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angelofsmalldeathandthecodeine · 5 years

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Now that's what I call a disappearing act : P.P (Part 2)

Summary: Y/N is the beloved, and only niece of Pepper Potts. However, when it is discovered that she has presumably inherited abilities from her unknown father, things get a little trickier in her day to day life.

{if you f you haven't read Part 1 then you can click here to read it}

Warnings: a whole lot of dialogue!, indicates a slightly friskier side

Word count: 2.1k

A/N: I’m so happy with how much support part 1 got, really wasn't expecting it so thank you - Part 2 took me a long time to write because I had an idea, wasn’t too happy because I wanted to develop on the readers relationship with Peter rather than her powers this time and instead rewrote it - so anyways I hope everyone enjoys reading! :)

A sleepy groan was released from your lips upon being woken up to the harsh knock of the front door. Wiping your eyes and stretching you turned to see your alarm clock read 7:00 AM.

“what the hell” you let out to yourself, still half asleep. You had almost forgot about the events of yesterday. Almost.

You ignored the knocking at the door presuming Tony or Pepper would get it, and so instead decided to check your phone. Just as you thought, it was still blowing up with unwanted texts attempting to find out the hot gossip, albeit some were genuinely interested how you were. Thank god it was the weekend, is all you could think to yourself.

Just as you began to drift off again the knocking only intensified, both in sound and pace causing you to groan a little louder this time in hopes someone would pick up on your irritation.

“I guess ILL GET THE DOOR THEN” your voice echoed throughout the apartment with a sarcastic ring to it.

“Good morning Miss Y/L/N” F.R.I.D.A.Y. routinely welcomed you.

“Mornin’ Friday, where is everyone?” curiously you asked, rubbing your eyes and scratching your head on your way to the door.

“Mr Stark and Miss Potts are at a press conference this morning” you yawned at the thought.

“Jesus, a little early isn’t it-“you were interrupted by F.R.I.D.A.Y. continuing her message “in Europe”.

‘Thanks a bunch for telling me guys’ you muttered under your breath whilst approaching the uninviting knocking of the door. Being such a stress ball mixed with sleepiness you forgot to check the system to see who was at the door and instead just opened it.

“Peter!” shocked to see his face, you were instantly woken up as if you had just been splashed in the face by a hot cup of coffee.

What the hell is Peter Parker doing outside of your apartment?

“How do you know where I live?” there were some subtle attempts to fix your hair upon realisation of being stood inches away from the boy you had the biggest crush on.

“I-um I didn’t know, I didn’t know you lived here actually” Peter said with a puzzled look on his face, then instantly looking at the floor attempting to avoid any kind of eye contact. The comment for some reason got to you, of course Peter isn’t here for you.

Groaning internally, you unintentionally rolled your eyes at your own assumptions.

“right…” you began “and so… what are you doing here then” you said a little harsher than perhaps anticipated. Why were you annoyed? You had no right to be, yet it was a feeling you were struggling to shrug off.

“I’m umm… I’m doing the Stark internship… yeah, I’m the new Stark Intern, it’s my first day” you raised your eyebrow suspiciously. Neither Tony nor Pepper had told you about an internship, but then again, they hadn’t told you about the European press conference this morning either, huh.

You decided to shrug it off Peters ‘excuse’ much like your own feelings, yet suspicions continued in the back of your mind.

“sooo…” Peter began to swing his arms back and forth beside his body “Is Mr. Stark home? He told me to meet him here, at 7 o clock…”

“uh, no, he’s at a press conference” you informed Peter, with a streak of frustration still running throughout your tone. Even your goddamn uncle was getting more attention from Peter Parker than you were.

You began to open the door a little wider, stepping behind it to make room for Peter to walk through.

“its fine, I can wait outsi-“

“In Europe” you lifted your eyebrow and smirked, feeling as though you had just successfully won an argument. It was also intriguing you further, Peters reluctance to step into the apartment. Was it because he had something to hide?

…or maybe he just didn’t like you – you shuddered at the thought.

Peter awkwardly walked into the apartment, gasping whilst he looked around and analysed the immensity of the place. “Good morning Peter” the room was filled by F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice just as Peter took a seat on the edge of the sofa.

You raised your eyebrow for a second time, “first day huh?” you mocked whilst leaning against the kitchen counter to face peter, simultaneously chomping down on a piece of toast prepared by F.R.I.D.A.Y.

Peter’s awkwardness shone through in his attempts to explain, and so you tried not to pressure him any further by dropping the matter, leading to a wave of silence filling the room temporarily.

“what’s the deal with Mr Stark and you?” Peter asked, a little cautiously in return. You analysed him with a strange expression, attempting to figure out what he was getting at and then it clicked.

“Ew no! Gross! I mean, not that gross but, I mean he’s an okay looking guy but, he’s old, way old, but then again so is Cap, and Thor and I mean they are HUNKS…” you trailed off, lost on your own train of thought.

Snapping back, you realised that the attempts to explain yourself clearly weren’t working “what I’m trying to say is that, he’s technically my uncle now”.

“Pepper Potts is my aunt”

Peter seemed to sigh in relief which left you a little confused. You decided to take a plunge by sitting down next to him, you were after all in the comfort of your own home.

‘Keep cool Y/N, just keep cool’ was what kept repeating in your mind. You shifted closer to Peter, beginning to feel more at ease through his welcoming presence.

Peter lifted his head to look at you “That’s pretty cool, I live with my aunt too” he assured you with a soft smile.

This time you both began to shift closer to each other, so much so that you were face to face, inches away from Peter’s lips.

Your relationship with Peter Parker was a tricky one. You had been friends for a long time, and that was the problem, you were just friends. Not only that, but it was the type of friend who you only spoke to in a group, not one you shared your intricacies with and so there was still a lot of learning you both had to do about each other.

“I uh- I was worried about you” mumbled Peter, with his deep hazel eyes staring into yours “I’d hate it if you were hurt or uh you know, if something happened”

He seemed so genuine, did Peter like you too? You had spent a lot of time together recently, but you thought Peter saw you as a friend, like Ned.

You felt your eyes flutter in attempts to shut them, whilst your mouth hung slightly open anticipating Peters movements.

Suddenly you felt Peters hand softly grasp your arm, whilst the other brushed your hair away from your face and shoulder.

You to put yours on his leg to give you support, eyes still closed.

The warmth of his breath was welcoming, causing you to lean in slightly to make up for the last bit of distance between you.

“Holy fu-“ Peter jumped out of his skin, as did you to the tune of ‘Yeah!’ by Usher.

“Incoming Call from: Tony Stark” F.R.I.D.A.Y. announced, immediately you and Peter shuffled away from each other, acting like nothing had happened.

You rolled your eyes, typical Tony.

A full-bodied Tony appeared in front of you, projected in the form of one of his cleverly manufactured simulations.

“Hey kid, do you like that song? I don’t know I was thinking maybe something a bit bigger suited me better” Tony rambled whilst looked towards you before noticing an astonished looking Peter Parker.

“Holy cow Mr. Stark, that’s some cool tech” Peter focused on the simulation in amazement, and you rolled your eyes for what must have been the one hundredth time.

“Oh good, Underoos you’re here too” you burst out laughing “underoos?”.

Peter nervously laughed “ignore him”.

“I am too good” Tony complimented himself, something he did often “killing two birds with one stone, anyway… kid me and your aunt aren’t gonna be back until Sunday night so make sure you take care of yourself, hear that Friday?”.

“Yes Mr. Stark” F.R.I.D.A.Y. immediately replied.

“And kid, I mean other kid, underoos – you’ve got the day off, so uh, go home and do some homework or something”

“ugh Mr. Stark come on! Really?” Peter groaned out of frustration. Was a Stark internship really that important to him?

“a-a-a- zip it” Tony bluntly stopped Peter in his tracks. The mass of people talking in the background of the call was all you could focus on, and it seemed to be distracting Tony too.

He looked behind him before leaving with a “anyway I gotta go, see you soon, stay safe”

“Thanks” you and Peter replied simultaneously, giving each other a strange look.

Upon reflection of the phone call you began to get a little riled up, peter had just lied to you, just like that. The way him and Tony interacted with one another made it obvious that this was most definitely not Peters first day.

Peter grabbed his bag and began to walk out of the apartment. Avoiding eye contact you did the same, walking towards your bedroom without saying goodbye to Peter.

“Hey Y/N” Peter called, stopping you in your tracks “I guess I have the day off now right? W-wanna hang out?”

You couldn’t help but let out a smile, you wanted to jump up and down and scream but you remained composed.

“i-i-if you’re free that is” you had absolutely nothing to do.

“whatever yeah sounds cool” you nonchalantly leant against the wall to face Peter “let me get changed”.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

You and Peter had decided to take a stroll around the city, talking, grabbing a bite to eat… you couldn’t believe how at ease you felt around him considering the huge growing crush you had festering inside of you.

The common ground you both shared was unbelievable, you couldn’t believe you and Peter hadn’t spent more time together in previous years – or rather why it took the common denominator of Tony to bring you two closer.

“Peter, I need to ask you” you began, remembering the events that had occurred this morning “today wasn’t your first day was it? As Tony’s intern?”.

You knew it was a bold question, however you hated the feeling of being lied to by someone that was supposed to be your friend, especially after how much your feelings were building for Peter.

