warm — even though he was outside ten minutes ago — and rubbing his thumb over your back. when he felt you calmer, he softly and slowly pulled away. “i have something for you…” he shyly said, but his shiny doe eyes couldn’t hide his excitement for too long.

when you saw that familiar small white paper bag your eyes felt watery once again, but you weren’t crying because you missed him, but because you remember how lucky you were to meet him. opening your arms and smiling happily, he held you again.

“thank you hoonie…” you thanked him sniffing.

“it’s your favorite right?”

“it is.” you chuckled. “and it’s your favorite thing to give me whenever i’m mad at you, am i wrong?” you cocked a brow, slightly pushing your body to look at him — while your arms rested on his shoulders — creating a playful atmosphere, like things were getting back together.

he whined and hid his blushed cheeks placing his head above your shoulder. “mhm…” he groaned. “you got me...” he laughed against your neck, and you followed him.

“you little thing!” you messed up with his hair, but pulling his whole body closer to yours. “let’s eats some bunggeoppang together like the old times?” you suggested, feeling his head being pushed away from your neck to look at you instantly.

“darling, let me feed you.” he took one of the fish shaped rice waffles and placed afar from your mouth/sight. “baby, say ah~” he waited you to do it, except that you shook your head pouting.

“i’m not doing it.” you scoffed, but he insisted, not dropping his hand down.

“pretty, don’t make this hot pilot wait!” he referred to himself.

“sungho-“

“ah~” he interrupted you and you clicked your tongue, refusing to open your mouth. however, when you did, he finally sang “here comes the airplane~” and the bunggeoppang ended up in your mouth.

“you’re ridiculous,” you kissed his lips. “i love you and… i’m sorry-” a finger shushed you.

“no talking with your mouth full.” and he took a bite out of another bunggeoppang. “oh! by the way,” he licked his finger before grabbing the rose that guy handed him earlier and surprising you with the sight of it.

“a flower?” you smiled softly, brushing your fingers against sunghoon’s hand before taking the rose and smelling it. “it smells good?” you were kinda surprised.

“really?!” his eyes widened, leaning closer to sniff the rose’s core ( where the sweet smell comes from).

“where did you get this?” you were chuckling at yourself. “it’s too late to have a flower shop open right now, and it’s kinda hard to find one aroun-”

you were taken back by sunghoon’s lips crashing with yours. “doesn’t matter where i got it, just… just enjoy this moment, okay?” he tried to stay calm and not embarrassed/shy at the view of a silly smile spreading out of your face.

sunghoon was playing with your hair while cuddling you, just like he wanted two hours before. you were almost falling asleep, but couldn’t because your boyfriend decided to turn into a talkative at night; having at least three hours long pillow talk.

those pillow talks happened even before you two started dating and as an official couple. sunghoon sometimes get very talkative as i mentioned before, however you don’t really mind.

during this pillow talks, you just hum at everything he says, because you know your boyfriend knows that you usually fall asleep. usually the motive behind your droopy eyes were his soothing voice and natural low tone. it was like he was singing a lullaby to you without actually singing.

“that lady from the tent remembered about you, we should go there and say hi to her.” sunghoon commented after placing a sweet and light kiss on your scalp.

“that old lady that works at that street fair?” he hummed. “i haven’t been there in ages.” you pouted.

“she said she wanted to see you.” sunghoon mentioned.

“we should go see her tomorrow then.” you suggested, shrugging.

“mhm...” he groaned, unsure.

“by the way, i’m still curious about how you got that flower...” you slightly pulled your head away from his chest to gaze at him.

“ugh... long story.” he just shook that story off, hugging your waist tighter, taking a deep breath. “i love you.” he whispered to you.

“i love you more.” you whispered back, kissing his chin.

“i would buy all the bunggeoppangs in this whole world just to have you like this in my arms...” he whispers before falling asleep, happy that he could fix thing up with a simple warm fish shaped rice waffles; with a chocolate filling and some vitamin C(uddles) — like he always did, because he just knows you so well.

© imaluckygirl , originals .ᐟ 24.

taglist : @jakesangel . . .

[mariasont]

Parent-Teacher Conference - A.H

a/n: inspired by the show the nanny! major lover of mr sheffield and fran fine

masterlist

₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡ ⋆˙⟡♡⋆｡°✩˚₊‧

pairings: aaron hotchner x nanny!reader

summary: you are not happy with jack's teacher flirting with your boss

warnings: hotch staring at your ass!, jealous reader, flirty reader, would prob def get a complaint against her in the real world, but alas!

wc: 0.8k

I'm terribly sorry, but my cat died before I got here.

I actually was in a car wreck on the way. I know I look fine, but it was super traumatic.

Mr. Hotchner you look so good today! Me? Late! Never.

These were the series of apologies and excuses that you were rehearsing in your mind as you navigated your way through the school hallway. In your defense, your tardiness to the parent-teacher conference wasn't without reason. Jack's newfound rebellious phase had him ruining your pantyhose with deliberate runs. He found it hilarious. You found it anything but.

You mentally prepared for that all-too-familiar, intimidating glare from Mr. Hotchner, the kind that could make you feel like you were plummeting from a cliff. Not only were you running late, but you also anticipated a less-than-glowing report from Ms. Thompson about Jack's recent antics. And in the back of your mind, a nagging voice whispered that Mr. Hotchner would somehow find a way to blame you.

"Oh, Aaron, you're something else!" 

You stopped dead in your tracks, gaze locked on the scene unfolding before you. Ms. Thompson's voice took on a higher pitch, full of animation, her elbows subtly drawing her tits together, leaning into Mr. Hotchner's space with an ease that bordered on disrespectful. At least in your eyes.

Aaron? The casual use of Mr. Hotchner's first name sent your mood from sour to downright acrid. You strode into the classroom, inching your skirt higher and affixing a practiced, beaming smile to your face. It was all charm and no sincerity.

"So sorry I was late," you began, allowing a gentle sway in your step as you glided into the room, your heels clicking a measured tempo against the linoleum floor. You mustered all your willpower to not shoot daggers at the blonde headed teacher. "I didn't miss anything did I?"

As you stepped into view, both Ms. Thompson and Mr. Hotchner turned their eyes to you. Ms. Thompson's showed a flicker of surprise, while Mr. Hotchner's were like slits, scrutinizing. But even his discipline gaze dipped, albeit briefly, to the curve where your skirt ended. 

"Oh, I... I didn't realize you were married, Mr. Hotchner," she mumbled, her hands fumbling gracelessly with the papers on the desk, her lips pinched in a straight line.

You could nearly hear the thoughts churning in Mr. Hotchner's head as his lips parted to correct her. Hastily, you cut in, "An innocent mistake, I'm sure."

He raised an eyebrow, a wordless question hanging in the air. Ignoring it, you flashed a saccharine smile and took the seat by his side, linking your arm with his. His muscles tensed, a reaction that almost coaxed a giggle from you.

It was all too easy to get a rise out of him.

"My wife, the epitome of timeliness,"Mr. Hotchner states dryly, his grip of your arm tightening just a tad more than called for. 

To your astonishment, the remainder of the conference proceeded seamlessly from that point on. Ms. Thompson restrained herself, both in wardrobe and word, and unexpectedly showered Jack with praise.

Exiting the classroom alongside Mr. Hotchner, you noticed he paused just long enough to ensure Ms. Thompson was out of ear shot. That's when you felt the squeeze of his hand on your side, coming to rest on the curve of your lower back, the pressure didn't move even as you found yourselves alone in the hallway--and you were far from objecting.

"Really?"

Your shoulders rose and fell in a pretense of innocence, well aware that his perceptive eyes weren't fooled. You tilted into his shoulder, doing a mental victory dance when he made no move to distance himself.

"What?" you asked, clutching your purse tighter against your side as you paced forward. "I was just helping you out. She looked like she was about to jump your bones at any second."

Mr. Hotchner's face was unamused, per usual. "Your generosity knows no bounds."

"Right?" You were aware of his sarcasm, but that didn't deter you. Your shoulders bumped together as you made it to the exit. "Consider yourself lucky."

An eye roll was his immediate response, but you could almost sense the smile he was staunchly holding back. He would never admit it.

"Yes, how could I ever manage without you?"

He paused to open the door for you, following behind as you stepped outside. You squinted against the sun's harsh kiss before giving him a teasing wink over your shoulder. He looked really good in the sunlight. He could use more of it.

"You wouldn't."

You caught his eyes lingering not on your face, but lower--fixated on your skirt, more specifically your ass. You raised your brows in question. 

"I think you sat in something."

You let out a startled gasp, hands flying to the material of your skirt. It was your favorite. "What? Where?"

His hands found their way to your waist, gently pivoting you for a better view, while your eyes settled on the stretch of road before you. "Oh, nope, my mistake. Looking good."

Your laughter spilled out uncontrollably, realizing just what he was doing. Cheeky man. And completely out of character, but you liked it. "Mr. Hotchner!"

 "I take my role as husband very seriously."

taglist: @hotchhner @khxna

[theastrical]

genshin men and their way of apologising

Genshin men and their ways of apologising.

kaeya, diluc, childe, (alhaitham, zhongli, kaveh on pt.2) x reader (fem!reader diluc)

ps: it’s comfort/hurt, a bit angsty but with fluffy ending!! Also if you guys have triggers with cursing, this content has cursing/verbal scolding implications so please mind that before reading!

Kaeya:

“stop doing this and that..you’ll end up being a burden.” He shuts off the door and locks it. You were just trying to help him, and unfortunately, he doesn’t like it. This happens quiet a lot, where he closed off all part of himself in order to heal himself…that’s okay, at first, but what about you? You’re hurt and he kept you out just like that; is he here to wound your heart just like the other exes who grew apart from you?

And when you start to lose your patience, he can’t do nothing about it, right? He’s just there to hurt-hurt-and make you feel as if you in deserve of such a treatment. You cried, it felt weird to cry over kaeya. He has been sweet, yes, you never doubted once that his act are truly meant for you, but at what certain point did you do to make him immediately switch up? You didn’t know, you never know. He never wanted to communicate, that’s the problem.

“if you don’t want me to help you, that’s fine, just please kaeya…talk to me like i’m a human, not somebody you can use when you’re happy. I also need a set of time to heal.” You say that-an automatic reply set on your brain to confront him even if it’s not face to face. Now door to door-you just scold him and leave.

It took him a huge amount of time to heal. he knows what he has done can’t be undone. Listening to your cries become his worst fear, he can’t just stand in front of your eyes and say sorry, he knows that wouldn’t work. That enough explains how much he hates apologising; because his apologies always ended up with him crushing over the burden of his sins.

That’s why, the next day, in the morning when you woke up. Kaeya is already there beside your bedside. Folding your palm between his. His head on the floor.

“i’ve taken your words and…* he sighs before continuing. “Apologies don’t really matter if i don’t change my attitudes, so please, if you’re still willing to give me one more chance, can i have the privilege to change, at least, for you?”…he stays quiet for a while. “Lastly, i’m sorry, i know all i did these yesterday and these past few months weren’t tolerable. I understand if you would hate me for this.”..he looks up to you, his eyes are already watery. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He hugs you and that felt so good…

A mark on your neck was left, a few peck it took for him to finally calm down. And he looks at you with a smile, even when his eyes are puffy. “I love you..thank you for still being here.”

Diluc:

Diluc came home quite late, it was unusual and it worries you, after all, since the day you married him. He had never been this late-he always come home with a huge surprise which is food…for obvious reason (he’s wants you to eat instead of cooking him a meal since he knew how exhausting it can be).

you were just about to ring up his phone-and suddenly a slam from the door was heard. You came to the first floor and..there’s diluc! “Diluc!” You grin, as always, you warmly greeted him, because it’s your husband, it’s diluc, what more reason to make you adore him?

You tried to help him get his bag and put off his jacket…but his bag was so heavy…whatever does he put inside his bag? Why is it so h— oh no! The bag suddenly hit your coffee cup and spilled the remaining coffee to the bag…now his bag is tainted with coffee and he-who saw that scene in front of him can’t even hide his raging eyes. Before one word to spit out-he gives off a long sigh-squinting his eyes.

