#I was too afraid to leave the house in fear that my stomach ache would come back

[creedslove]

SHOWER BLISS 🫧

Post Outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader

Summary: Joel comes home after patrol on a winter day and he's so cold he can't warm up even under water, so he asks you to join him in the shower.

(this could be read as a second part of SLEEP BLISS 💤 or as a stand alone, it's up to you)

Warnings: fluff, like a lot of fluff, sexual tension and mentions of masturbation but no smut at all, a little bit of angst as Joel has low self-esteem, age gap, Joel being probably out of character but idc I want him to be happy

A/N: I will write all the cute/fluff Joel Miller scenarios that come to my mind and this is a threat!!!

1.6k words

Winters in Jackson were hard and your heart tightened every time you had to see Joel leave the comfort and warmth of your shared house to go patrolling.

Your relationship was complicated, you were too distant to be together but also too intimate to not be together.

You weren't a couple. You didn't kiss and you didn't have sex, not because you didn't want to, quite the opposite, you did, you ached even for it. But Joel held himself back. You both started as travel partners and you ended up sharing a house in Jackson.

Despite the fact you got along and you cared for each other, he never wanted to mix up things. Not only was he painfully older, he also had a paralyzing fear of losing you. But there was only one thing worse than losing you to him:

You falling in love with him.

That was definitely off limits, Joel would never accept that, he was a horrible person and he knew you deserved better, it was unfair you got stuck with an old, cold-hearted, violent murderer like him. Not when you were young, bright and full of life and deserved someone who could love you. Someone who didn't have such baggage like he did.

And yet you held him at night, your hands stroked his back when he woke up from a nightmare, your soft words were nothing but sweet to him. You were too good to Joel, more than he ever deserved and even if he knew you should find something better than him, he allowed himself to be selfish and have you by his side.

You opened the door to him, welcoming him inside, brushing off the snow on his shoulders.

"Joel, you must be freezing!" You said as you watched him get rid of his jacket and his pair of gloves.

His face was red from the exposure to the freezing wind and he looked down at you, your sweet warm eyes flooding with relief to see him return safe and sound from patrol.

You hung his coat and gave him some space so he could make himself comfortable. Joel was attracted to the kitchen as the smell of food was so tempting to him. Last he'd eaten was a sloppy sandwich before patrol he made himself while you were still asleep, as he didn't want to bother you about having to get up and prepare him something.

You saw how he eyed the pan you left on the stove and smiled big.

"I made you some carrot potato soup" you said with your big smile and got him a bowl, immediately pouring a lot in it and handing it to him.

Joel loved that. Ever since you made it for the first time it became one of his favorite dishes, you'd told him it was not a big deal and anyone could make it, but he knew it had nothing to do with the ingredients nor the seasoning, it had to do with the fact you made it for him.

Since then, you always made sure to have a warm bowl of it waiting for him during winter days.

"Thanks darlin', it's really good" he mumbled after the first spoon. He groaned in pleasure and felt how he began warming up slowly.

Joel wasn't a man of many words, especially when he was hungry.

You could tell his hands were burned from the cold and again you couldn't help but feel that pit in your stomach once more. It wasn't fair Joel had to freeze his off outside while he already worked so hard during the week, but there was not a way you could tell him, you were afraid he would bark at you for being silly, or overprotective or even clingy so you kept your thoughts to yourself.

Joel was more vulnerable when it was around sleeping time, but when he was wide awake, he was… well… Joel.

You thought of what you could do to help him warm up and thought of suggesting a nap, but when you were about to go say it, he finished his soup and looked at you.

"I'm gonna shower now" he got up and thanked you for the food before leaving. You quickly washed the dishes, hating any kind of mess in your kitchen.

It was a shame you didn't have a bathtub, you could've run a bath for him, though the image of Joel in a scented bubble bath was enough to make you giggle.

Of course you wouldn't complain about using the tub yourself. If you had one, you'd definitely enjoy his patrol time to sink into that relaxing water and just stay there, clearing your mind and not worrying about anything.

You would also use that time to bring yourself some pleasure, it was a need you couldn't control, now that you didn't sleep alone anymore, you didn't have a lot of time to do it, and because you didn't sleep alone anymore your need was going through the roof, as every touch Joel's left on your skin, was enough to set your core on fire.

You could spend the rest of your afternoon in those fantasies if it weren't from Joel's voice coming from the bathroom. He called your name and you snapped awake from your daydream.

You rushed to the bathroom and grabbed the towel you were sure he'd forgotten and was asking you for a new one. However, his towel was right there when you got inside.

You turned to towards the shower and you saw Joel's face peeking through the curtain.

"I…uh" he blushed and looked down, looking into your eyes again as his big brown ones were soft and carried a level of shyness and shame.

The combination of those eyes and his wet hair made him look like a stray puppy caught in the rain. It was amusing to see how Joel could carry so much violence and darkness within and at the same time look like the fluffiest guy on earth.

"What is it Joel?" You tried controlling your breath, not wanting him to notice how accelerated it got from the situation.

Joel naked, less than a meter from you, and the only thing between you two was a painfully thin shower curtain.

"I'm still cold… I was wondering if you'd like to shower with me"

You laughed and looked at him, surprised to see him joke about that, but when he stared at you completely seriously, your smile died.

He wasn't joking.

You held yourself as best as you could not to squeal and bit your lips.

"It's not like that, Y/N… it's like when we sleep, darlin.." he explained feeling mortified and was about to ask you to leave.

Maybe he was crossing the line and didn't think things through, which made him feel pathetic and stupid, besides, you wouldn't waste your time getting in the shower with an old guy like him, that was just dumb.

He could've spent the rest of the afternoon in a self loathing rant, but when he saw you'd stripped down to your bra and panties, he stared at you in shock.

He didn't actually believe you'd do it but there you were, two small pieces of clothes away from being naked.

"I'll turn around so you'll be more comfortable, sweetheart" you rolled your eyes at how gentle he was, you wanted to see his face as you got naked for him, maybe he would finally understand how much you longed for his touch. But he already had his back to you.

You quickly got rid of your remaining clothes and stepped under shower with you.

You placed your hand on his stomach, and felt his bigger one on top of it. He was indeed very cold and you were hit by a sudden need to help him, keep him warm and make everything alright for him.

"It's okay, you can turn around again Joel… remember, it's nothing we haven't seen before when we were bathing in the lake" you reminded him and heard a chuckle. But it was a lie, you did bathe naked once in the lake, but you were at a reasonable distance and deep enough into water to cover your bodies, but you didn't care, and neither did Joel.

He kept his gaze into yours, looking into your eyes and fighting the urge of staring down at your perfect body.

You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head against his chest at the same time he rested his head on top of yours.

He sighed deeply, your body felt so great against his he felt like breaking the promise he made himself of not touching you.

Joel finally began warming up, at the same time your hands stroked his back so gently. You'd grabbed soap and rubbed on him, feeling the different shapes of scars he gathered around the years and loving each one of them.

He grabbed the shampoo bottle and squirted some onto his hand.

"Close your eyes, sweetheart" he asked in his deep voice and massaged your scalp taking his time and watching the bubbles forming and the delicious familiar smell spread through the bathroom.

He just loved how good your hair smelled and how well you took care of it, but he wanted to take care of it for you, to show you he cared about you, even if you already knew, he just wanted you to be sure.

When he was done rinsing your hair, he found your eyes looking up at his, maybe you waited for a kiss, a hand sliding down your body or something like that, but he couldn't do this, he'd do more harm than good.

Instead, you gave him one of those smiles that made him weak at the knees and he was sure once more you were so much better than he could ever deserve.

_____

A/N: I just want Joel to be happy 😭

[hyperfixat]

food for Gabriel Fans! funny little thing that i can’t think what else to add atm…

Alt Gabriel saves you from silly alternate!

“Shit, wrong house.” The alternate now takes up pacing in a nervous fashion across your room, hands wringing at the shadow on top of its head. “Master will be so…” a whimper.

The room’s temperature drops, and the hairs on the back of your neck stand tall as in the center of your bedroom a figure is slowly flickering into existence.

He — it? — is completely monotone, from the disturbingly long fingers that curl into claws, to the clothes on his tall, tall frame.

The pitch humanoid backs into the corner with you, and you’re half certain it’s about to use you as a human shield for whatever is manifesting itself in your room. It’s presence is cold next to yours and you freeze as ghostly arms wrap around your fetal form.

A frenzied mixture of voices flee the alternate, making your ears ring.

Kids shouting in joy, a woman’s scream, a deep, rumbling voice underlying it all.

You cannot move, absolutely paralyzed from fear and the alternate tucks itself into you, the same one who told you to kill yourself less than five minutes ago.

The man, being, deity, whatever he is, takes full form. With an experimental roll of his shoulders, he grins.

His face is horrid, long and ghastly, eyes and mouth stretched too long to fit properly. His teeth, large sharp daggers, reminiscent of a shark’s gleam in the dim lighting. His eyes, black and a glowing white, seem to bore into you, taking in every little bit of you.

The alternate’s mangle of noise cuts off abruptly as the tall thing approaches the two of you. He crouches, a large hand coming to wrap around the head of the alternate. His grin never leaves as he tugs them away from you.

The alternate dangles in his hand uselessly, and the large one’s attention focuses on the alternate.

An ear ache inducing static hum fills the room and under the loud white noise you can tell words are being said. However they’re much too low and quick for you to pick up on.

You turn your face away and pray to whatever deity will answer for guidance out of this situation.

“So, terribly sorry about that, little dear.” The tall one is coming closer. You squeeze your eyes shut tight. He feels so close, you could touch him if you reached out an inch. “No need to be afraid, hmm? You’re safe now.”

“No, no, please leave.” It’s whispered and hardly spoken at all, but with the creepy man so close he can hear you.

“None of that, now. The good angel Gabriel has saved you. Can’t you please look at me?”

This is not an angel, you can feel it in every fiber of your being. This is a liar. You’d less afraid if a flaming ball of wings and eyes were in the room with you now, you’re certain.

They’re gray, white, and black, not a spec of any color on their skin or clothes. His eyes are large and the pupil stretches horridly to fill the spaces. His lips open in a smile that you think is trying to convey kindness.

You shiver.

“That’s right, little one. You’re safe with Gabriel…” His arms open, like he expects you to crawl into them from your spot in the corner.

A whine involuntarily escapes you as you realize that you’re caged in completely by something strong enough to banish an alternate.

Oh God, Oh Fuck. This thing killed the alternate. What the fuck. What.

Your breaths come in rapid bursts and Gabriel (apparently, if you are safe to assume he was talking in the third person…) frowns. His eyes (your stomach rolls) start to shrink. It’s gross, the process, but they turn into the size a human would have.

“Oh, I’m sorry for frightening you. I forget my form strikes fear in humans.” His slender hand reaches out to cup over your hair and rest at the base of your skull. “You need not be afraid, it’s alright, my dear. I’m not going to harm you. Quite the opposite in fact.

“One of my disciples made a terrible mistake tonight. I must make up for her wrongdoings, dear. I can’t have my image tainted by hurting someone not meant for harm. Come into my arms, I will care for you.”

You don’t have much choice, do you? Death is an option, always is, but he seems oddly apologetic, so maybe that plan can go on the back burner for now?

You close the small gap and press yourself awkwardly into his middle. A chuckle leaves him and his arms fall around you.

“Good job, little dear.”

Gabriel holds you tight for a long time.

“Would you like me to run you a bath, or maybe brew some tea? I’m sure this evening has been very stressful.”

And you let him, let his tender touches take you and ground you and shelter you. You let him talk and hold you until dawn, let his words of reassurance rest in your subconscious.

Gabriel is there when you stir from your slumber, seated on the recliner in your room. He’s flipping through one of the books you have lying around.

“Hm? Are you awake, dear?”

A part of you thinks this is a dream, another part of you hopes this is a dream, but you know you’re awake. Your knees and muscles ache from hiding through the night, and pain means reality.

You blink, a dumb, slow movement. Gabriel is real. Wowzers.

“Yes.” How should one act with the obviously insanely strong, not-angel, not-human, kind person(?) that talks to them with sweet, honey laced words and banished an alternate in front of them.

The previous hours spent with him are mush in your memory. You know it had been nice, caring in a way you crave.

It seems neither of you know what to say, so after a quiet minute, you proceed through your day as normal.

[hiyaluronic]

Web of Immortality: An Old Guard's Embrace

Working on my Old Guard and Spiderman Crossover again. Think I might leave it as a one shot though. Will most likely touch this up later this week and post it to AO3.

When he first struck out with nothing more than a cotton sweatsuit and a pair of stupid goggles to his name, he’d had this aspiration - this spark of eagerness - that Spider-man would be a symbol of hope for his borough. 

Someone that the average person could look up to.

Someone that the people of Queens could rely on in times of need and know someone gave a damn about their well-being.

Someone who cared about them.

And now…

And now, the people that once cheered for him, once saw Spider-man as this fantastical being that cared for the little man and not about governments and global crises jeered for his arrest.

So he’d disappeared. 

Or tried to.

Turns out when the entirety of your perceived world knew your identity, disappearing from the public eye was near impossible. The last safe house he’d found for himself - a small attic tucked away in the remnants of an old church - had been raided by the FBI after a local had called in a tip. He’d barely had time to gather his suit and meager belongings before the cops had descended on the place. 

Peter sniffed and shot out another line. He swung up to the safety of a small high rise. The early winter chill mixed with the deep orange of the morning sun to create a beautiful low dense fog across the city below that seemed almost otherworldly in its ethereal glow. A shout from somewhere below followed by the loud echo of a car backfiring had him cringing. He quickly shot another line out to latch against the apartment building across the street and swung.

He knew his Aunt and Happy would never allow him to completely disappear. Aunt May was too persistent, and Happy? Well, Happy worked for Pepper and had the entirety of Stark Industries at his disposal. So Peter knew he would never be able to stop moving until he found a way to clear his name. He couldn’t risk that the fallout of his mistakes would lead back to the people he cared for. 

This was his burden to carry and he wouldn’t pass the weight off to anyone else.

His actions had created this whole mess, so it was his responsibility to fix it.

Wasn’t it?

It had to be.

His decisions had led to the death of Quinton Beck. Regardless of the fact he’d been working to stop Beck from destroying London and very literally trying to kill him and his friends. None of this would have happened if he’d just had more faith in himself. If he’d just honored Mr. Stark’s last wishes and kept those stupid glasses and not handed them over like a child avoiding their responsibilities, then maybe... 

Peter blinked against the blur of tears to try and clear his vision, his hands tightening on his webs as he continued to swing across Manhattan; the low rise apartment buildings and the old fashioned homes passed by below so quickly that he had to focus on the building his webs were attached to or risk slipping when his stomach rebelled at the motion.

His stomach clenched and his head throbbed in a low ache. His spidey-sense hummed down his spine, a shiver that had him shaking. The constant faint thrum of danger kept his nerves on edge with the irrational fear that everyone was a danger to him. The feeling settled like a pit in his stomach and fueled the nausea he felt. 

Peter shot another web out and swung. His mind on constant alert and working to assess each new corner he turned, afraid that someone could be lying in wait anytime he allowed himself a second to rest. 

He landed on a fire escape and took a breath. His body was exhausted and his mind worn from the constant sensory input from the world around him and his own body working against him. Peter hated the fearful feeling that overcame him when he looked down at the clouded alley, the muddied shadows stretching out of the fog like tendrils ready to pull him in and never let go. 

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, the orange rays of the sun dulling as clouds began to overtake the sky above. A warning to those below of the coming winter storm.

He had to keep moving. He’d need shelter before the rain started to fall. 

Peter groaned and shuffled to the edge of the fire escape. His skin felt too tight and his muscles throbbed from being overworked. He couldn’t help the way his hand shook when he cast another web and jumped. He honestly couldn’t remember what it felt like to relax. He had to be on alert.

It was exhausting. 

And he was just so damned tired. 

Peter cleared the lump he felt forming in his throat and shot another web out to swing down to the inner workings of Hell’s Kitchen. The sound of thunder rumbled somewhere off in the distance and reminded him again that he needed to seek shelter soon while the grumbling of his stomach begged for attention as well. He couldn’t honestly remember the last time he’d eaten enough to satisfy his enhanced metabolism. 

Peter grabbed at the webbing and swung forward only to realize his web had ended short and missed the connection point.

With a stuttering breath, Peter tried to right the floundering downward spiral of flips and spins he found himself in but couldn’t seem to find purchase on any given surface. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe through the sick feeling that was surging up his esophagus - his head screaming, or maybe that was him? - from the continuous change in position. Peter fumbled for the release of his wingsuit to help give him some sort of lift in the updraft of air but slammed into the side of a building, his head ringing from the impact and one of his lenses cracking from the blunt force, the HUD of his suit going dark and leaving him blind as he continued to fall. 

Peter cursed and ripped his mask off, blinking against the harsh burn of the early-winter wind and found himself gasping when the rush of air made it hard to breath - a fiery ache settling like kindling in his lungs and burning up his airway.

A rough cough tore through him when he slammed into another window, his head cracking against the smooth glass and sending shockwaves of undulating pain down his neck. Between one blink and the next Peter fell into a tailspin, he tried to twist his body, tried to grasp the balcony that was passing by quickly only to end up screaming when the weight of his body pulled at his shoulder. A scream ripped from him when his shoulder tore from its socket, his fingers slipping useless from the railing, arm worthless and numb. 

The next balcony clipped his temple and sent the world spiraling into a gritty static and by the time an empty car parked in some dingy back alley came upon him to break his fall he was lost to the waking world, the screech of a car alarm following him down into darkness.

o~Oo~O~oO~o

“Nile sent me a picture of the world’s largest ball of yarn. She says Quynh is making plans to steal it and Andy is a grumpy grandma who doesn’t get the appeal.”

Nicky looked up from his book, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips at Joe’s disheveled hair and sleep rumpled pajama bottoms hanging loosely about his hips, abs on full display. Nicky cleared his throat, “Quynh always liked grand displays and Andy is, well, Andy. Though I’m glad to hear Nile is enjoying herself.”

Joe smirked and ran a hand over his curls while shuffling further into the kitchen, headed towards the coffee pot, “And how about us, my life? What should we do to entertain ourselves today?”

“There is a new exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. I thought we could be tourists today, if you wish?”

The coffee smelled amazing as Joe poured himself a cup, eyes peering through their kitchen window, the rays of the early morning hidden behind the gray of the coming storm. He shivered at the imagined bitter cold of the cityscape outside, the frost framing the window adding to the perceived chill of outside. “Perhaps, or we could…”

The sound of shattering glass and the crunch of steel from outside their window stole the rest of Joe’s words with a flinch when the car parked outside their residence crumpled from the blunt force of some unknown object.

“What in the…” Joe set his coffee cup down and headed towards the door, Nicky right behind him. 

The early morning air, crisp with the bite of winter, stole Joe’s breath from him, his toes curling against the frigid pavement of their street, hands rubbing at his bare arms while he made his way forward. Nicky by-passed him - having stopped to slip shoes on - and made his way to the car, the garbled shout of someone in the distance was lost over the loud and distorted chirping of the car alarm. 

“Nicky?” The rigidness of Nicky’s shoulders had him on edge. “What is it?”

Wide eyes turned to stare at him, his heart falling to his feet when Nicky shook his head at him, a sick feeling roiling through him when Nicky quietly said, “It is a child.”

He had to ask, even though he knew the answer to the question before it left the safety of his tongue, he had to hear it. “Alive?”

Joe watched Nicky lean over crumbled metal and shattered glass to reach for a pulse point, Nicky’s eyes fluttering shut and forehead wrinkling in concentration, his love’s lips moving in quiet prayer.

A beat passed, then two, three - the seconds slowing and allowing a tiny spark of hope to ignite within him before Nicky’s eyes opened once more with the gentle shake of head. 

Joe sighed and turned to head back into the apartment to call the authorities, disheartened with the knowledge that an innocent had been taken from this world. His hand had barely touched the door handle when a shout from Nicky had him turning. His gaze fell to the wide eyes of Nicky, whose arms were wrapped around the gasping and gurgling form of some tiny wisp of a kid.

Joe gaped, mind reeling at the knowledge that this kid should be dead, and yet… “Bring him inside quickly, Nico.”

Joe winced at the anguished cry the kid made when Nicky hefted the smaller form up and out of the wreckage of the vehicle. 

Joe held the door open while Nicky maneuvered through the narrowed door of their apartment, his mind trying to understand how the child was still alive. The only answer was one that did not sit well within his soul. Surely the gods above would not be so cruel as to bestow immortality to someone so young?

___________

“Joe, the first aid kit if you please.” Nicky quickly settled the shivering body onto the kitchen table, mind already assessing the torn and ripped skin and wincing when he noticed the sizable dent in the poor kid's head on the left side.  “The field kit, Joe!”

There was a shout of understanding from deeper in the apartment, Nicky frowned while he tried to find the zipper to the suit but saw nothing. He moved quickly to grab a steak knife from the butcher's block when the kid woke with a strangled gasp, arms flailing and a shrill cry of pain tearing itself from boy’s throat. 

Nicky forgot about the knife and worked quickly to grab the kid’s hands, struggling against the strength when a foot caught him in his chest and sent him crashing into the kitchen wall with a groan, he could feel his ribs snap from the force of the kick. 

“Nicky!” Joe rounded the hallway, eyes wide with worry and mouth agape as he stared from Nicky to their injured charge.

“I am fine.” And he was, his ribs were already shifting beneath his touch and righting themselves. He groaned as he stood, “Strong little bambini.” 