“uh- I – uh” Peter attempted to think of an excuse upon being put on the spot, then let out a sigh “you’re right, I shouldn’t have lied to you, I’ve been Mr. Stark’s intern for a while now, I’d say a month”

A MONTH!! Jesus Tony had hidden that one well.

“but I’m just his intern, just his boring intern” Peter rubbed the back of his neck and attempted to assure you, and quite frankly it did. What reason would he have to lie to you? You wanted to put your trust in Peter to build your relationship.

“Thank you, Peter…for telling the truth” you replied, slipping your hand into his as you walked along the sidewalk of the city, causing Peter’s breathing to increase

You began to feel much more at ease again, however Peter seemed to be the complete opposite.

“Peter, a-are you okay? Goosebumps shot up his hand and arm as he turned behind him to look into the distance

“Peter!”

“I’m so sorry Y/N… I, I gotta go” Peter said hurriedly.

“What? Uh sure but why?” you tried to play off your feelings of embarrassment and frustration in a low tone, but you weren’t sure it worked.

Peter detached his hand from yours and began to run in the opposite direction.

A faint “I’m sorry” was all you heard in the distance, and just like that you were stood in the middle of New York on your own.

Your phone buzzed in your jean pocket, only for you to open a breaking news notification.

It read: URGENT NEWS! Citizens of New York are being advised to stay indoors due to a technical glitch affecting the City’s electricity output. Nobody is certain of the causes for this glitch, they will be announced when investigated further.

You rolled your eyes at the message. If there was one thing you weren’t, it was stupid, and nothing got past you.

You began to feel your body heat up fuelled from the anger and embarrassment, the same feeling from yesterday. Looking down at your hands you saw nothing but the pavement.

You began to take your clothes off attempting to make yourself as transparent as possible, looking around in the process to be certain you were alone in doing so.

Tony and Pepper’s words rang through your head “’take care of yourself’, you chose to shrug them off.

“I’m just his intern, just his boring intern” you began to mockingly mimic Peters words, which fuelled your anger further.

‘Let’s find out how much of an intern you actually are’.

Tags: @editsbyjenny @shirukitsune @clara-licht @ifangirlninja (If you want to be tagged for future chapters just ask!)

#peter parker #peter parker fic #peter parker fluff #peter parker x reader #spiderman #spider man #marvel mcu #mcu imagine #spiderman x reader #spiderman fluff #imagine #invisible #marvel fanfiction #pepper potts

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shewhowantsmouseears · 7 years

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Love Like Lava 18

Notes: As always, thanks to my fantastic editors Drucilla and Blueshifted! They worked extra hard on this last batch, so give 'em some praise.

While many things changed about this story once it came into development, the climax never did, as it was something I had envisioned for years and I'm glad it's finally out there. But hang on, it's not QUITE done yet - don't forget to read the epilogue!

Summary: As Goofy takes to the track, Minnie is forced to choose between her love for mortals and her love for Mickey. Were they only born to suffer in sadness? Or can they both find their purpose and take control of their destinies?

Goofy thought he'd be far more nervous than he actually was when the big day arrived, but perhaps knowing he was going to be nervous made him less anxious about the whole thing. Yesterday Gyro had been struck by inspiration and had vanished from sight in order to work on something. Since then, Goofy and Agalma hadn't seen him and now it was mere minutes before Goofy would be called to join the others out in the arena. At the moment, he was brushing Little Helper's mane, figuring that his partner should look his best. Agalma was putting a last minute paint job on the cart, mostly as an excuse to practice writing. It was rather impressive that she spelled “Pygmalion” right on the first try, and she was so proud of this feat that now she was writing it all over the cart.

As she was going for Pygmalion #5, Goofy glanced over at her and spoke gently. “Say, Agalma?”

She paused and looked over, the “Py” trailing downward. “Yes, Goofy?”

“You remember why I agreed to the race in the first place?”

She nodded. “We need the money, because of me.”

“Yeah, but...” He hesitated for half a moment, thumbing the brush. “I was thinkin' – well, wonderin', if you'd be all right with it... Maybe we use it in a different way. After we split our fair shares with Gyro and all.”

Intrigued, Agalma stood up tall, not caring that the paint brush was dripping black on her white robes. “What do you mean?”

Goofy gulped – funny, saying this was making him more shaky than the dangerous race that was to come – and spoke as slowly as he could, not wanting his dialect to ruin what he was about to say. “See, uh, I was thinkin' long and hard about this, about my life and yours. I never wanted to leave my home town, 'cause it was like leaving Millie behind... and for you, there's still so much of the world you don't even know about. But maybe things shouldn't stay that way. Maybe... if I saw more of the world, I could make even better statues, and be a better fella. And you could... you could find out more about what you like, and what you don't like, and everything else you can be.” Ignoring the skittish trembling going through his body, he held up Agalma's hand, getting paint on his gloves. “And I'd really like to see the kind of person you are. I want to know more about you, Agalma...” He began to lift his eyes to meet hers. “...If that's okay with you.”

Agalma couldn't understand why Goofy was looking like he was going to fall apart at the seams. Everything he said sounded wonderful. She rested her own cheek in her hand, curious. “You know, I'm starting to think I don't know everything about you either, Goofy. Maybe I can learn more about you too.”

Goofy's eyes widened, and he clicked his heels together in delight. “You mean it? You really wanna travel the world with me? All over and back around? You and me?”

“Yes, I think I'd like that very much.” Agala smiled warmly, shaking Goofy's hand up and down to emphasize her agreement. “There's a lot of things we can both learn for the first time! I can feel smart, you can feel smart, and we can make each other happy.” What lay ahead out in the world out there? Those mystical things called oceans? Those magical places called forests? New languages, new clothes, new experiences, and new sides of herself to discover. Who wouldn't want to take that chance? And with Goofy at her side, she'd have every question answered. He'd keep her safe, he'd keep her fed, and he'd keep her happy. It wouldn't even be difficult, because when he was happy, so was she. Yet any further daydreams were put on hold as she understood that none of this was a guarantee. “Oh,” she said, troubled. “But if you don't win the race, does that mean we can't do it?”

It was a very real possibility, and Goofy almost answered her that yes, there was a good chance this dream would stay a fantasy. But as he looked at their hands, fingers intertwined and warm, an unusual feeling was coursing through his body, one that he was so unfamiliar with that it almost scared him. He was confident in himself. “I will win,” he said in a near whisper, but when he said it again, it was loud and hard. “I'm gunna win! I am absolutely, positively, definitely gunna win!” He pulled in Agalma's hand, surprising her with his strength. “I am, I am, I am! Little Helper and me, we'll do whatever it takes! And with all of our friends watching me, there's no way I can lose! With Minnie, Daisy, Mickey, Donald, Gyro, and... and... and you... with you watching me-” A gulp before continuing, yet never faltering. “With you watching me, I know I'll win!”

Normally Agalma would've asked how her watching him affected the race in any way, but the sincerity of his words, the intensity of his gaze, and the tight squeeze of his hand was making her body react in a truly bizarre way. He'd never looked at her that way, never spoke of her this way – he'd never been so courageous. Heat flooded her cheeks, and Agalma lost her breath. For once, it was her that stumbled for proper words. “G...G..Goofy, I th-think there's something wrong with me!”

“Huh?” His bravado faltered, replaced with intense concern. “W-whaddya mean, what is it?”

“Something's going on with my heart!” Agalma exclaimed with worry, grabbing Goofy's hand and pushing it into her chest – so he could feel her rapid heartbeat - she'd ask at a later time why this made him go redder than an apple. “It's never gone that fast before! What does that mean? Is it bad?”

“Uh,” Goofy said, unable to offer any better explanation. “Uhhh.”

“SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME I MADE IT IN TIME!” a familiar voice shouted nearby, heading right towards the blushing buffoons. Gyro was carrying a large, full sack on his shoulder, and judging from how out of breath he was, he'd been running to find Goofy as fast as possible. That or he was out of shape. Both were plausible. “Oh, Goofy, thank goodness! I was so worried I'd miss you, and just when I finished my inventions! You...” he trailed off, only now noticing where Goofy's hand was on Agalma's body. He glanced at both dogs back and forth. “...Did I interrupt something?”

Goofy jumped a foot, whipping his hand back, and haphazardly struggled for a proper explanation of what Gyro ran into, although not even the best linguist could have understood him through all the stuttering and stammering. Agalma continuously rubbed her chest, still confused as to why Goofy had made her heart flutter. Gyro decided it was best he not inquire. “Oookay! Anyway, Goofy! The other day, when you pointed out my possible design for an underwater helmet, I knew what to do! All this time I've been thinking of how to improve the chariot, but never how to help you, Goofy, my friend!” He plopped the sack on the floor and began to dig through it. “Since you're my friend, and you're going up against notorious cheaters, I want to keep you safe! So I came up with these safety shields!”

First was a helmet, but not the glorified plated version a soldier wore into battle. This one was circular, better fitted for Goofy's dome, with a strap under the chin to keep it in place. Then came pads to stuff under Goofy's robes right on top of his shoulders, comfortable but also firm, though they did make him look slightly silly. Finally there were soft pads stuffed with cloth, made to cover Goofy's elbows and knees. Once everything had been placed on, Gyro slapped his hands together, pleased that it had all fit to a T. “There! With all of these, you should be as safe as a babe in their mother's womb!”