“Why…sigh…it’s always you, you AND YOU who makes the worst mistake OVER AND OVER AGAIN! In the WORST TIMING AS WELL, CAN YOU—“ you replied, cutting off his words. “I-i’m so sorry diluc…i’ll help you with th—“ , “CAN YOU STOP CUTTING MY WORDS? Listen to me lady, it’s not about the bag or the papers, its about your presence…why helping you when you can’t even help yourself fix these problems, you’re helpless.”

He said that like a drunk man with no sanity behind his eyes, yet, this time, he’s actually sober, so sober he already pulled off that bag from your grip... He’s losing his patience and you know his words are the truth…still it hurts way too much. Why? Because it’s diluc, the one you called husband. tears fell and you don’t know what to do. It’s like your body doesn’t know how to move.

You look at his eyes, your mind went blank. You can sense his anger, but the tears never stop from your eyes. It’s like you just got hit by a truck. You try to left the living room to the bedroom upstair. At the same time diluc realise his action-you’re already up there-on the stair.

As soon as your foot step into the bedroom. You slowly loses the ability to numb the tears. You lay down on the comfy covers and then just cry. Sniffling. Without words, just cry and cry and cry. Realising that it was your mistake but..it hurts when he struck you with the truth that you’re useless in his eyes.

Diluc didn’t pay mind to pride when it comes to apologizing. Hence, when he heard the sniffling become louder in each breathe you took. He storms to the bedroom and hold your body to his embrace. Covering you from his face. Covering you from the cowardice and guilt he has to face. Securing you from his words..comforting you with his presence.

“sorry princess…don’t bother looking at my face if it means you’ll hate me…i don’t deserve the sight of your eyes…i don’t deserve anything.” He hugs you closer and strokes your hair, within each stroke, it felt like his hands have just won you again. “Thank you for helping me, it ease me a lot—that’s the word you need and i’m unable to fulfil that right..here i am, rejecting you, not acknowledging the effort you took just to wait for me.” He kisses your forehead before carrying you to sit on his lap. “but do believe that i’ll fix this mistake and beg on your knees if you need me to...” he look at your eye despite you not giving him a sight of your puffy eye.

“Anything for a second chance, for my princess.”

Childe:

you really love cooking. It’s something that nobody really knows-cause not evedybody has seen you cook or even taste the food you cook. You’re known to be secretive about everything; Even childe being your husband, only 2 of your 100 friends know-especially with the fact that topic is on your top 10 secret list.

And being in a marriage with childe means you’ll cook 24/7, which at first seems fine with you-but lately, you’ve been losing interest in cooking. It’s like..whatever you make is just a rating of ”it’s okay” for childe. It’s like he doesn’t even bother appreciating your food. So today, you’re trying to confront him…

He’s in a badmood-that’s why he doesn’t bother to try and reach out to you. Though it’ll be very thoughtful if you actually make him his comfort food right? And maybe if you did so, he would’ve complimented your cooking? Right! So you did and you’re so happy with the result! It taste perfect! So you began serving it onto the small bowl and put the food in front of him, you immediately get some spoonful of the food and put it inside his mouth-which is hot-like BURNING HOT. You know you fucked up so badly, so you get some water for him before he said “fuck!” so casually.

“W-what’s wrong..? Sorry i burned your tongue, i really am..!!! Please dr—“ he immediately cut you off. “No…i don’t want to eat dinner, the food doesn’t even taste good…” oh. “and thank you for burning my tongue as well! It certainly helps!.” He mocked you. “Now i can speak while enduring the pain! Right! That’s what you want your husband to feel, right?” He happily grins, a mockery. Childe immediately walked out of the dining room like a child.

And he scoffs silently on the hallway, even though it’s easy enough for you to listen because he talks to himself like he talks to another being. “I should’ve just searched for another person..i can’t stay with an idiot…” and that push you towards a realization that childe always have think of you as somebody who isn’t worth of his time. It’s like reality finally gives you a sign that he’s just one lucky pull you got. You didn’t cry. It gives you a numbing feeling, an empty one.

You sat on the dining table, taking out your apron, you get some bowl of the food and eat it by yourself. Because, like childe said, he wouldn’t eat dinner, so why bother waiting for somebody who can’t even appreciate you?

Eating alone is such a complex feeling, especially in a marriage. It feels lonely but peaceful. At least it can make your mind steady for whatever coming afterwards. You did feel a bit better but..the pain of his words never left you. It never did. It just makes the heart feel more numb as the seconds passed.

You sighed and…there he is, all shy and embarrassed behind the walls, he has been spying on you since 30 minutes ago…he’s guilty as charged. When you see him, you ignored him, immediately. Not wanting to share another eye contact with that man who have insulted your ways of loving him.

He follows you and hold onto your arm before you go elsewhere, who knows what will you do if his arms didn’t hold yours. Childe is embarrassed-guilt on his face and a coward on his heart. He made you wait for a good 5 minutes, he was waiting for you to say something..but instead, childe was met with cold air.

“i’m a loser for insulting your way of loving me. I’m dramatic. I’m a brat. I’m everything that you don’t want in a man.” His head can’t even meet yours. After all, your eyes are blank and it pierces his soul. “You don’t need to give me second chance. You don’t need to treat me right after what i’ve done. A bad deed is a bad deed.” With the courage of the final sentence; he hold onto your hand and kisses your fingertips. “I will win that cold heart of yours again and again, if it means i can live with you in every life to come.”

[polarisbibliotheque]

Can You Hear The Rumble? - Vergil x Reader

Music Inspired Fics (Devil May Music) - Cirice, by Ghost

Pairing: Vergil x Reader

Summary: Everyone knew the kind of demon a hunter should be wary about is the one who plays with their victim's minds. You and Vergil were very proud on the outside - but how would it be when having to save each other on the inside for the first time?

TRIGGER WARNING: A lot of blood, cuts, bruises, scars and suffering on both Vergil and the reader's sides. The reader also struggles with perfection and self-loathing - in a "I'm never going to be a good person" kind of way, because I needed to get more intimate on the reader's part as well - and there are scenes with the reader covered in cuts and bleeding, though not self-imposed, it could be read like that. Those scenes are the reader's and Vergil's internal images of themselves. Reader and Vergil meet each other on their imperfections and the darkest parts of their souls, so BE WARNED. This might not be everyone's cup of tea and there are lots of potential triggers.

Author's Note: @tokkis-shelf asked me if Vergil's part of the Halloween special was inspired by Cirice, and here we are now. It is what kickstarted the song-fic requests! As with a lot of people, I think, Cirice is pretty personal to me.

In the video, it was so comforting to me seeing the black sheep being represented hahahaha and I guess that's why people love it so much. The part where they hold hands? I died, I'd never let go, I cry my soul out upon watching. (I did a very similar drawing to that scene when I was in school around 15 years ago, so it drop-kicked me out of my body xD)

Now, when writing this, I kept in mind that this song has a double meaning and can be quite comforting and quite manipulative at the same time - hence why I use the "can't you see that you're lost without me?" in two different situations, 'cause I think Cirice can be interpreted in so many ways and each person takes what they need from this song. I hope you guys like it!!

Plus, the song the reader and Dante sing at the end is The Power of Love, by Huey Lewis and The News

Cirice, by Ghost

“Can’t you see that you’re lost…?”

It happened every time Vergil walked in the darkness.

That voice in the back of his head, silently taunting him, the hiss of a quiet viper in the hopes of taking him back to the darkest parts of his soul. Quiet, lurking, whispering… Mundus always there, somewhere in the folds of his consciousness, guiding him back into the void – luring Vergil back into his shackles.

“Can’t you see that you’re lost without me?”

As if Vergil couldn’t belong anywhere else, as if his place was in Hell. After all he had been through, after all the sins he perpetrated, he believed wholeheartedly there was no hope for him at all – only a fool’s hope; only a glimmer of a wish he wasn’t as tainted as he was… A desire to not be such a monster as he was.

Pacing quietly through the empty cathedral, Vergil had already learned not to give in to those thoughts – to keep them at bay, as only a whisper in the darkness, of trickster voices that would always remind him of how inhuman he was.

It was times like this Vergil longed for the faint glimmer of the moon, or the warm ghostly light of a candle. It was easy to get lost in the dark, but a single ray of light could help through the direst of situations. That night, though, it seemed like the moon had fallen asleep behind the curtains of the clouds – Selene hiding her tears for her earthly lover in his eternal sleep.

None of you knew what that night entailed – you weren’t even certain what you were dealing with. That was the reason why Lady strutted in the Devil May Cry, not too fond of taking a job she didn’t know if it was up to her abilities.

“Well, looks like I have a new one for you to pay your debt, big guy!” Her singsong voice interrupted the ambience of the jukebox; Lady entering the shop with Kalina Ann and all.

“Eh, I’m never gonna be free of my debt, Lady, let’s be honest.” Dante sighed, putting his feet down and throwing his magazine across the table, shooting her a serious glare. “But things have been borin’ lately, so one of your odd jobs’ not gonna hurt. Whaddya have for me?”

“You talk as if I never help you enough to maintain this place.” She lifted one eyebrow, approaching the big desk at the middle of the shop.

“Gotta give the woman credit, Dante. Last month’s bills were on her.” You shrugged as you had finally come out of your shower, happy to see Lady around, still drying your hair with the towel as you went down the stairs.

“See? Someone who has a bit of common sense.” Her smile was nothing short of devilish as she gestured towards you.

“You know where you are, Lady. ‘Common sense’ isn’t much of a thing in this household.” You greeted her by quickly blowing her a kiss while passing by, making your way towards the couch where Vergil was quietly reading.

“Ey, you’re hurtin’ my feelings like that.” Dante put one of his hands over his heart, laughing alongside you as you kept on your way. “But fine. I’ll give ya that, Lady. So, what’s up? What job do you wanna throw at me this time?”

“I am not throwing it at you.” And there it was: you could always see when Dante stroke a nerve when Lady got defensive and with that fiery stare on her multicolored eyes. “If you wanna do it, great, if you don’t, I can deal with it myself just fine. I’m here to be a good friend since you can barely afford all that pizza you keep stuffing yourself with!”

As you sat by Vergil’s side, you both exchanged a telling glare. Just like you, Vergil was used to observing people. Granted, he didn’t know Lady as much as Dante or even you, but he did know her since he was very young. That fiery, easy-to-anger personality had been there since they first met at the Temen-ni-gru – and Vergil argued it was one of Lady’s traits that would never change.

Something he was quite pleased with, if he had to be honest with himself. It was a good trait for a human demon hunter like her. Dante always praised human’s hearts and particularly their love and empathy – Vergil praised their burning anger that made them unconquerable in the direst of circumstances.

“Jeez, alright, alright, don’t shoot me!” Dante raised his hands as if he was at gunpoint, making you wheeze quietly. Vergil side-eyed you for a while – half judging, half holding his own laugh. “It’s not like I have much of a choice, do I?”

“Humpf.” Lady rolled her eyes and took a slice of pizza from the box resting on the desk, pointing at Dante with it right after. “You know I wouldn’t bring you something if it wasn’t important.”

“Actually, you would.” With those words, Dante rested his arms crossed on the table – all the while, you and Vergil watched it all as if it was a show. Who needed a TV when you had those two? “But you’re bein’ too dodgy ‘bout it, babe. What’s goin’ on?”

“I got a call from a priest in a city nearby.” Lady’s answer was uncharacteristically quiet, followed by a bite from the pizza while she seemed pensive and in any hurry to chew it. “I’ve done some jobs there, know the guy, he’s nice. All the times he called me, it was always a quick, good-paying job. He said some weird things have been happening at the cathedral for the last couple of weeks.”

“Not to sound mean, but there’s always somethin’ strange happenin’ at churches.” Dante’s eyes carried a bit of skepticism: ‘weird things’ didn’t always entail a job for the Devil May Cry – and it usually ended with all of you hunting a rogue raccoon or something.