Joe started forward towards Nicky when the mewling of the child on their kitchen table stopped him. He turned just in time to see the kid fall from the table with a strangled cry. Joe started forwards but stopped short when he noticed the boy was trying his best to crawl away from him, the poor kid's eyes blown wide and body trembling, overworked lungs heaving with stuttering breaths. 

“Stia tranquillo, va tutto bene.” (Don’t panic, it’s alright.)

Joe turned to see Nicky come up beside him, arms outstretched in supplication, posture as non-threatening as it could be in a situation such as this. The timbre of the words Nicky spoke soft and meant to reassure the skittish and wounded boy in front of them. 

Joe shook his head, “Nicky, I don’t think…”

Nicky just shushed him with a small smile and knelt in front of the kid, “Qui siete al sicuro da qualsiasi pericolo.” (Here you are safe from whatever danger.)

The boy's brow furrowed at the words and Joe watched the bone shift under the kid's skull, tearing a scream from somewhere deep within Peter. 

Both Joe and Nicky moved quickly to help leverage the boy to the ground, more screams tearing from the kid when bones shifted and popped back into place. Joe did his best to keep their unknown charge from injuring himself further in a desperate attempt to break free from their hands, confusion and fear fueling most likely fueling the kids actions. 

“We mean no harm, please, let us help you.” Nicky whispered, watching in grotesque fascination as the kid's skull began to round itself out, skin closing and leaving nothing but ruddy locks of hair behind.

Nicky’s gentle reassurance seemed to have some effect as the young boy’s panicked struggles began to subside; His rapid breathing had slowed, and he stared at Nicky and Joe with a mixture of fear and curiosity. Eyes, once wide with terror, now held a spark of clarity, as if starting to comprehend that the two men before him weren’t a threat. Weren’t there to cause him further harm.

Joe stood and made his way back towards the first aid kit, still keeping a watchful eye on Nicky and their charge. 

“Siamo amici. Vogliamo ferirti.” (We are friends. We don't want to hurt you.) Nicky continued softly, his voice a calming presence in the otherwise tense atmosphere of the small apartment. He slowly sat beside the kid with a hopeful smile. 

Peter blinked heavily at the soothing tone and seemed to relax, his breathing evening out and gaze flickering from Nicky to Joe – who had grabbed gauze and medical tape from the first aid kit and was now making his way back towards the two. Peter watched as Joe knelt beside Nicky.

“Hey there Kid,” Joe started in English, hoping to communicate more directly with the boy. “We’re just trying to help you. My name’s Joe, this is Nicky. Do you have a name?”

Joe watched the kid hesitate, lips trembling before quietly answering, “Peter.”

Nicky and Joe shared a look, relief washing over them at having a name to call their newfound charge. 

“Peter.” Nicky whispered softly, reaching to gently grip Peter’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Peter. You are safe here.”

Joe nodded in agreement. “That’s right, Peter. We won’t hurt you. But you’re injured, and we need to take care of you. Do you understand?”

Peter nodded with a wince, “Y-yes.”

Nicky glanced towards Joe with a nod. “We’ll need the pain relievers as well, Joe.”

Peter’s eyes welled up with tears. In that moment, after weeks of being on the run; after having the people he once fought to protect ready to turn on him it was too much to be in the company of two kind-hearted strangers who were willing to offer him shelter, care, and a sense of belonging that he had been desperately in need of the past few days. He couldn’t help the sob that escaped him. The gentle squeeze to his hand from Nicky had him sniffing against the burn of tears.  

As Joe retrieved the pain relievers from the first aid kit, Nicky continued to speak to Peter softly, an oddly comforting mix of Italian and English; the older man’s hands gently rubbing soothing circles across Peter's shoulder and arm. The bonds of trust and a beginning of a unique family were forming in that small, cozy kitchen, and Peter’s journey to healing, both physically and emotionally had just begun. 

Perhaps the universe wasn’t as against him as he thought.

[realcube]

you flinch during an argument

navi | masterlist | taglist 

thank you to anon for this request 

characters ♡ suna, atsumu & sakusa

content warning ♡ cursing, angst, mentions of abuse, hurt to comfort, hinted ptss, parent!reader (in sakusa’s)

rintarō suna

♡ he paced back and forth through the living room, casting you dirty looks whenever you try to speak 

♡ you rolled your eyes at how far he took your singular comment on his volleyball career

♡ you were aware that what you said might’ve offended him and in any other situation you would’ve just apologised but considering how needlessly confrontational he was being, of course you were going to be mean too

♡ ‘rin, you’re being overdramatic.’ you muttered off-handedly, assuming he’d brush it off like everything else you said, so ofc you did not expect what he did next

♡ he suddenly stormed over to you 

♡ not only did he take you by surprise but also his furrowed brows and generally mad aura unnerved you too, so your natural instinct was to flinch 

♡ once he saw that, he immediately stopped in his tracks 

♡ his head slowly tilted to the side and his clenched jaw loosened, ‘(y/n)?’

♡ your hands were still covering your face but when you heard the suna’s soft voice, you realised what you had just done and craned your neck out to peer over your hands, ‘yes?’

♡ obviously, his intention wasn’t to hurt you but rather just stand in front of you. though it worried him that your natural instinct was to prepare yourself for harm from him. despite the fact he would/has never hit you. 

♡ ‘are you okay?’ he sighed, slowly approaching you as if you were a small critter that’d run away in fright at any moment

♡ you hesitantly lowered your arms, eyes wide as you intensely examined his every move, ‘i’m fine. are you okay?’

♡ suna gestured to the seat beside you on the couch, ‘i’m good. can i sit?’

♡ you simply nodded

♡ he reluctantly sat down next to you and gently placed his hand on your knee, tracing circles with his thumb, ‘i didn’t mean to scare you. i’m sorry.’ he said, his now hushed voice contrasting to how sharp and loud his words were just a minute ago

♡ you blinked rapidly, shocked at how quickly his demeanour changed but also relieved he realised that what he did brought you discomfort, ‘it’s fine, i guess. it just looked like you were going to- y’know. and i’m sorry too, what i said was uncalled for’ you murmured, the words just falling from your lips without any prior thought as your mind was somewhere else

♡ ‘i’d never do that.’ he blurted out, ‘but i get why you might’ve thought.’

♡ a few minutes passed and not a word was spoken - you just blankly stared at the wall opposite, completely lost in thought while suna closed his eyes, slumped back in his seat and revaluated everything he did 

♡ eventually, you snapped out of your contemplation and turned to look at him, only to see his sleeping figure beside you 

♡ it was probably the most peaceful you’ve saw him all day - so you decided against waking him up and instead cuddled up to him, accidentally falling asleep yourself 

atsumu miya

♡ you had your arms crossed over your chest, patiently waiting for atsumu to finish his hissy fit

♡ ‘it was a fucking joke, (y/n)! not that i’d expect you to understand my humour anyway. do you not get what you did? you fucking embarrassed me.’

♡ ‘it wasn’t a very funny joke, atsumu.’ you shook your head disapprovingly, trying your very best to keep a level-head but his nasty remarks didn’t make it an easy task for you, ‘you made me really uncomfortable so of course i was going to say something. also, i didn’t embarrass you, you embarrassed yourself.’

♡ the fact you weren’t as worked-up about this as he was only irritated him more. because deep-down, he knew he was being overdramatic and the contrast between both of your demeanours only highlighted this fact.

♡ he gritted his teeth together, momentarily side-eyeing you before absentmindedly cracking his knuckles

♡ he cracked his bones when he got tense - you knew this - but there was a faint voice at the back of your head, insisting that you had to run away bc he was preparing to hit you 

♡ and it didn’t help when he jerked his head around to look at you 

♡ though it was only the movement of his neck, this caused you to flinch as a part of you expected his hasty motion to be followed by a swing of his hand 

♡ you never really thought too much of your action and assumed atsumu would pay no mind to it and continue to talk but you couldn’t have been more wrong

♡ he slapped his hand over his mouth and let out gasp as though his whole soul was exiting his body through his mouth

♡ your eyes were squeezed shut but you blinked them open to see when you mentally established that atsumu wasn’t going to swing at you and had actually stopped yelling

♡ ‘(y/n)- i’d- i’d never do that!’ the volume of his voice gradually rose as he spoke, starting as breathy emphasis and increasing to a cry

♡ upon noticed his appalled expression and his frozen structure, you dropped your arms which you had automatically raised in defence, ‘you’d never do what?’  you voice was hushed, afraid that if you spoke too loud, you’d reignite his temper

♡ he rushed over to your side, immediately opening up his strong arms for you to enter, if you wished, ‘i’d never hit you.’

♡ both his eyes and tone seemed sincere so without even thinking, you found yourself leaning into his embrace, his arms holding you close - but gently

♡ you really had no reason not to believe him as he’s never harmed you purposely in the past and he didn’t plan on harming you just there; he didn’t even plan on intimidating you but that kinda just happened involuntarily

♡ he had so much on his mind, so much he needed so say at once, so much he wanted you to know. hence, it all came out as rambles. 

♡ ‘i love you, (y/n). i love you so much. i don’t want anyone to hurt you - including myself. i just want you to feel safe - i want you to be safe - so i’ll leave if you don’t feel that way with me around. i can understand why you wouldn’t. but heh, i guess it’s quite funny because i feel the safest when i’m with you. well, it’s not funny - i’m actually gonna miss you like hell - but it’s ironic. i wouldn’t even dream of harming you, love, but i don’t expect you to live in fear constantly so yeah, i’ll go if you want me to.’

♡ you blinked rapidly against his chest, pulling back to look him in the eyes and to your surprise, he appeared to be in more tears than you

♡ ‘i love you too, atsumu.’ you cooed, wiping away one of his tears with your shivering hand, ‘we don’t have to break-up. i mean, truthfully, i feel safe when you’re around too.’

♡ he let out an audible sigh of relief, ‘thank goodness.’

♡ a few moments passed of you just silently enjoying the feeling of being wrapped up in his arms until he spoke up once again while placing an infintite amount of kisses on your forehead, punctuating each kiss with an ‘i love you.’

kiyoomi sakusa

♡ he was sitting beside you on the bed but he had long before withdrew his arm which rested behind your head when you expressed your concern surrounding his hostile behaviour lately 

♡ ‘omi, i’m too ti--’

♡ ‘don’t call me that.’

♡ you sighed as you realised that this had spiralled into a heated fight which you really didn’t intend for it to become. all you wanted to do was talk to him about how rude he’s been to you and the baby as of recently and try to work out a solution but he had turned this into something way bigger than it needed to be.

♡ the remarks he was throwing around - as if they were nothing - resulted in a wrath bubbling in the pits of your stomach, which had been present and building up since the start of sakusa’s attitude problems 

♡ you knew that if this argument didn’t stop soon, you’d lash out on him and although you really didn’t have a problem with that in theory, you had spent hours trying to get the baby to fall asleep and you didn’t want to risk waking them up with the noise 

♡ and though you hated to give sakusa (mental) praise in a situation like this, you had to admit that he was good at keeping his voice down even while angry

♡ so you decided that it was best to diffuse this situation quickly and pick it up at a later date, ‘you know what, kiyoomi--’

♡ ‘don’t call me that either.’ at this point it was clear he was just saying that to piss you off, and it was working

♡ ‘--i’m going to bed; i’m tired from doing all the work in this damn house. we’ll talk about this later.’

♡ sakusa quirked a brow, scoffing at your statement despite the fact it was completely true 

♡ ‘no, let’s talk about it right now. since you clearly have a lot to say.’ 

♡ instead of replying, you gave him what he deserved - the silent treatment

♡ you casually pulled off your slippers, tossing them aside, proceeding to do other nightly activities - while completely ignoring his presence - then reached down to pull the duvet over yourself so you could drift into sweet, serene slumber to imagine a life where sakusa acted like loved you again  

♡ ‘(y/n).’ sakusa snapped, his voice sharp and demanding, ‘listen to me. talk to me- god, you’re so immature.’

♡ your eyes widened; out of the corner of your eye you saw him quickly raise his arm

♡  during your three years of marriage with sakusa, not once had he ever purposefully harmed you - physically or emotionally - but you were aware that what you were doing displeased him so your immediate reaction was to turn away and shield yourself with your forearms

♡ sakusa froze

♡ moments passed and you had yet to feel the impact of his hand so you lowered your defences to peer at him, only to see that his arm was stretched upwards as he yawned

♡ his gaze flickered between you and his arm - he was truly at a loss for words at what he just witnessed

♡ a lump formed at the back of his dry throat as he didn’t dare to speak, trying to communicate all his emotions through his eyes which grew increasingly difficult as they began to burn with tears and ache from the elongated period of time he went without blinking 

♡ he wanted to tell you that he’d never lay an finger on you in that way, that he adores you and he was aware of how he’s been treating you recently but he was previously too arrogant to change his ways. now he was ready to change though, if it’s not too late. 

♡ but all that came out was a choked syllable followed by a cough 

♡ ‘are you okay, omi?’ you tilted your head, watching as your husband coughed his lungs out beside you, his puffy, irritated eyes squeezed shut

♡ he eventually managed to catch his breath and the first thing he did was offer his shaky hand to you 

♡ though you were reluctant at first, upon meeting his gaze, it was as though his fury had melted away. his eyebrows were no longer knitted together, his judgemental sneer was now a gentle smile he wore to try reassure you and the way he looked at you resembled how he did on your wedding day. all the resentment, all the stress and all irritation was gone - which left you with the considerate, understanding man you had married. 

♡ you fingers found their way to his as you slowly intertwined them together, ‘we should, uh, g-get some rest, yeah?’ you stuttered, your lips gradually curling into a weak grin

♡ a faint hum of agreement could be heard from sakusa as he shuffled so he was now laying down, with a duvet draped over him 

♡ though he lay with the intention of going to sleep, he kept his hand locked with yours all throughout the night

[currantlee]

The Horizon Ever Changes

(Ao3; full list of soundeffects used for the podfic here)

Sometimes, the thing you're most afraid of is yourself - in which case, it is good to have a loved helping you through it.

~ 3.1k Words / 17 Min (Podfic). Rated T (Teens and Older). Angst, Hurt/Comfort. For SoKai Day 2022.

Author's Note: This is a fanfic I already wrote some time ago. Initially, I didn't plan on publishing it since it was kind of conceived as a vent fic, but after a rework, I changed my mind. I also wanted to try something completely new with it too, so... I made a podfic (which you can also listen to on Ao3 or here because turns out Tumblr apparently hates Internet Archive file links 😅). But for those of you who prefer to read - here is the full fic (with some minor differences). Regardless of how you decide to engage with it, I hope you enjoy it.

When Sora was little, his mother would come to his bed every evening and sing a lullaby for him. Sometimes even two, when Sora had been particularly adamant about not wanting to go to bed just yet.

Whenever his father had been home for Sora’s bedtime, he would tell him a story before Sora went to sleep. He had always thought of his father as a great storyteller and looking back, he wished that he could have gotten to enjoy a few more of his father’s stories. The fact that he wouldn’t, seeing as his father had died when Sora was eleven, made him cherish the ones he remembered even more though.

However, there was one thing that had always cradled him to sleep – the roaring of the waves crashing at the shore.

Given that his parents’ house was built partly on stilts at the edge of the beach, he always heard it. Sometimes it was quiet, almost like white noise, but during stormy nights it was so loud that he almost couldn’t sleep.

He had been afraid of those nights as a child. He recalled a few times when the storms were going to be so bad that his parents decided to leave the house before they started, deeming it unsafe, and they spent the night at Riku’s home next to the rice fields on the hill instead. They had always been welcome there, and Sora had always been excited to have a sleepover at his best friend’s house, even under those circumstances.

He was pretty sure that the night of the storm, the night when all of this started, would have been one of those nights – if things hadn’t turned out the way they did.

Nonetheless, the sound of the waves was usually calming to Sora.

… Usually. Because this time, it didn’t work.

Sora sighed heavily. He had thought that maybe coming here would put his heart and mind at ease. It wasn’t that he was scared – or maybe he was, but it didn’t feel like immediate fear or panic. More like he was constantly on the edge, easily startled, and the strain of that was beginning to wear him out.

It had gotten so bad that his body noticed it as well. His muscles were often tense, in and outside of battle. It even felt like his insides were so tense, his stomach sometimes ached from it. He was beginning to find it hard to relax at all.

Sora hugged his legs, gripping the fabric of his pants tightly as he curled up, resting his chin on his knees. At least his hands weren’t shaking yet…

It was obvious. Muscles tensed in the face of danger, and Sora was slowly becoming a danger to his friends, whether he wanted it or not. It was only natural that the fear of himself, a fear he constantly felt, would manifest in this way sooner or later.

A tear rolled down his cheek. He didn’t want this…

“Hey,” Kairi’s distant voice from somewhere to his left said. It was loud and clear, but still gentle.

Sora turned his head away from her on instinct. He wasn’t sure if he wanted her to see him like this. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to see her at all. “Hey,” he murmured regardless of that.

Kairi came closer – only a few steps, seemingly keeping her distance a bit in case he wanted to be left alone. Sora appreciated that, but currently he didn’t really know what he wanted, or if he even wanted to see her at all. Maybe talking would help, but then again, it wasn’t like anyone could really help him…

“Donald and Goofy said you just… Disappeared,” she explained. “Everyone is worried about you. Sora, I am worried about you.”

She sighed. “That’s why I went to look for you.”

“Uh… Thanks?” He appreciated that, even though he still wasn’t sure if he wanted to see her at all.

But then Kairi decided to ask a question that Sora hadn’t known he was dreading yet. After all, he had been asked that same question a lot over the past few weeks, and he should be used to it by now.

“Sora, are you alright?”

He tried to play it off by shrugging. “I…” He didn’t want to bother her, but there was no use in lying to her – she’d pick up on it instantly. Not that Sora was a good liar anyway.

“I’m not okay.”

Kairi sighed again, and Sora couldn’t tell whether it was out of worry or relief because he finally said how he really was. “Do you want to talk about it or do you want me to leave?”

“I don’t know.” He couldn’t bring himself to look at her. “I’m sorry, Kairi. I don’t know anything anymore…”

He wished he could give her a proper answer, and not just leave her wondering. After all, she was only trying to help. If she got angry or annoyed at him then he would have understood. He had caused her, as well as his other friends, so many worries lately. Considering what he was becoming, this was by far not the end of it.

To Sora’s surprise, Kairi just walked over and sat down next to him on the sand. She didn’t touch or try to talk to him any further. Instead, she simply joined him in watching the horizon in silence.

It was late afternoon on the Destiny Islands. Soon the sun would vanish to somewhere beyond the horizon, painting the sky in glowing warm pinks and oranges and making the sea sparkle. Just like it had shortly before all of this began… Back when they had shared the paopu fruit… and when he had disappeared for the first time.

As beautiful as the sunsets on Destiny Islands were, it scared Sora that they were about to watch another one together. Every time they had done this in the past, they had ended up separated yet again shortly after. This time could be no different, considering what was probably about to happen to him… Maybe this was it. The last time he got to see her before… Whatever changed him would happen. Maybe he should have a look at her before it was too late for that.

Instead of her combat clothes, Kairi was just wearing a simple tank top, which showed off just a little bit of her belly, and some cargo shorts in a muted yet rich shade of green. No shoes either; she was barefooted. He noticed a bit of a rosy nail polish on her toenails, although it was already peeling off.

Her hair had grown to shoulder-length and it was a bit shaggy – getting a haircut wasn’t a priority while trying to save the universe once again. He supposed his own hair needed a cut as well. It was just less obvious due to its wild structure that was completely unlike the smooth texture Kairi’s hair had.

She usually wore it in a messy ponytail these days, but today her hair was hanging loose. It was uneven and untamed as the breeze tousled it even more. Sora liked that look on her. The shorter strands – her bangs had grown out over the past months – framed her face just perfectly.

… She was stunning. Beautiful. Sora found himself wishing he could just be with her like this forever. A futile wish… He found himself sighing once again.

Maybe he could at least remember her like this.

“Something on your mind?”

“Huh?”

“You’re staring at me.”

“Wha-… Oh.” He supposed he had been. “It’s just…” Did he want to tell her?

“You look really pretty today…”

She blushed at the unexpected compliment. “Thanks,” she giggled, a bit more quietly than before. She was so cute when she got flustered. “You know, you look pretty handsome yourself.”

He would have blushed too, if it wasn’t for the fact that it just wasn’t true. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better about everything,” he murmured.

“Sora, if there is anything I can do to help then please, talk to me.” She just knew him too well.

He sighed. “It’s just…” Should he really tell her? He didn’t want to bother her with this. Even though they were best friends – more than that, really – at the end of the day this was his problem, and his alone. Sora felt like he shouldn’t drag her into this, especially since he could potentially become a danger for her as well.

The feeling of Kairi’s warm hand on his left interrupted his thoughts. They had become calloused from all the fighting, much like his own, but hers remained fairly smooth regardless. He had absolutely no idea how she kept her hands that way. When her thumb started brushing across the back of his hand lightly, his fingers curled around hers by instinct.

“You don’t have to tell me what’s on your mind if you don’t want to,” Kairi whispered.

But he could tell her everything, Sora knew that. Besides, maybe she could help him… Or at least take his mind off this for a while.

“I want to remember you like this, when I eventually…”

He couldn’t even say it. But Kairi knew what he meant anyway.

“Is this about what the Master of Masters did to you?”

Sora felt a lump in his throat. He wanted to cry like a scared child at the mere mention of it, something that robbed him of his voice almost entirely. If he had tried to speak, the only sound he would have been able to make was a sob.

So he simply nodded – and sobbed anyway. It was just too much.

Kairi sighed. “Hey…” She ran her hand up his arm. “Sora, it’s going to be al-…”

“You know it won’t!”, he interrupted her. The Master of Masters, if he could even call him that anymore, might be their enemy, but he hadn’t lied to them a single time. At least, not that Sora was aware of. Every single one of his predictions had come true sooner or later, mundane or not.