Goofy moved his arms around, feeling odd under the additional cloth and pads, but not entirely chafed. He wasn't sure how it was going to keep him safe, but if Gyro said it would, then it had to be true. Goofy nodded once, and then offered a hand to his friend. “Thanks a whole bunch, Gyro.”

Gyro smiled, and shook Goofy's hand, beaming with delight. “I know you can do this, Goofy! You're a good man, the best kind of man! And no matter what the Beagles pull, you're going to do your best! We'll be cheering for you every step of the way! Right, Agalma?”

She had no time to agree, for the loud sound of drums began to beat their way inside the halls. “That's the startin' signal!” Goofy announced, and then rushed to climb into the cart. “Time for me to go! I'll see you both after the... No, after I win this race! Heigh-ho, Little Helper!” With a crack of the reins, Little Helper, whinnied in victory, galloping ahead into the open sunlight. Yes, he was going to win! He had to win! There was a new future to grasp – one without nights of tears and agonizing loneliness. Goofy needed to take this chance, and he wouldn't take it alone. He had friends who loved him for who he was, and if such fantastic people believed in him, then surely he was worth something! Goofy was going to make them all proud – and make himself proud too.

Agalma exhaled all the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. “He's...really amazing.” Her voice was the quietest she'd ever used. Gyro didn't even know she was capable of sounding so soft.

Holding back an amused laugh, Gyro grabbed Agalma by the hand. “Yes, he is! So let's grab our seats before he shows off how amazing he is!”

Within the arena, the racers began to assemble at the starting line. To Goofy's surprise, Bouncer hadn't scared off every single participant. Three others had managed to join the line – a red rooster who was already kicking his feet in eager anticipation, a green parrot that was blowing kisses to pretty girls in the stadium, and a tired black horse who was warily eyeing the competition. The trio watched Goofy ride in, all of them with baffled expressions in response to Goofy's strange attire. Goofy waved to them in a friendly air, wanting to wish respect unto his opponents, and they waved back – then winced as Bouncer rode up, his gray steed huffing and snorting in every direction. Right away, he let his opinion on Gyro's safety devices be known. “HAHAHAHAHAHA! What kind of stupid get up are you in, goof? Did you finally decide to dress as dumb as you are?”

Goofy knew that no response would satisfy Bouncer or make him shut up, so he opted not to. Instead he gripped the reins, eyes staring right ahead. Bouncer wasn't used to being ignored, so he spat a wad of leftover breakfast at Goofy's cart. “I'm talkin' to you, piggy!”

“I ain't here to talk.” Goofy wouldn't turn towards Bouncer, and even had the audacity to grin. “I'm here to win.”

The rooster and parrot noisily enjoyed the comeback, high-fiving each other and hooting, while the horse saluted in pride. Bouncer growled, kicking a small box in his cart – Bombshell Beagle's tricks. “I'm going to enjoy knocking out all of those teeth, goof. Not only am I going to win, but I'll make you wish you were never born!” He would make Goofy fear him again, and get back on top of the food chain. Then maybe Ma would shut up and things could go back to normal. If he lost – which was impossible – she'd make life miserable for him. Or... more miserable? Was any part of his life legitimately enjoyable right now?

The drums began to beat again, and once they stopped, the race would begin. Ten laps, five racers, one victor. Goofy cautiously looked to the crowd, but he was too far away to focus on any faces in particular. But he knew his friends were watching. At least he thought they were – he had no knowledge of a crisis that four of them were going through.

Goofy inhaled deeply through his nostrils, and held his head high. Before he would leave on his journey around the world, he would finish that stone peach for Minnie. For her, he'd win. For Minnie, Daisy, Mickey, Donald, Gyro, Agalma, the villagers at home, Millie, for everyone he'd known - and most importantly, he'd win for himself. The drums began to slow down.

“Here... we... GO!”

~*~

Donald had never been a good liar, nor did he like lying for any long amount of time. If everything that had happened taught him anything, it was that even well-meaning lies had their cost. So when he returned to the Underworld and told Daisy what he'd actually been doing the day before, Daisy threw everything she could lift at him, including a startled Cerberus, and demanded that she and Minnie go to the island with him. Minnie had retreated back to the Underworld after her encounter with Pete, and after a day full of additional self-loathing and internally struggling with the knowledge she held, she had finally told both of her companions what had happened – including the fact that she could create life. Donald had lost his footing, found it, then lost it again when he remembered the prophecy the Fates had told him, with Magica's dark voice ringing in his ears.

In the near future, a great and bloody war will overtake the mortals! Thousands will perish, and the war will be endless! The Underworld will be flooded with the souls of the innocent! The will of Ares will bring about an end to mankind as we know it!

But there was no way it would come true. It couldn't. Minnie would never do such a terrible thing, and it would be more terrible to tell her about the prophecy. It was only then Donald relented, saying they would go to warn Mickey in case Pete was going to try anything. Warn him, but that was all, and then they'd leave. Maybe they'd even go watch the race, not that any of them were in a particular mood to cheer.

As they walked on the beach, Donald kept his eyes out for any wandering mermaids and was relieved to see none. Minnie kept her eyes down, holding onto Daisy's hand. She wanted to apologize to Mickey, but she also wasn't sure if she could handle another dagger of harsh words to her heart, even if they were deserved. Or, worse, what if he forgave her only because of some mystic power she had over all souls? Truth be told, all three of them were tense, but not a word was exchanged.

Not until they approached the cave's entrance, and Minnie suddenly lifted her head. “Something's wrong...”

Daisy turned around, confused. “Moreso than everything already is?”

“No, listen!” Minnie let go of Daisy's hand to walk up ahead, entering the cave. “Both of you, listen!”

Donald and Daisy put hands to their ears to try and hear anything, but Donald shrugged. “I don't hear anything.”

“That's just it!” Minnie shrieked, panic flooding her chest. “The Axelias – they're always hard at work! We should be hearing them chisel and dig! Why aren't they working?” She then fled deep into the cave, running as fast as she could, crying out her lost lover's name. “Mickey! Mickey! Mickeeeyyy!”

Donald and Daisy became equally frightened, chasing after Minnie in the darkness of the cave. The torches were dying without anyone attending to them, but the brightness of the forge still managed to lead the way. There they saw all the Axelias, lost in their confusion and grief, uselessly chanting their master's name over and over again. “Mickey-Mickey-Mickey.”

Daisy screamed as she saw the Axelia with the smashed back, and the other with the ripped arm, only stopping as she covered her beak with her hands. Minnie gasped for air as she saw the destruction before her, trembling as she picked up her tiara with the broken shells. Donald shook from head to toe before grabbing the nearest Axelia and shaking her back and forth. “Where is he? Where is my nephew?!”

“Mickey-Mickey-Mickey,” was all they would say, no matter how loudly Donald yelled in their faces.

“M-Maybe we can ask the mermaids, the nereids...” Daisy struggled for ideas, looking around for anything that could be a clue, but her hysteria couldn't be ignored. “Oh, what's going on?! There's no way Mickey would do this to his servants!”

Minnie held the tiara close to her chest, tears flooding her eyes. She had no words for this gruesome imagery. Whatever had happened, she couldn't fight the sensation that it was her fault – like all these tragedies had been. It was all her fault. The Axelias were hurt because of her. Mickey was in danger because of her. It was her fault, her fault, her fault, her fault, why had she even been born -

“THERE you are!” A new voice came from atop the workshop anvil – Minnie hadn't seen Fethry, also known as the messenger god Hermes, in so long she almost didn't recognize him. He wiped his brow, exhausted from an extensive search. “I've been looking all over the globe for you, little miss! Ares needs you to come to Mount Olympus, prompt-o!”

“Fethry!” Daisy snapped, grabbing his arm and yanking him down. “This is neither the time nor the place to indulge whatever ridiculous temper tantrum Pete is throwing!”

“B-But miss boss lady!” Fethry stumbled, trying to regain his footing, as his feathered feet were almost always floating. “She really needs to come right now!”

Minnie turned her back towards Fethry, head low again, tears streaming down her face. “I don't care what Pete says...I never want to see him again! I never want to return to that awful place!” If she could actually have a choice in how things in her life would turn out, those two were high on the list. Couldn't she at least have that freedom? Or was she no longer deserving of such things?

“You don't understand!” Fethry was pleading now, wildly pointing to high in the sky. “Ares – he's gone bonkers, nuts, off the deep end! He – he said if you don't come up there and do what he says, he's going to kill Hephaestus!”

That was the only way to make the Axelias stop talking, as they all lifted their heads in silence. Daisy's jaw dropped, Donald grabbed Fethry to make him repeat it, but Minnie had heard enough. She vanished in seconds, and in turn so did the birds.

It had only been mere minutes ago that Pete had revealed his captive, having privately used the mouse as a punching bag to vent out his frustrations before getting ready to start the show. Now on Mount Olympus, Mickey was on full display, bruises and all, tied firmly to a pillar. Mickey pulled and struggled, but to his humiliation, even though he was strong from working in his forge, these ordinary ropes were more than enough to keep him captive. Both arms and legs were held back, and extra layers of rope had been strewn over him just in case. It was crushing his lungs, and the rope was scratching his skin raw. Of course even if he had found some way to free himself, that would do little good as his kidnapper was standing right next to him with the sword Mickey made right to his neck. What a fine way to learn about irony.

