#Wish I'd bothered to follow him to see how long his force powers kept that plate in the air

[coral-nerd]

Sunny, why are you eating in the rain??

TELEKINETICLY LIFTING A PLATE?!?! SUNNY MIND POWERS?!?!

Wow, look at him go

[softsebnbuckystan]

Soul ties - Part 10 (Bucky Barnes au)

“And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed,

You put me on  and said I was your favourite”

Word count : 1712

Going back to everyone wasn't even as awkward as you'd predicted ; what had just happened with Bucky was pretty obvious. Yet, all the guests decided to cheer you up and spend their night telling you jokes or just talking to you about random memories. When you went back to your  room for good, you made sure Bucky walked you there : you were silently thanking Steve for giving you a room this far away from the others, since it gave you the opportunity to speak freely.

"So, about earlier,"  you started, "I think..."

"Hum,  yeah. I get it must be complicated for you." He scratched the back of his head as you stopped in front of your bedroom door.

"It's not, actually." You looked him in the eyes. "I know exactly what I want."

Something gleamed in his eyes – a hint of hope, maybe.

"You do?" he asked. "I don't want you to be in this situation, so..."

"I swear," — you gently grabbed the front of his shirt  – "I promise I know you're who I want." You lowered your gaze. "I'd be a fool to pretend otherwise."

Bucky tilted his head down to see you better, breathing on the tip of your nose. "This makes me...really happy." He kissed your nose, making you feel an instant warmth in your chest. "Now go get some rest. You've had an eventful night."

"You're right." You let go of him to grab the doorknob and turned around. "Wait, before I go..." You span and placed your hands on his shoulders to help you reach his height and planted a kiss on his lips again. "I really wanted to do this again."

You chuckled and left him at the door, quickly closing it behind you so that he wouldn't see you smiling like a teenager. Changing into your pyjamas, you were still unable to think about anything else than the  first kiss you'd shared and the emotion it'd gifted you with. You chose not to go to sleep right away : you knew a knock on your door would come. Around twenty minutes afterwards, you were ready to open the door to your sister right after hearing her.

"So, that happened," she said when she sat on your bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Don't you already know that?" you teased. "I thought you were supposed to be a mind-reading enchantress or something. Your skills are getting rusty, sis."

Wanda couldn't help but laugh before asking her question  again. "Seriously, I want to hear it from you, not  from your thought process. It's too much of a mess anyway."

You rolled your eyes at the skies  before sitting next to her. "It was... I don't know how to describe it." You shrugged. "It felt right."

"And what are you going to do about Darren? I heard you saying you were over, but are you actually doing it?"

You stopped to think for a moment. What would divorcing Darren concretely mean? You'd have to go through a divorce procedure, and you didn't know how those were  supposed to go. Maybe you could  ask Tony if he knew any good lawyers who might you out. But there was another thing you'd need to do.

"I'll  go get my stuff tomorrow. I'm thinking  of asking Tony if I can stay here...permanently."

You wrapped your hands around your legs and rested your chin on your knees.

"I'll go with you. I don't trust him."

"Thanks, Wanda."

Your sister hugged you tight before lying down next to you.

"I'm here for you. We're family," she noted. "Now get some sleep ; you need it."

You lay next to her and as it turned out, you fell asleep pretty fast. Maybe soulmates had that effect on people.

---

"He's not even here," you remarked. "Even after our fight last night, he doesn't bother showing up at his own apartment."

Darren's behaviour was already heating up your anger, and you were once  again patting yourself on the shoulder for refusing both Steve and  Sam's help that day. They would not have handled this by calming you down. Maybe Steve would've tried, but well, even he had his limits. Messing with his family was one of them.

Your sister followed you to your bedroom, where you dragged a suitcase from under your bed. When you opened it, Wanda's eyes lingered for a second : it wasn't empty.

"Were you packing for a trip?" she asked.

You looked away and shrugged. "I don't know if I was planning for a honeymoon or a bad fight," you admitted. "Turns out it's the latter." You kept running around the place, packing everything from your most random flannel shirt to your favourite coffee mug.

"I think I'm ready to go," you ended up saying as you closed your suitcase. "I'm- wait. Did you hear the door too?"

"Y/n?"

"Fuck." You looked at Wanda, who'd recognised Darren's voice as well. You walked out of the bedroom, your suitcase rolling behind you. Your husband's eyes fell on your luggage before going back to you. You tried searching for any trace of sadness on his face ; all you found was anger and disappointment.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked. "And what is she doing here?"

"Wanda's here because she wanted to help me get as far away from you as possible," you replied. "My whereabouts are none of your business anymore."

"You can't just leave like that. You're still my wife, as far as I know."

"Not for long."

Darren's face got bright red as he went in the kitchen. You knew he was about to start yelling, so you went for the door. His arm stopped you ; you hadn't seen him turn around. He grabbed your wrist, causing you to let out a faint scream. Wanda didn't need any more excuses to use her abilities.  She pinned him against the wall with a slight gesture of her hand.

"Don't you touch her again," she breathed. "You don't want me to use my full strength."

You could see Darren's nostrils flaring with anger and his fist clenching. You hated seeing him like this : some part of you still remembered the guy you'd fallen for several years earlier and you wished you could've made him stay like that.