“No matter what he told you,” Kairi said calmly. She kept caressing his arm, and Sora found himself leaning into her touch. Maybe he shouldn’t. After all, they probably wouldn’t get to enjoy these kinds of things for too long anymore. Better to not get used to it.

And yet, Sora couldn’t resist. He craved her touch, her warmth, and her comfort. He wanted to feel her, to be as close to her as possible.

He forced himself to pull away. He really didn’t want to get her hopes of a future spent together up. But most of all, he didn’t want to break her heart, even if it meant he didn’t get to spend the little time he had left together with her.

“Sora, there are endless possibilities as to what the future could bring. Even the Master of Masters himself said so.”

“Maybe,” Sora retorted. He couldn’t remember him ever saying such a thing – maybe he had just been absent. “But he also said this is the one that is going to happen multiple times, and every time it turned out to be true. Why should this be any different?”

Kairi surely hadn’t forgotten about the incident a few weeks prior, but she didn’t seem to care. Sora finally turned his head so she should be able to see his full face – as a reminder.

“Kairi, I’m losing myself. And I’m sorry…”

He finally felt the first tears streaking down his cheek.

Kairi said nothing. Instead, she brought both of her hands to his face, cupped his cheeks and wiped his tears away, but there were only more to come. She carefully tugged at the band around his head, and whispered very quietly: “May I?”

Sora sobbed. He knew what she meant. No one had seen him without that piece of cloth ever since… The incident, but if he was going to let anyone see him this vulnerable, it would be her.

So he nodded.

Kairi reached to the back of his head. Sora had always enjoyed when she ran her fingers through his hair almost as much as he loved messing with hers. He couldn’t remember the last time she’d done it. It must have been before all of this started, which felt like forever ago. Unfortunately, it ended far too quickly this time when she found the buckle that held the thing up, released it, and the piece of fabric that had covered part of his face for the past weeks, at least as long as he saw anyone, finally dropped.

Sora knew the scar on his face was ugly. He had to stop himself from turning away from her.

The initial wound hadn’t been healed properly. Instead, it had been cauterized with a fire spell, or at least, so Sora had been told by the Master of Masters after waking up again. He himself didn’t really remember, seeing as he had passed out from the pain. Maybe it was better that way.

Kairi’s fingertips gently grazed his right cheek. She was so careful, and Sora wanted nothing more than to lean into her touch, even though he probably should pull away, but he could do neither. He was frozen in place as Kairi moved her hand upwards across the scar on his upper cheek to where his right eye used to be.

His friends had tried to do everything they could with their healing magic after Sora had reunited with them, but seeing as the wound and the burn covering it had already been mostly healed at that point, their options had been extremely limited.

Sora sobbed again. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I know it’s ugly, you don’t have to look…”

To his surprise, Kairi closed her eyes and leaned in. Sora’s breath hitched when her lips touched the scarred skin on his cheek.

Not even the sensation was the same as it would have been before his eye had been removed. It felt like she was kissing him through a layer of fabric, and slightly prickling at the same time. Not in an unpleasant way, but it still served as another reminder that things were never going to go back to normal again.

The kiss ended, but she stayed close.

[illustration]

Sora didn’t protest when she cupped both of his cheeks with her hands, and carefully rubbed across the scar with her thumb. “Kairi…”

She put a finger on his lips. “You’re not ugly, Sora,” she said quietly, but very matter-of-factly. “Please don’t apologize. This is not your fault…”

“It kinda is,” Sora argued. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. He had to tell someone. He had to tell her.

“Kairi… He and I are the same person.”

There. It was out now.

Sora wouldn’t have blamed her if she left him here and now. Sure, it would break his heart if she did. Who would want to be with someone who caused so much pain to the worlds? She deserved better, so much better…

“Is this something he told you?”

“He didn’t have to tell me. I saw it myself.”

“Wait, does this mean you can look into the future too now, or…” Kairi tilted her head in confusion.

“He took his hood off after I woke up again, back when… It happened.” Sora didn’t want to talk about it more than he had to. He didn’t want to remember any of it, the fear and the pain. “It was like looking into a mirror.”

His hands were shaking at the memory. This had been the last thing the Master of Masters had done before he had left, telling Sora that his friends would arrive soon. The wait had been agonizing.

Kairi didn’t say anything. Maybe she was processing it, or thinking what to make of it. “Kairi, if you want to leave me, that’s okay,” he said, his voice a bit higher than he wanted it to be. “I’d understand if you don’t want to be wi-…”

“Of course I still want to be with you,” Kairi interrupted him. “Listen, Sora, just because some alternate version of you – if this isn’t a trick – is running around terrorizing the worlds doesn’t mean you and him are the same. I know you aren’t, because you’re right here in front of me, crying your heart out.”

“But I have darkness inside my heart,” Sora whispered. “Which means that…” He couldn’t finish what he was about to say. He could only sob once more. Again, Kairi deserved better – she deserved so much better than he could ever be. Even if he saved all of the worlds over and over again, he could never rid himself of that capability entirely.

“But everyone is capable of doing terrible things,” Kairi argued. “Just as everyone is capable of doing good. Even I am capable of doing bad things, heart of pure light or not.”

“I can’t imagine that,” Sora said. “You doing terrible things, I mean…”

“Just as I can’t imagine you doing evil things.”

Sora sobbed. It was so good to know that she still trusted him like this, despite what he had just told her. “But what if you’re wrong?”

“Then I’d have been wrong about you.” She smiled. “I may be a princess of heart, Sora, but I’m still human. I can be mistaken. Every single one of us can.”

Maybe even the Master of Masters could… But he had been right about everything in the past, and he had never lied to them. “What if he isn’t human, Kairi?”

“You mean the Master of Masters?”

“Mhm.”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I mean, it’s possible, but if he isn’t human, then I’m not sure what to do about him to be honest.”

Neither did Sora. Xehanort had been a pain to deal with, but at least they had always known that they were facing a human being, albeit in various different forms. But with the Master of Masters… Sora had assumed he was human up until now, but what if he wasn’t? The possibility of that frightened him, and he wasn’t even sure what he should be most afraid of about this guy anymore.

“Don’t leave me.”

Sora sobbed. “Kairi, I don’t want to be alone…” Not now. Not again. Never again. “Please don’t leave me alone!”

He felt safer with her by his side, safer and stronger. Aside from that, her presence distracted him from all the thoughts and fears that were rushing through his mind at that moment. He needed a break.

“Don’t worry,” Kairi said, and her voice was sweet and warm. “I’ll stay as long as you want me to.”

“Thank you!”

She wrapped her arms around him, pulled him closer, and Sora rested his head on her shoulder. He was still crying, but somehow, he felt better still. He was glad he had finally told someone, and that it had been her.

He sighed when she leaned her head on his, and they continued to watch the horizon in silence, listening to the calming sound of the waves.

[just-another-blog-of-fluff]

An Unfortunate Predicament

Warnings: tickling, fluff, maybe a little bit of reader crushing on a certain Asgardian

Word count: 2600

Honestly not sure where this came from, but I've dumped this silly idea out of my head and into this fic. Hopefully you find it amusing.

* * *

For the life of you, you don’t know how you ended up in this position.

Well, you do know how you got up here, at least. Tony had announced that he had a ropes course installed in the tower (for ‘additional training opportunities’ he insisted, although you all knew he just wanted an excuse to watch you all fall flat on your faces when you missed a step). Many of the Avengers were eager to try it out, especially Thor and Peter, who had giddily shoved their way to the front of the line to be the first to attempt the course.

You, on the other hand, had hung back from the group. You were afraid of heights, and while this ropes course wasn’t more than 6 or 7 feet off the ground, and there were soft rubbery mats underneath to break your fall should you slip, you couldn’t bring yourself to try it. Especially not in front of your teammates. No one knew about this little fear of yours, and you preferred to keep it that way to avoid being teased for being the only Avenger afraid of heights.

After a week or so, once the novelty had worn off for the rest of the team, you started to consider if maybe practicing on the course might help you to learn to get past this silly phobia. On a few occasions, you had casually made your way down to the gym where the ropes course was housed under the pretense of looking for someone, when really you were scoping it out to see if the room was unoccupied. Every time you tried, though, there was inevitably someone either practicing on the course or otherwise using some of the other gym equipment in the room. You much preferred that no one was there to witness you attempt it for the first time just in case you started to panic when you started to climb up that first rope ladder.

This morning, the other Avengers had disembarked on a mission before you had woken up for the day. This particular mission had no requirement for your talents, so you were able to stay behind and take a much-needed day to yourself. After lounging in bed for much of the morning, the notion crossed your mind that the gym would be completely and definitively empty for the afternoon.

And so, you made your way down to the gym and started slowly climbing up the ladder to the first platform. Once you reached the top and stood up, you looked down at the floor and felt your stomach drop just a bit. However, you steeled yourself and continued on across the swinging rope bridge in front of you. After a few obstacles, you had finally started to feel your fear start to ebb away as you became accustomed to the view. You started moving more quickly across the obstacles, now trying to see how fast you could get through the entire course.

Unfortunately, your rushing ended up being your downfall. You were crawling across a rope net to get to the next platform when suddenly you felt the net start to tip to the side. Normally, the purpose of the obstacle would have been to continue climbing upside down until you reached the other side. However, you had panicked at the sudden motion, stiffening as the net rolled over. Your leg slipped through one of the holes of the net, and somehow it twisted around your ankle enough to hold it in place while the rest of your body continued to flip over.

And now, here you were, hanging upside-down from this ropes course with your leg tangled in the net, blood rushing to your head as you tried to process what just happened. Your head was much closer to the ground now, at least, but it wasn’t quite close enough for you to reach the floor with your hands to try to gain leverage to untangle yourself. You tried to lift your upper body up in a sort of 180-degree sit-up to attempt to untangle your ankle from the net, but the rope was too taut for you to loosen it enough to pull your leg out. Frustrated, you relaxed your aching abdominal muscles and let yourself hang there, realizing with dread in the pit of your stomach that there was no one else in the compound to come help you escape.

Figuring you would have better luck getting yourself unhooked if you allowed yourself some time to rest, you let yourself just hang there and took a few deep breaths. Just as you were mustering up the strength to try again, a voice from the doorway caused you to jump in surprise.

“Well now. What an unfortunate predicament you’ve gotten yourself into.”

No. Oh no. Literally anyone else could have walked in and you’d have felt some relief, that someone was going to help you get down from this trap. Why did it have to be Loki?

“Shut up,” you muttered, folding your arms across your chest in an attempt to look annoyed despite your inverted position. “You could just help me down from here, you know.”

“I certainly could. But where would be the fun in that?” Loki strolled into the room, coming to a stop just a foot away from you. From this angle, you had to look down (or, rather, up) slightly to see his face, as your head hung at just about his shoulder level.

“What’s so fun about standing here and watching me hang upside-down?” you retorted. “Suppose I enjoy this?”

“If you did, you wouldn’t have just asked me to help you down, now would you?” Loki started to pace in a slow circle around you, forcing you to twist your neck and torso to be able to keep an eye on him. You knew better than to turn your back on the trickster by now. “Besides – if I recall, it was you who stole all of my books last week and hid them throughout the tower, hmm?”

You snickered at that. It was totally worth it to watch Loki storming around the tower, grumbling as he emptied drawers and crawled on the floor to look under furniture in hopes he would find his books. Honestly, you were surprised he hadn’t tried to prank you in return yet, but you had a feeling it was coming. Although, it seemed you had put yourself in just the position for him to exact his revenge without having to think of a prank.

“Oh yes, I’m sure you thought it was amusing then,” he growled, pacing back around in front of you and leaning down so his face was inches from yours as he glared at you. “You realize, I hope, that the others will not be back for at least another four hours?”

“What? I thought they were supposed to be home in an hour!” you exclaimed. Loki smirked.

“They are running a bit late. Ran into some minor complications during the mission. They should be leaving to head home in about an hour.”

You groaned at this revelation. You knew they were a three-hour plane ride away, and so if Loki was telling the truth, you would be dangling upside down for quite some time unless you convinced him to help you. Taking a deep breath, you swallowed your pride and started to plead.

“Loki… I’m sorry about your books, really. Please, could you help me get down?” you begged. His smirk only grew wider at this.

“You must be truly desperate, darling, to already be begging for me to help you,” he chuckled. You felt heat prickle in your cheeks, partially from embarrassment at having gotten yourself into this situation and partially from the unexpected thrill that rushed through your chest at the slow, smooth tone of his voice as he taunted you.

“If I admit it, will you finally help me get down?” you bartered, ready for this interaction to end so you could go hide in your room for the rest of the night in complete humiliation.

“Hmm. That certainly would help your case, but I’ll need a bit more than that,” he countered.

“Ugh, like what?” Loki thought for a moment, touching a finger to his chin.

“Admit that I am the superior prankster in the tower,” he demanded, “and that you never stood a chance against the all-mighty god of mischief. AND-“ he added, cutting you off as you opened your mouth to protest, “you have to say this to all of the Avengers when they return.”

“Ok, first of all, you know they’ll know you’re making me say it, so where’s the fun in it for you?” you quipped.

“I know. I also know how much embarrassment it will still cause you to have to say it out loud.” His smirk was practically wicked by this point.

“Alright, but suppose it does embarrass me that much - even if I agree to it, how do you know I won’t just go back on my word once you get me down?” you retorted.

“If you do, I will put you right back where I found you, and someone else will have to get you down,” he opposed. Your eyes widened, then narrowed indignantly.

“You wouldn’t.”

“We both know you know I would.”

“You are insufferable, you know that?” you muttered, pinching the bridge of your nose in frustration. “Fine. I’ll do it. Just get me down.”

“A wise decision,” he declared. Loki stepped underneath the net and inspected the rope wrapped around your ankle. He reached up and tugged on it a bit to test how much give it would provide. “The rope is wound too tightly for me to unwind it,” he observed.

“Well, can’t you get me down some other way then?”

“I think if I lift you up enough that your weight isn’t holding the rope taut, you should be able to slip out of it,” he suggested. You nodded, willing to try anything at this point. He reached up and grabbed hold of your waist just above your hips, causing you to jerk involuntarily and let out a high-pitched squeak. You felt your stomach drop again, the same way it had when you’d first climbed up onto the ropes course, when you saw Loki’s expression morph from confusion to pure mischief.

“Wh-what are you giving me that look for?” you asked hesitantly, reaching up absentmindedly to pull your shirt down where a sliver of skin had been showing.

“Because I just learned something new about you, and I don’t think I’m quite ready to help you down just yet,” he explained, his tone ominous.

“Don’t… you… dare,” you growled.

“Darling, I don’t believe you’re in a position to be making threats,” he retorted, starting to pace around you again.

“Loki! Get back here where I can see yOU!” Your voice pitched up an octave as you felt him tweak your side. “I swear to god, Loki, I will hold you down and beat you senselehehehess!” You lost your composure as you felt ten slender fingers gently scratching at your sides just below your ribcage.

“You don’t sound very threatening, love,” Loki teased, working his torturous fingers up between your lower ribs. You couldn’t respond coherently anymore, batting at his hands and twisting around violently trying to escape his touch. “Maybe you should try again, but this time with a bit more malice in your tone.”

“I will kihihihill you!” you shrieked, uncontrollable giggles spilling from your mouth as his fingers traveled to your belly, his thumbs digging into your sides. Being upside-down, in addition to not being able to see his face with him standing behind you, made you feel incredibly exposed. You reached down and grasped both of his wrists, tugging as hard as you could to pull his hands away from your ticklish torso to no avail.

Loki thankfully paced back around in front of you, continuing to tickle you with one hand as he walked. You realized this was actually probably worse than when he was behind you because now you could see his amused expression, and you knew he could see the flustered flushing of your face. You tried your hardest to shoot him a menacing glare, which only succeeded in drawing a laugh from him as he latched both hands onto your upper ribs and continued to tickle you with renewed vigor.

“OK! OK! WAIHIHIT LOKI! I CAHAHAN’T!” you pleaded as he slipped his thumbs under your arms, his fingers wrapped around the back of your uppermost ribs and digging into your skin in the most agonizing way. You were thrashing violently now trying to evade his fingers, not noticing the rope looped around your ankle slipping.

The next thing you knew, your ankle slid out of the rope net above you, and you came crashing to the floor. Or, rather, you came crashing down onto Loki, who then crashed to the floor under the impact.

Relieved that at least he was no longer tickling you, you gasped for breath and pushed yourself up onto your hands. You heart skipped when you realized that your nose was practically touching his, but the shock caused your muscles to freeze. For a moment, Loki didn’t move either, looking straight into your eyes.

You finally regained your composure, deciding to play it off as if you’d found a way to beat him at his own game to hide the fact that your heart was pounding in your throat at the close contact. You grinned wickedly down at him.

“Looks like I got myself down, didn’t I?” you quipped. “Guess I don’t have to lie and say you’re the best prankster after all.”

Loki narrowed his eyes at you for a moment, which should have been your cue to get up, but before you realized it he had grabbed your arms and flipped you so he was now hovering over you. You looked up at him, bewildered, as he smirked evilly back at you.

“Oh darling, that was a mistake.” You jolted as his fingers once again made contact with your ribcage, unable to control the hysterical laughter bubbling from your chest as he dug his fingertips into every ticklish spot he could find. You kicked and scrambled to try to scoot away from him without success, his hands darting rapidly between your sides, belly, underarms, ribs, back to your belly…

“ALRIGHT! W-WAIT! S-STOP! I’LL SAY IT!” you begged, your muscles so weak from laughter now you could no longer fight back, lying there on the floor as he drove you into madness. At long last, he finally released you, moving away to kneel on the floor beside you. “Jeez, Loki… that was… that was evil,” you huffed, still breathless from his malicious attack.

“Maybe next time you’ll know not to mess with the god of mischief,” he warned, offering you a hand to help you sit up. “After all – now I know your weakness.” You blushed furiously, wrapping your arms subconsciously around your ribs as he deviously wiggled his fingers at you. Ready to finally go hide in your room, you picked yourself off the ground and started walking toward the door. “Don’t forget! I expect to see you in the common room when the others arrive home this evening!” he called after you. You turned and shot him one last glare before leaving the room.

You couldn’t make any promises that you’d actually show up. And if that meant he would come find you and torment you some more… well, you supposed you maybe wouldn’t mind.

Read part 2

[bonky-n-steeb]

𝐵𝑅𝐸𝐴𝑇𝐻𝐸

𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝙴

𝘿𝘼𝙍𝙆!𝘽𝙐𝘾𝙆𝙔 𝘽𝘼𝙍𝙉𝙀𝙎 𝙭 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙍 | 𝙈𝙊𝘽!𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙑𝙀 𝙍𝙊𝙂𝙀𝙍𝙎 𝙓 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙍

𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬:  Your life is as good as it gets. The perfect husband, the perfect daughter, the perfect job. But what you are unaware is that your husband is a deadly assassin and your long-lost friend, now a fearsome mob boss is hell bent on getting you back. But what you don’t know can't hurt you, right?

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦:  psychological disorder, PTSD, domestic abuse, yandere, obsession, violence, cursing. If you find any of this triggering please DNI. Also inform me if I left something out.

ᴛʜɪs ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴀ ʀᴇᴀᴅ, sᴏ ᴀʟʟ ᴍɪsᴛᴀᴋᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ

My previous account was deleted so I’ll be posting the stories again. I’ll be changing this one, so yeah.

Inform me if y’all wanna be tagged!

As the Winter Soldier entered the house, his instincts kicked in. The house was too quiet for his liking. He kept the bags on the sofa and started climbing up the stairs towards your bedroom. Oh, how much he loved you. You had never left his side, not when he lost his arm, not when the guilt became too much to live with and he cried his eyes out near you while you said sweet nothings into his ears. He wanted to keep you by side always, he wasn’t ever letting you go. Soon he was going to ask you to leave your job and stay at home looking after him and Iris.  

He couldn’t stand to see the tired look in your eyes, how you managed everything, your job, your kid, the house and most importantly him. In the beginning he was afraid you wouldn’t love him, that you would only love Bucky, but you loved him just as much; though you were unaware that he existed in Bucky. Bucky was an idiot to let you roam free and be away from him, especially when the world is filled with cruel people. He was a fool to let you be friends with Thor or any man in general. You were only his and Bucky’s. He was Bucky only, but he was much stronger and capable than Bucky. He was the one who would protect you, not Bucky. The Soldat loved you much more than Bucky ever could.  

As he opened the door, he noticed you were in the bathroom. As he entered inside, for a second even he was shocked. You were sitting with your legs folded and staring wide eyed at his computer. He noticed you were watching his files and videos and you were so dumbstruck that you didn’t even notice him standing at the door.  

But seeing you watch him do the deed sent a weird wave of pride through him. He wasn’t ever going to tell you any of this, after all it was highly confidential and your life could have been jeopardized. But seeing you now, watching his skilled work with awe, made his chest swell with pride. He deserved to get his work appreciated by his wife; after all, he had put sweat and blood in it, and you weren't even aware, but not anymore. What he failed to notice was that it wasn’t awe on your face, it was unadulterated fear.  

He could clearly see as your eyes filled with tears and you pressed a hand on your face. He knew you were scared, but he would tell you not to be. For you, there was nothing to be afraid of him. As you started to puke, he went and held your hair in one hand while with the other he quietly shushed you. The last thing he wanted was to see you suffer. He wanted to protect you, keep you safe from the world, not hurt you.  

After you emptied your stomach, you slouched besides the toilet and huffed loudly. The tears from your eyes weren't stopping. “Peeking in other people’s stuff ain’t a good habit, doll.” he said calmly as he folded his hands while leaning against the door frame.  