Once Hera had laid eyes on the familiar reject, she stood up, knocking her goblet over and spilling its contents out on the floor. “ARES! What are you THINKING? I DEMAND an explanation for THIS...” She couldn't even finish the sentence, not wanting to acknowledge that the helpless boy being presented as some kind of victory trophy had come from her body. Zeus was squinting, trying to recall where he'd seen this familiar scrawny being. Mickey flinched at Hera's harsh tone, not wanting to look at her.

“Aw, pipe down!” Pete was so far gone in his pride and anger that neither ruler could put a dent in his mood. “This ain't got nothin' to do with you! This is between me, the runt, and Aphrodite!”

Hera was close to raising a fist to begin her wrath - and yet did not. Her eyes stayed on Mickey for an uncomfortably long amount of time, staring at his bruises that didn't heal right away, for he'd never taken a taste of ambrosia. He, the eternal mistake, the reminder of the perfect family life she'd never have – he could vanish and be out of Hera's life as long as Pete continued his arrogance. She slowly began to sit back down, picking up the goblet while her hands trembled. It wouldn't be her fault. Nothing had ever been her fault. “If this is the FAULT of Aphrodite...then she SHOULD be punished for her DEEDS. Correct, my HUSBAND?” She drank before he could answer. Surely she'd find the right amount of drink to make her body stop shaking. She wasn't doing anything wrong. She never had.

As for Zeus, he'd only just now recalled what, or who, the boy was, who was hanging his head low as Hera's reaction hadn't surprised him at all. Now that he was being questioned, he jerked. “Of course, my wife!” He had his own trembles to hide – a god, being injured? Being killed? That was impossible! And if it was impossible, then he didn't need to do anything, and risk his own life, risk his own rule. If he couldn't punish Pete, then everyone would see that Zeus was no ruler – and surely one life wasn't as important as that! “We can't step in every time they make a mistake, or they'll never learn!” It sounded good to him, and he convinced himself nothing would happen. It couldn't, not under his glorious rule.

Various viewing mirrors were held up, with gods, goddesses and demi-gods slowly beginning to see the state of affairs but far too afraid to watch in person. Every so often one would pop up in the flesh, mostly to see if this was actually happening – such as the case of Gladstone and Mortimer, who, unlike their rulers, weren't content to let guilt take a cozy permanent residence in the back of their minds.

“Ares, this is too far!” That was Mortimer, not daring to take a step forward, his voice becoming more shrill with every word. “Are you nuts? He's one of us, he's a god!” If Ares was willing to go this far after Mickey and Minnie, what did it say about the fates of all the other immortals?

“Yeah, we had no problem when this was just mortals!” Gladstone added, pondering if his good luck could possibly extend to anyone outside of himself. “But this is insane! You can't really be thinking-”

“MICKEY!” The little crowd of onlookers was bowled and pushed over as the goddess of love barreled her way forward, followed by Donald, Daisy, and Fethry, the last of which hovered among the small audience. When Minnie saw the state Mickey was in, she screeched his name again, only stopping when Pete drew the sword closer to Mickey's throat.

“Ah-ah-ah, Aphrodite!” Pete sneered, taking pleasure that the woman who had dared scorn him was now horrified beyond belief. “Another step closer, and your hubby here becomes headless! He's the only one of us who's never drunk any ambrosia, so once he's hurt, he's hurt for good!”

“UNHAND MY NEPHEW THIS INSTANT!” Donald bellowed, immediately transforming into his monstrous smoky form, causing the crowd to gasp and cower in terror. He was at his most hideous now, filled with righteous anger and bloodlust, towering high above Pete with claws of shadows stabbing the air. “I'LL RIP YOU APART BONE BY BONE!”

But Pete showed no fear, continuing to smirk, waving the sword up and down a few inches. “So what's more important, Hades? You gettin' your revenge, or the life of everyone's favorite reject? Hey, you could win either way, since you'll see him in the Underworld after I'm done with him!” He laughed hard, a hand on his belly as he shook with merriment. Donald hissed and snarled, but retreated back into his normal form with a clear face of defeat. Daisy took his arm for comfort, glaring hotly at Pete.

“Don't hurt him,” Minnie begged, tears flooding down her face, unable to even see Pete for her vision could only contain Mickey, who was shutting his own eyes in humiliation. “Please don't hurt him! He's never done anything to you, he's never done anything to anyone! Please let him go!” If she had to beg on her hands and knees to earn his freedom, lick Pete's shoes clean, whatever it took to have Mickey unharmed, she would do so without hesitation. Except for what Pete actually wanted, as it turned out.

Pete clicked his tongue, pleased that things were finally going his way. “I'll let him go...eventually. First, you get to help him out! You're going to bring my statues to life, and start my forever war!” With his free hand, he gestured to the remaining hideous statues that waited for a purpose, with Gladstone and Mortimer feeling worse about it every passing second. “You're going to breathe life into every single last one, and the next ones I make, over and over and over and OVER, and maybe then I'll feel like letting the runt go.”

Startled and confused murmurs flew among the gods – was he serious? Did Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, truly have such a talent? Zeus began to sweat heavily, even more so when Daisy began to yell in his direction. “Do something!” she roared at him, fingers digging into Donald's arm. “He's going to commit genocide, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!”

Zeus swallowed, running his fingers through his lofty beard. He was well aware of Pete's blasé attitude towards physical punishment, and that it wouldn't help. But Zeus had spent so many years chasing women and not doing any real work since he fought his father centuries ago that his creativity muscles were dead. Maybe he could find a way to keep his rule without showing how little it meant in reality. “Persephone...of course I will not allow the destruction of our mortals. They are our valued allies and servants. So, I shall make a decree!” He cleared his throat, yet still refused to leave his seat. “For the greater good, we cannot place one life above millions. We shall let it pass.”

“P...Pass?” Donald repeated, his voice dry with shock. “Are you saying... we should just let Mickey die?!” How was this happening? How had the strong, prideful gods that once liberated the mortal plane become so cowardly and despicable? Or had they always been this way, and Donald had been oblivious to this darker side due to his life in the Underworld? “You can't be serious! That is your son being held hostage!”

“Zeus has made a DECREE,” Hera said, although her eyes were not on Donald, but on Mickey, who was slowly beginning to open his eyes. “BLOOD has no value. If there is to be BLAME, then lay it upon APHRODITE, for making a FOOLISH choice for a HUSBAND.” A fresh goblet was in her hand, but she didn't drink it. For some reason it and the last two she'd been drinking hadn't made the trembling stop. Her problems would be gone soon, and then she'd feel better.

“I'm blaming you!” Daisy spat, having to be restrained by Donald so she wouldn't try to claw Hera's eyes out. “You monster, you wretch, you're all evil, you hear me? ALL OF YOU! Standing around and pushing problems onto everyone else! I won't let you do this!” No one dared respond to her, uncomfortable eyes searching for better places, yet even then they would not move. Let it be someone's danger, someone else's blame.

Minnie was on her knees, holding her beloved tiara to her chest, unable to speak or think. Mickey or the mortals. What kind of choice was that? She stared at Mickey, Mickey whom she adored and treasured above all. Whatever her powers did to others, she knew the agony in her heart was real, that she wanted him to be happy and safe even if it meant she couldn't be a part of it. But she loved the mortals too, the amazing people who could find love and strength with their own two hands and by their own choices. Both of them helped her find her place in the world, gave her ideas and confidence and the courage to pursue them. If not for one, she would not have the other. Now, because both were innocent and precious to her, they would suffer for eternity. All because one man didn't get what he wanted.

One of the remaining seashells from the tiara shattered. A light tremor began to rumble in the floor.

~*~

Bouncer didn't start his trickery and treachery until the first lap had been finished, as he wanted to let Goofy feel a smidgen of victory. That way, it would be all the sweeter when he failed. Once he was close enough, he grabbed the first device from Bombshell's box of goodies. This was a fistful of seemingly ordinary little black balls, but in truth they were filled with an explosive powder that would burst upon impact. He grinned, and then lobbed them as hard as he could. “Bombs away, goof!”

Goofy didn't hear him, focusing intently on the race and guiding his horse. It didn't even matter, because the diminutive explosives hit his helmet – and when they blew, he didn't feel a thing, save for maybe a tickle on his scalp. Bouncer stared in disbelief, letting his horse slow down and the parrot gain a few feet. “Why...that stupid Bombshell, he's good for nothing!” Despite saying so, he grabbed for the next trick – a prototype Bombshell called a “firecracker”, which lit when Bouncer roughly scraped it against his chariot.

In the stadium, Gyro was loudly cheering for Goofy's victory, unaware that Burger and Bombshell were sitting nearby. Their directions were clear – if Goofy gained too good a lead, then they'd grab the friends and make it clear that Goofy's win would be a big loss. As Gyro clapped cheerfully when Goofy cleared lap number two, he realized Agalma wasn't cheering as well. “Is something wrong, Agalma? Don't you want Goofy to win?”

“Of course I do,” Agalma replied. “And he will, he said he would, so he will. So I was thinking about something else.”

Gyro smiled, amused by Agalma's sincerely strong faith. “Well, you know me, I can answer almost any question in the world. If there's something on your mind, let me clear it, so we can cheer on Goofy!”