"Don't blame  yourself for his behaviour, y/n," Wanda told you, not looking away from Darren. "Trust me, this man can't be changed. He'll always be a douchebag."

Your sister let go of him and opened the apartment's door for you. You were finally stepping out of that place, walking away from Darren.

"So what?" you heard him yell. "You're just gonna go back to that weird staring guy?"

You turned around and stared at him. You were done looking down and letting him hurt you. "Stop."

"What is it, huh?" – He walked closer to you and you gestured towards Wanda to let her know you were okay. "Is he better in better in bed than I am? Because I highly doubt that any man could make a good one out of you."

"Wow, you got to this level of insults. I shouldn't be surprised, coming from you." You paused, unsure of what his reaction would be to your next words. "I'll have divorce papers sent to you."

His jaw dropped, your words leaving him speechless. HIs insults still left a bitter taste in your mouth as you did your best to hide your pain. You didn't think such a long relationship could end like this, in a heartbeat, in the drop of a coffee cup.

Going back to the compound seemed to take less time than it took going to Darren's place. You were looking out of the window in silence, even though you knew your sister was holding back her remarks about Darren : you didn't need mind-reading powers to know that.

"Go ahead. Tell me I should've seen it coming."

"I'm not going to tell you that. Believe it or not, I wish I'd been wrong about him."

You gave Wanda a side glance : her grip on the stirring wheel was stern but her eyes were filled with sympathy.

"But I should've seen it coming. Damn, I despised his friends the moment I met them and he's just like them."

Wanda chuckled, which seemed inappropriate at first. "You didn't see that coming."

These words forced a smile out of you. "He would kick his ass, wouldn't he?"

"Absolutely. And he wouldn't be gentle about it."

You fiddled with your fingers. "Moments like these... I miss him the most."

"I know." Your sister's hand grabbed yours for a second before going back to the wheel. Her voice had gotten a little shaky from the emotion. "I also know he would've liked Bucky for you."

"Maybe. I shouldn't rush into this, though."

"Wait, what?" Wanda was confused, it seemed. How could she not be?

"Wanda, I just got out of a long relationship. I'm not even divorced yet. Bucky deserves better than this mess of a situation."

"Oh c'mon, he won't care about that. Have you seen how the man looks at you?"

A grin made its way to your lips as you remembered the numerous occasions Bucky  had laid his blue eyes on you, and yesterday, on your lips.

"I feel like I can't do this to him, you know? There are so many things I like about him, from the way he bothers pronouncing my name correctly, not the bland American way, to the habit he has of scratching his neck... You  know, dumb stuff. But what do I have to offer him? I'm not..."

"Stop. That's Darren speaking, not you," your sister softly reprimanded you. "You're worth so much more than you think you are. I also know that the guy who's going to rush to you to make sure you're okay is falling in love with you, if he hasn't already. His mind is almost as big a mess as yours."

"Wow, that's a first," you joked, the mention of love making you anxious. "The mess thing, I mean."

"Yeah, sure," — she snickered – "the mess thing."

--- They're getting serious, guys! I hope this part was good and that you liked it. Part 11 will come soon. :)

Tag list :

@ginger-swag-rapunzel @joscelyn02 @writehistorynotthegrocerylist @bluemoon-icecream @lady-loki-ren @simplybombshell @lizajane3

[n0tamused]

- | Afterlife

Warnings: angst, description of gore, talks about death, character death.

Song recommendations: Her & the Sea - The Clann

Word count: 1,945

Characters: Kaliyah Sen-Ryokō, Ginjiro, mentioned/implied Tobirama?

"What happens after we die?"

The question made the silver beast stirr from his half-sleep, his large emerald eyes opening to stare at the back of his master. She sat closer to the edge of the great mountain cliff, a giant towering over all others. The sun was still high in the heavens and the wind was ever present, eternal on the mountain peaks. Leaves rustled in it, brushing against each other and creating a symphony of nature along with the little songbirds who sat scattered across the treetops. Waves crashed against the nearby shore below, the sight going on for miles and miles with nothing but vastness of blue. Specs of white dotted the sky, fluffy and shifting with the currents of wind.

"What brings this question forth all of a sudden?" Ginjiro asked in turn, silence following his question for a moment before pushing his head and body forward in the slightest, dragging across the lush grass until his head sat beside her. Kaliyah sat quiet, watching the sea move, waves lapping at the shore. Her lips moved into a thin line, her throat bobbed up and down as she swallowed. Ginjiro's eye went over her features, and she seemed to shrink under his gaze. Her eyes were glossy and watery all of a sudden but her expression remained cold and unmoving.

"I don't know.. it just appeared in my mind. Along with that "prophecy" of the Old Nan." she finally answered, her voice as stable as it could be although it wouldn't take Ginjiro a moment longer to understand that this was bothering her for a long time, much longer than what she was letting on now. Deep within his chest he could feel the phantom sting of pain, anxiety in gut and lungs that she was feeling.

"Prophecy?" He opted to ask; he didn't remember her mentioning any prophecies of her.

" I never mentioned it to you.. She said... 'Water will destroy you' " said Kaliyah after a long moment of silence. Her eyes still remained on the far horizon, knowing if she even dared to look at Ginjiro that the feeling in her chest would seize her whole.