“I know. But this guy, he doesn’t get scared easy, ok? He’s one of those types of priests who’ll try to shoot down a couple of demons with a shotgun and, if that doesn’t work, he gives me a call.” Those words, though, made you and the Spardas raise your eyebrows. Indeed, it was a rare type of priest, but a good one to keep as acquaintance. “He said the cathedral is increasingly quiet, even from noises outside, with occasional distant noises that are not done by any of those who live there. After it all started, the other priests reported having weird nightmares, of being chased by something in the dark, inside the cathedral – this thing whispering things they can’t understand. Alright if it happened to one or two, but soon all of them started waking up in the middle of the night with similar nightmares – and, catch this, the higher ups of the clergy didn’t tell the common priests about it, but they all reported the very same dream.” Those words caught everyone’s attention. Vergil finally closed his book and leaned forward, paying attention to Lady’s retelling of the priest’s misfortunes. “The priest has been trying to figure out what’s going on, but some old books appear to go missing from the library, only to re-appear as if nothing has happened. Some books are missing pages, something that never happened before. He also said the inside of the cathedral has been getting darker and darker as the weeks go by. As if something is approaching – his words, not mine.”

Vergil immediately furrowed his brows and seemed to turn into an ice sculpture right by your side. You risked a glance, finding him with his usual dark aura – pensive, somber and quiet; hunter’s eyes showing themselves in a matter of seconds.

“Rare are the creatures in Hell in search for knowledge…” He muttered loud enough for his brother and Lady to turn their attention to him. “But those who do, are usually among the worst. Haunting noises, torn books, nightmares, dead silence and total darkness…”

“What? You think those Hell Piranhas came out of their pit?” Dante’s question had a bit of fun in the words, but his eyes were serious and he didn’t allow his lips to smile.

“Could be. Could also be a demon trying to mimic them to hide something else.”

“Hell Piranhas?” You and Lady didn’t need a cue to ask at the very same time. Neither of you had ever heard of that – and both of you had heard of a lot.

“This is not their name, but it is how Dante calls them since we were kids.” Vergil almost sighed in response.

“How we both called ‘em. Mister smart-pants over here isn’t that much better than lil’ ol’ me.” Dante winked at both of you, making you giggle quietly in return. “They’re kinda like illusion demons, but they like stayin’ in the darkness and gatherin’ knowledge. Usually work for someone bigger, though.”

“And even if they don’t, they swallow up all their knowledge and that is dangerous in itself. Afterwards, they feed from the victims they have been toying for so long.” Vergil continued Dante’s thought, ignoring his brother’s previous words. The more you didn’t think about what Dante had said about him, the better – for Vergil couldn’t deny it. “They hunt in packs, and the more victims, the more powerful they become. Some call them the Pit Deceivers, others call them the Lie Weavers…”

“You call them Hell Piranhas.” You concluded bluntly, making Vergil stare at the horizon with emptiness in his eyes – he could say all he wanted, flex all his demonic knowledge, you heard the Piranhas and now you’d never forget it.

“I never heard of them.” Lady had her eyebrows furrowed, searching her memory for some story like that.

“They either don’t leave the pit that much or not many humans survive to tell the story. That’s why.” Dante pointed at a great, old book Vergil had left on one of the tables a long time ago and now it was its official resting place. “You can find it only in the likes of the Codex Daemonica.”

“So either we have them around, or it’s something else. Something bigger. Right?” As you asked, Vergil only agreed with his head as the attentions turned to you. “Or something mimicking the Piranhas.” And Vergil had to sigh at your addition. He would never have peace again. “The mimic or the master, what kind of demon would the Piranhas answer to? If they are that obscure, I take it their existence is more of a niche knowledge in Hell rather than a common information.”

“On that, you are correct…” Vergil murmured in response, falling back into his pensive demeanor. You knew he would be lost for a while.

“See? Good thing I brought this for you, then.” Lady waved dismissively at Dante, but you could sense a little edge in her playful voice. Dealing with big things was fine, same as dealing with cruel demons and the ones that played the big-scary-one persona. Unknown demons were another kind of monster – one only Dante and Vergil used to deal with. “Plus, they always pay well.”

“Eh, I won’t be seein’ much of that money, if I know ya well.” Dante scoffed, having a small smile hidden in the corner of his lips; his tone and demeanor, though, were quite somber and you knew the red devil was taking it seriously.

“If you don’t mind, Dante, I would like to take over this one.” Vergil finally declared while getting up from the couch. “I know some of the hellish creatures who might make use of the Weavers or mimic them.”

“Fine for me, I’m needin’ some time to rest.” Dante sighed, but looked right back at you while Vergil rested his book on the big Devil May Cry desk. “But I’m gonna feel a lot better with someone around to keep an eye on ‘im, pretty thing.”

“Well, I didn’t intend on letting you guys deal with this all by yourselves anyway.” You got up from the couch, immediately receiving a glare from Vergil. “I’m going, blue devil, whether you want it or not. I want to get acquainted with these Piranhas.”

Vergil only closed his eyes, letting out the longest and most regretful sigh you ever heard in your life.

And there you were – although Vergil lost track of you quite a while ago. He knew the stirrings rippling through his heart when you were in danger; and being the fierce human you were, Vergil wasn’t worried about having you search for the demons in the cathedral.

There was, though, a slight uneasiness. That voice echoing in the darkest parts of his soul, it always came as an omen – causing nothing but destruction, inside or outside of himself. Vergil never could really say which one would be, but both were devastating.

“Veeeeergil…”

His steps came to a dry halt in the middle of the cathedral. The night outside the colorful stained-glass windows was pitch black, robbing the colors of their warmth and light – the fire on the candles, long dead in that cold night. The whisper that crept to his ears, like stark chalk on a chalkboard, dragged itself through the marble floor and took a hold of his soul in its clutches.

It was a different kind of sound – different from the ones inside himself, calling him to the darkness. It was from the outside… The Lie Weavers. Slowly coming up, finding him as their next victim. He was close to one of the places they were certainly lurking in the shadows, patiently waiting for someone they could consume.

Vergil never feared the darkness. Tightening his grip around Yamato, his steps resumed his way, approaching the places in the cathedral the faint light of the night could barely touch. Those demons should have known their end was near, and he was the harbinger of their demise – he expected all kinds of trickery, of resistance, of fight from them.

He did not expect to hear a familiar voice, filled with uncertainty.

“Vergil…?”

Halting his steps once more, this time his silvery eyes lost their predatorial gaze as his heart jumped in his chest – even if for a slight second.

“Mother?”

His answer was but a whisper before he was swallowed by darkness.

*

When engaging with illusion demons, one should be aware of not falling into their element: when engulfed by it, those demons were more powerful than expected, able to subdue even the strongest of foes. Breaking from their control required mental and emotional discipline rather than brute force.

It was a slight second – a foolish slip from his human soul, disarmed by the trickery of Eva’s voice – and Vergil was surrounded by a sea of darkness and turmoil. His heart stirred with anger towards himself for being such a child, a vulnerable stupid child, tricked by a puppet of something his heart missed so much.

Eva was long dead. There was no demon able to bring her back. And he would never see her again. All that logic was tossed aside in a spark of a second by his stupid human heart, trembling upon hearing her speak his name again. Granted, Vergil only heard his mother in his dreams, barely remembering how her voice sounded in reality, and this time he heard outside himself – but he should have seen it coming. Illusion demons, trickster demons, cruel demons… They all relied on the barely closed scars inside his damned human soul.

Vergil could always count on them to re-open those wounds, making him bleed as much as he did on the floor of that cursed cemetery so many years ago – and he was a fool to fall for it after he had been through so much.

“Vergil… Can you hear me…?”

“I can, you damned deceiver. You can stop these theatrics – mimicking my dead mother will not affect me.” His voice cut through the dark like the sharpest of ice, his predatorial gaze back into his silver eyes.

“I… Don’t understand you, son. I cannot find you.” Her voice had a tinge of sorrow and desperation – but it was exactly like Eva’s voice. Vergil remembered it with a tinge of gold, probably a result of the haze of nostalgia, but today it was grounded and melancholic – perhaps, that was how Eva had always sounded… He just didn’t remember it. “I can’t find you. You aren’t home.”

“I haven’t been home for a long while.” Vergil didn’t even try to hide the growl that raised from his chest as he argued with that creature. He was used to having a puppet of his mother parading in front of him to hurt his human soul even more, but that was already getting on his nerves. Taunting him about the fact his mother ran to find him that fateful night wasn’t part of the usual games those filthy demons played – and to say they were honing his wrath was an understatement. “And I will never be back.”

“I… I cannot see you, Vergil. Where are you…? Why…?” He could hear the weeping in her voice, faint sobbing while the desperation made her words tremble. Vergil raised his head in the darkness, holding his own heart not to quiver: she wasn’t real and it was all a gimmick to affect him. He would not be affected. He was stronger than that. “Why couldn’t I save you? Those demons they… They hurt you, didn’t they? Oh, my child! My son! They hurt you and I could do nothing! I couldn’t be your mother!”

“Enough with this, filthy, hellish creature!” His voice finally exploded from his chest, roaring in the dark and echoing through the void, finding only silence. “You have no right to desecrate my mother’s memory like this! Shut your putrid mouth and stop with your rancid lies!”

The glint of the Yamato being unsheathed made the darkness recoil for a split second, only to envelop the Dark Slayer once more. His grip was tight, his eyes fiercely looking for his first opponent to direct a very well-placed judgement cut that could end all those creatures with just one swing of his hand. Vergil had enough and all the patience he carried in his being wouldn’t be enough to stop him from overkilling those demons – he just had to know where to direct his wrath.

“Don’t say those words, Vergil… You are not… Not like this.” Her voice still trembled, and his hand was still certain around Yamato. Vergil knew quite well at that state he was a weapon of mass destruction, he just had to find his opponent. His soul was screaming for him to do that, to put a stop to all that mockery. “You are good… You are my son.”

Vergil would have sliced that demon into a thousand million pieces without flinching, even if it took the form of his mother – but his eyes widened as a soft, warm hand touched his face. In all those years being taunted by demons, being tricked and mocked, seeing so many puppets of Eva, Sparda and Dante, none of them had touched him… And none of them genuinely felt like them.

It had been so many lost years he hadn’t felt his mother’s touch – last time, she could cup his entire face, thumb lovingly caressing his innocent eyebrows, but now her thumb could only reach his cheekbones. Nevertheless, it felt like her: not like a golden, nostalgic lost memory of how she felt, but exactly like Eva’s hands, even with the slight roughness of her continuous gardening.

“It took me so long to find you… I am so sorry.”

“You are not my mother.”

“Don’t say that.” Her answer was a sorrowful whisper, her thumb now carefully caressing his sharp cheekbone. Vergil closed his eyes, unable to move, convincing himself all of that wasn’t real and not allowing his heart to sway – forcing his arms to remain frozen by his side, fighting the urge to embrace her. Reminding himself: his mother was dead, killed while trying to save him, a long time ago, and nothing could bring her back. “Your heart hasn’t hardened as much as not to recognize me. You…” Her voice once more became soft, as if trying to do the same with his soul. “You are not a monster… You are my son, my Vergil.”

With those words, Eva’s hand was finally met with a tear – melting the ice from those silvery eyes.

*

There was an impending storm rumbling inside your chest.

Whenever that turmoil took ahold of your heart, you knew Vergil was in trouble. You had just finished checking your side of the cathedral, finding some things out of the ordinary but no demons, when the waves became aggressive in your chest. Your steps were already taking you to meet him, but you found yourself walking even hastier – the sound, though, eaten by the shadows that seemed to only grow around you.

Neither of you had calm seas of feelings: they usually raged like a maelstrom of emotions you could barely get through without some destruction – be it internal or external. But there was a certain note of melancholy and desperation in your heart at that moment that made you know Vergil was hurting – and that hurting, you knew quite well.

It was almost ironic how you apparently despised each other at the beginning, but after a while you came to understand; that aversion was there because you, in a certain way, were a mirror of each other. You could see in him the traits in your soul you disliked the most, and Vergil did see in you the same thing – those traits, however, were the same ones that brought you together, and made both you and Vergil feel seen and understood for the first time in your lives.