As usual, Agalma's questions came out of left field, right field, and all fields in any directions. “You said you wanted to explore underwater volcanoes, but that doesn't make any sense to me. How can a volcano be underwater? Water puts out anything hot, so how can anything hot survive underwater?”

Funny enough, that was such an odd line of questioning that it stopped Burger and Bombshell's planned assault right in its tracks. What in the world was she talking about? Gyro by now was used to her out of nowhere curiosities, so he didn't mind indulging her. He pulled out the blueprints and plans that he showed his friends before, pointing out lines in the earth and sea. “Well, Agalma, you see it's not just heat that makes a volcano. The biggest cause is pressure.”

~*~

“Make all the decrees you want,” Pete laughed again, feeling more powerful than he ever had in centuries. “We all know Aphrodite would never let me do it! She'll do exactly what she's told, and be a good girl forever.” He then pinched Mickey's cheek, squeezing it hard between his fingers. “Awww, ain't it sweet how much she likes you? Even cripples can find love! You should be thanking me for proving it to-”

Everyone expected to see blood flow, but no one expected it would be Pete's. Mickey had suddenly chomped down so hard on Pete's hand that blood trailed down his fingers, causing Pete to howl in pain. He punched Mickey hard across the face, but only after three more hits did Mickey finally let go, wearing the new bruises like medals of honor. Pete looked at his wounded hand as if he'd never seen it before, and then grabbed Mickey by the throat, barking so hard that spit flew. “I'll kill you right here and now if you don't start behavin'!”

“Then do it!” Mickey shouted right back, slamming his head into Pete's forehead, making him temporarily reel. “I won't be your pawn! I won't let you use me to hurt the mortals and to hurt Minnie!” Whatever confusing feelings remained, Mickey was sure of his own worth, and he would not allow himself to be used as a tool for pain and destruction. “I don't care what Zeus says, and I don't care what you say! I am Hephaestus – I am Mickey, god of the mortal plane, and I would gladly give my life to see them live!” Minnie hadn't caused Mickey to respect and admire the mortals – no, they'd done that all their own, with their fantastic inventions and growing minds. The world was a beautiful and changing place, and he would not allow it to be stopped and filled with misery. There was so much they could accomplish, and they deserved better than to be ruled by greed. And just as importantly...

He breathed hard as he saw Minnie's face, the still astonishingly beautiful face whose eyes were a dull red and getting hotter. How cruel that this had been the way to prove that he'd never been a toy to her. This happy girl, this lively girl, she who brought smiles to all who knew her - “Minnie!” he called out to her, and she opened her mouth with no words to give. “I... I forgive you.” If he was brave enough to sacrifice his life, then, shoot, he could be brave enough to see if how he felt for her was real. “I know I didn't make things easy for you, and I was wrong too. I shouldn't have just assumed Aphrodite was no good. I should have given her a chance – I should have given you a chance! Like all the chances you gave me! Where you came from and what you can do, none of that matters! You're...” If he was going to die, and the cold reality of that was sinking in, yet he spoke on, “You're going to do really great things. Because you did really great things for me, and I don't regret any of 'em. So... So I don't want...” He clenched up, trying to push past his own fears. “So I don't want you to have any regrets either. I want you to keep smiling and helping others when I'm gone! The world deserves to know what great things you can do! Please, keep smiling for them! For yourself! Please be happy! I love you!”

He loved her, he loved her, he loved her so much it hurt – Mickey needed Minnie and Minnie needed Mickey – I don't need nobody – he needed her to be happy – if he could die with a promise of her happiness, maybe his life had some meaning after all. Of course he didn't want to die, but if he could have any choice with it, let it be for the mortals, let it be for her, and let it be for himself. It was why he was saying it all, so she could find a way to move on, so she would have no regrets, so she could find a way to exist without him.

Yet it only strengthened Minnie's feelings as to why she loved him and how she could never see another sunset without Mickey. After hearing his true feelings, after hearing all that, she was just supposed to say goodbye and let it all pass? Daisy was sobbing, Donald was holding her while remembering the prophecy the Sisters of Fate had spoken of. Would this be the one that came to pass?

The will of Ares will bring about an end to mankind as we know it!

Gladstone and Mortimer were eyeing the ambrosia, wondering if there was a way to get it to Mickey. Fethry was covering his eyes, unable to watch. Hera could no longer look upon the spectacle, whereas Zeus couldn't tear his widened eyes away. But all of them began to notice the movement in ground – the shaking that was beginning to increase – Daisy wildly looked around, having never experienced the phenomenon on Mount Olympus before and Donald was going through a similar shock.

Be happy without Mickey? How was Minnie supposed to do that? That was like asking the ocean to dry or the sky to stop being blue. Minnie hadn't been born for him, but she lived for him now, to choose between a life without him and a life without Goofy, Agalma, Gyro, all the courageous people down below...

Two more seashells popped. Then four.

Pete gave Mickey another punch for his speech, waving his hand that had begun to heal. “You really think love's gunna save the day? You moron, love is what's getting me exactly what I want! It's because she loves you that she'll do just as I ordered! Love is her weakness! Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty – what a riot!” He would have laughed once more, but then the tremors rattled the entire mountain so thoroughly that even he had a tough time keeping balance. It was the worst it'd ever been, with gods and goddess falling over, and the almighty throne Zeus and Hera sat upon began to crack.

And finally, at long last, Minnie spoke.

“Love... is... my... weakness?”

~*~

As Goofy stayed ahead in the next lap, Bouncer pulled his arm back as far as he could, and then let the firecracker fly, making sure not to aim for the head this time. But as Goofy whipped the reins harder, his elbow pad made the firecracker effortlessly bounce off and fall to the ground. When it did pop, it was right under the rooster's horse, startling it and causing it to smash against Bouncer's chariot, damaging the wheels – the fact that Bouncer could even hold on was a miracle. At this rate, the chariot wouldn't last much longer, nor would Bouncer's patience. “I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, GOOFY!” If it was the last thing he did, even if he didn't win he'd make sure Goofy would lose! Forget Bombshell's lousy tricks, it was time he settled this the good old fashioned way – force!

Unaware of what was going down on the track, Gyro was using his hands to form tectonic plates pushing against each other. “You see, the ground we walk on is actually made up of plates touching each other, and when they 'hit', pressure builds underneath, containing something we call magma. That can happen underwater too, it really makes no difference!” He pushed his hands together, forming the iconic volcano shape. “The earth's core contains magma, but it doesn't come out right away. The pressure needs to build, and build, and build.”

“And then what?” asked Burger.

“You see, the earth's surface isn't-” Gyro interrupted himself when he saw he had two notorious troublemakers as part of his audience. “...You really want to know?”

“Yeah!” Burger said with enthusiasm, chomping on an old sandwich. “This is really interesting! Ma never told us that the world's made of plates. I love plates, especially when they've got food on them.”

“And I like things that go boom,” Bombshell added.

Gyro glanced to Agalma, who shrugged. “Did it ever occur to you boys that, perhaps, if you'd gotten a proper education, you wouldn't have resorted to a life of thievery and wicked ways? Just a theory, mind you.”

Burger scratched his head, giving it real thought. “Gee, Ma always said learning was for the weak.”

“I can guarantee you if you learned what a meat-shield was, you'd stop agreeing to be one.”

As Gyro began to lecture the Beagles on the importance of lessons, Agalma noticed a particular note detailed on the ocean exploration scroll. She picked it up, squinting. “Say, Gyro, the name of this ocean...You think an underwater volcano is there?”

Gyro leaned over to inspect what she was pointing out. “That is one of my theories, yes. Why do you ask?”

“It's just an odd coincidence.” Agalma put her finger underneath the name of the ocean. “That's where Millicent's family was sailing when they died in the storm.”

Bombshell raised his hand. “Can we go back to the boom?”

“Oh, yes, of course!” Gyro turned back to his now attentive companions, glad not to discuss someone's demise. “Where was I? … Hm, ah, of course! When the pressure builds, and builds, and builds...that's when it goes boom!”

~*~

And boom Minnie went.

In the sea many years ago, a young maiden met her death in the ocean's harsh waves. In her dying thoughts, she thought of the sculptor she left behind, and how dearly she loved him. She wished with all her heart that he wouldn't be alone. She thought only of this love, let it consume her whole with her last breath as her body happened to fall into the newly born volcano below the bubbling waters. She loved, loved, loved so deeply that it could rival the love of Gaia herself. Over many years, that love grew and developed, evolved and strengthened, and then, like Gaia's love, at last gave birth to something incredible.

Incredible was first word that came to everyone's minds when they saw the ground underneath Minnie split open, and a torrent of lava spew upward high into the sky, coating the goddess but not muting her scream of rage. None could understand what they were seeing, as the remains of Minnie's tiara first melted, and then burst apart, latching onto Minnie and forming shapes. The lava on Minnie's body cooled, and a threatening shadow loomed. She then stepped out slowly, one footstep at a time, with her feet making the floor sizzle and steam underneath her. No longer was she wearing innocent white robes of purity and delicacy. The lava that had splattered onto her had formed pink and red armor that coated her body, from a helmet that boasted a fiery mane streaming down, to heart-shaped patterns across her chest and arms, a massive shield that was bigger than she was, and a burning spear clutched hard in her right hand. She was still beautiful – but now in a frightening manner, the beauty of a forest turning into ashes. Her eyes remained red, and would forevermore be red, now that she had decided to live for herself.