"I know I shouldn't believe in it, Old Nan gave many so-called prophecies and none of them ever came true but this… this one is harder not to believe." She continued, chest heaving in silent and forceful breaths. Lifting her head up she hoped for the fresh air to soothe her nerves.

Ginjiro retorted to look forward towards the sea too, removing the tension of his gaze.

"You were always an amazing swimmer, you're like a fish, I'm not sure how that prophecy would ever apply to you" said the beast calmly, his great and slim whiskers moving as he spoke, flowing. She has always seemed to love the water, to swim and dive and retreat many shells and pretty rocks. His hiding cave was filled with them, all of various sizes and colors. At his words Kaliyah shook her head, shamefully.

"And all I can think of is how many times the water almost took me; and I may be a good swimmer but unlike fish I can not breathe under water. The waves are always too strong, the currents too quick and the many times they almost took me for themselves I…" she trailed off. More and more of her fears started to surface.

The beast beside her opened its mouth to speak, only to be cut short by the girl again- "It's not death itself that frightens me."

That went back to her question, he noted.

"I am not scared of the pain either, the pain is the least of my worries, Ginjiro. What scares me is what comes after that. Is it darkness that awaits me? An eternal hell of raging oceans that keep drowning me? Which I can't escape from. Will I ever see the ones I love again? Or will I just... disappear?" It was getting harder to breathe, yet she forced herself not to shed any tears. Her chest began to quickly rise and fall with labored breaths, her hands tightening their hold around her legs, knuckles turning white and trembling. The view of the sea was no longer clear but blurry instead, dancing with her unshed tears that kept building up.

"You… are too good to keep suffering in death, my little one." Ginjiro said reluctantly, for even he wouldn't be able to answer such questions, nothing was certain about that inevitable fate.

"I hear many talk about the Pure Lands. And there, there is no suffering, no raging fires or oceans and certainly no darkness." He kept going only to see Kaliyah crumble furthermore. The sight immediately silenced him,more concern sprouting within him; he had never before seen her like this. Not even when she came desperate for his aid.

Big tears ran down her cheeks as she finally succumbed to the feelings that were eating her inside out like a beast. Her legs went to tuck themselves beneath her as she bent forward until her forehead touched the ground, her hands covering her face as she wept. Blades of grass poked at her neck and arms. Ginjiro was swift to lift himself from the ground, pained expression painting his draconic features. He grumbled quietly as he came to lay his large body between her and the sea. Casting a large shadow to befall on the girl. His wing came to come over her, in the form of a hug; shielding her away from the offending sights and the stares of trees, birds and the sun. All fell quiet suddenly, only the whistling of wind remained.

"Shhh now.. shhh.. don't you cry." Ginjiro was at a loss for words once again. And it was believed he was wise, he knew the answer to many questions and riddles but not to this. This was way out of his reach, and it pained him further that he couldn't bring any comfort to the one that grew so close to him.

" I- I don't want to forget anyone after death! I want to see everyone, I want to reunite with the ones I love; another life would be a blessing to me as long as I don't get to sit in darkness." she spoke through numerous gasps for air and hiccups, her throat closing on itself. It sounded as if she was angry at the world for this mystery. Ginjiro wrapped himself around her completely, as much as his flexibility would allow him. Now she was pressed against his belly, right beneath his shoulder while his maw nudged her carefully in affection. One of his whiskers came to drag across her arms and hands. Small noises came from him, rumbling through his throat. A noise that could easily be compared to a cat's purr, only softer. Like a turning of many wooden wheels behind layers of thick walls and even more soft cottons. It was distant and warm like a blazing hearth. Crackling of fire that brewed.

She continued to weep, watering the grass with her tears while her hands remained clamped over her eyes and face. A desperate attempt to shield her sorrows, something she found weak, shameful. Everything felt out of place, forced against her.

"I don't want- to die." came a small voice, Kaliyah's voice. A stark comparison to her usually stoic tone, a commanders voice. No- this was the voice of a girl ashamed of her fears, scared and paranoid of most things around her, scared of the future and scared of her own mind and doings. Ginjiro nudged her head again, her whole body too, to get her attention, to try and get her to look up.

"You will not die Kaliyah." he said.

And at mentioned of her name she seemed to recollect just the smallest bit of courage. She looked up, her weeping ceasing for only a moment. His eye shone like fragments of emeralds exposed to the sun, even under the umbrella of his wings. It was dark, only small bit of light came into the tent that was his body.

"Not for many more years to come." Her eyes widened, staring at his narrowed eye, brows furrowing in confusion. What the beast said was a promise. "And certainly not from something as silly as water" he finished.

-"I would sacrifice my last breath to give you one more. I'd give up the world so you may remain whole.. so worry not, little one. An infinity of such pain is nothing compared to the mere thought of losing you-"

Now as she watched blood trickle down his scales as she repeated the same words, she cried even more than she did that day. Screaming at the world and at it's cruelty. She wished she could give him the life he had promised her, wished she could take away the pain and the wounds. He had kept the promise.

It was the only thing that was shared equally in the world and that thing is unfairness. She wished she could go back to those cliffs and stay with Ginjiro forever, overlooking the world from the enormous heights.