He didn’t judge your sins, as you didn’t judge his. To your eyes, he was never a monster, and to his, you could never be as crooked as you thought you were. You found each other in imperfection and, in that, you managed to talk and feel on the same level – after that, every feeling of admiration, care and love was easy to blossom.

You understood that storm, that thunder rumbling inside your chest at that very moment. You could feel it exactly the way he felt – and you knew Vergil needed help… Even if he would never say so himself.

You couldn’t hear or see him, though. You found yourself exactly at his area of patrol in the cathedral, but there was no clue as where your blue devil had gone – and for him to completely disappear, imposing presence and all, was quite an achievement in itself. The air was stiff, heavy as if the windows had never been opened, eating up any sound from the inside and the outside. The darkness was heavier than the one you had previously patrolled, shadows allowing only a few glimpses of the opulent decoration and the path in front of you – although, you couldn’t see more than a few meters beyond your feet.

If you couldn’t trust your sight or your hearing to find him, you could trust your heart: the storm would guide you. Closing your eyes, you allowed your feelings to take over, following with your footsteps in the direction you could hear his soul calling.

Those shadow creatures wouldn’t be able to hide him from you: no matter what happened or where you found yourselves, you would always be able to feel Vergil’s presence and find him in the darkest of hours.

And as the thunder in your chest cracked violently, your feet came to a halt and you opened your eyes.

Right in front of you, there was only darkness. Not like in the shadows that took the cathedral little by little, but pitch-black darkness, that no light could cast aside. To enter it would mean to be completely bare: vulnerable, lost, without guidance, naked – but the screaming in your soul made it very clear Vergil was in there.

Contrary to your lover, you were afraid of the dark. You always preferred to have a little light by your side, for you never knew what could be lurking alongside you, ready to pounce and drag you to certain suffering and death. You protected yourself by being forever vigilant, as you always did – a trait that exhausted you, yes, but luckily, in the last few years, you had Vergil around to keep a light by you when your body started giving out.

For that reason, you would never fear entering the darkness for him.

And with a deep breath, your bold steps took you inside the dark.

*

Your feet were cold, bare, stumbling over a sticky floor. Even if your eyes could see only darkness, you felt the freezing air of that night slicing your skin: you were shirtless and something was hurting… Oozing. The cold wind mixed with a faint warmness that leaked from the open wounds on your skin.

Blood. You were bleeding.

Your arms immediately wrapped around you – those scars, they were showing. They never showed before.

Running your hands quickly over your body, you could feel the warm blood slipping through your fingers; some wounds barely holding themselves closed while others still poured as in the day they were created.

That was the version of yourself you used to fiercely hide. None of those wounds were physical, none of them could be seen… But whenever you looked in the mirror, you saw them there, under your skin, under your soul, quietly resting until you couldn’t hide them anymore.

“You are lost…”

It was always the same voice, of something dark, something inside you that could break your soul if you didn’t shove it back into the darkness like you always did. That was why you were afraid; that was why Vergil always kept a faint glow by your side whenever you couldn’t hold yourself together. The dark was dangerous to you – to both of you.

“You are lost without me…”

“I can survive quite well without you…!” You growled to the darkness, keeping that part of yourself at bay. The part that gave in to the pain, that bathed in the blood and didn’t want to get up… And the part that would bathe and rise in rage, making you survive at great cost to those around you.

You were past that. And you didn’t need that to survive. You didn’t have to survive, you could live.

“Can’t you see that you’re lost…?”

“Vergil!” Your scream was a roar in the dark, looking for the one you plunged into the darkness to find. You wouldn’t give in to the trickery of those Piranhas – and you would get Vergil out of there.

They would learn they shouldn’t fear only the son of Sparda: they should also fear you.

“You think you can find him…?” After the mischievous ethereal voice questioned, you heard a giggle rippling around your feet as you stumbled on the sticky floor to find your lover. “You think you are that good? You think you aren’t a monster?”

You furrowed your brows, doing your best to ignore the voices. You knew it was that part inside of you that always taunted how broken you were, how imperfect your soul was. For the longest time you believed there was nothing good in you, nothing to save you from a life of loneliness, until you crossed paths with Vergil.

He was broken too – and he would never judge the things you did to survive your lethal wounds.

“Vergil! Can you hear me?! I’m here to find you!”

“How chivalrous, how heroic! What are you trying to accomplish?” The giggles pooled around your feet, threatening to drag you inside that pool of viscous darkness. “Trying to prove yourself? You’re never going to be perfect. You’re a black sheep, an outcast, remember? The likes of you aren’t heroes.”

“Oh, I’m no hero…” You growled back, fighting against the things trying to pull you back; fighting against the pain of the freezing cold and warmness of blood. “I’m a fucking fighter. You’re messing with the wrong kind of monster, fucking Hell Piranhas.”

“Piranhas…?” A faint whisper in the dark broke whatever control those things were trying to have over your body, starting at your feet. It was Vergil’s whisper – followed by a louder speaking tone. “Y/n! I can feel you, where are you?!”

“Trying to find you!” You screamed back, immediately dragging your feet towards Vergil. You couldn’t see him, but you could feel where he was – and there was nothing those demons could do against that.

The darkness seemed to shift for a couple of seconds. You couldn’t understand what was happening, but you saw a faint, ghostly pale glow in the dark – almost imperceptible, but your heart knew, you could finally see Vergil.

And, in return, he could see you. Moving his feet, Vergil dragged heavy shackles through the floor, screeching in a horrid, soul scratching sound as he willed his body to move towards you. You could hear him grunting with the effort, another set of chains being dragged as Vergil moved his arms – slowly, but surely, wearing all of his strength to get to you.

You felt the viscous ripples of the floor creeping up your legs, almost on your knees, doing their best to pull you away – back into the darkness, back to the taunting voices, to the doubt, the hurt, the self-loathing.

“Vergil! Let me hear your voice! You’re still there, right?!”

“Yes. I am always here.” His answer came with grunts of effort, barely above the noise of the chains screeching around him.

The darkness shifted again, and his form became even more visible, as yours did to him – followed by a scream that rumbled in his chest, Vergil managed to get even closer. That made something spark inside yourself, that thundering storm breaking in your soul cracking in a scream that broke the insidious tentacles holding you back and making you lunge forward.

Once again, the glow you diffused only to each other seemed to get stronger as the darkness wavered.

“Y/n…” He growled once more, the shackles screaming on the floor as he reached out to you.

“Vergil…!” You reached out in return, barely making out the form of his fingers in the dark.

As you were almost touching each other’s hands, the heavy, muffling darkness faltered once more. You could finally see one another, as you were in that godforsaken place.

Vergil was shirtless, his body covered in wounds – new and old – bleeding profusely. His silvery eyes were red, sunken in deep shadow, surrounded by a deep purple mist on his dry skin. You could see his bones under his pale skin covered in so many lacerations you wouldn’t even know where to start healing him. His knuckles were battered, showing the flesh underneath, as well as his wrists covered by heavy iron shackles – wounds from fighting against them for so long. His hands were still long and elegant, but bony and covered in bruises.

You had never seen Vergil so hurt, so broken, so… Vulnerable.

In return, his eyes took in shock the vision of you: as shirtless as him, as battered and wounded as he was. Even if not locked in the shackles he wore for so long in Hell, you walked barefoot leaving a trail of blood behind you. Those scars, those wounds, those bruises… He knew they were there, but he had never seen those. You looked weak and tired, bloodshot eyes under dry skin, as if you hadn’t slept in ages… And those things you fought so much to conceal, now crystal clear in front of him.

Those were the scars you carried inside yourselves. The wounds you had to fight against every day – that you had to try to heal, even if sometimes it seemed impossible. The things you would never show, but, somehow, you managed to sense it in each other… Now you could see it, clear as a bright night.

And, even if you wouldn’t admit to yourselves, those were the very same breaking thunders that would keep you moving – fiercely fighting, fiercely surviving.

As you took in each other’s internal selves, Vergil’s silvery eyes finally found yours.

A loud thundering noise shook the floor underneath your feet twice, as your hearts rumbled alongside the devastating sound. You lunged forward, holding Vergil’s hand as if your life depended on it. Never breaking your eye contact, Vergil held your hand with the strength you would expect of the legendary Dark Slayer. You made each other stronger, and there was nothing that could come between you now.

His shackles immediately screeched back, pulling Vergil violently away from you. At the same time, you were grabbed by the viscous darkness – your knees, your legs, your abdomen, your arms. It pulled you back with vicious strength, doing its best to drag you away from him – back into the darkness.

“Don’t let me go!” You screamed back, tightening your grip around his bony hand.

“I will never let go!” He growled, doing the same, trying to drag his body forward – failing to notice you willed yourself towards him as he pulled you into his arms. Those silvery eyes never moved away from yours.

“You are lost…! Lost…!”

The voices chanted and screeched around you, doing their best to drag you apart. For a moment, your hand slipped and you let out a desperate scream, hurting your lungs as you were almost pulled back into the void. Vergil’s cry resembled a roar as he willed his body to move and tightened his grip in a way he didn’t hold even Yamato.

He hadn’t held his brother’s hand once. This time he wouldn’t make the same mistake. This time, he would hold you even if that damned the both of you to the darkest pits of Hell.

“Can’t you see…? Can’t you see that…?”

“I am lost…!” You barked back to the voices, still staring into Vergil’s eyes, trying to catch your breath while your lungs stung as if you were inhaling a thousand knives.

As Vergil looked into your eyes, though, he knew exactly what you were going to say – and he could safely say it was the very same thing he struggled to find the words to.

“Without you.” His answer came in a dark tone, ragged from the effort he too made to be able to hold your hand.

The thunder rumbled twice again – the voices shrieked and you suddenly found yourselves being launched into each other’s arms as the forces that bind you broke into a million pieces.

Vergil’s arms wrapped around you, one of his hands holding your head close to his chest, as you wrapped yours around his waist, keeping him as close as you could. His head rested on top of yours, and you kept your eyes closed – washing away the blood above his heart with the tears that streamed down your face.

“Don’t ever hide from me.” Vergil’s voice was uncharacteristically shaky, somber but reassuring. You had never been so vulnerable in front of him – and even upon seeing you like that, his reaction was to take you in his arms, to welcome you. “I’m not afraid of the dark.”

“And I’m not afraid of your darkness.” You tightened your arms around his cold, bony body as you felt tears running through your hair. “I can see beyond your glimmer, and I’m not afraid of what’s in the dark.” Your voice shook as you took a deep breath and Vergil’s arms held you even closer – his body shaking with the tears falling from his eyes. “It’s you. And I’m never afraid of you.”

“Neither am I of you.”

His answer was but a whisper – a whisper enough to break the darkness into a memory to be kept away in the deepest pits of Hell.

I can feel the thunder that’s breaking in your heart I can see through the scars inside you

*

*

*

*

“You killed the Piranhas from Hell with the power of love?”

Vergil wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. Or die. Or both.

Probably both.

The whole crew was there as you and Vergil never came back from the job as quickly as expected – and when you did, it looked like you hadn’t slept in days.

The priest was more than happy with the result of your work – even though you never discovered why the Weavers decided to come out of hiding nor what they wanted. The congregation was just happy they were gone and the whole reason behind it would be a long-term thing for the Devil May Cry to work on – or to keep an eye on; maybe something bigger was approaching.

You and Vergil didn’t feel like going back to the shop, though. When you were hurt physically, things were very much ok to deal with, but when the wounds were emotional… You needed time for yourselves.

Unlike his brother, Vergil was a little more responsible with his money – and you, a lot more than the two. You managed to find somewhere to spend a few nights… Which involved the both of you talking out everything you felt and saw. It was harrowing at first, something neither of you were versed in and honestly were terrified of, but it eventually brought you even closer together.

So, to say you had defeated the Lie Weavers with the power of love was something that killed Vergil inside.

And you could almost see his internal self, glaring at you with a ‘really, after all of this you say this kind of foolishness’ look in his sad, silvery eyes, as Lady stared at both of you and made the question everyone was thinking.