Your eyes widened when you realized that it was Bucky shushing you all this while. But why would he do that, now that you had found his secret. Maybe he was being merciful before killing you. Wait, he was going to kill you!!! You had seen top secret information and there was no going back. You averted your gaze from him as you stared at the laptop. Another video of Bucky’s murders running on it.  

You couldn't exactly make out what the video was as your eyes were filled with unshed tears. “He had a big ass fence and four huge dogs guarding the house. But well, all dogs can be lured by treats.” he said shrugging as if he was talking about your neighbors' dogs and not of the person he had killed. And you realized he regretted nothing; he was talking about murdering people with pride rather than guilt.  

“Make it quick.” your voice was barely audible as pathetic sobs escaped your eyes. The Winter Soldier titled his head in confusion, “And what made you think that I’m going to kill you?” you looked up at him with even more fear. “I wasn’t supposed to see all this. And I’ve seen enough movies and read enough books to know what happens when you see stuff you aren't supposed to.” you shivered violently at the thought.  

The Soldier chuckled dryly “You are right, if they know that you’ve seen all this, then they wouldn’t bat an eyelid in executing you. But... who is going to tell them? Not me for sure. I just need one promise, you aren't ever going to tell this to anyone, no matter what, no matter whose life is at stake. You are going to pretend you never saw any of this. Delete all this from your brain right now!” he ordered.

His commanding voice sent shivers down your spine, “I promise, I promise not to tell anyone....... I'm sorry, please.” you had no idea for what you were apologizing or pleading for. “It's okay.” he said with a faint smile as he picked you up gently and you wondered whether it was the same man capable of killing people in the blink of an eye. As you quietly sat on the bed, you dared not look at him; he on the other hand was lovingly staring at you.

You wanted to tell him to give up this job and start anew, but you knew this wasn't the right timing. “Don't worry, I’ll keep you safe. You don’t have to do anything. Just sign your resignation and I'll turn it in. You'll be safe in this house. You don't even have to ever leave it. The hospital doesn’t even pay you enough for your handwork.”

You looked at Bucky with shock and betrayal, you absolutely adored your work. You wouldn’t ever give up being a surgeon and saving lives. You had spent years trying to reach where you were today, and you loved doing what you did. How could Bucky ever say something like that. He was always so supportive but well, he wasn’t the same Bucky he once was.

“You wouldn’t ever meet any other man. Doll, you don't know how this world is, there are lunatics, murderers and all kinds of bad people. But I’ve vowed to keep you safe and I will. Just don’t, just don’t stop loving me.”  

“You are joking right? You don’t mean that... do you?” You asked unsure of his words. “Why would I joke about this?” Your heart beat so loudly that you knew he heard it. To keep you inside your house like a prisoner, had he lost his mind? You enjoyed your freedom more than anything. And at that exact moment you realized that Bucky had utterly and completely lost his sanity.

“You can’t do that! I love my job and I’m not resigning anytime soon. I have friends for Christ’s sake. I have a goddamn life James! What the hell do you mean I won’t see any other men?” You lost your cool. Enough was enough. He couldn’t control your life; you wouldn’t let him.

You took a deep breath; you didn’t want him to misinterpret your next words and ignore you. “James, I believe it should be the other way around. I think it’s time you drop being a hit man. It’s not safe...” at your words he tilted his head and squinted his eyes. But still you continued, “It’s clearly dangerous. The things you’re doing, they could jeopardize all our lives, you, me, Iris. And the way you kill...” you cleared your throat and shook your head.

“It’s not safe for your mental health too. Look Buck, you think I don’t know, but I know you secretly cry at night. You feel guilty, so just stop now. We’ll work it through before it’s too late.” You said while rubbing his arm.

“Think about Rissie, she misses her dad so much when you are gone. Maybe take a job where you won’t have to leave and you can be with her so much more. Also... the lives that you’ve... umm.... they are taking a toll on you. You are not present with us anymore Buck, you stare off and don’t give a shit as to what we say. And it’s not just me that notices. You get irritated so quickly, it’s difficult Bucky. But it can all change if you want, Buck.”

Soldat’s talented ears ignored every word you said and only paid attention to the fact that you care about him so much. He doubted that you would get hysterical knowing what he did, but instead you were worried for him. You were ready to forgive him. He was the luckiest bastard.  

You saw his love-struck expression and you knew he wants listening to you. “Bucky...!!??? Listen to what I’m saying! Leave that goddamn job!” You lost your cool and yelled at him.

“Do you know why I took that job? They gave me a chance! They gave me my arm back. I would’ve hated being a burden to you and now look, I’m capable to taking care of you. You don’t understand, I can’t leave that job. They gave birth to me.” Your heart ached at his words.

“Bucky, nothing matters if I’m gonna lose you...!!! You are all that matters. And working for Hydra hasn’t fixed you; it had broken you even more. I miss my Bucky. Please, ple....”

At your words, the Winter Soldier snapped his head towards you, “What did you say? Huh, you miss who?” You narrowed your eyes and you couldn’t quite get the meaning of his words. “What? I said I missed Buck, you were so sweet not controlling, I just...” you stopped talking seeing the deadly expression on his face.

“That idiot Bucky is not going to save you! It’s me! I’m the one who will keep you safe. I love you so much more than Bucky ever has. Don’t you understand. Bucky is weak and he is not coming back.” You winced at his cruel words.

“James, you are the Soldat right now? You.... you need help.” You stuttered. At your words Soldat lost his cool, couldn’t you understand and accept his love for you. He raised his flesh arm and slapped you across the face. What was in Bucky that wasn’t in him. He was right, you only loved him as you thought it was Bucky; you didn’t love the Soldat. But he was Bucky, too right?

“Bucky!!!” You held your stinging cheek. You might have tolerated his words but how dare he hit you? You weren’t the one going to sit back and take his shit. In the heat of the moment, you slapped him back. “How dare you?” you screamed at him. He just closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he knew he had messed up big time. The Soldat was scared of one thing: your anger and resentment in him. He hated when he upset you.

“James enough is enough. I’ve had too much of your shit! All I try to do is support you and care for you. I literally handle this house, a job, I look after Rissie, and I take care of you like you are a child. Not once have I ever complaint.

James, I love you so much, but it’s so taxing! Love is not supposed hurt; it’s not supposed to be one sided. I try everything I can to help you. But you? You just don’t care! All you do is come up with stupider excuses. Keeping me home? Making me leave my job? What the fuck is wrong with you?” You shook your head and pinched your nose.

“Look James, I can’t do this anymore. I think we should take a break. We both need to breathe. We need to take a look at things from a different perspective....” before you could continue, he snapped.

On moment you were trying to talk some sense into him and the next you were pinned to the wall with his metal arm squeezing the life out of you. Your eyes widened and you desperately tried to breathe, but he had blocked your windpipe. “Jame...” you couldn’t even continue your sentence.

The Soldat was furious. How could you? How could you suggest that he leave you? You didn’t need a break, you needed him. Only him. And he was going to prove it to you. He wouldn’t let you leave. You started banging your hands on his arm but it was of no use. His eyes were dead, like in the videos. And that scared you more.

Finally, your arms gave out and you were on the verge of passing out. Yet that didn’t stop him, he was a madman with a point to prove. But then a small blood vessel burst open in your left cheek. And when Bucky noticed that, he came back to his senses.

He quickly left his grip and ran back, bumping into the bed. You sagged back down the wall, wheezing. For minutes or for hours you couldn’t tell, you both didn’t dare move. You were shivering and sobbing. And he was contemplating everything, how could he?

He wasn’t the Winter Soldier right now, he was Bucky. Why did the Soldat had to ruin everything? He was fine till it was limited to killing, but ruining his marriage. What could he ever possibly do to make up to you?

Bucky was the first one to speak up, “I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry. I... that wasn’t me; or maybe that was. I don’t know. I’m so confused. You were right, I shouldn’t have joined Hydra. I... I don’t know what to say, what to do.... ,,.... please say something, don’t stay quiet. Please.!” He pleaded with tears in his eyes.

“Tell me, tell me what shall I say so that you wouldn’t snap.” Your voice was hoarse and it was hurting to even say one sentence. “You are right, we should give each other space.” His heart broke to million pieces, but he knew it was right. The Soldat could come back any moment and he was too unstable to stay with you and Rissie.

“I’ll... uhmm.. I’ll leave. I can come here for an hour everyday till...” he suggested. “Please, please don’t. You are too scary. Think about Iris. Just go to Rachel, you’ve denied it for too long and look at us. If she says you are stable enough, come back anytime. But... not before.” Rachel was your friend and an excellent psychiatrist. “Oh, okay. Forgive me please. I’m sorry...”

“Leave please!” You quietly observed as he picked up his duffel bag, which was packed all the time for emergency, and left the room. You got up and followed him, all while thinking of the beautiful moments you shared with Bucky. “Goodbye.” He said and you nodded as he left the house in his car.

“Umm, are you okay? I was worried, I don’t mean to pry. I just heard some commotion.” Sam said as he entered your front yard. Sam was neighbor and a dear friend. He had moved in soon after you had. But you had known each other much before that. He used to frequently visit your hospital with one reason or another. You guessed he had a thing for one of the nurses but he never agreed. He was a light hearted person and you enjoyed his company.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I appreciate your concern.” you tried your best to smile. His eyes quickly went to the bruises on your neck. “You don’t have to be formal, tell me. We are friends. Are you fine? Do you need something.” You couldn’t stop your tears at his concern.

“I’m not fine, but I don’t want to talk about it right now.” You said wiping the tears off. “If you need me, anytime, I’m just one call away.” He gave you a warm smile. “Thanks Sam. I’m so glad you are my friend.”

“You are hell bent on giving me diabetes with your sweet words, lady. Take care of yourself. I’ll be right next door.” He said as he saw you walk into the house.

He quickly exited your house and removed his phone from his pajama. He had to make a call.

☮︎︎☮︎︎☮︎︎☮︎︎☮︎︎

You were in your own thoughts. Bucky hadn’t once called you or showed up in the past six days. You had expected him to come back the next day or at least call.

As you walked back home from the hospital, you didn’t notice the huge Greek god of a man walk straight into you. “I’m sorry.” You said out of instinct without looking up.

You stopped right in your tracts when you heard a familiar yet much affirmative voice calling your name. You turned around and stared right into his eyes. He had changed, become much much bigger and stronger than before. But his eyes, they were the same.

“Steve?!” you asked with sudden excitement. He gave you a radiant smile which instantly improved your day.

Lost in the joy of meeting your long-lost friend, you were both unaware of the pair of eyes keenly observing your every move.

[acourtofbooksandfantasy]

Starfall - Azriel x fem! Reader

Disclaimer: this is my first piece I’ve ever published. I’m not taking requests but would be open to ideas for new things to write! Let me know what you think. I had this idea the other day and couldn’t stop thinking about it until I wrote it down. I also originally named the main fem! character but decided to make it Y/N at the last minute, so if her name is in there then whoops! Either way, enjoy xx

Starfall. The most beautiful night in Prythian. Souls traveling to a far off place, leaving a blinding beauty in their wake. The Night Court prepared for weeks to welcome their passage.

Each member of the Inner Circle enjoyed this day, but Azriel often used this day to mourn. And to hope. Each year, he would wish upon those flying glimmers of starlight. Praying. Hoping. One day, he would find his mate.

In the past, he used the evening to drink and pray and hope that Mor would realize she was his mate. But when she and Emerie confirmed their mating bond two years prior, Azriel simply used this evening to wish upon the stars for someone of his very own.

This year was not any different, until two months before when a secret Illyrian camp was raided and a young woman was found, wingless. She was battered and bruised, terrified of any male who came near her. Cassian had brought her back to the House of Wind with Feyre’s help, to give her a place to recover and rest.

Over the coming weeks, she revealed to Mor and Amren that her name was Y/N, and that she had been sold to the foul Illyrians at a high price to help support her family. She was used for work, cleaning and cooking, and kept in a small room. She revealed her wings were taken after a visit where Rhysand and Cassian required Devlon to start training all Illyrian females. As she told the story, even Amren shed a tear.

Cassian and Azriel were introduced to Y/N, along with Nesta, to help train her. Even without wings, Feyre believed it would do her much good to know how to protect herself. And Y/N vowed she would never again let someone lay hands on her unless she asked. Over the weeks, Cassian and Azriel coached from the sidelines as Nesta and Mor demonstrated and helped, since Y/N still feared the males being too close. Each day she grew a little stronger, and became more confident. It became evident just how much the training was helping her mentally when she agreed to come out for a night at Rita’s with the Inner Circle. Much to Morrigan’s delight, as she would finally have a friend to dance with who wouldn’t make inappropriate comments like Cass.

Azriel couldn’t help but watch from across the bar as Mor and Y/N jumped and spun, without a care in the world. However, he became alarmed as he noticed two dark males approaching her from behind. Each one reached to grab her arms, and he growled as he flew from his chair. He pushed the men back, scooping Y/N into his arms and winnowing both her and Mor to the back of the bar where he knew no one would be. When he put her down, Y/N stared at him breathlessly. She couldn’t believe it, but when he came out of nowhere to rescue them, she hadn’t felt fear. In fact, she felt a strange pull in her stomach. Deep, aching. Longing. Like, she had known him before, in another time perhaps.

The mating bond.

It caused her to step back as it snapped into place.

But Azriel didn’t seem to notice a thing.

“Are you alright?” He asked, gently brushing a hand to her elbow as she stood, star struck.

“Yes. I’m fine….thank you.” She replied after a few awkward seconds.

Mor gave her a puzzling look, “Uh…okay you two let’s go home. Az…”

He grabbed their hands and winnowed them back to their home.

That night, Y/N sat alone in her room, feeling a pull towards the shadowsinger’s room. She knew she should probably stay, but she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if she went. Her curiosity got the best of her, and all of a sudden she was stood outside his bedroom. One hand ready to knock, but unsure of what she would say. She stood there nervously until the door cracked open, and Azriel popped his head out into the hall. He was only wearing some trousers, his hair disheveled from the slumber he’d just awoken from.

“ Y/N. Is there…something wrong?” He asked nervously.

“I…I…” Y/N scrambled for a reason to be in front of his door, “I sometimes have nightmares. I can’t fall asleep because I’m afraid of having a terrible dream.”

“Oh. I see.” Azriel said.

Y/N stood there, unsure of what to do next, “I shouldn’t have come. I’m sor-“

But before she could finish her thought, he grabbed her wrist gently and brought her inside.

“You can stay for a little while if you’d like,” Azriel started, “I have nightmares too. About my hands. And my mother. We can watch out for each other. And I can take you back to your room when you’re ready. You take the bed, I can sleep here.” He gestures to the small couch at the foot of his bed.

“Azriel I don’t want to take your bed.” Y/N stated, feeling guilty about coming in the first place.

“I insist.” Azriel gestured to the bed.

She sat down on the edge, as he laid himself on the couch that was barely big enough for him and his enormous wings. Even with them all tucked in, he nearly spilled out the sides of the couch.

She laid down as well, waiting for slumber to set in, but it didn’t, because she could only focus on the tug from her to him.

Close to an hour had passed, when finally a whisper emerged from the quiet. “Az?” Y/N lay flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

“Yes?” Azriel replied timidly.

“Can you…can you come up here?” Y/N asked rather calmly.

Silence filled the room, before the tall and dark Illyrian stood from the couch, slowly setting himself down on the other side of the bed. He lay flat on his back as well, as if trying to avoid touching her at all costs.

She reached across the bed and found his hand, interlocking her fingers in his. She rubbed her thumb along the lines of his scars.

“Thank you. For rescuing me. Maybe I can help rescue you from your nightmares?” Y/N said.

Azriel smiled at the ceiling in the dark, “Perhaps.”

________________________________________

Each of the girls from the Inner Circle had gone to the seamstress weeks prior to the event to have gowns made for the celebration. Each of the girls selected a gown some shade of Night Court black, except for Y/N. Feyre and the rest of the Night Court females found a gorgeous silver silk fabric, embedded with tiny crystals. When held up to the light, the fabric twinkled like a sea of stars.

“ Y/N! Since you are our special guest for the celebration, you should have a dress made from this!” Mor shouted, shoving a pile of the fabric into Y/N’s arms.

Y/N stared, mouth wide open, “I’m not sure, I don’t want to…”

Feyre stopped her by gentle placing a hand on her shoulder. “You are not a burden, and no one will be upset if you outshine every one of us. You deserve to have a night as fabulous as you are after all you’ve endured.”

Y/N smirked and nodded. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’ll have a dress made from this!”

________________________________________

The males waited, rather impatiently, in the front hall at the bottom of the staircase.

“You all have been getting ready since 10 o’clock this morning, you can’t SERIOUSLY still be primping can you??” Cassian grumbled as he leaned back on the wall.

Morrigan exited her room where they had all been drinking, giggling, and preparing for the evening. “You clearly have no understanding of what getting ready means to females, “ she said as she rolled her eyes at the general.

One by one, each of the girls stepped out. Feyre and Y/N were the last left inside the room. “You look lovely, Y/N. I’m so glad you’ve become one of our best friends.” Feyre gave Y/N a small squeeze. Y/N smiled, still appearing somewhat nervous for this evening.

Feyre studied her face closely, “He will think you are the most magnificent creature in the room tonight,” she whispered with a wink.

All the breath left Y/N’s lungs as she thought of the spymaster.

Mate.

Mate.

Mate.

Her heart pounded as Feyre gave her hand a quick squeeze before heading to the staircase. “Come along, Y/N. Let’s show them what you’ve got.”

________________________________________

His breath caught in the back of his throat at the sight of her at the top of the staircase.

The floor length gown had a deep v down the front, with two sheer straps that wrapped over her shoulders and crossed in the back. The silky fabric flowed as she took each step. She shimmered like starlight, and as the shimmering fabric moved it made it as thought Y/N herself was glowing in the night.

“Holy shit.” Cassian mumbled under his breath. Nesta elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to go into a coughing fit.

As Y/N reached the bottom of the stairs, everyone stopped what they were doing.

“Well, shall we?” Rhysand asked with a playful grin, simultaneously locking arms with his mate and nudging his spymaster brother towards the girl in the sparkling gown.

Azriel and Y/N stood for a moment. Y/N’s eyes remained focused on her feet, and Azriel watched as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. In that moment, when she looked up and locked eyes with him, he felt everything. A rushing of magic, or spirit, or something, coursed through his veins.

“Mate,” he said, so softly that only she could hear.

They remained frozen in time, stood there, taking in one another. As if their souls needed time to catch up on all the time they had been apart.

Azriel extended a hand to her, and their hands intertwined as they left the front hall. As they walked, Azriel leaned in and whispered to his mate, “You know, it might be hard to keep my hands off of you tonight.” Y/N peered up at him through her thick eyelashes. “You are quick to forget, I have not accepted the bond yet,” she replied with a smirk.

“You wound me, my love,” he stated with a look of bewilderment and shock. It took everything in him not to scoop her into his arms and winnow back to his room, to have his way with her right then and there.

________________________________________

They danced most of the night. So much so, that Cassian made several jokes about how he’d never seen his brother dance that much in their entire lives. It didn’t bother Y/N or Azriel one bit.

The couple stopped to sit and watch as the souls began to descend across the sky, traveling to wherever they belong. Azriel couldn’t help but watch his mate as she stared into the sky, absolutely enamored with her.

Y/N could feel the sting of his stare on her cheek. She turned to him, and reached across the table, her hand closed holding an object tightly inside. “I’d like to give you something,” she smiled. Azriel gave her a perplexed look, opening her hands to find a macaron.

He looked at the pastry, then his mate, and back to the pastry. “Are…are you certain?”

“I’ve never been more certain in my life.” Y/N replied confidently.

Azriel forced himself to savor every bite of the macaron, when really he wanted to shove the whole thing into his mouth so he could whisk her away from the party. Once he was finally finished, he stood, gesturing for Y/N to take his hand.

Cassian shouted from across the dance floor, “Hey brother!! Don’t be too loud tonight, SOME of us need our beauty rest!!” Nodding his head towards Rhysand. Feyre smacked him across the back of his head and Rhysand laughed. Azriel let out a low growl, but Y/N placed her hand on his lower back and stood on her tip toes to whisper in his ear.

“Take me home, shadowsinger.”

And they winnowed away into the night, as fast as the spirits had traveled across the midnight sky.

[cherienymphe]

Crossfire V (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

Warnings: NON-CON, kidnapping, domestic violence, biker!Bucky, side of Steve x reader

PLEASE DNI IF ANY OF THIS OFFENDS YOU

➥ divider by @firefly-graphics

summary: You and your new husband Steve move back to his hometown. It is here that his past catches up with him, and you both pay the price.

~

You were awake long before Steve was, and the minutes spent waiting for him to follow suit were spent in fear. Your limbs ached, neck tender, and you just knew that bruises littered your skin. The cool air that hit your bare skin made you tremble, but the way your husband’s arm was thrown over you might’ve also had something to do with it. 

If you closed your eyes, you could still feel his harsh grip, hear his labored breathing, recall the unrelenting way in which he thrust into you.

~

“Steve-.”

A choked gasp escaped you as he pushed into you, and your mouth parted in shock and horror. His forearm was pressed into your shoulder blades, holding you in place as he thrust into you, anger behind every push of his hips. His lips were at your ear, and you hadn’t even realized that you were crying, borderline sobbing at what was happening to you.

“I know you’re scared,” he murmured, breathing uneven.

“Please…”

“...but I’m going to protect you. He’s not going to get to you...ever again.”

He groaned, and you squeezed your eyes shut. Was this really happening?