Love could be soft and gentle, yes – but appearances can be deceiving. Lava too is beautiful when first seen, but the touch is as hot as any lover's passion, and burns twice as deeply.

“Ares.” Her voice echoed across Mount Olympus as the lava stream behind her began to die. “This is your first and final warning. Release Mickey.”

Pete had begun to consider the possibility that this was some sort of lucid dream he was having after trying one of Mortimer's latest experiments. He blinked hard, and rubbed his eyes – no, Aphrodite was still dressed as a soldier, this was actually real life. The rest of the mountain had fallen into silence, also in the same utter astonishment that this was happening. There was no explanation they could come up with, although none would have ever guessed that a mortal's love could be just as powerful as a god's. Pete regained some of his senses as he remembered he still presumably had the winning card in his hand. “J-Just you hold on there! I don't care what kind of fancy transformation you do, I can still end the runt here and now if you don't do what I say! I'm the one with the real power here! I am Ares, God of War!”

God of speed, he was not, though. Even with all his so-called experience, he couldn't have stopped the spear that was thrown right at his face – perhaps even Zeus wouldn't have caught it in time. It sent Pete flying backwards, destroying many statues that had the unfortunate position of being behind him. The spear was lodged in Pete's helmet, missing his excuse of a brain by mere inches. He sat up, trying to pull it out, but found the weapon so blisteringly hot he couldn't last two seconds – and now it made his helmet just as hot, burning his scalp with pain he couldn't believe was real. He scrambled to pull the helmet off, but it was now melting onto his fingers, creating blisters that popped as quickly as they appeared, spreading agony in every direction. Each of these was a new, horrible experience for Pete that wouldn't leave or heal as quickly as all other battle wounds he had experienced before.

By then Minnie caught up, launching a kick to his belly – one so hot that it melted another hole in his armor. Then came another kick, this one to his legs, sending him spinning and reeling. Her spear lay on the ground, in a puddle of what was once a intimidating helmet, and she called it to her hand with one flick of her wrist. Without sparing a second she jumped into the air, delivering one more hard kick to Pete's face so he'd meet the floor. No one had time to register the last action she made before she delivered another, and another, endless and quick with screeching cries of fury.

“Love is my weakness?” Minnie bellowed, on the floor once more and twirling her spear around, creating a flurry of flames to rain down upon him. “Love is my weakness? LOVE IS MY STRENGTH!” Pete tried to roll away from the rain of pain, making a grab for his sword, but Minnie was jabbing his armor over and over with her spear, making it melt as well. Whenever she struck skin, there was barely enough time to bleed before the agonizing heat cauterized the wound. “The strongest warriors fight for their loved ones! To defend their homes, to protect those they hold dear! Love gives them courage! Love gives them power!”

Donald and Daisy had equally matched dropped jaws, but reality came back to Donald quicker. “Mickey! Daisy, hurry!” He grabbed his wife by the hand and raced to the pillar. Together they were able to untie the ropes, and Mickey fell to the ground, Donald catching him. As Daisy began to grow a small sapling for a new walking stick, Donald steadied Mickey to his feet. “Are you all right?”

“I...” What kind of question was that, at this time, at this place? He wordlessly gestured at the impossible fight that was causing lesser-willed gods to either faint or run. The display was alarming – and, okay, he couldn't lie, also deeply satisfying in particular areas. If Mickey wasn't in love with Minnie before, he sure as goodness gracious was now. Homina homina homina.

Pete miraculously found his footing, and summoned up as many weapons as he could hold, but with every swipe and every motion, Minnie melted them away without even breaking a sweat. Which was the exact opposite of Pete, as her intense heat was making him do nothing but sweat. Even worse, the pain wasn't leaving – he was getting burned, and it kept hurting! Other wounds would dull, maybe ache, but this was lasting! This was endless! Even if he stopped moving, if he stopped breathing, it continued to hurt! A cut or a punch, one strike and you could move on – but a burn seeps into the skin, pressing into pores and nerves, keeping the memory alive without end. The God of War had governed over battle for so long that loss had never occurred to him, that pain other than that which he inflicted could exist. For centuries he was content to belittle and tower over those who could never oppose him. He'd never expected or even wanted a fair fight – and certainly never thought he'd be in a fight where he would lose. That was causing pain as well... although not as much pain as the actual burns themselves.

He'd never been burned before, and it HURT! IT HURT IT HURT IT HURRRRRRRRRT! “This – this ain't how it's supposed to go!” Pete had summoned up the biggest, largest metal club he could dream up, but as he locked it with Minnie's spear, it too began to dribble. Horror of horrors, he found himself being pushed back, feet dragging in the clouds. He couldn't even land one hit on her. Was she too small? Too fast? Or was he in too much shock and pain to be accurate? “I'm supposed to win! I'm supposed to be the strongest! I'm the god of war! You're – You're just Aphrodite!”

“I am not Aphrodite!” Minnie began to smack away at the club, while Pete desperately tried to keep up, each new blow making another scorching mark on his armor and then his skin. It was all he could do to defend himself and he couldn't even do that. Minnie was relentless, never stopping, never pausing, eyes full of revenge and movements full of fury. If anyone was going to listen to her, it would be now and they would never forget her intentions again. All of Mount Olympus shook, entire rooms cracking and capsizing. “I never agreed to be Aphrodite! I am Minnie, goddess of love, and I shall protect love! I will fight for love! And right now – I'd love to give you the punishment you deserve!”

She drove her spear into the ground, and once more a searing geyser of lava came forward, but this time it was aimed at Pete, drowning his agonized screams. The lummox was encased in lava, the streams running all over his body and pooling endlessly around him. It refused to harden, and continued to burn, burn, burn. He'd live, no surprise, but every inch of him was burnt beyond recognition, the smell of cooked flesh giving several gods their first taste of nausea. Now that he was covered in lava, lava made from the will of a goddess, the healing process wouldn't begin for a long time. Being gods, who knew how long a long time was? Until then, his every waking moment would be nothing but convulsions of torture. Even now as he laid on the floor, he couldn't move or breathe without breaking skin and giving new meanings to the word ache. He whined with stinging tears, babbling incoherently, though many could guess he was saying “I'm...the...god...of...war...”

Minnie looked down upon her victim, feeling no pity or remorse. “And should I ever find you harmed another mortal or my precious Mickey again...I will come back.” Her dangerous eyes surveyed the crowd, letting them know the warning was not solely for him. The whimpering she heard let her know the message was received.

No, her powers were not for creating love or instilling it in others. Her powers were for protecting it, as Agalma protected Goofy's heart, letting it heal by showing him he didn't have to be alone. Love had never needed Minnie's help, but it wouldn't suffer for it either. This was her purpose, and she would be proud to carry it.

She slowly turned her back toward the gods, and when she saw Mickey standing upright, her vicious personality vanished. “Mickey!” She threw away her spear, running right toward him, her sweet as sugar voice returning as she tackled Mickey in one of her classic huge hugs.

“Mickey Mickey Mickeeeyyy!” Minnie cried, her touch not burning or harming Mickey at all. No, to him, her touch was warm and very enjoyable. “I'm so sorry about everything! I was wrong! I should have told you who I was from the start! I should have been honest! I'll never ever lie to you again, I promise! If you never want to see me again, I'll do that too! I'll do whatever you want, just don't ever throw yourself away again! Please don't-”

Once again, Mickey found himself defying expectations. During their relationship, every kiss on the lips had been started by Minnie, but for today, it was Mickey who held Minnie's shoulders and pressed his mouth to hers. Daisy was so exhausted by the day's events that she began to laugh happily at this sight, and even Donald shook his head with a smile, trying to hide the fact he'd been so afraid for Mickey's life that tears had formed. Mickey held the kiss long enough to make sure Minnie would calm down – and maybe a few seconds longer than that, he couldn't help it – before pulling away with a smile. “Minnie...can we start over?”

Minnie needed a minute, reeling from what she considered a pretty passionate embrace. She didn't register the words right away, stars in her eyes. “Huh?”

“Can we start over?” Mickey repeated, touching Minnie's hand. “And this time...let's just... be together. We're gunna fight, we might even lie, but I think...” He glanced at Donald. “That's kinda normal. We can't be perfectly happy all the time...and maybe trying to do that is what made everything so rotten.” Mickey would never call himself an expert on this subject, but maybe he'd learned a thing or two. “It's okay if we stumble or get things wrong. It's okay if we get mad at each other. I like you, Minnie... all of you. Even the side of you that's crazy and annoying.”

Minnie looked down at their entwined hands, and then back up. “You're stubborn,” she decided, “And hardheaded. And you don't listen to people. And you pity yourself too much. And...I like all of that too.” She smiled, and then found herself giggling. How strange, to tell him all the things she didn't like about him, yet still adore him from head to toe. This felt natural, this felt real. “I love you, Mickey.”

“I love you too, Minnie.” They held each other, content for the first time in ages. Things weren't going to be exactly like they were before, but they had decided the loss wasn't too terrible. The future was unpredictable and exciting in that way. There was still so much to discover about this odd thing called love. No one person could ever rationalize it completely, no one person would ever truly need it, but those who wanted it would surely have it if they believed.