Blood coated her clothes, tattered and dirtied, it matted down her hair and his silver mane. She stood in his blood and her own. More rivulets sprang forth and ran down her body from her own wounds. Still, she forced herself to stand, to go to Ginjiro and be beside him. None of the pain could compare to the one in her heart. She would rather face a thousand of swords all over again, she would face those raging oceans and empty darkness for an infinity of time rather than be here now. Here where Ginjiro lied dead and she kept on trying to move him, fisting his long mane in her hand.

All the power in his last breath went to pouring all his life energy into her, and the stone that hung around her neck. One they both created. Blood had stopped circulating in his system minutes ago, yet she couldn't bring herself to accept it. She wouldn't. Despite all the proof, she wanted to believe he would live. Even with his hollow wounds gaping at her from his chest and wing; wind whistling through them. His giant wing stood above her, shielding her from the sky. The contents of his insides were spilled across the ground outside the village grounds. The great walls looming in the distance, while the surrounding woods remained silent in sympathy. Moments ago his blood was steaming hot, pouring like waterfalls from a hot spring. Now, his body lost its fiery heat. Many wounds littered his body, painting a print of a tiger on his body in red.

The soil was soaked with his blood, so much so that the earth couldn't accept more, leaving a large puddle behind. Crimson puddles swirled with the dust and dirt. And a stray leaf went to fall into it, dancing with the current the wind created. With all her might she tried to shake the beast's head to get him to wake, he was so much larger than those years ago, so much heavier. His eyes stared at the sky overhead, stars looking at themselves in his dilated pupil like a mirror.

Darkness started to dot in her eyes, vision dancing with tears. It all tunneled until all she could see was the dull green eye. And for a moment she could swear she saw it move, all color return to it as it lazily blinked at her before the ground disappeared under her feet and hands seized her shoulders

___________________

-My Ao3

[sunsiac]

king and queen / jaehyun [2]

genre: murder mystery, romance, angst

member: jaehyun

word count: 2k

warnings: none

summary: a young prince and a knight's daughter are an unlikely pair, but nonetheless, these two were attached at the hip as children. Without any royal duty or stress, it proved to be an unexpected yet beautiful friendship. even as they grew up together, they only developed to be more inseparable. they proved this when she, hakyeong, turned 16, and he, jaehyun, gave her one of the most precious gifts he could; both of their first kisses. but it was bad timing. their respective responsibilities dawned on them quicker than they would've imagined, forcing them to grow apart. 5 years later, the both of them 21, meet again after jaehyun's older brother who is about to be crowned king is found dead. A string of murders throughout the castle force them to come together and find the one behind it before one of them is next.

—

JAEHYUN :

There was a certain point, I don't know how long ago, that I couldn't bring myself to face Hakyeong anymore. Though I can't remember my exact reasoning, I remember thinking heavily about the fear of change.

'change isn't always a bad thing,'

I was told this the first time I was denied going out to visit her. And I didn't believe them, because, well, why would I? Back then, change was the only thing standing in the way of me seeing my best friend; my secret lover.

So, for a good time, I resented change.

But, as time went on, I began to fear it. I began to fear the possibility that she had changed. I was afraid to see the girl I fell for a completely different person.

And though I knew change was inevitable in both of us, I couldn't help but be afraid. I didn't want everything we'd been through together to be swept away by all the things we'd gone through separately.

But, soon enough, she stopped trying to reach me too. We cut off all contact, and though I did regret it for a few years, I had no time to myself to act on it.

We never officially separated after that, but with the way we both acted, it obvious that it probably wasn't salvageable.

And eventually, my sadness faded. Change was another normal part of life again, and I condoned it with no extra thought. And after that, it seemed like she had done the same. We went through years of exchanging glances across the room, or small conversations when needed.

Though I could tell there were still a few things hanging in the air every time we spoke, we said nothing about it every time.

But, seeing her now, her hands to her mouth as she stared, I realised that maybe she hadn't changed as much as I thought. Her eyes were glossy as they filled quickly with fat tears. She looked completely wrecked, the sounds of her sobs reaching even where I stood.

That's when her tears began to spill, and, god, I would be lying if I said that didn't make me cry a little more too.

--

HAKYEONG :

I hated going through the whole next day with the feeling of tears in the back of my eyes, the risk of them spilling over growing every time I spoke. I felt too vulnerable in the unusually empty halls while I was on guard, Hyeonsik missing from the spot he usually occupied next to me.

Because of that, I felt depressingly lonely the entire day, seeing almost no one as I stood on guard constantly. All day, there was only one person that came up to me, or, more fittingly, tried to. Jaehyun was, understandably, surrounded by other guards at all hours of the day. So, when he tried to come up to me, it came as no surprise when someone held him back, telling him he shouldn't talk to someone like me. Someone that he didn't know if he could trust.

I wanted to think that he did trust me, that he knew I would never hurt Hyeonsik, much less him. But, the look in his eyes said nothing. So, I just watched as he nodded.

Though I did wish they wouldn't have stopped him. Because, at this point, I was almost aching for someone familiar, for anything to help lift my mood. But somehow, at least seeing him looking fine after everything, had undeniably lifted my spirits a little bit.

The rest of my day was bland. I had nothing else to do but wait for the sun to set, so that way someone else would come around and take my place for the night. After that, even though I wanted to, at that point I was too burnt out to do much else. So, I decided to just let the entirety of my thoughts encase me and keep me still, ending up in hours spent sitting in the courtyard outside.