“...but trying to leave like that...that’s not okay, sweetheart, and I want you to remember that that’s never okay.”

You clawed at the sheets, toes barely grazing the floor as the sound of slapping skin filled the room, accompanied by your cries and your husband’s harsh breathing.

~

You were afraid that if you dared to move, you would wake him up and who knows what that would bring. You couldn’t find it in yourself to accept what he’d done. You couldn’t say it. It seemed unfathomable and yet...it’s what happened. Against your better judgement, you shifted beneath him, pushing yourself into a sitting position.

He shifted, but did not stir beyond that, and you pressed your feet to the cool floor. You were shaking, stomach churning as you fought to figure out where to go from here. If you didn’t feel safe here before, you definitely didn’t now. What were you to do when the danger inside of your home was just as bad, if not worse, than the danger outside?

You had just moved to get out of bed when you felt fingers dig into your arm, a familiar hand wrapping around the appendage. You froze as Steve shifted, his body heat immediately surrounding you as he pressed his chest to your back. You were completely still as his nose skimmed your neck, sharply inhaling. 

“Where are you going?” he murmured.

“Just to the bathroom,” you shakily replied.

He didn’t respond, holding onto you for a moment longer before letting you go. You felt Steve’s eyes on you as you got up. You swore you could feel the heat of his gaze even as you shut the door. You would have preferred to stay in there forever, but you couldn’t, and he was sitting up in bed when you returned. He reached for you, and with hesitation, you approached him.

He pulled you into his arms, forcing you onto his lap as he pressed his lips to the skin just under your jaw. He hummed, nose brushing over your cheek while your gaze remained on the floor.

“I’m sorry I got so rough last night,” he said, completely watering down what actually happened.

You frowned at this.

“...but you have to understand how scared I was, how hurt I was.”

“Steve-.”

“You were just going to...leave me…”

“I asked you to come with me! I begged you!”

“Y/N-.”

“No! You are not the one Bucky is constantly tormenting and touching and threatening. It’s me. I’m the one who is taking the brunt of your mistake, and it seems like you just aren’t getting the severity of this situation. Or you just don’t care.”

“Hey,” he snapped, pinching your chin between his fingers, blue eyes narrowed and on you. “Don’t ever say that.”

“Then what else am I supposed to think? I feel like I don’t know you anymore…”

Steve opened his mouth to interrupt you but you continued before he could.

“I don’t feel safe out there, in here-.”

“All I’ve done is try to protect you,” he hissed. 

Now it was your turn to glare at him.

“You brought me here. You dragged me into this with no type of warning. You’ve accused me of the most awful things, and you raped me-!”

Your words died in your throat as Steve suddenly stood, forcing you to stand with him. His eyes were hard as he looked down his nose at you, jaw clenching as you fought to hold his gaze.

“Raped you?” he quietly demanded, as if he was in disbelief that you’d say such a thing.

You didn’t respond, still somewhat shocked that you’d had the courage to actually say it outloud, and to his face no less.

“You think I raped you?” he questioned, taking a step towards you.

“Steve-.”

“We were both angry and confused and scared last night. Things got out of hand,” he slowly said, and you shook your head.

“Not only did you drag me back like I was an animal, but you held me down and-.”

“I am your husband.”

You stumbled back at both his sudden close proximity and his words, brows furrowing.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Language-.”

“Fuck your language, Steve! You think because you’re my husband that means you can just have sex with me whenever you want? This isn’t the 50s, you know! We call that rape, now.”

“We were both angry-.”

“You were angry! I was scared! I just wanted to get somewhere safe, and how did you handle that? By manhandling me and forcing yourself onto me,” you breathed.

“You make me sound like some kind of predator,” he scoffed.

You wrapped your arms around yourself, mulling over his response. Steve...wasn’t that. No, he was your husband, but that didn’t make what happened any less true. Rapists could be friends...and lovers. He suddenly sighed, reaching for you but you backed away. You didn’t want to talk about this anymore, didn’t want to be around him, and so you murmured something about being hungry and left.

It was a Saturday, so Steve remained home much to your displeasure. He tried to pull you into light conversations several times, but you barely cooperated, giving him one word responses. The air in the house was thick with tension, and you didn’t know when nor how it would eventually break.

Steve was your husband. You loved him still...but you were terrified of him at the same time. Was that possible? He’d slowly revealed a side of himself that you never knew existed. A side that, if you were being honest with yourself, had you known existed, you never would've married him. This is not what “for better or for worse” meant. He’d slowly revealed his true self to the point where it boiled over in the worst way possible.

You could feel his gaze on you throughout the day as you did meaningless tasks. Unpacking a box here, wiping down a mirror there, you were just going through the motions of trying to distract yourself. It was no use though. Bucky’s words and his threat remained in your mind, and you wondered what Steve would do to try and rectify the situation. 

You wondered what you would do to try and rectify the situation.

You couldn’t stay here. Even if a figurative clock wasn’t ticking, it just wasn’t safe. Unlike before, where you felt guilty about leaving Steve, now you wanted to get away from him more than anything. You needed to sort out your thoughts about your husband, figure out what you wanted to do about this marriage. Steve was not who you thought he was, and it was sinking in more and more that you married a stranger.

You had suspicions that, based off of your own reaction last night, Steve might wait until you were asleep to do what he felt needed to be done. It was fairly early when you decided to take a shower and call it a night. You hadn’t counted on Steve being there when you exited the bathroom, a small smile on his face. You approached him, albeit reluctantly, and he pulled you to stand between his legs as he sat on the bed.

“I just wanted to make sure that we’re okay. I hate the thought of you going to bed angry with me…”

You looked away, noting that he seemed to have no problem with that last night.

“We’re...okay,” you quietly lied.

Steve tilted his head at you, looking unconvinced before he eventually sighed, opting to choose his battles. He stood, fingers tracing patterns into your arms before placing a kiss on your lips. He rested his forehead against yours, holding you close.

“I love you.”

You looked to him with a slight frown, swallowing with a small nod.

“I love you too.”

Somehow, that wasn’t a lie, but it didn’t negate the fact that he terrified you now. He tucked you into bed, seemingly reluctant to go. He left you with one last kiss on your cheek, and you released a shaky breath, eyes trained on the ceiling. You didn’t know how long you remained like that, but after some time had passed, and you heard Steve’s steps on the stairs, you turned over and feigned sleep just as he peeked in.

It was another long while before you heard the front door open and shut, the sound of his car starting not far behind. You waited 5 minutes before changing into the first thing your hands touched. You grabbed your purse and keys as soon as you made it downstairs, and forced yourself to sprint out of the door. At this point, all you needed was identification and money, taking only what would allow you to get away the fastest.

Part of you worried about what Steve was possibly going to do, worried that he’d get hurt, but that was something that could be worried about tomorrow. Steve had made his choice, and you’d made yours to get away from a man you once thought you knew. 

The smalltown road was empty of any other cars, not even a bike. As your hands gripped the wheel, you fought with yourself over whether or not you were doing the right thing. You kept feeling like you were making a mistake, but what choice did you really have?  You hadn’t even made it out of the city limits when lights on your dash started blinking.

You frowned as your car slowed, and you barely had enough to pull onto the side of the road. You had never been knowledgeable with cars, but all of those lights lit up on your dash couldn’t have been good. It was only a few seconds more before your car gave out entirely, and your shoulders sagged as you leaned back in your seat. What were you going to do?

Your only option was to walk back home and pray you made it before Steve did, but that would defeat the whole purpose of this. You couldn’t go back to Steve, right now, and the predicament that you found yourself in made your eyes water. Even if you did decide to walk back, that alone was dangerous. Steve wasn’t the only threat to you.

As if your luck couldn’t get any worse, or perhaps as if this was all planned, you heard the roar of motorcycles in the distance. Your eyes widened, heart sinking as you glanced in the rearview mirror. Panic gripped you, and your mind whirled. You were a sitting duck. If you stayed in the car, even tried to hide in the back or something, you’d be found. If you left the car and tried to run, you’d be caught up to in no time. 

Vision blurry from tears, you stumbled out of the car and fell to your knees. There was nothing on either side of you. No trees, no ditches, no anything. With a struggle, you maneuvered underneath your car, and the strong smell of gas confirmed your suspicions that this was planned. You knew it wasn’t Steve, and you wondered just when had Bucky, or one of his goons, tampered with your car.

The closer the bikes got, the harder you shook. You bit your lip, swallowing down your sobs and quieting your harsh breathing. As expected, they stopped around your car, what sounded like at least 3 bikes surrounding the vehicle. The night was quiet as they cut the engines, and you flinched when you heard your window shatter. You stared at the dark boots in front of you, listening as someone hummed.

“She’s not here.”

You didn’t recognize the voice as neither Sam, Clint, or Bucky. You wondered if it was the blond from yesterday or someone else entirely. You heard more footsteps, these heavier, frustration in every movement. Somehow, you knew that this was Bucky.

“She didn’t get far. Find her,” he snapped, making you squeeze your eyes shut.

You heard engines start before the sound grew fainter as the bikes pulled away. You glanced around, noting that two pairs of boots remained. More tears fell, and you silently prayed that they would leave too.

“Tony just texted me. Said that Steve left a gift for you back at the bar.”

It was Clint. His words made you frown, and you could faintly hear the siren of a fire truck in the distance, and you hoped that it wasn’t related.

“What do you think he’ll do when he finds her gone?”

You watched Bucky’s feet as he slowly walked around the vehicle, seemingly deep in thought.

“Nothing that’ll be of any consequence to me,” he hummed. “She’ll be in my grasp by then.”

His words made your stomach turn, and your food threatened to come back up when a hand suddenly closed around your arm, yanking at you. A scream flew from your lips, tears falling faster now as Bucky dragged you from underneath the car with ease.

“Isn’t that right, doll?”

You struggled in his hold, fighting against him as he pressed your back against your car. He pinned you there, blue eyes somehow both cold and amused as he gazed at you. A smirk was on his pink lips, and his nose brushed against yours.

“I’ll admit, you almost had me,” he breathed.

You heard Clint scoff from beside you.

“Shit, she had me,” he tutted.

Bucky tilted his head to the side, studying you as you shook in his hold.

“The car was still warm...and I knew there was no way you’d gotten that far that quick. I’ll congratulate you for your efforts though.”

“Please…”

His eyes lit up, and he grinned.

“Do you beg for Steve like that?”

You pushed against him, and he only shoved you against your car harder. 

“I still have 2 days,” you shakily told him, and he tsk’d at you.

“See,” he started, leaning in as he pressed his hands onto the vehicle beside your head. “You were in the process of trying to skip out on our little deal. Didn’t even have the balls to give me an answer to my face. I take that as an insult.”

You frantically shook your head, moving to dip underneath his arm, but he caught you with a laugh.

“Easy, easy,” he hummed, holding you against his chest as he turned you to face Clint.

You were a sobbing mess, fighting to get out of his hold, on the verge of what you were sure was a panic attack. The other man was dampening a cloth with something you were too scared to name, and it was only when he neared did you finally let out a blood-curdling scream. Bucky’s hand fisted into your hair, yanking you back as a dark chuckle escaped him.

“Shut her up, Clint.”

He pressed the rag onto your face, holding it still even as you shook your head back and forth. Bucky’s hold was firm, and you were forced into darkness with the sound of Bucky’s breathing in your ear.

You woke up to a quiet room. You couldn’t say the same for the rest of the house, but the room that you were in was quiet and dark. You were on a bed, more comfortable than you expected considering. The only light came in through the window from the moon, and you used it to reach out and turn on the lamp.

It was a rather large room, consisting of what you assumed was a bathroom and closet. The bed was a king, big enough for 3 people, and there were a few extra pieces of furniture that decorated the place too. You shook as you slowly spun, only realizing after a moment that it wasn’t just from nerves.

You looked down, fingering the short nightie you’d been put into. It barely reached the middle of your thighs, and you shook some more at the cleavage it displayed. You wrapped your arms around yourself, struggling to hold in a sob just as the doorknob turned. You stumbled back into the nightstand as Bucky entered the room, closing the door behind him.

He ran his eyes over you, the blue of them so much like Steve’s that it made your heart ache for multiple reasons. He didn’t even attempt to hide his perusal, ignoring your outstretched hands as he continued to approach you.

“That’s some ugly bruising on your neck,” he noted. “I know it’s not from me.”

You didn’t respond, opting instead for looking away, and you heard him laugh.

“I take it Steve finally showed his true colors. That’s unfortunate.”

He didn’t sound like it was unfortunate at all, and you found yourself glaring at him.

“You don’t seem like the type who likes it rough-.”

He cut himself off as you swung at him, and he simply caught your wrist with a smirk. His blue eyes twinkled, cheek twitching a bit as he tightened his hold on you, making you wince. He walked forward until he was only a hair’s width away, and your face crumbled as his grip became painful, your entire arm protesting. 

“Do you realize where you are? The kind of position you’re in?” he murmured.

The acknowledgement that you were in a foreign environment, surrounded by God knows who, cornered by a man who’d been hellbent on tormenting you for weeks...it was too much. Tears spilled over, and Bucky pushed until the nightstand was digging into your back.

“You don’t have a friend here. Not even an ally. Everyone here answers to me…”

You trembled as he stared you down.

“...that means I could bend you over right now and fuck you until you can’t even scream anymore and not one person would lift a finger to stop me.”

He slowly dragged his eyes over your scantily clad frame, body shaking so hard it was a wonder you were still standing. His smirk grew, lips curving upwards even more as his eyes met yours again, amusement dripping from them.

“...but I have a feeling Steve already beat me to it.”

“Fuck you,” you quietly spat, anger and disgust and fear swirling inside of you at his taunting. 

His smirk suddenly fell, hand quickly gripping your neck as he pulled you into him. His lips moved against yours so fiercely it hurt. You whimpered against his mouth, unable to move from in between him and the nightstand, powerless to his hungry assault. His other hand dug into your arm, fingers pressing into your bare skin so painfully it burned. You whimpered, heart jumping in your heaving chest as he had his way with you, teeth harshly nipping at your lip, drawing blood. When he eventually pulled away, you were struggling to catch your breath, and you stared at him with wide eyes.

His own chest was heaving, eyes blazing with both anger and hunger, a combination you had quickly learned to fear. He reached up to swipe his thumb over his bloodstained lip, eyeing your blood there before quickly pressing the appendage to his mouth. He took a step back, eyeing you with promises you knew he had every intention of keeping.

“Careful, doll. I might take you up on that sooner than you’d like.”

You flinched when the door slammed shut behind him, the sound of the clicking lock reaching your ears.

~

tags:  @darkficreposter @xoxabs88xox @harryspet @readermia @opheliadawnwalker3 @nickyl316h @captainchrisstan @sebabestianstan101 @villanellevi @lokislastlove @notyourtypicalrose @coconutqueen21 @hurricanerin @hyoyeoniie @kellyn1604 @sherrybaby14 @cocoamoonmalfoy @mandiiblanche @gotnofucks @oneoftheprettynerds @doozywoozy @sapphirescrolls @threeminutesoflife @searchforanotherway @mcudarklibrary @ksjksjkv @darkficsyouneveraskedfor @buckybarnesplumwhore @navegandoaciegas @c1nnam0n-g4rl @mr-darcy-is-a-hobbit @siriusjohnpotter @candy3002 @jevans2 @beardburnsupersoldiers @widowsmaximoff @nerdygirl8203 @literalmcuhoe @supernaturalwintersoldier​ @charmed-asylum​  @newyorkgoddess @fangirl-swagg​ @holl2712 @vicmc624 @michellemxndes

[fific7]

Into the Darkness / Part 1

The Darkling x Reader

A/N: This does not follow canon, it’s literally just lemon zest 🍋 ... I have a vision of Ben Barnes in his black Kefta and riding boots permanently stuck in my brain right now. Attempting to write it right out of there.

Warnings: 18+ please due to NSFW content. Dom/sub interaction, being restrained, coercion, questionable consent (thankfully this is a fantasy universe), sexual content including oral, loss of virginity, rough unprotected* sex. I don’t mention her actual age, but Reader is not underage.

*Irl, please don’t go wild in the country without protection.

[My GIF]

The ebony black doors swung open, then were quickly slammed shut again. You heard the lock click, and lifted your head from where you lay sprawled on the floor, chained to the wall by one ankle.

Early that morning, before sunup, you’d been dragged to The Little Palace from the prison where you’d been locked in a cell for several days. And chained to the wall in this opulent room, left alone for the rest of the morning.

After you’d been thrown onto the floor and shackled by the jailer, you’d tried to rearrange your linen slip and undergarments as best you could. They were ripped, dusty and stained from the earth floor of the cell you’d recently been in.

The blue Kefta you used to wear had been ripped off you, when the Oprichnik found you at your family’s small house near Ryevost.

As a Tidemaker, an Etherealki, a water summoner, you’d served in the Second Army but you’d deserted when word reached you that your younger brother had been badly injured in a hunting accident.

You’d fled the Army camp under cover of night and made your way home across country, on a stolen horse. But the elite guards had been sent after you, much to your dismay. What made you so important? Many deserted and were never hunted down.

Your mind went over & over this as you lay there, pressure points on your body beginning to ache from long contact with the hard parquet flooring. The shadows moved steadily across the walls as the day progressed.

And now, it seemed, you had a visitor.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

At first you couldn’t make out much, there were shadows swirling around the figure, but that in itself gave you the answer of exactly who was approaching you.

The Darkling, or General Kirigan as he also now styled himself. The Shadow Summoner. Leader of the Second Army, a powerful man. Your mind spun... what on earth could he want with you? You’d never even seen him before, except from a very long distance away. And you’d certainly never spoken to him.

The shadows cleared, revealing him in his black Kefta and full uniform. His riding boots clicked out another few steps towards you, until he came to a halt, towering over you. You craned your neck to gaze up at him.

You heard your full name being spoken by him, in a low but clear voice. He knew your name? You nodded, swallowing as you replied.

“Yes, moi soverennyi.”

He slowly turned the clawed ring on his last finger. “Why did you desert? I don’t take it kindly when one of my finest Tidemakers disappears without leave.”

“My... my brother,” you stuttered, “he was badly injured, I had to go.” You looked down, “I’m sorry, moi soverennyi, I had no choice.”

“Wrong!” he said, harshly, “there’s a procedure for leave, and you failed to follow it.”

“There was no time...” you said, desperate to put your case to this, the most senior man in the Grisha Army.

“Enough!”

You flinched back as he shouted at you.

He turned on his heel, going over to the large, partly shuttered window.

“I could have you shot.” His head turned slightly, as he looked at you over his shoulder. “Or worse.”

You hung your head, fear spreading into your very bones. If the money you sent every month to your mother stopped, what would she and your brother do? Your father and older brother were dead.

He turned and made his way back to you. Bending over, his hand roughly took hold of your jaw and he forced your head up, so that you were looking into each other’s eyes. His grey eyes looked like shattered ice.

“What would you do to keep yourself alive, hmm?”

“Anything... please... for my family, moi soverennyi. Without me, they won’t survive.”

He nodded, a slight smile gracing his lips. “I thought you might say that.” He straightened up, and stood looking down at you. “I find you attractive, your body is...” his eyes flickered over you like a cold breeze, “desirable.”

A short pause. “I have need of a... companion. To help me forget my daily struggles. You will be that companion. You will take care of all of my needs.”

You realised what he meant, and your eyes widened in shock.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

He’d left after that, without saying anything else. Two of the palace serving women had come in shortly afterwards and unchained you, taking you into an adjoining room which had a large free-standing tub in it. You were washed in a bath of fragrant rose oil, your hair washed and put up in a loose bun, and you were dressed in fresh linen robes.

Then they rechained you to the wall and left you alone.

You contemplated what you’d been forced into. He was handsome, very much so. If he didn’t intimidate you so much, and in different circumstances you’d have been attracted to him. Well, you were attracted to him you admitted to yourself, but you didn’t trust him in the least. And you also wondered what had happened to his little Sun Summoner... there had been rumours about those two. But she hadn’t been seen around the camp recently.

Several more hours passed before Kirigan returned. He strode into the room, locking the door behind him once more, tutting as he saw that you’d been chained up again. He released you, grabbing your arm and pulling you to your feet. He pulled you against him, inhaling your scent for a second before pushing you towards a door off to the right.

“Time to initiate our agreement,” he breathed into your ear, “come with me, little dove.”

Your stomach lurched. You’d never been with a man before, never experienced so much as a kiss. He felt your arm tensing in his hand, and he quickly opened the door, hustling you inside. He locked that door too.

You looked around you; it was a large room with a huge bed in the middle of it. Meanwhile, you were almost hyper-ventilating, and he looked curiously at you.

“Are you afraid?”

“I’ve never lain with a man before, moi soverennyi,” you admitted.

His eyes widened, a distinct gleam coming into them. “I will take your virginity?” He gave a small laugh, “This is even better than I anticipated! Do you know, you’ll be my first virgin? All the times I’ve...” he shook his head, chuckling, “and never a virgin amongst them.”

His eyes swung down to yours, “Until now.” The tip of his tongue swiped quickly over his lips, and you knew he was aroused.

You shuddered, feeling nauseous. You didn’t want to lose your innocence to this dark, manipulative man, but you had no choice and he knew it.

He beckoned to you, and you took faltering steps towards him. He stared into your eyes, while putting a finger under your chin. You felt like he was looking into your soul.

“We’ll start off slowly, little dove. I don’t want to scare you too much, in fact I want you to enjoy it so that you’ll always be ready and willing for me.”

He suddenly started unbuttoning the fly of his black uniform trousers, and you unconsciously drew back. He grabbed your wrist. “You’ll do exactly what I tell you to do, yes?” But it wasn’t really a question.