“Yep. Power of love, it’s a curious thing.” You shrugged, making Vergil physically groan by your side while Dante slapped his table with a huge grin on his face.

“Make a one man weep, make another man sing! Hell yeah, Back To The Future, babe!” He winked back at you as you smiled in response.

“Of all the people you could end up dating, Vergil…” Trish sat on Dante’s desk, crossing her long legs while sporting a devilish smile on her rosy lips. It was interesting how her voice could never really sound like Eva’s. “It had to be someone who references the same songs as your brother.”

“Alas, fate plays many games…” Vergil rolled his eyes, but as they rested on you, there was a vulnerability you saw only once in that pitch black darkness. “But it is kind enough to give us what we need.”

No one ever really understood what he meant, but Dante was the only one who managed to see something inside his brother’s silvery eyes that could only reflect in yours – and that made him genuinely smile.

Indeed, you would never be the romance of a fairy tale book or a romantic comedy – but you could see what lied beyond each other’s scars; taking a glimpse at the worst of each other without fear and finding whatever light was left inside. You could understand – and that was much more than most lovers in the world would ever have.

[rottenpumpkin13]

need the firsts to play paintball. who takes it WAY too seriously? who gets paint in their mouth accidentally? who does it on purpose?

The story of why/how Cloud got court martialled for dunking Sephiroth's head in a bucket of paint

• Nothing good comes out of Genesis being bored at 2PM during a slow work day. Following that logic, horrible horrible things come out of Genesis dropping a paintball gun on Angeal's desk.

Genesis: We're playing paintball. Whoever shoots the most paint at their target wins.

Angeal: You are unbelievably childish. Do you really think Sephiroth is immature enough to go along with this?

*Sephiroth appears at the door and shoots Angeal and Genesis with paintballs*

Angeal:

Genesis:

Sephiroth: Tell me, what does defeat feel like? I wouldn't know.

• Sephiroth runs away.

• Sephiroth didn't think this through because now Angeal is running after him with a paintball, vowing to shoot Sephiroth's hair with paint.

*Angeal shoots, Sephiroth ducks*

• It hits Zack with red paint. Zack immediately throws himself to the ground.

Zack: I'M DYING.

Angeal: It's red paint.

Zack: I'VE BEEN PAINTED WITH DEATH.

Angeal:

Zack: MY DREADFULLY SHORT LIFE HAS COME TO AN END. WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF MY TAMAGOTCHI WHEN I'M NO LONGER HERE TO CARE FOR THOSE I LOVE?

Angeal: You're literally fine. The paint didn't even hit a fatal area.

*Kunsel and Roche appear. Kunsel starts drawing a chalk outline of Zack's body while Roche hangs up crime scene tape*

Angeal: ???

• Meanwhile Genesis gets to Sephiroth first. He corners him by the data room and shoots him with paint.

• This angers Sephiroth greatly.

• Sephiroth starts walking towards him slowly.

• Genesis tries to shoot him again. but the paintball is stuck.

• Sephiroth continues to approach.

• Genesis starts sobbing while trying to shoot him.

• Sephiroth is near.

*Lazard walks in on this scene*

Lazard: Are you two serious? I'm in disbelief. Never would I have thought you would sink to this level.

• Genesis panic-shoots Lazard instead.

• This time the paint does come out.

• There is now yellow paint on Lazard's expensive suit and glasses.

Genesis: Oh no. Sephiroth, help. What do we do?

*Genesis looks to Sephiroth for help. Sephiroth is long gone*

Genesis: Son of a bitch.

• Lazard drags Genesis away by the ear. They walk by the break room, where a funeral for Zack is being held. Kunsel is reading the eulogy while Zack (alive) lays in the casket. Angeal is screaming "FOR FUCKS SAKE. HE'S ALIVE. IT WAS RED PAINT."

• Sephiroth appears out of nowhere and panic-hits Lazard in the head with the paintball gun.

• Lazard is knocked out.

Genesis: Sephiroth! Did you shoot the director just to save me? I'm flattered. I cannot believe I ever doubted your friendship.

Sephiroth: I don't know what you mean. I simply intend to finish our game.

*Sephiroth points the paintball gun at Genesis*

Genesis: You motherless whore.

• Sephiroth shoots.

• Genesis ducks.

• It hits Cloud Strife, who had just arrived on the 49th floor to attend Zack's fake funeral. Cloud is now covered in purple paint.

Sephiroth: Oh, Cloud, my apologies. I had meant to shoot Genesis to settle our dispute, but you were unfortunately caught in the crossfire.

Cloud:

Sephiroth: While I understand why this may be a cause for anger, I believe in your ability to handle matters calmly without holding onto resentment or taking it personally.

Cloud:

Sephiroth: Right?

Cloud:

Sephiroth: Why is my sword in your hand?

[shineonyoucrazyyandere]

What would the joestars (part 1-9) reactions to their darling (gender neutral) skirt getting lifted/flinged up by a kid?

( I got inspired from that one scene from frieren where a boy lifts up her skirt...and i personally wanna see the yandere joestars reactions lol.)

https://youtu.be/gd8kDrA9bi8?si=7UVFjAViup42cxZw

There’s the resounding thought of “is it wrong to beat up a child?” going through the Joestar’s heads.

Yandere! Jonathan Joestar

He’s fast enough to pick up whatever kid did this to his poor darling. No amount of smacking and thrashing will make him let go until they apologize, and Jonathan is pretty upset and makes it clear never to do it again. He appears to almost be a very stern parent talking to them, but there’s just a little bit of an intimidating aura behind it that it scares the kid off. Not to mention his large muscular stature helps fend them off as well.

He’ll probably walk you home after and make sure the kid doesn’t try jumping you (He knows how petty an angered person can be sometimes).

Yandere! Joseph Joestar

He can play petty, and he’s not going to let some snot nosed brat just upskirt his darling like that. (that’s a view he’s only allowed to have) The kid doesn’t get far at all, and probably even trips with whatever hamon trick Joseph decides to play off. He flicks the kids nose, maybe even pinches it.

“Cheeky little….you think you’re clever, but you’re not getting far with me, go home already”

He’s absolutely petty enough to give the kid a shaken up soda, and have it explode all over him later, (and maybe pants him, himself at some point). He’ll deny it later when you bring it up

Yandere! Jotaro Kujo

Under normal circumstances he’d be pissed, but being obsessive puts that anger through the roof. Star Platinum grabs the kid by the collar, and pulls them backwards. His stare is cold as ice, there’s zero patience in his voice as he also trips the kid with his stand by the feet. “How about you run home before something that you don’t like happens punk” is about the most restrained Jotaro can be at this point. He’s definitely tempted to punt the brat into the sun

The kid likely has a bloody nose, freaks out and books it out of there in a blink of an eye terrified. Alternatively there’s a chance Jotaro catches the kid early with a little use of his time stop, and smacks the kid in the back of the head with his hand. (Nothing concussion worthy) but it still sends the perpetrator packing.

Yandere! Josuke Higashikata (P4)

It irritates him almost instantly as insulting his hair, he’s on a similar level as Joseph when it comes to these things and the kid is going to have something not quite looking right after the use of Crazy Diamond. Who knows how the kid ended up in a fountain later, it totally wasn’t him! There might be a few other embarrassing stints and the kid eventually never walks your or his way ever again.

Yandere! Giorno Giovanna

His reaction would be interesting here, there’s a weird mix of calmness and pettiness wrapped into one. Firstly the blonde likely manages to pickpocket the kid right off the cuff. Tells the kid he forgot something while waving a wallet or a small amount of money around. Giorno has an obviously fake smile on his face, talks to the kid for a moment or two out of your earshot, perhaps you see an ear pinch out of your peripheral vision.

Though a scream erupts shortly after and the kid is running off slapping insects off themselves.

Yandere! Jolyne Kujo

She’s not the type to take stupid crap like upskirting happening to you (much like her father). The kid almost instantly gets caught by stone free, tripping him up. “What do you think you’re doing kid?” She’ll be asking them if they think their age is a get out of jail free card for acting like a brat. Jolyne will absolutely clever enough to make it look like she’s a sibling of this kid while giving him a taste of their own medicine.

Since they likely cant see stone free, the kid keeps tripping over and over. She might keep him still enough for a few birds to come over and do their business. Maybe hold their mouth open a bit, and suggests not telling anyone about this unless they want their parents to know them as the town pervert.

Yandere! Johnny Joestar

He’d pretend to almost not even notice this kids antics, but the kid quickly gets tripped up by spin. If there is any objects around they would just happen to trip into them. “Not sure what you’re trying to pull there, but it’s not a smart idea to pull that stunt to someone I like” Johnny tells them bluntly. This kid probably ends up “falling” again in mud or another unsavory mix from horses. He just gives the kid a cold stare and gestures them to leave for their own safety.

Yandere! Josuke Higashikata (Gappy) Part 8

There’s some soft humming as he goes to stop the kid who decided to upskirt you. There’s a dark look in his eyes as he grips the kid’s wrist firmly. He makes it clear he’s upset, and likely embarrasses the kid by messing with their hair, making it an obnoxiously ugly style or generally dumping something on them. With the bonus of the kid walking into a pole before rushing off, ( all of that may or may have not had to do with Soft & Wet)

Yandere! Jodio Joestar

There’s really no going back when you mess with his darling. Anything he does to this kid, he doesn’t regret in the slightest. “Want to see my sense of humor?” He’ll probably ask almost mockingly. He asks how’s the weather to kid, and casually uses November Rain on them. If he has food or a drink he doesn’t hesitate to dump it on the kid either. “I don’t think I want a sorry honestly….seems too…insincere for what you did” he shrugs.

[gauloiseblue]

Ending (1/4)

〔 Intro 〕

When you step out of the bus, the breeze greets you as you walk to the sidewalk.

The scene in your surroundings seems new, but familiar at the same time. Since you’d pass this street every once in a while, but never set your foot in.

You look up the map again, trying to see where you are currently, before searching for the florist shop. 

It’s not far from the bus stop, and your feet immediately carry you to the store. The fragrant scent of blooms envelopes you as you come near to the flower sections. You look around, trying to find the florist, and spot her behind the counter. She's still talking to the other customer, so you decide to look around.

There's a selection of white bouquets on the side of the shop, and you reach out to touch them.

"Going to the cemetery?"

You turn your head to the voice, and find yourself staring at a tall figure.

"Um," You pulled your hand from the bouquet, "Yes. How did you know?"

He gestures to the flowers, "Those are for grave visit."

"Oh." You muttered, "I didn't know that." You watch him pick the white roses bouquet and decide to ask, "Are you visiting a grave too?"

"Yes." He replied, "My mother's." You feel his eyes on you when you pick some white tulips and irises, "You?"

"My parents'." You said as you divided them into two, "This is my first visit, actually."

He raises his brow at you, "Did they pass away recently?"

"No." You shook your head, "I just found out about them yesterday. I didn't even know they existed before." You rub the nape of your neck as you realize what you just said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lay it on you."

"That's alright." He looked down at the bouquet, "I didn't know my mother either." You turn your head to him as he begins, "She passed away when I was still a child, and my father sent me to the orphanage because he couldn't take care of me." 

"I'm so sorry." You furrowed your brows, "You didn't deserve that."

"It's all in the past." He said, "Besides, the nurses were nice to me in the orphanage.”

“Oh,” Your hand instinctively fidgets on the petals, “I’m glad to hear that.”

He seems to notice the change in your expression. “Am I making you uncomfortable? If so, I’m sorry.”

“No, not at all.” You cover your mouth when you realize you’ve raised your voice. “I’m sorry, it’s just that, I lived in an orphanage too when I was little. So hearing about your past makes me think about my past too.” 

“You came from an orphanage too?” He responded, “That’s surprising, you don’t look like one.”

“I was there for a brief amount of time.” You rubbed your neck, “I don’t remember much of it, but the mothers who took care of me were kind. I guess that’s why I look spoiled.”

He stares at you for a second, before he chuckles. “I didn’t mean it that way, I apologize.” He clears his throat, “Where did you come from? There aren’t not many orphanages in this city, are there?”