It was a strange time to feel homesick, but at that moment, the red roses growing nearby reminded me strangely of the white ones in my mother's garden. God, how much I wanted to go home. Back to my own bed and even Yuta's tricks. I think I would do anything to hear his laugh right now, even if it took a few bruises or bad jokes.

But, I swallowed those thoughts and went back inside, careful to walk quickly through the dimly lit halls before falling asleep in my room in the dorms.

I was on guard for only half the time the next day, but it was still almost dark when I went back to my dorm. And thankfully, besides all the expected things, today was mostly a normal day. Except, there was something I was left to wonder about. Throughout the day, people were being pulled from their posts, returning silently around half an hour later.

It was most likely just questioning about Hyeonsik, so I didn't worry about it much. At least, not until I got a knock on my door.

I was greeted by someone I didn't recognise, a higher-up knight, I guessed. Their uniform was different than a standard knight's; being made a little stronger and a deep red rather than a dark green.

"Lee Hakyeong?"

After my parents had passed away, my adoptive mother had made the choice to let me keep my given surname instead of becoming a Nakamoto. Which, I had probably thanked her for at least one thousand times since then.

I nodded. "Is something wrong?"

His expression was a strange mix of exhaustion and alertness as he spoke, no doubt less than thrilled to say, "Please follow me,"

I should have known he wouldn't have told me.

But, I had no choice but to just follow him. It was an awkward walk, stiff as uncertainty radiated from both of us. But the thing was, I knew why I was nervous, but I didn't know why he was.

We stopped a few minutes later, in front of a door I'd no doubt passed at least a million times before. I'd never thought much about it, but walking in, I realised that maybe I should have.

Though it had the same overall structure of the rest of the castle, it also had a little-personalised flair that really made the room look beautiful. Shelves lined the walls where windows were absent, giving the room an old-fashioned charisma. There were stacks of papers strewn neatly across the desk that veered the left side of the room, and there was even a little glass sculpture of a crown laying near the edge of it.

The rest of the space on the walls was filled with paintings and maps, adding colour to the otherwise brown and gold accented room.

"Miss?"

I looked up, expecting to see the person who had brought me here, but it seemed that in the time I had been distracted they'd left. Now, I was left alone with someone that I did recognise

The royal supervisor was a relatively young man, not too young, but definitely younger than you would expect someone of his position to be. Besides a uniform that was unique to him, he wasn't really visually stimulating in any way, only otherwise adorning smooth black hair and eyes of a similar colour.

Despite his simplicity, he was a powerful man. He was in charge of almost everything the king wasn't; events, training schedules, you name it.

He walked over from his previous spot by the window, dropping what looked like a checklist on the desk before he turned to me expectantly.

"Ah," I let out a soft apology as I sat down in the chair in front of his desk.

He gave me a polite smile as he stuck out his hand. "Hello, I don't believe we've met. My name is Hyunjin,"

I took his hand, shaking it. "Hi. I'm Hakyeong, it's nice to meet you,"

He nodded, not bothering to make any other small conversation as he reached for his paper and a pen.

"I'll assume you know what happened to Sir Hyeonsik?" He asked, his eyes flitting up to meet mine.

I just nodded, looking away.

He let out a soft apology. "I'm sorry. I'm told you were close,"

I didn't know what to say to that.

He cleared his throat, seeming to handle the silence badly as he moved on almost immediately. “I only have some questions for you. So, if you would, please answer them as truthfully as possible,"

This just made me more nervous, as he was obviously just trying to ease me into whatever he was going to ask. But, I agreed as I subconsciously shifted around in my seat.

I knew there was no reason to be nervous, seeing as I really had nothing to do with what happened. But, his impending gaze as he looked at me from over the paper made me feel as I did something wrong.

"Hyeonsik has a fiancée, but you two were also close. Did you two have," he paused, giving me enough time to take in what he was saying. "Anything besides that?"

"No, god, no." I sighed out, almost repulsed as I admitted, "He was like a brother to me,"

He just nodded again, marking something down as he moved on.

"Alright. Now I'll move on to simple questions. Where were you the night when it happened?"

"I was sleeping." I answered, being completely truthful as I added, "My roommate is a chamberlain, and she had gotten back a little before then. So, she woke me up when there was noise,”

A few more pen strokes.

"You were also at the scene quickly, someone said. How?" He asked.

"I asked someone what was going on when I went into the hall," I explained. "I was there so quickly because I ran as fast as I could,"

He squinted slightly at my explanation, seeming a little skeptical, but still kept writing.

"Do you know anyone that would want to hurt him?" He asked, looking up at me expectantly.

I shook my head. "Never. He was everyone’s favourite instructor, and got along with just about everybody he came across. Everyone loved him,"

For whatever reason, he seemed to be slightly disappointed at my answer.

"Okay," he leaned back in his seat and let out a breath. "Last question. The younger prince, Jaehyun, are you close with him?"

I hesitated.

"No. We haven't spoken in months."

He rose a brow. "In months? Are you implying that you had talked more before that?"

"We used to, yes, but what does this have to do with Hyeonsik?" I asked, my brows knitting.

He didn't answer me, making what seemed like last adjustments to his paper as he said, "Thank you for your cooperation. Hopefully, with more information, we'll discover who's behind all of this,"

I didn't know what to say to that, but it seemed like at that point, he just wanted me to leave.