You failed to respond so he repeated, louder, “Yes?” You managed to nod. “Say it!” he ordered. “Yes, moi soverennyi.”

He reached down to his open fly, laying aside the fabric of his trousers and undershorts. Your eyes watched his hand in terrified fascination, you’d never seen what was hidden inside men’s trousers before. You caught sight of the smooth pale skin of his abdomen, dark hair marking a path down his lower belly to a thicker growth of hair.

He freed his erect length from the fabric, and your mouth dropped open. It was so much bigger than you’d expected. This is what you’d heard other girls giggling about, you supposed. It was almost laying right up against his stomach, and it looked like a dangerous weapon.

You heard your name, and looked up at him. He had an amused look on his handsome face. He placed his hand on your shoulder, and you felt a downward pressure. “You need to kneel,” he said.

You did so. “Put your hands on the back of my legs,” he ordered, and again you complied. One of his hands went to the back of your head, his fingers pulling your hair loose before entwining themselves in it. He pulled your face forward until it was against the dark trail of hair on his belly. You were instantly aware of his aroma, a spicy scent. “Kiss,” he ordered, and you began laying a path of kisses down it.

He nodded, “Well done. Now.... you will take this in your mouth.” He had his other hand around his cock and inclined his head towards it. You leaned back, gasping up at him. “Come on!” he said, impatiently, “you were doing so well. Open your mouth!” Voice getting louder. You hoped no-one could hear.

You reluctantly opened your mouth, and as you watched his ‘weapon’ approaching your face, you noticed there were small pearly beads of liquid leaking from it. He placed his tip right onto your tongue, and you tasted something both salty and musky. “Now you need to kiss and lick,” he instructed. You began licking the head, and you heard a stifled groan from him. You began to intersperse kisses with your licking, and he tried to contain more groans behind gritted teeth. His hand gripped further into your hair, pushing your head forward.

“Now suck!” he gasped out, “and do it all at the same time!” A voice at the back of your mind questioned how that was even possible, but you did your best. “Be warned, girl! I’m going in further,” he told you, “eventually it will be fully in your mouth and at the back of your throat. Don’t choke, and whatever you do, don’t bite!”

Without further warning, he pushed his length further and further into your mouth, eventually making you gag. He pulled back slightly, “Take a breath. And get ready, I’m not even fully in yet!” You gasped in some air, feeling your eyes beginning to water. He paused for only a few seconds, before restarting his relentless push forward. “Relax your throat!” he ordered, before sinking in almost to the base. Tears streamed from your eyes as you found yourself - despite his instructions - choking round him.

He held your head firmly against his groin and began thrusting, but not too deeply. Gradually you realised that unless you relaxed more, this was going to be extremely uncomfortable for you. He sensed your slight relaxation, and to your horror he immediately began to thrust deeper and faster.

By this time, you’d felt something else rubbing near your chin. Just as you were wondering what this could possibly be, he ripped one of your hands away from the back of his leg and shoved it between his legs. You felt two fleshy, spongey globes beneath your fingertips. “Rub, squeeze!” were your next instructions. You took them into the palm of your hand and did as you were told.

He gripped your hair again, pulling at it while forcing your head to stay as close to him as possible, his thrusts building to a crescendo. You heard a prolonged, agonised-sounding groan from above you, he gave three fast, jerky thrusts into your mouth and suddenly warmth flooded your throat. You weren’t sure what this was but you’d no choice other than to swallow it. It was saltier and thicker than the previous liquid. His large hand was on the back of your head, forcing you to stay in position, and you choked again slightly as you desperately swallowed.

You could feel him softening, and he quickly pulled out of your mouth and away from you. Pulling his Kefta closed, he unlocked the door and walked out into the main room. You weren’t sure what to do so remained where you were, sinking down onto the floor a bit, and trying to loosen up your rigid neck & shoulder muscles. Wondering what was going to happen to you next.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

He returned a moment later with a carafe of water and a glass. He placed them on the bedside table, then gestured for you to stand up. Producing a washcloth from one of his pockets, he gently wiped your lips and chin, where his juices had left a sheen on your skin. Then he poured a glass of water and handed it to you, telling you to sit on the bed.

“You did exceptionally well, for a first attempt,” he praised you, “in fact it seems you have a natural flair for it. Under my tutelage, you will soon give the best head in Ravka.” You looked confused, and he laughed, “The service you just provided for me... it’s called giving head, amongst other things.”

You looked up at him and asked boldly, “Will I be better than your Sun Summoner?”

He scowled, “Do not speak of her! She is gone.”

You nodded, “Hence why you needed a companion, moi soverennyi?”

He took two long strides over to you, grasping your jaw in his hand. “You may just’ve had your mouth around my cock but that doesn’t allow for insubordination, understand?!”

You nodded, afraid once more. “Yes, moi soverennyi.” And wondered why you’d felt like questioning him about her in the first place.

He was pacing the floor next to the bed. He stopped and glared at you. “Your night of discovery is not yet over, little dove,” he eventually muttered. “Finish your water and lie down on the bed.”

Your stomach clenched as now you knew what was going to happen next. You’d naively thought that perhaps he would allow you to sleep for the rest of the night. But judging by the predatory look on his face, that was not to be.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

[macnevercries]

Fantasy

(Deku x F! Reader)

warnings- stepest, mentions of alcohol, dubcon/noncon, penetrative sex

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

It’s fun to pretend. You run down the sidewalk, bidding your friends goodbye and stumbling a little, alcohol still in your system. Your heart beats quickly as you run faster, it’s scary to be out at three in the morning alone. Make it a game, you’re playing tag and you will be less afraid. You round the corner and bounce up the steps to your house, parents gone on a business trip so you decided to stay here for the weekend instead of your college dorm.

You turn the key and the lock clicks open, shutting the door quickly behind you. Once you’re inside you sigh happily, you win. You know that no one was chasing you but sometimes it’s fun to pretend to be a kid again, run from monsters that don’t exist, blood coursing through your veins as your heart pumps faster than it ever should.

Imagining running from a dragon, your pretty dress flowing behind you as you tear down the hallways of your castle. Studying to become a writer had its perks, being alone for you was never boring when you always have a story in your head.

You toss your keys on the counter, flicking on the kitchen lights and turning on the stove. You should probably eat something before you go to bed, alcohol and an empty stomach don’t mix well. You sift through your parents fridge, humming a tune softly.

“Why were you out so late”

You jump at the voice, whipping your head around to face a large chest. Broad tan shoulders block your view. Slowly turning your head up, you meet the green eyes of your older brother.

“When did you become the bad kid, out past 3 and” he leans forward, taking a whiff of you “obviously drinking, what happened to college?” he smirks.

“Why aren’t you at your job? You shouldn’t be here” You retort, a little defensive and embarrassed you were caught. Izuku won this game of tag and you didn’t even know he was playing.

“I’ve been working, just wanted to take a break and visit my lovely little sister” He leans foreword and pinches your cheek. His touch lingers a little too long, brushing his large fingers down your cheek. He always did love teasing you. You move around the barricade that is his body, continuing your conquest for food.

He frowns at the space you put between you two, coming up behind you where you stand in front of the stove. He grips your waist, tickling you.

You burst out in a fit of giggles, bending over as he finds your weak spot. “Iz-zuku stop, I’m trying to cook”

He lets you go but doesn’t move far, breathing over your shoulder with every movement. He’s very protective of you, as any older brother would be. But sometimes it was strange. You didn’t need a knight in shining armor, but he didn’t seem to understand.

You fry two eggs, plating them and sitting down. Izuku sets a cup of water in front of you, taking his place across from you. Your dining room used to be a throne room to you, but with your adult brother it felt so much smaller.

You nod at the water, an inquisitive look on your face. He laughs at you, “You need to sober up”

You frown, not fond of the idea of letting go of the warm blissful feeling the alcohol had left. You drink it anyways, bringing the dishes back to the sink but not washing them, you could do them tomorrow. You trudge over to the couch, flicking on the the TV. Izuku follows your every step, right behind you at all times.

After staring at the brightly lit screen for what felt like hours, trying to ignore how close your brother was, you got up from the couch. He moved up to follow you and you snapped.

“Why do you keep following me, can I use the bathroom alone?”

He falters at your tone, taking a step back. “Oh yeah, my bad I just miss hanging out with you, like we used to?”

His implied words make you shudder, things you’ve tried to forget resurface in seconds. A princess shouldn’t be with her knight, especially if they ‘serve the same king’. Ever since his dad married your mom, things have been weird between you two.

Sneaking into rooms at night, exchanged kisses that weren’t quite right. It was wrong and you knew it, but you could never get enough of him. As you grew older and he went away for school you realized how bad it was and you tried to forget, vowed it wouldn’t happen again.

You walk up the stairs, a little bit too quick. He stays in his place on the couch but watches you go, your hips mesmerizing him. You change into pajamas, brush your teeth, do everything you would normally do. You hop into bed, turning off your lights and wishing sleep upon yourself. Maybe if you just pretend then it wouldn’t be real. His footsteps up the stairs, the knocking on your door, walking in without your response, his weight on the bed, his hand on your thigh. Maybe if you just pretend. This can’t be real.

He pulls your blankets off your unmoving form, he knows you’re not sleeping, he knows you too well. Everything about you, your friends, your school, your relationships, your mental health, and your body. He has it all logged in his head. If he didn’t know all of these things then how was he supposed to protect his baby sister?

Your breathing becomes labored as he pulls down your cotton shorts, lust or fear you’re not sure what makes your heart beat so fast. You’re not familiar with his adult body, he’s grown so much, too much. He could easily overpower you. He’s muscled up for his job and everything is just.. bigger. He’s no longer the sweet boy you knew, the one that comforted you through your mom’s new marriage. No, he’s someone else.

Your mind screams no but your body aches with his familiar touch. He might not look or act the same but he has always been gentle. You mewl when he lifts up your shirt, rough fingers rolling your nipples back and fourth. He plants soft wet kisses on your chest and stomach, never leaving marks. This was a secret, just for the two of you.

You can’t help the way your body jumps towards his hands when he pulls down your panties, thick digits swiping through your folds. You can deny it as much as you want, but you crave him. You whimpers become louder, all of his touches last so long when you can’t see anything in the dark. Right here in your childhood bedroom, you can’t see your brothers face but you know he’s smiling.

You hear fabric shifting and you know he’s discarded his pants as well. He climbs over you, towering, caging you in. Your hips grind up into his, desperate for friction.

“Slow down princess” he chuckles.

The nickname takes you away, let’s you believe that this is okay. It’s just a fantasy, it’s not real. You snap out of that mindset when Izuku pushes into you, bottoming out in one thrust. He groans as your wet walls envelop him, squeezing tightly. A muttered string of curses leave his lips when he starts moving, rocking into you slowly. He speeds up quickly, the warm feeling taking over his control.

He fucks into you hard and fast, the tip of his length kissing your cervix with every movement. He pounds you into the mattress as tears roll down your cheeks. He wipes them away, caressing your face and kissing you earnestly. He wanted you to be his but he knew it couldn’t be that way. If he couldn’t have all of you, then he would at least have this.

“You like it when your step brother fucks your tight little pussy like this? Yeah I know you do”

A broken moan escapes your lips, turning into a sob when his cock twitches at the sound.

His large thumb finds your clit, making quick circles to match his thrusts, bringing you over the edge quickly. He follows right after, pulling out and coming all over your breasts. Sticky fluids drip down chest, an uncomfortable feeling. He tucks himself away, kissing your forehead and exiting the room.

It’s fun to pretend, especially when it lets you believe that moments like these are just a fantasy.

[anna-justice]

like i’m gonna lose you

summary: my take on the fall out of 8x16.

read on a03 

...

“Get your hands off of me” 

Hailey stirred in her chair, her grip on Jay’s hand tightening a bit. They couldn’t bring themselves to care about appearances as they sat in the waiting room of MED, anxiously awaiting news on Kim. Hailey had dozed off on Jay’s shoulder pretty quickly, not that he minded. He was sure she had had a rough few hours, despite her vague responses. 

“You knew exactly what to expect when you came here.” 

There was a soft moan from beside him and Jay looked down to find his girlfriend’s eyebrows laced together. Her knee shook slightly, grabbing his attention. “Hailey?” He whispered, earning no response. 

“This is what it feels like.”

Hailey flinched hard in her sleep, her bottom lip beginning to quiver, Jay’s heart dropped into his stomach. She was having a nightmare. He shifted slightly, bringing his free hand to her hair and tightening his grip on her hand. “I’m here Hailes, come back to me.” He said softly in her ear as he ran his fingers through her hair. 

The movement startled her, causing her to flinch again. “I saw.” She muttered - still asleep - a stray tear falling down her cheek, “I saw-” Before Jay could react, she shot up, grabbing the attention of too many people around her. 

Jay’s hand immediately found her shoulder, “Hey, you’re good. It was just a dream, you’re safe.” He took note of the half nod she gave him, the fake smile, the way her blue eyes were clouded with tears. Hailey looked down at their intertwined hands, pulling hers close to her body. “Hailey?” He asked, a little hurt. 

She looked like she had seen a ghost, and honestly, she felt like she had. The only way to describe the feeling in the pit of her stomach was absolute terror: she was scared that Voight would walk through the sliding glass doors, she was scared of what she had become, she was scared of what Jay would think of her. She was absolutely terrified of the shell of a person he would leave behind when he finally came to his senses and walked away. “I-uh-I,” She stuttered, standing slowly, “I need some air.” She barely got the words out before running out of the building. 

Jay stood to follow her, he had always been good at giving her space, letting her handle things on her own first, but this was killing him. She was spiraling, he could see it. She had spotted it in him so many times before. He was sick of standing on the sidelines while she fought alone but she wouldn’t let him in, not this time. And as much as he wanted to be her husband, he knew the proposal was only a product of whatever the hell had happened, he just never got the chance to ask what that was. 

“I don’t want to be without you.” Hailey said, her sad eyes locked on his. He knew (or at least he thought he knew) what she was getting at. He remembered the way he felt when she was kidnapped, he remembers the panic that set in on her face when he was shot. 

Jay felt the tears forming in his own, squinting a bit. It almost wrecked him to see her like this, so scared of losing what they had. He understood, he felt the exact same way, but it was different. He knew that no one else had ever stayed for her, no one else every cared, and he was determined to be the one that did. “You’re not gonna be.” He said, because how the was he supposed to say everything that he tried to push into those 4 little words? How could he make her believe that she was it for him? 

Hailey searched his face for any sign of regret or inconsistency, but she found none. Somehow though, she still wasn’t one hundred perfect sure. She couldn’t bear to lose him, she wouldn’t survive it. How could she ever feel secure when she had so much to lose? The second the thought crossed her mind, the words tumbled from between her lips, shocking her as much as him. “Maybe we should get married.” 

Jay looked at her blankly, obviously in shock. She could see it all over his face, he couldn’t believe what she was saying, she couldn’t either. “I’m serious, let’s get married.” 

In a split second, Jay saw it all. The life they would have: the white wedding, the lazy saturdays, the holidays, the kids, the house, the dog, the years they would spend growing old together, the family trips to the cabin. He saw it all, and it was in reach. He never believed that he would could have any of it, but with Hailey, he wanted everything. He would marry her tomorrow, but not like this. Not when the love of his life was standing in front of him so broken down that the only way she thought she could keep him was through a meaningless certificate. 

Hailey watched his smile fade, causing the panic to set in. “Jay, we can elope. We don’t have to wait. We can fly to Mexico or Hawaii or anywhere. Hell let’s do it here, I just want to be with you-”

“Hailey, breathe.” He said delicately, placing his hand on her cheek to keep her grounded. He leaned in, kissing her gently before pulling away to look her in the eyes, which were focused on anything but his. “Look at me, please.” She did - reluctantly - taking a deep breath when she realized his soft smile had reappeared. “I love you. And I will love you for the rest of my life. Nothing is going to change that. All I want to do is be with you, please believe me.” 

Hailey shook her head, tears beginning to fall. “I love you so much-” 

“Baby, tell me what’s going on. I want to help. Let me help you.” He was practically begging her.

She shook her head again, “Jay,” She gasped, “I can’t. Not until you say yes. I need you-” 

Suddenly, his phone began to ring. If it was any other day, he would ignore it, but today was not any other day. “It’s Kev.” 

Jay talked quietly on the phone for a minute or two. Hailey took the time to compose herself, to prepare for the worst: the end of her relationship. By the time Jay turned back around the light in her eyes was gone and there was a fake smile on her face, one that only he could see through. “Is she okay?” Hailey asked.

“Uh yeah, he just wants us to come so that he can go switch with Adam.” Hailey nodded, grabbing her phone off the table along with her keys. He cautiously followed her to the door. “We’re gonna be okay Hailes, no matter what.” He said, knowing full and well that this conversation was far from over. 

Hailey nodded, “I know.” The left the apartment, and Hailey did her best to ignore the feeling of dread deep in her chest, but it was inescapable. No one could walk away clean from she had done, not her, not even Voight. 

Hailey leaned against the wall outside of MED, trying to catch her breath. Her heart was racing and her eyes were burning, she clenched them shut to dull the ache, but every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was a gun pointed in her face. 

“Just because your stomach can’t handle it.” 

Hailey gagged, doubling over and leaning against the concrete wall. 

“Cause you’re scared.” 

She emptied the content of her stomach into the grass, choking and coughing violently as tears continued to stream down her face. Her vision clouded again, images of Voight’s face splattered with blood as he approached her running through her head. It felt so familiar. 

Maybe it was her father’s reappearance in her life, but she felt like she was a child again. Hiding behind the couch or in her room, him screaming at her and her brothers as they ran scared. Her past was taunting her, like it was trying to prove to her that she would never be rid of it. That history would always repeat itself. 

Jay followed her, watching from the doorway as she threw up. He rushed to her, “Hailey-” His hand touched her shoulder and she gasped, pulling away quickly and facing him, her arms shielding her face. Jay took a step back, caught off guard by the terror clearly shown on her face. She was frozen, panting hard.

“I-I’m sorry-I,” She said softly, slowly bringing her hands down to her sides. Jay watched as her gaze fell to the ground, his heart dropping into his stomach. He took a cautious step forward. “I’m not, I’m not afraid of you, I-” 

Jay’s expression softened, “I know, I know. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He was hurt, sure, but this wasn’t about him. It was so much bigger than him. 

Hailey wasn’t sure what emotion was more overwhelming: the fear, the guilt or the physical pain she felt in her chest. He looked so defeated, and it was her fault. He thought she was afraid of him. 

He took another step forward, “Can I?” He motioned to his outstretched hand, holding it out to her. Hailey nodded, slipping her hand into his. He slowly pulled her into to him, her arms snaking around his waist and her cheek pressed against his chest. She took a deep breath, instantly calming her. “Hailey?” She hummed in response. “Can you please tell me what happened? You’re starting to scare me.” 

Hailey took a step back, looking him straight in the eye, memorizing the way they were looking at her, in case it was the last time they ever showed that much love. She nodded, grabbing his hand and pulling him to a bench further away from the hospital. This was the last place she wanted to tell him, but he obviously couldn’t wait any longer, he shouldn’t have to. She couldn’t be selfish with him. 

They sat down, facing each other. Hailey let her hand fall out of his, folding hers in her lap. “Voight did find a lead.” She said, shrugging. “Ruzek and I didn’t know, he gave us the legit addresses. Adam, he um, he kind of lost it so I told him to go be with Mackayla, and he did. So, I went to find Voight.” 

Jay’s eyebrows were cinched together, listening intently. “He was at some warehouse, he had Roy. I walked in and he, uh he, he pulled his gun on me.” Jay’s jaw clenched, but he kept his cool (barely), letting her continue. “He was beating information out of Roy, then you radioed that you found Kim, but-but he was going to kill him anyway. We fought.” Hailey took a breath, but continued to ramble, “I convinced him to bring him in. I wanted to do it the right way, we were going to do it the right way, like you. I wanted to do it right, like you, Jay. But then, then-then he reached for Voight’s gun and, Jay I swear he was going to shoot Voight, so I-” Hailey choked out a sob, unable to look her partner in the eye. 

Jay slid his hands in Hailey’s lap, wrapping them around hers. Hailey’s head shot up, shock written all over it, “So you shot him, to protect your Sargeant.” Jay finished for her. She risked her career to protect him even though Voight had no care for hers.

Hailey shuddered, “I promise, I tried. I told him to drop the weapon. I saw him, he had the gun in his hand. I wanted to do it right.” 

“Shhh,” Jay said, pulling her to him. “It was a good shoot Hailes, you did it right.” He held her as her tears soaked his shirt, running a hand through her hair. He was trying to soothe her, but he was seething. He couldn’t believe Voight had put her in that situation. Voight had been on the job a long time, he knew better than to come into close contact with a violent offender with an exposed weapon. 

Once he wrapped his brain around his anger, it hit him. 

“No Jay, not until you say yes.”

Hailey was scared that he would blame her, or leave her over this. He held her a little tighter, his own tears gathering in his eyes as he held her. “I love you.” He whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

That grabbed Hailey’s attention. She peered up at him, her blue eyes filled with tears and hope. “Really?” She asked quietly, her voice breaking. 

Jay nodded, not trusting his own voice. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Hailey’s eyes fluttered closed, this time, no flashbacks plaguing her mind. His hand settled on her cheek, brushing his thumb over her cheek. Jay pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. “Really,” He whispered 

There was a cough beside them, and Jay looked up first. Hank Voight was standing before them. “How’s she doing?” He asked. 

Hailey stared at him in shock. He looked like he always did. He was no longer wearing his tactical gear and his face was no longer splattered with blood. He was Voight, like nothing had happened. For a split second Hailey envied him, his ability to walk away unscathed, like it was any other Wednesday night and the only thing wrong was Kim’s life was hanging in the balance. Then she looked at Jay, whose jaw was clenched and his eyes were stuck on sergeant. He was just as strong, maybe even stronger, and he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. If he could do it, so could she. 