Minnie and Mickey stood back up, and Daisy slapped Minnie hard on the back. “Am I ever going to get an explanation for what just happened?”

Minnie looked down at her new outfit, lifting her foot and waving her hand to see it all for herself. “I... don't think so. I don't even know what happened, it just felt right. Does this look good on me?”

“Sure does,” said Mickey, taking an admiring glance at Minnie's backside.

Donald rolled his eyes. “Great, thousands of years passed and only now he enters puberty.”

Mickey playfully nudged him, but then became serious. “I wouldn't have said all that I did, and done all that I did, if it wasn't for you. You put some sense in my head...and you actually came for me. So, thank you...uncle Donald.”

Donald stared as the words repeated in his head in an endless refrain. Uncle Donald. Uncle Donald. Uncle Donald. Uncle Donald swiftly turned around. “H-Hang on, I gotta sneeze.”

“Oh, let your feelings show, you big baby!” Daisy lightly shouted at her husband. “It's okay to cry!”

“I AM NOT CRYING!” Donald said as he was definitely crying.

Daisy, Minnie and Mickey laughed, yet the good times weren't allowed to roll just yet. As Minnie's laughter settled down, her eyes slid over to the so-called rulers on their throne, who had held onto each other during the entire battle and only now registered that they might be safe – although judging from the way Minnie was looking at them, this might not have been true. Zeus shoved Hera off, sitting up straight and clearing his throat.

“Aphro – er, Minnie, goddess of love!”

~*~

It was the final lap of the race, and Goofy would have been surprised to learn he had kept the lead the entire way if he let himself think about it. However he wasn't letting himself think about anything but winning, which meant laser focus and only staring right ahead. That's why he didn't see Bouncer getting dangerously close, and then driving his horse hard to the right, slamming Goofy into the wall – at least, that was the plan. Goofy was surprised for a moment, but when his shoulder hit the wall, he didn't feel an iota of pain, thanks to his extra protection. All he let out was a confused “Huh?”

Worse for Bouncer, the attack destroyed his already suffering wheel. The chariot toppled over, dropping Bouncer to the ground in front of the other racers. They swerved to avoid him just in time, and also gave Goofy enough space so that no one had any hopes of catching up to him. Gyro was now deep in the lesson about how mountains were different from volcanoes when he remembered that a race was happening, and as he took a look, he jumped out of his seat. “He's doing it! He's going to win!”

“Of course he is,” Agalma said with a smile, rising from her seat. “He said he would.” For her. Thinking about that made her heart do the weird thing again.

Even Burger and Bombshell began to hoot and holler, hoping Bouncer wouldn't hear them. Gyro called out Goofy's name, the Beagles followed suit, and so did the people behind them, and behind them, and within seconds it became a glorious, hearty chant throughout the crowd. Everyone was rooting for the definition of underdog, because if he could win, anyone could, and in him they saw the greatness of humanity. He was only himself, only a mortal, and he was doing something fantastic.

“GO, GOOFY, GO! GO, GOOFY, GO! GO, GOOFY, GO!”

They screamed, they roared, they cheered, and then everyone danced as Little Helper's hooves crossed the finish lap for the tenth time. Cries of elation exploded throughout the coliseum, and even the losing racers felt great exhilaration in Goofy's win. The rooster came in second, the parrot third, the horse fourth, and Bouncer had to crawl to his embarrassing last place. Save for Bouncer, they would have been pleased to congratulate Goofy on his well-earned victory, pulling their chariots aside and climbing out. There was just one problem.

“He did it!” Gyro was celebrating, twirling Agalma around as she giggled. “He did it! He...He's still doing it. Uh-oh.”

Goofy was in fact so intent on winning that he didn't realize he already had, and was still running laps around and around. At this rate it didn't look like he'd ever stop.

Burger finished the last of his sandwich, and began to fish for whatever other food he had in his clothes. “Look, it's not like we call him Goofy for no reason.”

“We'd better get down there,” Agalma decided, taking the lead down the stairs with the others following. When they were on the race track, Goofy had yet to stop, and no one was sure how to do it. Bombshell then saw one of the foods Burger had stowed away was a carrot, and he yanked it out, although Burger whined about it. He then prodded Gyro with it.

“Huh? ...Oh, good idea!” Gyro complimented as he took the vegetable. “You get an A+ for that one, Bombshell.”

“Huh. I didn't know there were grades higher than F.”

Gyro stepped forward, cleared his throat, and then waved the carrot high in the air. “Little Helper! It's lunch-time!”

The moment those words hit Little Helper, he screeched to a halt. Goofy, however, did not, as the force of the sudden stop sent him flying from the carriage -

“YAAAAAA-HA-HA-HOOOOIE!”

And smacking headfirst into a wall, thankfully protected by his new helmet. Agalma rushed over as Goofy toppled to the ground, unharmed but incredibly dizzy. As he tried to sit up, he saw Agalma watching over him. “Uhhh... did Aphrodite send over three more Agalmas, cause I don't think I can handle that many.”

“You won, Goofy,” Agalma said happily, offering her hand.

“I won?” Goofy took her hand and shakily began to stand up, letting it all sink in. “I won? I won. I... won. I won!” Having confidence in what you were doing, and then accomplishing the thing, were two entirely different matters. “I won! I won, I won, I won!” He picked up Agalma, spinning her around. “I won!” She laughed, repeating after him, and they danced arm in arm, singing that he won, he won, he won. Goofy had never been more proud of himself in his entire life, and he never wanted to let that feeling go. He never wanted to let Agalma go either.

Speaking of people who had a hard time letting things go, Bouncer dragged himself into this happy-go-lucky scene, all the anger exhausted out of him. “I don't believe this!” he moaned. “I did everything I could, and he won? What do I do now? If I go back to Ma with this, she'll tan my hide!”

As Gyro stuck the carrot in Little Helper's mouth, he held up a finger. “What says you have to go back to your mother?” Bouncer blinked – the idea of doing otherwise had never occurred to him. Burger was just as stunned, and Bombshell merely shrugged. “If I may, gentleman, perhaps your talents lay elsewhere.”

“But punching people is all I know how to do,” Bouncer lamented.

“Only because no one has taught you otherwise.” Gyro clapped his hands together, an idea bubbling forth. “You know, Goofy is going to split the prize money with me, so I can make brand new inventions. But I can't do it all alone, and the more hands I have, the faster I can help everyone around the world! What say I take you all on as my apprentices and students?”

Bombshell raised a hand. “Can I learn more about things that go boom?”

Burger raised his hand. “Instead of giving my teacher an apple, can I eat the apple?”

And lastly Bouncer raised his. “Can I see a doctor? I think I have a concussion.”

“Yes, yes, and... oh, goodness, let's go do that.” Gyro waved towards his canine companions. “Goofy, Agalma, I'll catch up with you later!” But even as he said that, he doubt he was being heard.

Goofy and Agalma were still dancing along, holding each other 's hands, reveling in not only victory but accomplishment and their realized hopes for the future. Because of their hard work and faith in one another, they were going to get their dreams. There was so much to learn about everything, and now they'd taken the first step together. Goofy couldn't have done it without Agalma – couldn't have moved on, couldn't have made more friends, couldn't have seen the sun for its beauty – and his heart was healed.

As for Agalma, she still didn't understand this floaty, blissful feeling that fluttered throughout her body as she danced with Goofy, but she hoped it never stopped. Maybe he could tell her about this feeling that made her want to be in his arms and stare into his eyes, this feeling that his happiness was the most important thing in the world to her. Did this feeling have a name?

~*~

As Mickey, Donald and Daisy craned their necks to look at the king of the gods who had dared spoken, each look was filled with bitterness. Minnie was walking towards the rulers, tall and proud for someone so small. Other gods backed up, some even bowing graciously in case her anger was directed towards them. Zeus scrambled as he talked, hoping he could butter up someone who had murder in their eyes. “You must be commended after defeating Ares, the God of War! All of Mount Olympus thanks you for your noble deed! Name any gift, and it shall be given unto you!” He grinned at her, his palms open, waiting to hear her heart's desire. One little gift and they'd be safe and sound, and maybe then she'd leave and everything would go back to normal.

Minnie wordlessly summoned her spear back into her hand, and with one mighty movement, launched it right into the throne, shattering it into pieces. Hera shrieked as she fell down, and Zeus stayed on his rear, trying to understand what just happened as he sat among the shards. Many remaining gods fled, deciding this was the final straw, and they weren't going to come back unless they were certain they'd never make her angry. Gladstone wound up hopping into Mortimer's arms, and he'd lost all the feeling in his legs. Yet neither of them left – they actually wanted to see what would happen, and couldn't help but be a little amused. “What in the world makes you think I'd want anything from you?” Minnie snapped, the ferociousness back in her tone. “It's your fault this all happened in the first place, because you never want to do any real work!”

“How DARE you speak to the KING of the GODS in such a MANNER?” Hera barked, but when Minnie had her spear again, she quietly pointed it at Hera. She yelped and hid behind her husband. The scene of such supposedly powerful and all-knowing leaders made some immortals snort and giggle, perhaps overwhelmed by all they'd seen.