After that, my eyes wandered to his windows where the skies had since melted down from a faint blue to a pitch black. I wasn't exactly looking forward to walking to the dining hall alone when it was it was dark, but I was too afraid to ask for anything, just saying,

"I'm happy to help,”

—

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[half-bakedboy]

everything that i want (but didn't think i'd find)

Chapter Six

Rated: Teen Warnings: None Summary: Combat medic, Izzy, worked side by side with her pilot brother, Alec, to ensure the safety of the country and the most important people in their lives; their family.

Alec was starting a family with Magnus—a man Izzy never imagined her brother ending up with—and when the opportunity for them to get married on short notice during Izzy and Alec's summer block leave, Izzy couldn't have been happier for them. Izzy and Alec would make their way home to celebrate the momentous occasion and Izzy could leave everything behind without a second thought like she had when she was eighteen.

Falling in love with Magnus' sister, Clary, was never part of her plan and that threw her off kilter.

To say things were perfect was both an exaggeration and an understatement. 

It was an exaggeration because things had never worked out for Izzy before. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something to blast either her or Clary out of the happiness bubble they had been in the last few days. 

It was an understatement because every single moment Izzy spent with Clary was everything she could have wished it to be. 

After the waterfall trip, they spent even more time getting to know each other under the guise of prepping for their brothers’ wedding. They were helping Alec and Magnus out as much as possible which really meant sneaking behind Maryse’s back to make sure the two of them could have the wedding they had dreamed of and not the wedding Izzy’s mother wanted for them. 

In that time, Izzy fell even more for the feisty and talented redhead that wormed her way into Izzy’s life. It was impossible for her to stop once she had let her guard down. Every second spent with Clary had her heart flipping and her stomach filled with butterflies she never expected to feel. She hadn’t let herself truly feel so much for another person in years but with Clary, it felt… easy. Like there was no universe in which the two of them didn’t connect the way they had since they met. Everything was so wonderful that Izzy had forgotten why she had kept people at arm’s length in the first place. 

That was until Maryse showed up on her doorstep one afternoon a few days before the wedding. Izzy panicked, eyes darting around to where she had the boys’ newly fixed suits and the golden and blue accents decorating every inch of the living room. She backed away from the door, hoping that Maryse would give up, waiting but she should have known that would never happen. 

“I know you’re here, Isabelle. I saw you through the window even through the horrendous colors you’ve got around. Let me in,” Maryse chastised and Izzy winced. 

Clary peaked her head out and whispered, “Should I go?” 

“Grab the suits and hide them in your room. I can handle the rest,” Izzy said, acting quickly by pushing the wheeled mannequin housing Alec’s suit after Clary as she did the same to Magnus’. “Just one minute, mom. Clary just needed help with something. I’ll be right there.” 

“I don’t have all day, Isabelle,” Maryse said, her tone clearly unimpressed. Unfortunately, Izzy knew the sound all too well. 

“I’ll be here if you need me,” Clary reassured. She ran her hand smoothly down Izzy’s arm before squeezing her hand. The small gesture was enough to calm Izzy as she made her way over to the front entryway, letting out a breath when she heard Clary’s bedroom door shut behind her. 

“It’s about time,” Maryse said, clicking her tongue as she pushed her way inside. 

“Please, come in,” Izzy muttered with a roll of her eyes. A passerby would have thought Maryse witnessed murder with the dramatic gasp that left her lips, her perfectly manicured hands covering her mouth. 

“What happened to the vases? The napkins? Even the tablecloths have been ruined?! Isabelle—”

“Izzy—” She corrected, though it didn’t really matter because Maryse continued on. 

“—Your brother is going to be devastated when he sees what you’ve done to his wedding!” 

“Alec wan—” Izzy composed herself with a breath, not willing to throw her brother under the bus when their mother was already strung out. “I wanted it to be a surprise. These are the colors they associate with one another and I thought it would be—”

“Oh, you thought? Did you ever think about what this would do to your brother?” Maryse asked before scoffing. “Of course you didn’t because you only ever think about yourself, just like you always have.”

“Are you kidding me?” Izzy asked.

“I’ll have to talk to your father,” she began as she tore at the banner on the wall that Clary had worked incredibly hard on. “He can probably order us some new centerpieces and table arrangements in black and white, possibly get a rushed order in through one of his contacts.”

Izzy could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she destroyed the carefully crafted centerpieces that would house the painted flowers they specially ordered. She wanted to scream, to stop Maryse from ruining something else in her brother’s life, but her mother’s words were spiraling around her head and she couldn’t stop them. 

“How could you be so selfish? Alec and Magnus trusted you to make their day perfect and now you and that gypsy sister of—”

“Clary isn’t—”

“I would notice her handiwork anywhere, Isabelle. There’s no need to defend her. I can see her influence on you already. You’ve always been one to go against everything you’ve been taught so I should’ve figured you’d let her ways cloud your judgment,” Maryse said easily as if Izzy wasn’t about to spit fire. 

“Her ways? What exactly is that supposed to mean, mother?” Izzy pushed. 

Maryse waved her hand and said consideringly, “You know how artists can be. They’re flighty and like to pull people down with them on their journey to nowhere. That’s not who you are, Isabelle. You’re going to do great things once you can transfer over to med school and—”

“ Enough!”