“I came from H Orphanage.”

“How strange.” He replied, “I came from there too.”

“Really? Have we met each other back then?”

“I’m not sure, I don’t remember much about the time I was there.”

You look at him for a while, before deciding to speak. “What’s your name? I might remember something if you tell me your name.”

He raises his brow at the question, but he answers it nevertheless. “It’s Nikolaus,” He replied, “But oftentimes people call me Kö.”

“Kö…” You hum to yourself, “I remember calling someone by that name before… Could that be…?”

You turn your head towards him, eyes blown and mouth open as your mind connects the dots. He seems taken aback by it, but he soon comes to the same realization as you. "Now I think about it…" He muttered, "I did remember giving my pudding away to someone every lunch time." 

"Wow," You stare at him in awe, "It's really you."

He reaches up to touch his nape, as a slight smile appears on his lips. "Seems like we have a lot to catch up on." He said, "Why don't we grab a coffee after the visit?"

【 Try again? 】

[gatorbites-imagines]

hi !! could i maybe get some rex splode x gnc trans male reader stuff, if you’re cool with that !! maybe smth abt the reader getting misgendered for wearing clothes they feel more comfortable with and rex stepping in to defend them :o thank you sm !!

Rex Sloan/Rex splode x ftm reader

Headcanons

Rex wasn’t the best guy up until getting shot in the second season, but that wouldn’t matter if you guys were dating, except for the fact that he would apologize to you and try his hardest to be a better boyfriend.

He might have misgendered you on accident the very first time you guys met, but when you corrected him that didn’t happen again. He might have been a dick sometimes, but he isn’t a bigot.

I like to think Rex is secretly into fashion at a low level, since he’s into stuff like decorating. So, he would be excited to help you plan your outfits.

Since he is a government experiment, he wouldn’t have that deeply ingrained image of gender either, so he wouldn’t care too much about you, your gender, or your way of expressing yourself.

In the beginning he wouldn’t be into wearing anything feminine himself though, since he’s quite insecure and unsure about himself and the image he puts off. But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t support you.

His insecurity would have crossed over to how people treat you though. Since disrespecting you is also disrespecting him, but also because he loves you and doesn’t want you getting mistreated.

This leads to him getting into fights, both verbal and physical, since how dare they treat you like that? Who the fuck do they think they are? They can taste his damn explosions if they’re gonna keep that shit up.

In the beginning his acts of defending you can be quite a lot, since he takes peoples comments more personal that you do. To the point where he might even get snippy with people who do it on accident even if they correct themselves immediately after being informed.

But after getting shot in the head and rethinking a lot about himself, Rex would become better at dealing with himself, his emotions and his reactions.

This not only leads to him being a better boyfriend in general, but also not reacting so quick to violence and anger if somebody says the wrong thing or looks at you wrong. He still keeps a sharp eye on people though, especially when you are dressing the ways you prefer.

Where in the past Rex would make a loud scene, after the bullet he would be more lowkey. And by that, I mean, pull the person to the side or just quietly tell them that if they don’t stop nobody would be able to find the pieces of their body after he blew them up.

Of course he doesn’t always end up using threats of death, but that’s mainly because he knows you wouldn’t like it. to Rex, being transphobic on purpose deserves it, but since it wouldn’t be what you and others wanted, he would keep it as a last defense. Or at least wait for no one else to be around.

He makes sure to check up on you afterwards too. Rex would try to be subtle, but he isn’t really the most subtle guy. So, when he’s trying to see if your okay and affirm your gender, he says something like “you know you’re the most handsome guy I know, right?”

After understanding himself better, he might even get the interest in trying to wear different things. At this point I can’t imagine him wearing it in public, but when he’s alone or together with you, he might put on a few different things to see how he feels.

Rex always gets embarrassed about it though, especially if you comment about it, even if it’s telling him it looks good. So your best bet is to not mention it until he brings it up himself.

[skyward-floored]

First piece of writing I post in several weeks and it’s from a silly au I only just thought up three days ago. what is life.

Anyways Incredibles AU airplane scene go!

————————————————————

Time had been awake for several hours before anything happened.

He was suspended a few feet off the floor by some sort of energy field-contraption, arms outstretched and held tightly in place. His whole body ached from whatever sedative had been pumped into him when he’d been caught, (and he was still cursing himself for being caught—) and none of his powers looked like they’d be enough to get him out either.

So he waited.

He was beyond stiff by the time the door finally opened, Dark Link striding in with Sheik following a little ways behind. He walked right up to where Time was held, then gave him a huge grin.

“You, sir....truly are the Fierce Deity!” he said with a laugh, sounding thrilled. “You know, I was right to idolize you. I always knew you were tough, but tricking the probe by hiding under the bones of another super?”

Time lowered his head at the reminder of finding the bones of Darmani. I hope you’re resting easy brother.

Dark Link shook his head in disbelief, pacing slowly around in front of Time. “Incredible! I’m still reeling.” He grinned. “You really are something.”

Then he let out a rather theatrical sigh, pausing in his steps.

Time stiffened.

“And then you just had to ruin it all,” Dark Link said mournfully. “I mean really? The great and powerful Fierce Deity calling for help?”

He scoffed, and Time blinked at him in confusion.

What?

“Stuck in my lair and what do you do? Boo hoo, help me help me, I’m completely helpless,” Dark Link said in a mocking voice, then whipped around and jabbed a finger towards Time’s face. “Who did you contact.”

Time stared at him, feeling nothing but confusion.

“What are you talking about?” he muttered, and Dark Link’s eyes narrowed.

He tapped something on the band around his wrist, and Time was suddenly filled with a shooting stabbing agony, electricity coursing through his entire body.

It only lasted a few seconds but he couldn’t help the cry it tore out of him, gasping heavily once it was done.

Dark Link clasped his arms behind his back, cape rippling as he moved. “I am referring to last night at 23:07 hours while you were snooping around. You sent out a homing signal,” he snapped, and Time raised his head to look at him.

“I didn’t know... about any homing device,” he bit out, then screamed as another jolt went through him, this one lasting several seconds longer.

Dark Link clenched his fists as he continued to electrocute Time, ignoring his cries. “And now a government plane is requesting permission to land here! Who did you contact?” he shouted, and finally took his finger off his wrist.

Time spasmed with leftover electricity, and barely managed to drag in a gasping breath.

“I didn’t s-send... for any... one...” he said weakly, and Dark Link whipped around towards Sheik.

“Play the transmission,” he growled, and after a moment’s preparation Sheik pressed a button on the control panel.

And a voice Time would know absolutely anywhere filtered through the line.

“Hyrule Flyer Niner-Niner checking in. VFR on top...“

“Malon...!” he gasped, and Dark Link grinned.

“So you do know these people!” he said cheerfully, and Time felt his heart fall straight into his stomach. “Well in that case, I think I’ll send them a little greeting.”

The Shadow met his eyes, the smile never leaving his face.

“It’s only polite you know.”

(...)

Malon ran a hand through her hair, letting out an uneasy sigh.

Her thoughts were racing, and only getting worse the closer the plane got to the tracking beacon in Time’s armor. It was a good thing flying a plane kept one’s attention fairly well, or she probably would have driven herself nuts by now questioning what exactly her husband had gotten himself into.

A hand settled over hers and she looked over at the other person with her, Twilight giving her a gentle smile.

Bless her son. He’d insisted on coming along when he’d caught her suiting up, asking her increasingly worried questions until she’d broken down and told him about everything that had happened. She’d wanted him to stay and help handle things at home, but he’d insisted, refusing to let her go alone.

He didn’t even know anything about flying, but he helped where he could, and learned pretty fast considering he’d never stepped foot in a plane before.

Despite the danger, Malon was immensely grateful to have him.

“Hey,” Twilight said, interrupting her thoughts, “it’ll be all right, we’ll find him. No matter what ridiculous mess he’s gotten himself into.”

He squeezed her hand and she nodded, managing to scrounge up a smile for him. “Thank you hun. Would you mind setting my bag in the back? I’d bet you could use a stretch and I can handle things for a little while.”

Twilight nodded and stood up, taking her suggestion and stretching as he grabbed her bag and made his way to the passenger area.

A few moments later she heard a loud “ow!”

“Legend?!”

Malon snapped her head up, quickly setting the plane to autopilot before marching into the other room. And sure enough, Legend sat on one of the seats, holding her bag and rubbing his head as Twilight blinked at him in disbelief.

“Link Legend Forester!” she said as he set her bag down, “What on earth—“

“It’s not my fault!” he immediately defended, raising both hands up in surrender, “Wind was the one who wanted to—“

Wind suddenly poked his head up from a row back. “That’s not true! You were the one who said—“

“I did not!”

“Wind?!” Malon gasped at the same time as Twilight did.

Legend and Wind continued to talk over each other, completely ignoring her and Twilight.

“—follow you and came on the plane so I came here and you closed the doors before I could find him and then you took off and it’s not my fault—“

“—"Something’s up with Mom. We have to find out what!" That’s what you said! And it was all your idea! Yours! Hundred percent all-yours, all-the-time idea!" Wind yelled, and Twilight let out a piercing whistle.

The two stopped shouting and looked at him, shrinking under his gaze.

“And how many more of you are here?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, and the two stowaways gave each other a look.

“No one.”

“Just us.”

“Nobody at all,” Wind repeated, right as Wild wandered in from the back, slurping a juice box.

“Oh. We done with the stowaway thing?” the champion asked as he looked at them all, and Legend groaned and slapped his forehead.

“Well we are now!”

Malon pressed a hand to her face, taking a deep, even breath. “Is there anyone else?”

The cabin was silent for several long moments, then Hyrule slowly walked out from the back row, awkwardly shuffling his feet.

She scanned her boys, giving them all the evil eye before placing a hand on her hip as she shook her head. She loved them all, she really did, but sometimes they just did not listen.

“At least tell me Four isn’t here,” she sighed.

A cacophony of voices immediately leapt to reassure her, spouting all about how he’d been working on a project so they’d left him a note and leftovers and yes mom we were being responsible and didn’t just leave him all alone we asked Groose to come by in the afternoon—

“You let Groose in our house?” Twilight interrupted, and Wild crossed his arms.

“Sun can vouch for him, he’ll be fine! He doesn’t even have to barely do anything anyways, Four’s responsible! He can handle it.”

“Right, like he handled helping with Wind’s science project?” Legend muttered, and Wind shrugged.

“How was he supposed to know I’m allergic to shellfish?”

“BOYS!”

Everybody winced and looked apologetically at Malon, who gave them all a firm look. “Warriors isn’t around here somewhere is he?” she asked with a raised eyebrow, and Hyrule shook his head.

“No, we couldn’t get ahold of him,” he said, and Malon knew Hyrule at least wouldn’t lie to her. “Otherwise we would’ve had him stay with Four.”

“Of course, if Four had realized what we were doing he totally would’ve come,” Wind interjected, and several glares were shot his way.

“Anyways,” Malon continued, “While I would’ve preferred you to have gotten someone else to check in on Four—“ literally anyone else, she thought with a hint of exasperation, “—I’m glad he isn’t alone. Now as for you all—“

An alert blared from the cockpit, and she frowned, turning back into the area and looking at the dashboard.

Her eyes immediately widened at the sight on the radar in front of her, and she stared out the window, praying she was wrong. But sure enough two lights were streaking towards the plane, and she felt her stomach sink.

Missiles. Heading directly at them.

She practically flung herself into the pilot’s chair, snapping the plane off of autopilot and began to prepare for evasive maneuvers.

“Hold on!” she yelled behind her, and Twilight almost immediately joined her side.

“What the— missiles?!” he gaped, “we didn’t even do anything!”

Malon didn’t reply, instead clicking on the radio. “Hyrule Flyer Niner-Niner transmitting in the blind guard. Disengage! Repeat, disengage!” she shouted through her headset, but there was no response.

She pulled the plane into a sharp swerve, her sons yelling in the back as she sent the two missiles crashing into each other. But as soon as those were gone four more appeared, from slightly different directions.

She gritted her teeth as she plunged into a steep dive and attempted to contact the island again.