Jay stood, looking like a force to be reckoned with. “You need to leave.” 

Voight scoffed, quickly glancing at Hailey, “Excuse me.” 

“You heard me Sarge, leave. Now.” Jay said. His voice staying low, but intimidating nonetheless. 

“I have a right to be here Jay, to see Burgess,” Voight said, his words becoming louder as he took a step forward. 

“Then go, be the leader you’re supposed to be, but don’t you dare go near her.” Hailey’s breath caught in the back of her throat, her heart swelling at the sight in front of her. Voight glared at Jay, nodding shortly. Jay took another step forward, so that their faces were level, “And if she is brought into this, in any way, I will bury you.” He never raised his voice, or made any move to physically escalate the situation. The last thig he wanted to do was scare Hailey more than she already was. 

“Understood,” Voight said, with a trace of venom that could have been deadly. 

They parted ways, Voight entering the hospital doors and jay turning to face his girlfriend, who had been silent. “Are you okay?” He asked. 

Hailey nodded, “Yeah, I’m okay.” She met his concerned gaze. “Thank you.” 

Jay gave her a soft smile, “Of course.” She glanced between him and the hospital doors, a nervous look on her face. Jay held out his hand, which she gladly took. “Come on, we can come back in the morning.” 

Hailey sighed in relief, standing. He guided them down the sidewalk, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her temple. “Let’s go home Hailes.” 

“Hold on.” Hailey said, her anxiety getting the best of her again. She turned to face him, their eyes locking. She felt tears gather in eyes once again at the look in his, the one she had memorized, that she had prayed would never disappear. She smiled as he eyed her. “Ok, I’m good.” She grabbed his hand, pulling him in the direction of his truck. “Let’s go home.” 

…

A/N: I couldn’t help myself, I had to haha. I can’t believe the premieres are only a month away! Thanks for reading <3

[moonshineboyz]

Stupid Sorry || Kim Sunwoo

Pairing: Sunwoo x fem reader

Genre: angst, lovers to exes

Word Count: 2.8k

Warnings: cheating, Sunwoo is an asshole, tiny tiny bit mention of alcohol??

a/n: sunwoo baby i'm so sorry, ily okay? xjwodowndw i got a little too engaged in this one and it may or may not has been based on some personal experiences,,,

masterlist ♡

You should've listened when everyone told you that high school sweethearts not always are meant to last, or that you were too young and naïve to enter a relationship during that time. But you chose to ignore all of it, following what your heart wanted. You were too infatuated with Sunwoo to say 'no' when he asked you out for the first time, fidgeting with his own fingers and trying hard to maintain eye contact with you.

You were part of the same group of friends, even though you didn't talk much to each other back then. But you found yourself head over heels for him since day one. Sunwoo was absolutely handsome and a kind person, his sweet voice echoing in your ears every time he laughed. It was impossible not to fall for him.

And that's how you two ended up dating throughout the years of high school.

Everything was perfect in the beginning; you were always together in between classes and during breaks of his soccer training, sharing small displays of affection and little pecks on the lips. You had lovely dates at cafes, movie theaters and parks whenever it was possible. You felt so happy with him, and he seemed so happy with you too.

All your friends used to gush over how you and Sunwoo were such a cute couple, even daring to say you guys were relationship goals. Everything just felt so right with him, just a simple look into his eyes and it was enough for you to feel just as loved as he was by you.

One year into the relationship already and it was like you were living in a fairytale. But then it happened.

Sunwoo was napping in your bed while you finished a book you were reading; you had come home after your last exam for the semester and Sunwoo promised he'd treat you to some ice cream since you hadn't had much time for each other in the past two weeks. But he said he needed to rest just a little, due to the past late-night trainings with his team. You agreed and offered him your bed.

It wasn't long till his phone started vibrating on your desk, to which you brushed it off at first. But it didn't stop, and then you thought that maybe it could be something important. You grabbed his phone and a female name appeared in the notifications, there were several messages attached to it. Your heart sank. It was the same name as the girl he swore that wasn't his ex but only an old crush of his, and that they didn't even talk anymore.

"Did he lie?" Was all you could think. You couldn't seem to understand if nor even why he would lie about this, you were very open with each other and there wouldn't be a problem for him to tell you about his past lovers, or who they were.

With his phone still on your hand, you glanced at his sleeping figure and back to the screen, wondering if it was okay to take advantage of the fact that you knew each other's passwords. You didn't want to look through his stuff, it was his privacy, you felt bad in doing that but something inside you was screaming to do it. You could already feel the guilt creeping up. His phone vibrated again and it was the last straw for you.

You unlocked the screen and opened the texts, your eyes running through them. She was saying things like "I miss you"; "When are we going to see each other again?"; "It's been such a long time"; and even some suggestive pictures from her. The worst part was that your boyfriend was responding to the girl, flirting back, saying he missed her too.

You didn't even realize when you fell to the floor on your knees, hands shaking almost dropping the cellphone. Putting the item aside, the shock consuming your body, you sat there in the middle of your room, hugging your knees close to your chest while tears were starting to blur your vision, and you let them out. Crying so much but trying hard not to sob loudly so Sunwoo wouldn't wake up. Heart miles per hour and mind a total mess. For how long has this been happening?

It was hurting so bad, like a thousand knives cutting through your chest. You didn't know what to do. You didn't know what to think. Should you break up and end everything after confronting him? And how should you do it? What should you ask exactly? Even though it was painful, part of you didn't want to break up. You knew it was ridiculous to not want to do that, to not want to put yourself in the first place, but you didn't want to be alone. Sunwoo was the first guy who showed any interest in you and you felt like the only girl in the world. And not to mention, you didn't want to have to tell your parents and friends the reason why you two broke up. What would your parents say about it? And your friends? Your family liked Sunwoo so much, he was already part of it, and both you and Sunwoo had mutual friends. You didn't want to go through it.

The young boy eventually woke up to you pacing around with heavy steps, he looked at you confused and called out your name, making you jump startled. You rubbed your eyes wiping the remaining tears and faced him, waiting for him to say anything while you thought of what to say, heart beating fast again. He let out a "Baby, what's wrong?", and you felt sick at the nickname. Tossing the phone on his lap you asked who was that girl and "What the fuck does that mean?", chocked voice trying to sound firm.

Sunwoo immediately approached you dropping to his knees and holding your waist, his teary eyes looking up at you while he mumbled a lot of apologies, saying he didn't know why he was doing that and begging you not to leave him. You could only stare back at the wall in front of you, a blank and expressionless face. He hugged you even tighter burying his crying face in your belly. You wanted to scream, to yell at his face. You wanted to be swallowed by a hole in the ground and just disappear. But you couldn't even move, just listening to his lame excuses and stupid "I'm sorry"s, his voice sounding far away.

After demanding him to go and leave you alone, you let your body fall on the softness of your mattress, where he was just a few minutes earlier and his scent was still there on your pillow, which made your heart hurt even more. You hugged your pillow and cried your eyes out, until your head started to ache and you fell asleep.

On the next day you met Sunwoo and he swore he didn't do anything with the girl, it was just texts, and yes that was his ex. Didn't matter how you looked into it, it still counted as cheating for you. But you decided to give him another chance anyway, because as you stated to yourself, you didn't want to be alone. However, the time that followed wasn't easy, at least not for you. You still felt bittersweet towards all that situation and your stomach almost churned every time he touched you or looked into your eyes saying he loved you. But it was nothing like that to Sunwoo, he never mentioned the occurred and acted as if nothing had happened.

Everything was seemingly back to normal and you were living in your fairytale once again. You could ignore that fact easier now, even though there were still times where you'd catch yourself wondering if you lacked in anything for Sunwoo. He knew very well how insecure you were, how you were afraid of him finding someone better and prettier. You always thought he deserved better and questioned what had he seen in you, and he'd say he loved you to the moon and back, that you were oh so beautiful and you were his only one. You also knew some of his own insecurities, but you just couldn't care less about other guys when you had Sunwoo.

But even though he was aware of your fears, low self-esteem and lack of confidence, it happened again.

You thought of spending the soccer training's break with your boyfriend since your class got dismissed earlier. And there he was, sitting on the side bench with one of his teammates, their backs facing you as you approached them. It seemed like they were arguing and something the other guy said made you stop in your tracks.

"Okay, but if you tell my girlfriend about me, I'm telling Y/N you kissed my sister at my party last week. I don't think she'll like that."

Your world collapsed for the second time; you could almost hear the sound of your own barely mended heart shattering again. Not wanting to believe it. You already knew that feeling but it felt way more painful in the second time.

You were still frozen when Sunwoo looked back and saw you standing there, his eyes widening. You only scoffed at him and turned to get out of there before he could even move towards you. But he was faster and reached you, grabbing your wrist to make you face him.

Silence.

He stared into your eyes for what felt like a whole hour until you snapped and yelled at him to get away from you. You didn't notice the tears rolling down your cheeks as you angrily stared back at him. The boy started weeping trying to hold your hands as he kept on babbling about being drunk at the party and saying he was sorry. "Another stupid sorry", you thought. It was comic how he believed that shedding some tears and mumbling halfhearted apologies were enough to make everything alright.

That night you cried yourself to sleep once more, ignoring all his texts and calls from the moment you stepped into your house. The hurt was so much that even your body experienced physical pain.

You spent the entire following week pretending you were too sick to get out of bed, but the truth was that you didn't want to face Sunwoo and any of your friends. Every day felt like a torture, you woke up with swollen eyes and a massive headache due to crying so much, crying over someone who didn't deserve your tears, let alone any piece of your attention. And you knew that. But you still were too pathetic to let go.

If it was hurting that much, if you knew you should just walk away, then why were you still holding onto it? It wasn't even the first time. Why even bother to stay in an already broken relationship like that? Only because you didn't want to be alone? To feel lonely? To be ashamed by the other's reactions? Especially now that you'd given him another chance before and were planning on giving one more?

Unfortunately, you couldn't deny that you loved Sunwoo. But God was it painful to love him. You didn't know if you could blindly trust him like before, but you were too deep in love with him to care. Even if it hurt.

After a whole week avoiding any and every source of contact with him, you finally sat down to listen, although you shouldn't, already cursing yourself for being in this situation again.

Sunwoo told the same lame excuses, one more time saying he didn't know what he was doing, blaming the alcohol, and that the kiss meant nothing because he still loved you. To be honest you barely even listened, just wishing to go back and pretend you had a beautiful relationship where he was very loyal and honest to you.

And so you did.

You went back to your classes next morning swearing you had a really bad flu the past week and no one seemed to doubt it. Great. You and Sunwoo were acting like lovebirds again and everything looked fine.

This time you were feeling kind of numb and didn't cry every night, but obviously this didn't mean your heart wasn't broken. You wondered how he could be so insecure like you, saying he was also afraid of some more interesting guy getting your attention but still, he was the one who cheated. Twice. Or at least you thought it was twice.

Honestly the time that passed from the second heartbreak was quite okay, Sunwoo did everything you wanted to do, treating you well and telling you sweet things. But it didn't last long.  

It was scary the fact that he never felt distant for you to suspect anything, not even in the two other times and not even now. He could manage this character so well, acting all nice and sweet but doing you dirty behind your back. Apparently, he wasn't that transparent and easy to read as you were, you couldn't see through him. He was like a foggy mirror. Not even a glass window, but a mirror, only reflecting your own image because you just couldn't see his true self. And you realized it a bit too late.

This was what you were thinking right now, seeing Sunwoo seated on a bench in the park both of you used to go to have your favorite ice cream. Under the moonlight, ready to kiss this girl, face too close, hand on her chin just like the way he always did to you. You didn't know your heart could break even more.

This time you were even seeing him shamelessly cheating on you, and you wished you didn't because it hurt so damn much. But in a way you felt thankful you were aware of this trashy behavior of his, or else you wouldn't give much credit when a random guy you've never seen messaged you in your social media saying he believed his girlfriend, which happened to be Sunwoo's classmate, was cheating on him with your boyfriend. And you wanted to see it for yourself even more after the guy told he checked the girl's phone location, went to the park and actually saw them.

"Are you done making a fool of me?"

He pulled away quickly from the girl and got up, looking at you with those fake pleading eyes saying the typical "That's not what you think it is", but you knew it was. You stared at him coldly, chewing on your bottom lip to suppress your tears. The girl quietly got up mumbling something you didn't care to listen and left.

Sunwoo took a step closer and that was when you finally broke into tears, filled with anger and sadness. You pointed a finger at him asking how could he do such a thing. Running your fingers through your hair in frustration, you took a deep breath, tired of dealing with his bullshit.

"Let's break up."

"What? But we're fine." You scoffed at this; he must had been kidding.

"No, Sunwoo, we're not fine. I'm not fine. It's enough, I'm tired." He tried to hold your hand but you pulled it. "Do you even care about how you hurt me? Have you ever been honest with me for once?"

"Oh, you want me to be honest? Fine, I'll be honest with you." He furrowed his brows. "You know that first month we started dating? I cheated on you twice. Why? Because I didn't know if what he had was going to last."

And then it hit you like a truck, more than you've ever imagined. A pain that could dilacerate you. Sure neither of you knew whether or not it'd work out, but the scene of Sunwoo shyly asking you out replayed in your head. And then on your first date he confessed he'd already been in love with you for quite some time, and you felt so happy. If he was that in love, wasn't he supposed to at least give his best and try to make the relationship work?

You looked at him in disbelief. So this was his true self? He wasn't even sorry, never had been.

Glaring into his boba eyes for the last time, your entire relationship flashed in your mind. The shared sweet kisses, shy smiles and lovingly glances, the small dates and slow dances in the quiet of his room. Everything now destroyed.

"Don't ever talk to me again." You gulped feeling a lump in your throat, not having any more strength to argue with him.  

You turned your back and began to walk away, tears falling from your eyes again.

Sunwoo didn't say his stupid sorry this time.

[jiaraforeverr]

Dancing With Our Hands Tied

Author's note: Hi everyone! This is my very first fanfic so I would love to hear your thoughts! @arcticaid requested this months ago, I'm so sorry it took so long! I started writing it in May, but honestly forgot about it until after I watched season 2.

You can also find it on Ao3 here!

Pairing: JJ Maybank/Kiara Carrera

Kiara lay awake in the spare bed of the Chateau, the heavy and humid air sticking to her skin and making her whole-body flush with warmth. She could blame her inability to sleep tonight on the typical end of summer North Carolina heat, but there was something else on her mind keeping her up. With all the windows propped open as wide as they would go, she could hear the creaking of the old hammock rocking slowly back and forth, keeping her mind from thinking of anything other than the person she knew was also pretending to be sleeping right now.

A couple hours earlier, Pope had said his final goodbye before getting on the ferry to the mainland, where he would be traveling to UNC Charlotte for his first semester of college. He was finally doing what he was meant to, to pursue the future that his friends have protected and encouraged the last few years. But now he was gone, not coming back to the island for at least a couple months.

And that left Kiara and JJ.

It had been almost two years since the gold summer. Two years since they had last seen John B or Sarah. The loss of their best friend had taken a toll on all of them, but especially JJ. John B had been his brother, the first person he really was able to call family, the first person he felt safe with. Losing him had sent JJ down a dark path filled with alcohol and drugs much stronger than weed. It had taken Kiara and Pope about three months to get him back on track, and luckily that included getting him out of his dad’s house and into the Heyward’s care.

The three of them held onto the Chateau though. No one ever came asking about it, and they never brought it up. Currently, JJ was saving up to officially own it so they would no longer have the constant fear of having the last part of their best friend ripped away from them.

With Pope leaving for college, Kiara was left with the impossible task of deciding what she should be doing now. Much to her parent’s dismay, she had already that college wasn’t what she wanted- at least not right now. She can see herself going in the future, maybe getting a degree in marine biology and opening a conservation center of her own. But that was for later. Now, she knew there were still things she had to do.

Giving up the fight with herself to fall asleep, Kiara sits up in bed, sighing deeply as she presses her hands to her eyes. She could help but think about JJ. She was terrified of what leaving him alone would look like. She couldn’t risk losing another friend. A part of her knew that deep down, she just really didn’t want to leave his side at all.

Things with JJ had always been different than it had been with Pope or John B, but even more so after John B’s disappearance. They had a bond stronger than ever before, and Kiara was unsure how to deal with the feelings that had come along with it. She thinks that they’ve probably always been there in the back of her mind. Every flirty comment or wink JJ had given her growing up had always been accompanied by a small tug in her stomach that she now has a sneaking suspicion wasn’t due to annoyance.

Walking through the empty, quiet house, she took no precautions to avoid the loud floorboards like she normally would, and with an ache in her heart realized it was because no one else was here. As she got closer to the back door, quiet music filled the air, confirming that JJ was most definitely not asleep.

She silently made her way towards the hammock where JJ lay with both eyes closed, but he still opened one eye knowingly as she stopped next to him.

“Couldn’t sleep?” JJ murmurs softly.

“No, I just willingly woke up in the middle of the night for fun,” she responds sarcastically, but with no real bite to it.

“Hmm,” JJ closes his eyes again, “I can’t imagine hating myself that much. What a horrible life you lead.”

“What about you, what’s got you up?” Kiara ignores his quip at her, wanting to get to what was on his mind.

He didn’t respond right away, the silence sitting comfortably between them for a few moments. Kiara reaches down and brushes her fingers softly through his blonde hair, prompting him to finally respond.

“What do we do now Kie?” His whispers, just loud enough so she can hear him.

“What do you mean?” She murmurs back, as if she was afraid speaking too loudly would cause him to retreat back into his mind and close up on her.

“Like, we’re not kids anymore. Pope’s gone, you’ll be outta here traveling the world or whatever soon enough. I just feel like I’ve got nothin’ going for me when everyone else does.”

JJ’s admission makes her heart stop, and her breath catch in her throat. It had been a while since John B’s death, but that in no way meant they were over it. And now JJ was facing the very real possibility that he could be losing his remaining friends as well.

Wordlessly, Kiara reaches down again and gently tugs on JJ’s hand, indicating that she wanted him to get up. Predictably, he groaned in protest, but still slowly pulled himself up from the hammock. They both knew he would do anything she asked of him. Kiara leaned over and slightly turned up the volume of the speaker JJ had set up at the base of the tree. The sound of soft reggae music filled the air making her smile. She didn’t think before stepping closer to JJ so they were chest to chest with their noses just about touching. She wound both arms slowly around his neck securing him to her.

“What are you doing?” JJ asks her, a small smile creeping up on his face as his arms automatically wrap around her waist, closing the small gap between them.

“Dancing,” she responds, burying her nose in the crook of his neck, breathing in the scent of the ocean, smoke, and a hint of sweat. She sways their bodies side to side, and feels him drop his head into the top of hers.

“Why are we dancing?” He mumbles, moving his body with hers.

She ignores his question, and just lets the two of them get lost in the soft music and the feeling of being close to one another. A warm breeze rustles the trees above them causing JJ to grip his arms tighter around her. The fairy lights twinkle in the branches, and Kiara thinks to herself ‘how could it get better than this?’

“JJ,” she whispers into his neck, “how could you ever think that I would leave you?”

“Because this isn’t where you belong, Kie. You should be exploring the world, saving the turtles and probably every other animal along the way.”

“I belong where you are,” she says, her voice just loud enough so that he could hear her. “And if I’m leaving the Outer Banks, so are you.”

“There’s nothing out there for me. I’d be dragging you down.”

“You’ve never been out there, how would you know? You could teach surfing lessons and fix boats in a new country every month. We could ride bikes and never have to worry about a car again. Imagine, me and you hitting every country that has an ocean, surfing every wave we can find around the world. John B would be so proud of us.”

Her voice trails off at the mention of their dead best friend, worried she hit a nerve. But JJ just pulls his head away from hers just enough so that he could press his lips softly to her forehead.

“He really would, wouldn’t he?” JJ says with his mouth against her neck now.

“We’ll make it work, J. We always do. I don’t want to do things like travel the world if I’m not doing it with you by my side.”

“When do we leave, captain?” JJ asks jokingly, but in a way that makes her believe he is serious.

“Planning starts bright and early tomorrow, and I think we’d be much more productive if we got some sleep.”

He says nothing in response and the silence sits between them again as they continue to hold each other.

“Can we do this? In every country all over the world?” JJ asks quietly.

“Do what? Dance?”

“No. I- yes. But I mean more like, just like- be together? Like this?”

Kiara didn’t even try to fight the smile that spread across her face at his words. She pressed a kiss on his neck, right below his ear. She knew what their relationship was right now was complicated, but in that moment, nothing made more sense. She was his and he was hers. Simple as that.

“We’ll always be together. We can be like this for the rest of our lives. On our surf trip to every country around the world, and after it and before. I said I’d never leave you, and I meant it.”

[theladyismyshepard]

Here’s my first crack at some Donna x pre-transitioned ftm!reader content to get the ball rolling with her reaction to you coming out, and I do warn you, this is me answering asks before having a chance to buy and play the game myself (I like hard copies sue me) so some things might not be right or ooc, like the fact I have Angie refer to Donna as her “mom” *shrug*

TW: mentioning of slight dysphoria

Make Me Feel Alive

The fog that acted as a fine layer that obscured the vision of the ground perfectly reflected the gloomy ache that lodged itself painfully in your chest, nearly making it impossible to breathe past. Your forehead lightly rested against the cool windowpane as you stared unseeingly out into the misty valley below. You weren’t feeling very comfortable today and you couldn’t stand to look at your reflection. It had your smile feeling forced and it didn’t feel right on your face at all.