“Isabelle,” Maryse shouted back, “what has gotten into you?” 

Izzy scoffed, “I’m trying to protect my brother from our overbearing mother. That’s what’s gotten into me!”

“Overbearing? Because I want my children to reach their full potential and won’t settle for less?” Maryse retorted like that was an actual argument for her case. 

“We’re not settling, mom. Can’t you see that? Alec isn’t settling for Magnus and we’re not settling in our careers. Everyone else in the world can see that we’re happy and satisfied with what we’ve done with our lives except for the one person that is supposed to care about that.”

“You think I don’t care about you now? Why would I allow this wedding to happen if I didn’t care? Why would I try to convince both of my children to not risk their lives every day if I didn’t care, Isabelle.”

“Izzy,” she interjected, but that didn’t stop Maryse from pointlessly defending herself. 

“You always do this, both of you. I do my best to keep this family together and you all pull away from me like I’m the problem—”

“Because you don’t keep us together, mom!” Izzy yelled exasperatedly. “All you do is push us away, from you and dad.”

“It’s not my fault that you’re not as close with your father anymore, Isabelle. When are you going to stop blaming me for that?”

“How about once you stop blaming us for your crappy relationship with him?” Izzy shot back. 

Maryse gasped and shouted, “You will stop talking to me this way right this instant!”

“It’s a miracle it’s taken me this long. Alec and I have done everything in our power to try and maintain the relationship we have with you and all you do is push . You push us away, you push us in directions we don’t want to go, you push at our insecurities and our weaknesses. You’re barely a parent anymore, mom,” Izzy admitted, tears welling up in her eyes. 

“I didn’t— I don’t— That’s not true, Isabelle.”

“ Izzy,” she corrected immediately, “Everyone calls me Izzy and I’m a combat medic in the United States Army with no plans to be a doctor. And my brother, Alec? He’s one of the best pilots the military has ever seen and he’s never going to follow in dad’s footsteps like you keep trying to force him to.”

“Is— Izzy,” Maryse whispered, shaking her head and pressing a hand over her chest. 

“Alec is getting married to a wonderful man who has an extremely talented and kind and practically perfect sister that I’m falling in love with. Magnus and Clary aren’t going anywhere,” Izzy ignored Maryse’s gasp in favor of walking to the door and holding it open, “and if you can’t accept either of those facts, you need to leave. Now.”

Without another word—like Izzy had been expecting—Maryse walked out the door, a mixture of anger and sadness in her eyes that wasn’t enough to have Izzy feeling anything but relieved by her disappearance. She shut the door and leaned back against it, sliding down until she was sitting on the ground. Her eyes were closed, but she still heard the soft click of Clary’s door opening and the gentle patter of socked feet making their way over. 

“If you’re going to ask if I’m okay, the answer is yes,” Izzy said, still not bothering to open her eyes. Her head and heart hurt a little too much to deal with the brightness of the apartment or the sympathetic look she was bound to see on Clary’s face. 

“I was going to say that you’re incredibly brave for standing up to her like that; for yourself, for Alec, for… me.” Clary slid down the wall next to Izzy before reaching over to lace their fingers together slowly, as if giving Izzy that chance to pull away. She wouldn’t have dreamed of it. 

“I guess it’s pointless to hope you didn’t hear all of that?” Izzy asked, a small humorless laugh escaping her lips. 

“It was kind of hard not to,” Clary muttered, “but I’m glad I heard what I did. I know I don’t know the entire story, but I’m really proud of you.”

“For alienating my mother even further?” Izzy leaned her head against Clary’s shoulder, reveling in the comfort it provided her. She wasn’t sure when Clary became one of the only people in the world who could calm her, but she was immensely grateful for her and the way she leaned right back. 

“No,” Clary whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Izzy’s hair, “for being as strong as you are. I’m proud of you for not relenting to her even though it’s clear you care about her and what she thinks of you—” Before Izzy could deny that, Clary shot her a glare and said quickly, “You don’t have to pretend with me, Izzy. I know you care about very few people and unfortunately, Maryse is in that group.” 

“You are, too,” Izzy said; quietly, but surely. Clary nodded and nudged Izzy’s chin up with her fingers gently. She placed a delicate kiss onto Izzy’s lips that seemed to ease every pound of stress off of her shoulders and caused her stomach to flutter with happiness. 

“I heard you… What you said,” Clary whispered, stopping Izzy with another soft kiss on her lips when Izzy tried to turn away in embarrassment. She brushed their noses together and scrunched up her face in that adorable way Izzy loved before she continued, “I wasn’t sure, you know. You spent so much of this summer dealing with me, I didn’t think that—”

“After I took you to the waterfall? My self-proclaimed favorite safe place? After that kiss? You still thought I didn’t like you?” Izzy asked, flabbergasted by how oblivious Clary was proving to be. 

Clary blushed and hid her face in Izzy’s shoulder, muttering, “I knew you at least thought I was pretty.” 

“That’s one word for it,” Izzy said with a roll of her eyes. She pulled Clary’s face away from her neck so she could look into her beautiful green eyes and make sure she really heard the sincerity in her voice. “I think you’re beautiful. I think you’re what I had been searching for my entire life, but never let myself have. I spent the entirety of this summer loving the hell out of you, unable to stop it, so,” Izzy took a deep breath in and held Clary’s hands firmer in her own, “this is me, giving in and telling you that I—”

“I love you, too!” Clary interrupted like she couldn’t wait to tell Izzy the good news. 