 (...)

“Disengage! Repeat, disengage! Friendlies!”

Time’s heart sped up the more he heard of his wife’s voice, every bit of her hidden panic only doubling his own. He had a perfect view of the radar screen, several flashing dots rapidly chasing after a big one that kept swerving in dizzying evasive maneuvers.

And all Dark Link did was stand there, looking faintly amused by the whole thing.

“Call them off,” Time finally choked out, “call them off Dark I’ll do anything—“

The Shadow finally glanced over, crossing the room and giving a sad shake of his head as he approached his prisoner.

“Too late!” he said with a shrug, meeting Time’s panicked gaze. “...literal years too late.”

 (...)

“Friendlies at two-zero miles south-southwest of your position. Angels 10. Track east. Disengage!” Malon shouted through the radio as she pulled back up, sending at least one projectile into the ocean below her.

Twilight was doing all he could to help, and Malon was hardly a bad pilot but unless a miracle occurred they weren’t getting out of this.

Legend seemed to come to the same realization, and he whipped his head towards his brother. “Hyrule!” Legend said suddenly, the brunette in question trying not to fall over, “You have to use your Shield around the plane!”

Hyrule looked at him, a thin spark of panic in his eyes as he looked down at his hands. “But— but mom said we weren’t supposed to use our powers!” he said, Legend steadying his arm when the plane dove to the side.

Malon bit her lip as she heard them talk, dragging the plane back again. “I know what I said, but listen to what I’m saying now, you need to do your shield,” Malon urged him, but Hyrule looked frozen.

She pulled the plane into a quick roll, sending her passengers all yelling as they were flung around. “Disengage. Repeat, disengage!” she repeated through the radio despite knowing it wouldn’t make an ounce of a difference.

A missile nearly clipped them and someone yelped.

“Mom?” Wind said in a voice full of barely-held-back panic, looking out the window where he could see several missiles flying towards them.

“Hyrule! Shield!”

Hyrule bit his lip and tried to form his shield, hands shaking as a faint reddish glimmer appeared around them. It kept growing to about the size of his head before sputtering out, and he only looked more frantic the longer he tried.

Malon bit her lip so hard she drew blood and yelled into the radio again, desperation coloring her voice. “Mayday, mayday! Hyrule Flyer niner-niner is buddy-spiked! Abort! Abort! There are children aboard—“

(...)

 “—say again, there are children aboard—!”

“NO!” Time roared, and Dark Link barely spared him a glance.

“Sir?” Sheik asked, hesitation in her voice.

Dark Link waved her on to continue.

 (...)

“Hyrule! Put a shield around us!” Wind yelped as they abruptly lurched downwards.

“I’ve never done one this big!” Hyrule stuttered, hands shaking more the longer he tried, and Wild grabbed his arm as well, trying to steady him so he could work.

“Hyrule please honey, do it now!” Malon begged as she turned back to the radio. “Abort, please abort, abort—“

“I— I can’t I’m sorry—“

“Abort ABORT!”

Twilight abruptly grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the controls and then rammed the door of the plane open. He shoved his brothers out before grabbing Malon’s hand and jumping himself.

About a second later the plane exploded behind them.

The force of it hit her and Malon momentarily blacked out, Twilight still clutching her hand. When her eyes flickered back open she was still falling, her sons screaming around her, and she gasped as she snapped back to awareness.

She saw Wind frantically snatching at the winds whipping around them, trying to slow everyone’s fall, and while he did succeed enough for them not to hit the water too hard it still hurt, and Malon drew in a gasp at how cold it was. She choked on the water she accidentally breathed in, and swam for the surface, breaching with a gasp.

“Mom!” she heard someone shout once she surfaced, and saw Twilight swim over to her, face white.

He had Wind on his back, the younger boy looking exhausted from using his power so much, and Legend was next to them, helping Hyrule stay up. Wild was doing okay by himself, but every one of them looked pale and shocked, even Twilight.

“All right, okay, everyone calm down,” she soothed as several of them began to speak as they gathered around her, “Now I’ll tell you what we’re not going to do. We’re not going to panic, we’re not going—“

“LOOK OUT!” Wild suddenly yelled, and Malon and Twilight had just enough time to drag them all away under the water before one of the plane’s turbines crashed into the ocean nearly on top of them. Malon waited a few seconds before releasing the arms she had grabbed, and watched as a trailing missile fell after the turbine, hitting the bottom and exploding.

She surfaced again to every single one of her sons panicking.

“Oh my gosh,” Hyrule choked out, “it blew up. It blew up—“

“Who’s idea was this anyway?” Wild gasped, sounding on the verge of hyperventilating.

“It almost hit us,” muttered Legend, and clutched at a piece of floating wreckage. “A couple meters closer and—“

“We’re dead! We’re dead!” Wind kept repeating in a rapidly increasing panic, his eyes blown wide, “we’re dead!”

“What do we do?” Twilight asked with a shell-shocked expression.

“We survived but we’re dead!”

“HEY!” Malon yelled, and her sons all snapped their gazes towards her. “We are not going to die! Not if I have anything to say about it! Now all of you will get a grip or so help me I will ground you for a month! Understand!?”

The group went quiet, and they all eventually nodded, though their faces were still pale.

Malon blew out a breath, wiping some wet hair out of her face. “Good.“

She gave them a tight-lipped smile, pushing aside her own worry and terror at having come so close to losing both her own life and her sons.

“Now let’s focus on doing something useful.”

(...)

“We have a confirmed hit. Target was destroyed,” Sheik said in a quiet voice.

Time stared at the ground, bangs falling in his eyes as his breath came in ragged gasps, unwilling to fully process what the words Sheik had spoken truly meant.

No.

No.

“Ah, you’ll get over it,” Dark Link drawled, stretching a bit. He smiled up at Time, still standing directly in front of him. “after all, I seem to recall you prefer to work alone...?”

Time grit his teeth and felt the wave of shock and disbelief turn abruptly into one of pure rage.

He snapped his head up and lunged forward for Dark, but Sheik reacted a split second before he did and knocked her boss out of the way. Time ended up grabbing her instead, and he held an arm around her waist while the other pressed against her neck, glaring at Dark Link as she gasped in surprise.

“Release me. NOW!” he shouted as she struggled, and Dark Link raised an eyebrow.

“Or what?”

Time tightened his grip and Sheik sucked in a breath. “I’ll crush her.”

Dark Link tapped his chin with a finger, looking vaguely impressed. “Ooh, that’s a little dark for you... you know what? Go ahead,” he shrugged.

Sheik gasped and Time tightened his grip yet again. “It’ll be easy.”

Dark Link chuckled. “Well then go right ahead, show me.”

Time grit his teeth as Dark Link watched him, feeling Sheik’s pulse beat rapidly from where his arm was wrapped across her neck. It would be so easy. One quick movement and the heartbeat he could feel would stop and the anger boiling in his blood would be released and his family—

His family—

His family would still be dead.

The fight drained out of him and he dropped Sheik with a shaking sigh. She fell to her knees and sucked in a breath, then looked up in disbelief at her employer who so obviously cared nothing for her life. Dark Link barely spared her a glance, staring coldly at Time.

“I knew you couldn’t do it,” he sneered, cape swishing around him, “even though you’ve got nothing to lose! You’re weak,” he spat, then turned and began to walk out of the room.

“...and I’ve outgrown you.”

Sheik finally got to her feet and glanced at Time, who if he’d been looking at her would’ve caught sight of a truly worried and grieved expression shot his way.

Then she was gone and Time let himself cry.

[dont-let-me-eat-pears]

me to me: girl, don't do it.

me: *imagines an au where the show didn't practically forget about merlin and gwaine's friendship after series 3, and gwaine found out about his magic sometime in series 4, and merlin got to have a friend again who knew everything about him and who he could be his true self with and tell everything to and share sneaky, knowing looks with when he secretly performed magic and—*

me to me: well, now you've done it. enjoy the pain.

[prettycoolducks]

just finished playing portal revolution. I like evil science lady and her rabid vacuum cleaner

[delta-piscium]

part 2 | this is part two to this from Steve's perspective leading up to and including part one | cw unresolved angst [unfinished/for now not being worked on]

31 days until moving day.

Steve burst through the door to Family Video, swinging it open with way too much force. 

Robin jumps and opens her mouth, probably to tell him off for scaring her but he speaks before she gets the chance. 

“Eddie asked me to move to Chicago with him,” he blurts out, “Robin, he asked me to go with him.” 

Her eyes widen, “what did you say?” 

“That I’d go, of course,” he huffs. Like it’s even a question? like not going was ever an option?

Robin jumps over the counter squealing and hugs him so tight breathing becomes a little bit hard. 

“I’m moving away with Eddie,” he whispers into her hair, awed as he hugs her back. She somehow squeezes him even tighter and they stay like that for a minute until they have to actually do their jobs. 

An hour passes and Robin keeps shooting him contemplative looks.

“What?” He finally snaps after getting tired of waiting for her to say what she wants to say herself. 

She jumps again like she didn’t realize how obvious she was being, which honestly, she probably didn’t.

“Nothing, nothing.” 

“Robin,” he whines.

“Okay, just,” she scrunches her face up a bit and Steve knows that face, she’s trying to figure out how to say something to him she thinks he’ll react badly to. 

He narrows his eyes at her, bracing himself, “yes?” 

“I think you and Eddie are great together, and like I love you both and I am excited for you guys. You know that right?”

Steve nods, doesn’t say anything though, wants her to get to the point.

“I’m just also, maybe, a little bit worried.”

Steve’s eyebrows draw together, “what do you mean?” 

Robin is looking around nervously. Something heavy starts to form in Steve’s stomach. 

“You haven’t been together for very long and this is a big step. I just don’t wanna see either of you get hurt you know? I guess I’m just wondering if you’ve talked it all through? Because both of you have a tendency to jump into things without thought.”

They haven’t talked it through, not really. Eddie asked Steve to move, he said yes and that was pretty much it. It didn’t feel like they needed to talk it through though? Did they? Usually, they just dealt with things as they became relevant, that had worked for them so far. 

Robin must see something on his face because she quickly talks again, backtracking and interrupting his thoughts. 

“Not that I don’t think it will be great, you know I just worry about things a lot. This is my anxiety talking. You know what, ignore everything I just said. You two know what you’re doing.” 

He doesn’t want her to know she’s already put doubts in his head so even though he’s starting to freak out a little he smiles and shakes his head. 

“It’s fine Rob, I’m sure we will talk more with time.” 

22 days until moving day.

Steve meant it when he said he and Eddie would talk. Meant to ask about the logistics, meant to make sure they were on the same page, he really did. But every time the move comes up Eddie just seems so sure about it already. Steve doesn’t want to make him think he’s having second thoughts. Thinks maybe it’s better to not say anything, to wait and let it come up naturally. 

He thinks maybe they’ll talk about it tonight. The kids had joked about them all evening, about how fast they were moving.

Mike had made some snarky comment about them moving to a city where they knew no one and how awkward it would be if they crashed and burned and they’d have to share a bedroom. 

Eddie had laughed, said it was good they weren’t gonna crash and burn then. But, he’d also added that his band was also going so actually he would know people. 

It was just jokes, Steve knew that. That didn’t make it any less true though. Steve wouldn’t have anyone except Eddie, sure he liked the guys in his band but they weren’t his friends. Steve would have Eddie and Eddie would have his band. It suddenly seemed like a big deal.

He expects Eddie to also feel it, to get worried and bring it up but he doesn’t. If he is worried he isn’t saying anything, just like Steve isn’t.

8 days until moving day.

There’s a knock on Steve's door and when he opens Gareth is standing there. Steve is a lot confused about it but lets him in. 

“Uh,” he starts a little unsure, “do you want anything to drink or?” He offers, mostly because he doesn’t know what else to say or do. 

Gareth shakes his head, looking about as uncomfortable as Steve feels. Shuffling around where he’s standing and fiddling with the sleeve of his shirt. “No, I’m gonna leave again soon. I just came here to say something.” 

Steve gestures for him to speak, “I’m listening.” 