You couldn’t slip, not in front of Donna, not when you feared what she would think of you. When you first had been sent to Donna as punishment straight from the hand of Mother Miranda, she had been cold and distant, as if your presence wasn’t appreciated nor was it a nuisance; she just... didn’t really acknowledge you at all as you tended to House Beneviento. That left one other... source of company for you to get acquainted with in her noticeable absence.

You shuddered at the thought of Angie finding out that you didn’t feel “normal”, and the onslaught that you would endure for it. The doll seemed to always be attached to your leg, and whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, you weren’t certain of yet. The little thing seemed obsessed with you, and Donna was quick to notice that fact. Now, you had her full attention.

“Angie does not grow attached to guests... and yet...”

It was the first words she had uttered to you since she had first introduced herself, and it caught you off guard as you were so absorbed in dusting the paintings decorating the walls. You whirled around on your heel, heart pounding rapidly against your rib cage, feeling too light for comfort. You were met with no expression as she wore her veil, and you never wanted to read her more.

“She whispers... things to me.” You admitted uncertainly, unsure if your definitions of “getting attached” were the same. “Frightening things sometimes,”

“You are still here, are you not?” countered Donna. “I have not warned her any of harm befalling you.”

You swallowed past the sudden lump in your throat that formed at her words. Now you were well aware that you were free game running around the House, and away from Angie. Should you feel lucky? Because you’re starting to feel nothing at all.

“I don’t know why she... likes me.” You forced out, unsure of what answer Donna was seeking from you.

“Interesting...” was all she said before she turned away from you and left you standing there with a duster in hand.

You blinked away the memory of the first time you and Donna had a semi-conversation, and you considered that to be the turning point of your relationship. Especially when Angie was muttering the next day, something about “Why am I forbidden now?” and it had your lips curved into an unexpected smile that you couldn’t permanently shake for the rest of the day.

As the days bled into nights and as the weeks flew to months, there was a bond between the two of you that threatened to expand and force itself to be the only thing your mind was capable of comprehending. There was something melancholic about the air that always surrounded Donna and over time, it began pulling at your heartstrings that this soft heart had been so hurt in some way that she couldn’t even face the world without her veil, and you were determined to figure out the mystery of everything about her.

And that made it so easy to put aside your own insecurities and discomforts with your body for the sake of putting Donna’s needs above your own. You cooked for her, you cleaned for her, you did the house and yard maintenance for her. You made sure she had nothing else to do but to focus on what she loved — puppeteering. At first she had offered you no indication that she noticed or appreciated your effort in taking care of her, but then it started with a gentle caress of her finger over yours when you had handed her a cup one day. You couldn’t stop staring at her hands that day, and thinking of what they were capable of.

Even Angie’s bizarrely threatening comments had cooled to mere teasing and dark humor. Though she was still attached to your leg quite literally. The doll took every opportunity she could to curl herself around your leg and thigh, enjoying the ride as you continued on while occasionally glancing down at her giggling form. Even so, being as civil and calm as you and Angie were now, you still weren’t comfortable with the doll and her loose mouth knowing your secret and spreading it to the woman you-

Served. And that was all you would allow yourself even in your head. It was too painful to dream of scenarios where Donna felt the same fluttering in her stomach as you did, just to return to reality with the constriction of your chest; It was too painful to subconsciously trick yourself with hope. So, you decided to numb yourself from feeling anything completely as you tended to your duties around Donna’s home. You didn’t even bother with mindless chitchat with the veiled woman anymore when you presented her with her sustenance, and not once did you catch the furrow of her brow when you started taking your leave without a word, not when she concealed everything from you and everyone else.

You blinked past your blurry vision and saw the fog thickening until it blanketed the entire valley, even up the stumps of the trees. The small part of your forehead that was still resting against the windowpane had gone numb from the prolonged exposure to the chill of the glass. A sigh couldn’t help but find its way out of your throat, and it fogged up your view of the outside. You were contemplating reaching a finger out to draw a frowning face in the condensation, but a solid form collided with your leg and plopped itself down onto your right foot. You didn’t even have to look down.

“Hello, Angie,” you greeted monotonously, not in the mood to act overly friendly with the doll.

“What’s your problem?” demanded Angie, but you knew she wouldn’t have even asked if she wasn’t interested in what had you sour.

“Nothing,” you whispered, offering her a smile that barely lifted one corner of your mouth.

“Even my mom has noticed,” spoke Angie matter-of-factly, and you knew she felt you stiffen. “You don’t like that, huh?”

“What’re you talking about?” You cursed the way your voice trembled, but the doll relished in it.

“You’ve been distant, she says, and she wants to know why.” drawled Angie, gazing up at you as her hold on your leg tightened.

You nearly found yourself arguing with this doll, but you bit back any remarks of denial that danced so tantalizingly on the tip of your tongue, ready to take the plummet. You sighed heavily yet again as unbidden tears pricked the corners of your eyes at the mentioning of your behavior, and what was causing it by extension. You couldn’t tell her even if you wanted to, not past the weight that suddenly found itself stuck inside of your chest. Angie vehemently shook at your leg.

“Well?”

“Angie,” came a sharp voice, effectively cutting off your lack of response. “That will be all.”

Your neck almost could’ve broke with how quick your head snapped over to face Donna. She still had her veil on, but there was tension in her shoulders as she scolded the doll. Angie did the best she could about looking chastised as she scurried away from you and down the hall, not even seeking the comfort of her mother at the moment. So that left the two of you to stand there in uncomfortable silence until someone decided to break it, and you decided that that was not going to be you.

You couldn’t tell if you felt relieved or if you felt disappointed when Donna paused for a moment before turning on her heel and walked gracefully away from you and down the hall. You released a shaky breath and wasn’t sure why your eyes felt as wet as they did when you watched her go without a word, without any care. You squeezed them tightly shut, hoping against odds that it would dispel the tears lining them, and when you opened them again, you saw Donna standing still and looking back over her shoulder at you.

“Would you please follow me?” asked Donna, and you were surprised by how much of a genuine, nervous question it was rather than a demand that she could rightfully give.

“I- sure, I mean yes!” You stammered over yourself, unsure and nearly afraid, but your shaky legs took you forward one step at a time, and this time, Donna waited for you to fall into step with her.

“You seem tense,” Donna mused without looking over at you, and for once, you wished you had your own veil to shield yourself with once you decided that prolonging the inevitable would do no good.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled, eyes turning downcast, and even you weren’t sure as to why you were apologizing.

“Are you alright, honey?”

The name at the end coupled with the concern you could hear in her voice had you looking right back up at her, and this time you could tell she was observing every part of your face, almost as if she were checking for the lie coming. It was too much to explain to her, too much at one time and you found it would be a lot easier to shut down and give generic, albeit hollow responses until she left you alone with yourself.

But what if? What if Donna made it easy enough to let your tongue slip and unleash it all as if it were nothing at all? You couldn’t see her reaction, and that alone, the slightest of hesitations, had your lungs seizing as you gazed right at her veil-covered face. What if she laughed at you? What if she called you unnatural? What if she banished you altogether? And that was how the cons had outweighed the pros, but now you’ve hesitated too long and Donna turned her body to fully face you.

“Will you make it just a little bit further? My bedroom is close by.” she said softly, her hand reaching out to you, and you took it, and for a moment it didn’t feel right in yours, but you shook the thought away, nearly grateful just to hold her hand.

You nodded your head, and the walk passed you by in a blur, one foot guiding you at a time as your thoughts battled for dominance and left you in the whirlwind. Donna pushed her bedroom door open and one thought that did take purchase of your mind was “Oh my god, she has me in her bedroom” and it offered you an anchor to latch onto instead of focusing on the care and affection you’ve grown to feel for Donna or the way your body felt too curved, too exposed, too wrong. Donna perched herself in the chair that she had in her room, and held her hand out to signal for you to sit down on the edge of the bed.

“You don’t talk much anymore.” Donna stated simply, and you made a noncommittal noise in the back of your throat. “Hm.”

“I’m-”

“Sorry,” interrupted Donna, and you could hear something coloring her tone. “Why? What do you keep apologizing for?”

“Nothing,” you shrug before looking down at your lap. “And a lot of things,”

“You are so very helpful, dear.” Donna quipped, and for some reason, it gave you the flash of irritation that you needed to get the ball rolling.

“Well maybe I don’t trust you!” You snapped, aware that you shouldn’t be saying it, but unable to prevent it from coming out, and you really regretted it when you heard a small intake of breath.

“Have I proven myself disloyal to you in some way?” spat Donna, her voice suddenly cold, and it had the fight leaving your body, and leaving you exhausted.

“I don’t want you to hate me.” You whimpered, hanging your head as it was too much energy to hold it up. “You’ll make fun of me.”

“I...”

The words died in Donna’s throat as she sat perfectly still in her seat. Her defensive attitude was instantly replaced with worry and confusion, and it had her momentarily thrown. She watched your body tremble with every labored breath you exhaled and after the third inhale, she was on her feet and sitting by your side on the edge of the bed. She took your hand and ran her thumb across your knuckles reassuringly.

“I could never hate you, and I would never make fun of you about what’s bothering you so terribly.” insisted Donna, taking your hand into both of hers now to softly caress it with her fingertips.

“I...” You whispered breathlessly, your wide eyes glued to your joined hands and it made it easier to not look at her. “I love you,”

The hands surrounding yours squeezed tightly before bringing it up, up, up, and slipping your hand behind her veil to bring it to her smiling lips.

“I know,” she whispered back, and you felt the heat of her breath against your hand. “I’ve known for some time, and I love you, too.”

Your mouth fell open in shock and you stared into the blackness that was her veil, your eyes darting back and forth where you thought her eyes to be. She was still smiling as she pressed kisses to your hand.

“W-Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” You pressed, unsure of what emotion you were going to land on. “If you knew?”

“There is something else you’re still holding back... why is that?” countered Donna, and she didn’t give you time to even think of a response before she was answering herself. “Because you aren’t ready, and I wasn’t... until now.”

“What changed?” You couldn’t help but ask, and you sorta felt selfish that you didn’t hesitate to press for answers while Donna simply let you come to terms with your own struggle at your own time.

“Me,” said Donna, her sudden chuckle sounded more of a dry sob she couldn’t hold back. “I changed over time and it was because of you... You used to be so lively around here that it made me come back to life as well... and then you suddenly disappeared.”

“I...” You trailed off, and how could you defend yourself when you knew her words to be true... you were here, but it was also very noticeable that you weren’t.

“Are you ever going to come back to me?” questioned Donna, your joined hands falling into her lap.

You watched in awe as it seemed like everything was almost falling into place right before your eyes in the form of Donna playing with your fingers with her own. She managed to seem so small and unsure, and yet she held this power and grace to her that you both were aware of. She dipped her head, but you could somehow feel the heat of her gaze probing. The fluttering of everything inside of you had it all too easy to bring your free hand underneath her veil to cup her cheek and pull her full attention towards you.

“A lot of the times I don’t feel like a woman.” You said and by the time you realized you were saying it, your voice only had time to tremble on the last word. “I... sometimes I don’t feel comfortable in my own body... Sometimes I look at myself and wish things were different.”

“What can I do for you?” Donna questioned intensely, one of her hands releasing yours in favor of covering the one on her cheek. “I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable with yourself.”

You sat there staring dumbly at her, your mouth working but no words were coming forth. You weren’t exactly prepared for any sort of response much less a positive one, and here she was, asking what she could do to help you, and it had you laughing incredulously, your brow furrowing as you looked at nothing. But then you were sobbing and you couldn’t stop it no matter how hard you tried to reign it back in. Arms were surrounding you in less than a second.

“Is this what you were so scared of, honey?” whispered Donna, tucking you into the crook of her neck, and you nodded wildly.

“I-I thought you wouldn’t l-love me if I told you.” You hiccuped, feeling frayed and ragged in her embrace.

“Impossible,” said Donna, her tone leaving no room for argument. “There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel right in your own skin.”

“What now?” You croaked, most of the weight gone from your shoulders, but there was still some residual tension lingering, and she must have felt it because she was soon running her soft hand over your shoulder.

“Well...” started Donna, pulling away from you but grabbing both your hands to keep you close enough. “I love you, and you love me, and if you ever chose to commit to becoming a man, then I’m quite certain that Mother Miranda has connections that I will indeed look into about helping you change into who you are meant to be.”

Was it really that easy? Did you really just come out as smoothly as you did? And she just... accepted it? You were so scatterbrained that it left you spent and unable to do more than fall back into her ready embrace. You figured she must have read your string of thoughts because soon she cupped the back of your neck, and pulled back.

Just enough so she could use her unoccupied hand to lift her veil just enough to expose her lips. You didn’t have time to marvel before she surged forward, also using her hand to pull you in closer to connect your lips in a searing kiss that had you gasping into it. Your eyes slammed shut without your consent, but the softness of her mouth had you lacking the care of anything else. She gently scratched at the base of your neck and then she was pulling back, leaving you dazed.

“Thank you for sharing your secret with me.” said Donna, and the raw honesty had you blinking away more tears.

“Thank you for deserving it,” you whispered back, almost hunching from how bone-tired and light you felt from finally letting go of the weight that was holding you down for so long.

After a moment of comfortable silence passed of the two of you just basking in the afterglow of requited confession, Donna smirked, prompting a grin of your own. Before you could even ask, she already beat you to it.

“I think Angie will be ecstatic about having something of a father figure around here.”

You paled when you heard maniac giggling outside the door.

[0littlestwolf0]

We Could Be

Yandere! Isaac Lahey

Ship: Yan!Isaac Lahey x Reader

Warnings: Slight obsessive behavior, mentioned domestic abuse.

Requested by: @flower-slut00

Notes: You can expect a Yan!Tom Riddle and Yan!Newt post soon!

It was already eight and you were sure you’d freeze to death before he arrived. For all you knew he wasn’t coming, the mere idea made you bite your inner cheek.

He’d said 5:30 but he was nowhere to be seen and at this rate you would finish the English project all by yourself. But you knew Isaac was a good guy, he should be somewhere near, right?

Well, in all truth you didn’t really had an idea of how this Isaac boy was, you could barely remember a mass of blonde curls that would only stay in a corner, never calling much attention to himself, but you knew he got good grades, at least good enough, even if he’d get mad when they weren’t excelling.

You felt in heaven with as much as a B- but if he ever got a similar grade he’d beg the corresponding teacher to grade it again, you never understood him, but you never paid much mind to his actions either, at least not until the teacher had looked you dead in the eye and paired you with him.

You had at least thought that he’d have the decency to appear on time. You started mentally preparing yourself to start the project on your own, maybe you’d make a pretty diagram and draw the images Isaac was meant to bring.

A sigh of relief left you as soon as you heard a knock on the door, at least the pizza had arrived on time. You jumped to your feet and started walking to the desk near the door where you kept the money.

Opening the door mixed feelings filled you, at first glance you saw the blonde curls and thought about reprimanding him for being so late when he’d been tha one to choose the best hour for both of your schedules.

And then you saw his black eye and bloody cheekbone.

“Get in” you made space through the door for him to come in. You thought he’d gotten in a fight. You were wrong.

Without asking questions you signaled for him to sit on the couch you were previously occupying as you went to the kitchen, hoping that there would be some frozen stuff for him to put on his eye.

But there wasn’t much to use, only some ice cream and ice cubes. You could hear him getting his stuff ready to work, and you make the decision to get a small towel, fill it with ice and close it with a blue hair tie you had in your arm.

“What’s that for?” The voice behind you made you jump, he was creepily quiet for being so tall. He chuckled softly at your big eyes and covered it with a cough, going back to his quiet facade “Sorry”

“It’s for your eye” you wasted no time on handing it to him, he seemed to consider it though “It will help” at least it did when you had accidentally bumped your head with the floor “Do you want an aspirin?”

He tilted his head to the right, his good eye scrunching a bit, almost as if he tried to see you better, it reminded you of something that you couldn’t quite pinpoint “Why do you care?” He asked abruptly.

For a second you thought that you’d crossed some sort of line and he’d be mad about it, but his voice wasn’t harsh, nor was it sweet, it was actually confused.

You opened your mouth to answer, but you didn’t know why you cared, for all you knew he was a stranger that came all bloody to your house to make a project with you. He was about to give it back and you knew it so you said the first thing that came to your mind “Friends help each other” so much for binging that corny high school drama.

He almost laughed “We aren’t friends” was his only response, he knew you weren’t friends, he barely even knew you for that sake, the implication alone was ridiculous. You decided to stubbornly stick to that argument “But we could be” you shrugged and realized he still didn’t look too convinced “Okay, let’s at least be friends tonight, if you don’t want to be friends after that you’re free to never talk to me again” you added the last part with a smile and winked. He blushed and looked the other way muttering a quick “Whatever”

But he didn’t let go of the ice-towel.

Soon after starting the project the pizza arrived, and before you noticed it you were setting it on the table as Isaac brought the soda, you bit your lip slightly, you’d been working for almost an hour and still you hadn’t talked about anything other than the project.

“Okay, let’s put it all aside and watch some TV while we eat” you two had just finished setting everything up before you spoke he did a double take when he noticed you staring straight into him “But we still haven’t finished it” he seemed actually concerned about it “We still have two more days, we can continue it here or at the library or your house-“ he stopped you there “Not my house” it was almost too quick and closing off himself again.

Oh. It clicked in your mind seconds before you actually understood it. But you wouldn’t let him close off again.

“Okay, not your house, but the offer remains, we have time to finish it and it’s not really that long” you were already turning the TV on, muted for him to actually make up his mind but on for him to know that you did want to watch something “Listen, I said I wanted us to be friends, and I mean it, how are we going to be friends if we don’t talk?”

He appeared to be taken back and only nodded, you were quick to select Netflix and gave him the remote “You’re the guest, you choose” he gave you a half smile and started looking through the titles as you started eating.

The rest of the days you had set up for the project went in a blink of pizza, laughter and meaningless talk. He seemed to start opening up by the end of it, still not completely but he was opening up.

Suddenly it wasn’t about you being stubborn, you actually wanted to know more about him. But the time you two had designated was almost over, and you realize you didn’t really want it to end.

“You better not ditch me tomorrow Lahey” you said suddenly with a smile “I’m actually invested on us being friends” he started to smile too, his whole face getting more of a pink color.

As soon as the words left your mouth he wanted to scream, to grab you by the shoulders and shake you so hard that you’d tell him the truth, he was never one to have much friends, if any at all, and he’d actually grown to like you on the little time you had actually talked to each other.

It would hurt him badly if you were lying. Thankfully for him you weren’t.

As for you, that may as well have been your only exit, he wasn’t obsessed nor in love yet, you could have left easily, but you lost your chance.

The next morning as you arrived five minutes early for the first class you noticed an empty seat by his side, you gave him your nicest smile as you walked to him, you asked if the seat by his side was taken and he was quick to shake his head and offer it to you, he felt hysterical butterflies on his stomach at the fact that you hadn’t been lying only to finish the project.

And you spent the rest of the week with him, he was nice and real, more real than any of your other friends had been never leaving you by your own during school which your anxiety really appreciated.

As for him his heart was melting but his stomach ached, what if you got bored of him? That feared almost ate him, you had been the nicest person he’d known, and also his only friend.

Soon he started feeling angry when anyone else talked to you, he was afraid that they’d whisk you away and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

After some days of him arriving with new bruises you tried to talk with him about it, but he’d always stop you, wanting his time with you to be more pleasing. So you did what you could and started bringing numbing creams and aspirins.

The first time you treated him he saw that they were new “Did you got hurt on P.E?” Was his only question as you applied some cream on his upper arm, “No, why?” You gave him a short answer as you bit your cheek, you didn’t like him getting hurt.

“Then why did you bring these?” He asked, you were quick with an already rehearsed answer “The aspirins are for my migraines and I had the cream laying around, I thought to bring it in case anything happened” but something inside him clicked in place, you cared about him, you’d brought the cream just for him, and then he made a promise to himself, to never let you go.

After that he started blushing more frequently around you, quickly noticing little things, the way the left corner of your mouth turned upwards when he made a joke during class and you tried not to laugh and keep a staright face, how you’d grab his sleeve and tug on it when you wanted to go somewhere else but were too lost on your own thoughts to say anything, and finally, how easy it was to make you blush or laugh, both things he really liked causing.

He realized he had a crush on you when during class the Stilinski boy had given the teacher one of his usually weird and vague responses and you laughed, unable to stifle it for long enough, at first Isaac himself had thought the response was funny, but when Stiles turned to awkwardly smile at you he wanted to punch him repeatedly in the face.

It only got worse after the bite, you were everything that anchored him to himself, everything he’d ever want, and he felt this urge to torn every guy who dared smile or even look at you. Soon you couldn’t remember the last person you’d talked to that wasn’t him or Derek or Erika, the only people he trusted with you. It had taken long for him to get rid of everyone else, but he’d enjoyed making a show of it, using some of his newly gained strength to frighten possible competition, until they couldn’t even look at you anymore.

One night he’d brought you some fast food, his heart hammering, he had made two choices for that evening, if you decided to stay with him he would be the happiest person alive, but in case you said no he’d made a deal with Derek to take you away.

Not too far, he’d take you to a place Derek owned, that was the deal for him to stay as his beta, a deal he wouldn’t have been happier to take.

You opened the door and he noticed that you were quick to smile, a point on his favor. “What’s today?” You asked staring at the food with a smile “Nothing yet” he answere muttering the last part with a nervous smile “Then what’s the food for?”

He had rehearsed an answer for every possible question but here, looking at you, he forgot everything and then a memory took over him “It’s what couples do” his smile was growing wider and you looked confused “We aren’t a couple” you were trying to make sense of his words.

“We could be”