Clary kissed her more fervently than she had ever been kissed and crawled into her lap as if she couldn’t stand for any part of their body to not be touching, but Izzy didn’t mind. She wrapped her arms around Clary’s back and kissed her back just as passionately, threading one of her hands through Clary’s fiery hair and running her tongue along her bottom lip slowly.

Izzy wasn’t sure how long they sat there, Clary nestled in her lap while her back was still against the front door, but neither of them seemed to care. 

Until a knock resounded through the room and down Izzy’s spine that was still connected to the door. 

“Do we want to know what you’re doing down there?” Magnus’ voice teased through the door. 

“One second!” Izzy yelled, wincing as Clary stood and pulled her up with her. 

Her legs were like jelly—from Clary on her lap or from Clary on her lap , she couldn’t be sure—as she fixed her shirt that had ridden up her stomach. Clary flattened out her dark hair and Izzy couldn’t resist doing the same to the red strands that flew in every direction from Izzy’s fingers. She also couldn’t resist kissing her again, both of their giggles resounding through the apartment. 

“If you want us to come back later…” Magnus began, but Alec gagged exaggeratedly before he could finish. 

“This is still technically my apartment and I still have a key. I swear to god if you two are anything but fully clothed, I’m going to—”

“Will you relax, big brother?” Izzy teased as she slowly pulled the door open, laughing as Alec pushed his way in. 

“Your darling mother called, insisted that you were ruining the wedding, and then hung up,” Magnus explained because Alec was too busy going through all of the decorations and centerpieces before attempting to find the tuxes. 

“Did she see them? Did she take them?” Alec asked, panicked. Izzy could hear it in his tone, see it in the way he stood up soldier straight even with Magnus’ comforting hand on her shoulder. As if sensing Izzy’s own anxiety tick up, he asked, “Are you okay?” 

“Your mother is a piece of work and it’s a miracle that both of you are so damn likable,” Clary interjected, sliding her hand into Izzy’s. They ignored the way that Alec and Magnus’ eyes both darted to where they were joined. 

“She came here and was less than happy at the new plan. I’m sorry, Alec, I tried to convince her—”

“What did she say to you?” Alec asked, guilt replacing the panic. 

“It was nothing I couldn’t handle, Alec,” Izzy said, though even she had a hard time believing it. 

“She was amazing and your mother left here with her ass handed to her,” Clary chimed in, a bright smile on her face that Izzy couldn’t help but match. She blushed and that time, Magnus took notice verbally. 

“Alright, do we have to give you guys the talk?” Magnus asked. 

Clary scoffed, “I’m pretty sure neither of us are blushing virgins, bro.”

“That’s not what he meant, Fray,” Alec choked out, both Lightwoods blushing wildy at Clary’s words. 

“Oh, I know, but it was important to me that I made you both as uncomfortable as possible.” 

Izzy stopped for a moment, just admiring the way her brother swatted playfully at her… girlfriend. If that’s what they were. It must have been, really, because Izzy didn’t want her to be anything else. She watched as Magnus wrapped his manicured fingers around Alec’s bicep and pulled him away and the way Alec slumped into Magnus’ shoulder like he’d just been witness to a horrible crime. 

As per usual, her eyes found Clary. But that time, Clary was staring right back at her. 

There was a mixture of concern and awe, a hesitation in the way she bit down on her lip like she shouldn’t be smiling even though it was the only thing keeping Izzy sane. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Clary’s waist before pulling her in and placing a passionate kiss on her lips. She ignored the way their brothers gagged (Alec) and cheered (Magnus) in the distance in favor of focusing on how Clary fell into her like they were made to be wrapped around each other. 

After a few minutes, the noise stopped and as Izzy pulled away, she tried to find Alec and Magnus, worried for a moment that they had left. Instead, she saw them sitting on Clary’s bed, wrapped up in each other just as much as she and Clary had been, with velvet boxes in each of their hands. 

“I forgot to tell them we got the final wedding rings in,” Clary whispered as she rested her head on Izzy’s shoulder and wrapped an arm around her waist. Izzy tossed hers over Clary’s shoulder and leaned her head so that her lips could press against Clary’s beautifully bright hair. 

“They love each other so much, don’t they?” Izzy asked. 

She had believed it, seen it with her own two eyes before that moment, but something about the way they grew even closer each second Izzy saw them together had her believing in soulmates for the first time. 

When she glanced over to see Clary gazing at her, she believed it for the second. 

“You know,” Clary began, pressing a kiss to Izzy’s hand as she led her to the couch, giving their brothers the moment that they deserved, “Magnus was right about one thing,” she said. 

Izzy glanced over at Clary, smiling when she lifted their joined hands to her lips to place a gentle kiss on the back of Izzy’s. 

“What’s that?” Izzy asked.

“He said that the wedding could be nothing less than perfect because Alec left you in charge,” she explained. Then, after a moment, she added, “He also said that you were going to be exactly the kind of person I needed in my life.”

“And was he right about that, too?” Izzy asked, knowing her voice was more hopeful than it had ever been. 

Clary nodded and whispered, “Yeah, you’re everything.”