Gareth doesn’t immediately say anything, he shuffles some more and looks around the room before his eyes land on Steve again, a determined look in them. 

“Look, I like you. I know Eddie loves you.”

Steve can’t help but smile a little at that, even though he’s starting to suspect he’s in for a shovel talk. 

“And like, I probably wouldn’t do this if it weren’t for the fact that you haven’t dated for very long at all and are about to move in together in a city four hours away.”Gareth pauses and waits to speak again until Steve nods, showing he’s listening. 

“Eddie does things without thinking. He doesn’t think about the consequences, not anything, just does. I love that about him, it’s the reason our band has gotten anywhere at all, but it also means that he gets hurt a lot, disappointed a lot. He can handle it with most things, he won’t be able to handle it with you.”

“What are you saying?” Steve asks even though he’s pretty sure he already knows. 

Gareth looks pained but continues, “I’m saying that if you aren’t one hundred percent sure about moving with him, if you have any doubts at all, you can’t go.”

Steve can’t suppress his flinch. He expected Gareth to say he needed to be sure, that if he wasn’t he needed to tell Eddie. He wasn’t expecting him to say he shouldn’t, no, couldn’t go. 

Gareth catches it and narrows his eyes, “I mean it Steve, it will break him more if you go, let him think it’s gonna work and then leave, then if you don’t go at all.” He steps closer to Steve, getting into his space. “So, if you’re not absolutely sure,” he pauses, steps even closer, “Do. Not. Go.” He punctuates every word and then he turns on his heel and leaves.

6 days until moving day.

Steve needs to talk with Eddie about it now, can’t ignore it anymore. He isn’t gonna just not go like Gareth told him to do. No, he’ll talk to Eddie and it will be fine. 

They’re in his bed together, laying next to each other. Skin touching skin and a comfortable silence between them. Now is as good a time as any. 

“Hey, Eddie?” 

“Mhh?” He hums, shifting slightly next to him. 

“What happens if something goes wrong when we move?” 

Eddie snorts, “what? Like if we get a flat wheel? I know how to change a wheel, sweetheart.” 

Steve smiles despite his nerves, tries to not imagine what Eddie would look like changing a wheel. 

“Good to know, but no, not quite what I meant.” 

Next to him, Eddie props himself up on his elbow so he can properly look at Steve. 

“What did you mean?” He reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind Steve’s ear as he speaks. Steve has to focus harder than he’d like to admit to not get lost in it. Even the smallest touches have an effect on him when it’s Eddie. 

“What if something happens with us?” His voice is small and he can’t look at Eddie, afraid of what his reaction might be. “Remember that thing Mike said about us not really knowing anyone there? Just, what would happen?” 

“Baby,” Eddie gently grabs Steve’s chin with his thumb and forefinger, tilting his face towards him. Steve easily follows but closes his eyes. 

“Baby, please look at me,” Eddie’s voice is even softer than before, and Steve has always been weak when it comes to Eddie asking him to do things so he slowly blinks his eyes open.

“There you are,” he smiles, face open and tendrils of hair falling around it. He looks angelic and Steve almost forgets what they are talking about, too overwhelmed by the man next to him. 

Eddie keeps them on track though. 

“Like I told Mike, nothing will happen. We will be fine. But,” he continued before Steve can protest, “if something does, we both have jobs already, we’ve done this right. We will be able to save eventually. Quicker because we’re two people, paying rent and all that stuff on two salaries. If something happens we will have that security.” 

Steve relaxes then and Eddie must see it because he grins and continues, “now if you didn’t have a job then I’d be worried. I’m not cut out for all the responsibility of being the breadwinner, princess.”

Steve groans and shoves Eddie away. Mostly to hide the blush he can feel creeping up his face just from Eddie calling him princess. Judging by the way Eddie cackles he doesn’t have to see Steve blush to know the effect it has on him. 

He reaches out and pulls Steve in against his chest. “Worst case scenario we have to move back. Wayne will probably pretend to be unhappy about it but he’ll let me take over his trailer again. And, I know you have complicated feelings about this house, that your parents are the worst, but you’ll be able to come back if you need to.” 

“Okay,” Steve says, his worries mostly calmed. 

1 day until moving day. 

Steve and Eddie are spending the night apart. Eddie wanting to spend his last night with Wayne and both of them needing to do some last minute packing. 

Just as he finishes closing one of the last boxes the phone rings, he’s a bit confused about who would call him right now. His friends all having seen him earlier in the day to say goodbye. Maybe Eddie needs to double-check what time they decided to leave. 

He picks up but it’s not Eddie, or even one of the kids, who speaks.

“Steven,” his mother's shrill voice crackles on the other end of the line. 

“Hi mom,” he tries to hide his sigh as he speaks, doesn’t have the energy to get into anything with her right now, doesn’t want her to ruin his excitement. 

“I thought you were moving to Chicago alone?” 

His freezes, when he told his parents he was gonna move he didn’t say he was going alone but he also didn’t mention Eddie. He knew they wouldn’t like it, knew it would be easier to let them assume he was going by himself. 

“But I just got off a call with Mrs. Hagan and she told me that Tommy had said you were moving there with- with that cult boy? The one who’s wanted for murder?” 

Steve closes his eyes and this time he doesn’t bother hiding his sigh. Fucking Tommy, he’s always had a big mouth but Steve suspects that this hadn’t been him blabbering without thinking. No, Steve thinks Tommy knew exactly what he was doing telling his mom this piece of information. 

“His name is Eddie, and he was cleared of all charges. The ‘cult’ was literally just a school club.”

“So it’s true? You’re moving with him?” Her voice is sharp and even just hearing it over the phone makes him flinch.

“Yeah, we’re friends and it’s cheaper that way. We got a better apartment because we’re two people with a job each.” It’s such a simplification of the truth it’s almost a lie but Steve doesn’t think this is the time to come out to her. He hopes the ‘better apartment’ comment will calm her, it’s the sort of thing she cares about after all. Not for his safety and comfort though but for how it will reflect on her.

He’s not sure she actually hears him though because she hisses a vicious, “If you move with him you will not be welcome back Steven, this will be the last time we speak.” Before she hangs up on him. 

Steve carefully places the phone back in its cradle, then he’s left standing alone in the living room, both too shocked to move and not really shocked at all. 

He’s not close to his parents. Has slowly been understanding just how much they’ve neglected him. He’s been relieved about moving away, about being in another city where he won’t have to see them when they waltz back into town. But to never speak to them again? That’s a whole different thing. He still hoped that they’d be able to fix their relationship. That him not being dependent on them anymore would allow him to stand up for himself. That everything would get better. Now instead, the thing he thought would allow their relationship to get better is gonna destroy it forever. 

He debates calling Eddie, wants to tell him what his mom just said, wants to hear his voice, wants to let him make it better. He decides against it, he doesn’t wanna ruin Eddie’s last night with Wayne and he’ll see him tomorrow anyway. He can tell him in the car. 

He doesn’t call Robin either, she’ll insist on coming over and he knows she’s on a date with Nancy right now. He doesn’t wanna ruin that either, even though both of them will tell him he’s not, he knows he will be. He goes to bed instead, sleep seems like the best option right now, at least he won’t have to think if he’s asleep.

Moving day.

He ended up not really sleeping at all. Tossing and turning for hours and after finally falling asleep sometime in the early morning he wakes up just hours later from a nightmare. He doesn’t remember what it was about but can feel the lingering panic. He gives up on getting any more sleep, doesn’t wanna risk more nightmares when he’s alone.

He picks at his breakfast, still thrown off from the conversation with his mom the night before and not feeling like eating, so he gives up on that too. He spends the rest of the morning wandering around, touching the walls and the furniture in the house he grew up in. The house he’s been left alone in since he was nine. The house he both hates and loves. The house he will never be allowed to return to after today. 

Then the phone rings again, it’s probably his mom calling to ask if he’s decided to stay he thinks. It’s not, it turns out.

“Hi I’m Patricia, I’m looking for Steve Harrington?” A chipper voice says.

“This is him.”

“Okay well, good. I’m calling about a barista job you’re supposed to start with us next week.” 

“Yeah?” Steve chews on his cheek. 

“I’m so sorry but due to our rent being raised we’re having to do cutbacks. Since you haven’t signed your contract with us yet, it’s the first one to go.” 

“You’re firing me?” Steve asks, it’s not entirely right since he hasn’t started yet but it’s all he can think to say. 

“Essentially,” Patricia responds, “I’m sorry for the short notice.” 

“Okay,” he says, his voice void of emotion, “thank you for calling.” 

He hangs up without waiting for a response, he doesn’t have the energy to be polite. 

He barely has time to let the information sink in before his doorbell rings. Eddie on the other side of the door with a wide grin on his face. 

“Did you oversleep?” He jokes. 

Steve’s confused for a second but then he realizes he’s still in his pajamas, that he’s spent the whole morning wandering around like a ghost in his house not getting any of the things he needed to do done. 

He hasn’t packed the bag of all his essentials. He hasn’t gotten dressed. He hasn’t even brushed his teeth. What he has done is get fired from a job he never even started.

He sees Eddie’s teasing smile, the combination of it and his sudden joblessness tugs at something in his brain, brings back the conversation they had last week.

“Now, if you didn’t have a job then I’d be worried. I’m not cut out for all the responsibility of being the breadwinner princess.”

He doesn’t have a job. He’ll have to live off Eddie and what little savings he has left. Become a responsibility Eddie doesn’t want, a burden probably.

“Worst case scenario we move back”, “you’ll be able to come back if you need to.”

If he leaves now he won’t be able to come back. 

Gareths words play back in his mind too.

“if you have any doubts at all, you can’t go.”, “it will break him more if you go, let him think it’s gonna work and then leave, then if you don’t go at all.”

“I’m not going,” Steve hears himself say as he steps back from the hand Eddie reaches out to him. 

“You’re not-“ Eddie looks so confused. “Like today? Do you need extra time? We can postpone by a couple of days but-“

He’s not getting it. Steve interrupts him, needs to make him understand because he can’t listen to him try to come up with solutions. 

“No, Eddie. I’m not going it all.” 

The words feel wrong in his mouth but he forces them out anyways. 

“What do you mean?” Eddie asks and it fucking ruins him. He feels his carefully blank expression break, despair showing through. 

“I can’t leave Hawkins, the kids,” he has to look away from Eddie as he says this. Knows it’s the only thing Eddie won’t question, knows Eddie thinks he doesn’t mean as much to Steve as the kids do. “They need me.”

“When did you decide you weren’t going?” Eddie asks and Steve didn’t know it was possible but he breaks even more from that, from Eddie not fighting him. 

I didn’t, he thinks, I don’t know why I’m saying this now. If you ask me to stop and just go with you I will. 

“A couple of days ago,” he lies. 

It’s silent then, just their breathing and the distant sound of cars down the street being heard. Eventually, Eddie breaks it.

“Steve?”

His voice cracks in the middle. Steve can hear the plea for him to take it all back and he nearly does, has to swallow the words creeping up his throat before they get out. 

“I’m sorry,” he says instead. He turns around, closing the door behind him. Destroying their future and breaking the last bit of his heart in the process.

He doesn’t get more than two steps into the house before his legs give out beneath him. He stays there, sitting on the floor for what feels like forever. 

After some time he hears a car drive away and he knows Eddie has left. He feels silent tears start streaming down his face that soon turns into sobs. Making him curl in on himself and gasp for air. 

He doesn’t know how long he stays there, crying until he can’t anymore and then just sitting there. But after a while, he’s interrupted by a loud ringing. For the third time in less than twenty-four hours he picks up the god-forsaken phone. 

“Hello?” He rasps, his voice dull and raw from crying.

“Steven. You made the right decision and stayed I take it?” His mother asks.

“Yes.” He says and hangs up on her. 

[insert-neologism]

burn for you by barlow & bear

[bumblingbabooshka]

[TUVOKTOBER: Day 9] Ballet with the Captain.

[liquidstar]

a friend who'd wait :)

[ancientbread]

Aziraphale girlies who are in the absolute trenches fighting for his life rn I love you