“The only good thing either of you have done was free the mortals, and make Mickey!” Minnie growled, hands on her hips. “You're not the King and Queen of the gods – if you can't enforce the rules, you can't make the rules! One good deed doesn't mean you get off scot-free for eternity! From now on, you are just plain, ordinary, run-of-the-mill gods like the rest of them! You hold no power over anyone!” As she finished her declaration, she looked at Mickey, wondering if she'd stolen his thunder. As their son, he had the final right to tell them off.

Yet as Mickey looked upon his parents, he couldn't think of anything to tell them. It seemed so pointless now. He didn't need them, nor did he want them. He had a better family. Mickey took Minnie's hand. “C'mon, let's go. I don't think this place deserves any of us.”

“Well said,” Donald commented, still not crying and no one could prove it shut up.

“Where should we go?” asked Daisy.

Mickey looked at Minnie. “I'd like to fix my girls first... then maybe I can work on a new tiara for you.” Seeing the fury and beauty of volcanoes had gotten him inspired, while also reminding him of the hot furnace he missed.

Minnie squeezed Mickey's hand, at her most beautiful when she smiled at the man she loved. “Yes. Let's go home.”

As they began to leave, Donald exhaled a breath he'd been holding on for far too long, relieved that the prophecy had been avoided. Yet, it was at that moment he recalled another one, one that had been so long ago that everyone had assumed it would never come to pass. His last look was toward the remains of the throne, at the pitiful faces of Zeus and Hera who would never erase their guilt and shame. When he turned to rejoin his family, he saw Gladstone and Mortimer offering Mickey a drink of ambrosia, and Mickey politely declined. Mickey joined hands with Minnie, who joined hands with Daisy, who waited for Donald's hand. He squeezed it tightly.

It had been said once that the son of Zeus would take away his throne – it just never said the son would do it himself.

#disney #fanfic #love like lava #mickey mouse #minnie mouse #donald duck #daisy duck #goofy #gyro gearloose #gladstone gander #mortimer rodawn

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stacze-blog · 7 years

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I’ll Betray You To Protect You

Chapter 3: One Member Revealed

The sound of your alarm playing Good Boy by GD and Taeyang awoke you from your deep slumber. You lazily pressed the off button on your clock and dragged yourself into the bathroom to take a shower; after doing your morning routine and having a healthy-ish breakfast, you checked your phone to see what time it was. 'Hm...I still have an hour left and it takes me about 15 minutes to get to school. Should I go visit the guys on the way?' you wondered as you slipped on your shoes. Everyone in Bangtan practically lived at the hideout; they had parents to live with but they didn't want to have to constantly listen to lectures on why they shouldn't be staying out late or having to answer questions about how they got beat up. Plus, since everything was still working at the old school building—like electricity and water—and they wouldn’t have to pay for rent, they decided to make it their second home. Classrooms turned into bedrooms and even weapon rooms—they weren’t as outstanding as the ones in movies but it was still amazing to see how much they had gathered over time.

As you were contemplating on whether to go visit the others or not, you suddenly heard a loud bang on the wall. Your eyes traveled to where the sound came from and said, “That was from next door, is Kangdae ok?” Even though you were iffy about your new neighbor you couldn't forget about how much you two had gotten along, so you decided to push the nasty feelings aside. You walked in front of his door and knocked on it but there was no reply. "Hey! Kangdae, are you in there?" There was no response. 'Should I test the handle to see if it's unlocked?' The question pondered in your mind for a few seconds before you gave in to your curiosity. Surprisingly, it opened with ease and you discovered that he was definitely still home because his shoes were in the doorway. You decided to let yourself in and headed straight to his room, only to see that he was fast asleep. The position that he was in made you giggle because he was hugging a pillow like it was the love of his life. Looking at your phone, you realized that he would be late for school if he didn’t start getting ready soon—considering how long it usually takes to get dressed, brush your teeth, etc.; you were about to shake his shoulder to wake him up and his eyes started to flutter open.

"(Y/N)? You do know that breaking into a person's house is illegal, right?"

You watched as he sat upright in bed to rub his eyes and stretch his arms. Kangdae yawned one last time before pushing his blanket aside to get up and walk towards you. He didn’t seem flustered at all but you, on the other hand, you were blushing extremely hard.

"I-I didn't mean to—well I kind of did since I just walked in without permission—but y-your door was unlocked and I heard a bang come fro-"

"Calm down, its fine you can come here whenever you want, ok?" he winked at you before continuing, "I must've forgotten to lock it yesterday. Some of my friends visited me and when they left I had to clean the place up; after that I guess I was just too tired to care. I was going to ask if you wanted to hang out with us, but you weren't home. I heard you come in pretty late too..."

'Oh yeah, that's right! I went to go see the guys because they wanted to watch a movie with me at the base' you remembered and nervously said, "I just went to the store to get some green onions for the ddeokbokki that I was going to make for dinner tonight, but they ran out of it, so I just decided to walk around for a while"

"I could have gone with you; it’s not safe to walk by yourself past midnight...Hey uh well...I love having you in my room and all, but I got to get changed for school"

"O-Ok I'll see you later then I'm going to head to scho-"

"Wait! Can we walk together? I don't know where the office is and I was wondering if you could show me?"

You agreed to his request and waited for him outside. After about 9 minutes he walked out of his front door looking like a prince in his uniform and his hair was neatly combed—just like the way it was the first day you had met him. "Well that was fast, I should’ve let you sleep some more because we still have 30 minutes to get to school" you said and he snickered at your comment before pointing in the direction of the elevator. Once you pressed the button to the lift you turned and asked, "Did you lock your door?" He froze for a second and scratched the back of his neck. "Dang it...I forgot again!"

The two of you began to talk about your interests and Kangdae asked you about how (S/N) is like; you told him about the disgusting food that they served in the cafeteria, causing him laugh and say that he would try it for himself. In the middle of the conversation he informed you that after you showed him the location of the office, he would go off to meet some of his friends, who also needed to know where it was. Suspicion built up in you and when the school was a few minutes away you brought up the topic.

"Are your friends new here too?"

"Hm? Oh yeah they are! We all decided to leave our home town because it was pretty dull over there. Our parents didn't really mind us leaving since they knew that we could take care of ourselves"

"Where’s your hometown and what do you mean by 'dull'?"

"We used to live in Busan and…well there wasn't really anything to do over there. Plus no one really wanted to mess with us anymore, so we got bored"

‘That’s my home town too. N-No way he couldn’t be…’ you paused and asked, "Mess with you? W-What are you in a gang?"

He suddenly stopped right in front of you and bent down so that you two were eye to eye; “Bingo” was all he said before strolling off. You stood there stunned for a moment then ran up to walk next to Kangdae, who stayed silent the rest of the way—barely anyone was on campus, causing you to feel nervous. As the both of you approached the office, he suddenly grabbed your wrist tightly and made you face him. “You must’ve been shocked huh? Look…I’m sorry for telling you about me being in a gang member so casually, but I just figured that since we live next to each other you were going to have to find out sooner or later. Please don’t be scared of me, ok? I won’t hurt you, I promise…especially since I like you.”

“W-Wait what?!”

“I said I like you and you may not like me now but I’ll change your mind soon” Kangdae brought his lips to your ear and said with a hushed voice, “Because I want you and, whatever I want, I get.” He let go of you and patted your head before waving goodbye.

Jimin yawned as he closed his locker and started to walk to his first period class; when he turned a corner he saw you slowly walking in the same direction he was going in. The young boy quickly caught up to you and wrapped his arms around your waist in a back hug. His cheerful smile dropped once he saw your pale complexion and asked, “Are you ok, (Y/N)?! You don’t look so go-” You suddenly interrupted him by grabbing his arm and pulling him under the stairway because you faintly heard people coming down the steps. Jimin was going to ask you what was going on, but, before he was able to, you put your index finger to your lips--signaling for him to keep quiet.

“Come on you guys the office is this way!”

“How do you know, Kang-ah?”

“My future girlfriend told me!”

“Future girlfriend?”

“I’ll introduce her to you guys later; she’s beautiful and kind and man! I think I’m in love!”

“You’ve only been here for four days and you already think you’re in love with someone? What’s wrong with kids these days?”

“Shut up Dae-hyung you’re only a year older than me, so don’t call me a fuckin’ kid! Mung-hyung tell him to stop!”

Their voices began to fade away as they walked down the hall and you to let out a sigh of relief. You turned to see your friend with his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face. “Yah, (Y/N)-ah! I know that we have to keep our friendship a secret but it doesn’t mean that we have to hide from others!” Jimin huffed and pouted. Ignoring his playful anger, you told him that you guys needed to get to the base right away. “What about class?” he asked and slightly tilted his head to the side. “This is important! I’m going to head there first, you have to find Tae and Jungkook! I’ll explain everything over there, ok?!” With that said you ran off at full speed avoiding the yelling teachers and the crowds of students entering the school.

Namjoon had just woken up and decided to get some coffee in the kitchen, a.k.a the teacher's lounge. Jin was making some scrambled eggs as J-hope watched cartoons on the TV and Suga sat at the table with his head leaning on this hands. The leader walked to the window with his drink after greeting everyone in the room; at the corner of his eye he saw a figure hop the tall fence and run into the building, his eyes widened and he quickly grabbed a pistol from his room before going into the hallway to find the perpetrator. Loud footsteps were heard near the main room—where everyone goes to have meetings or just hang out. He crept over to the janitor’s closet four doors down from where it was and waited; the stranger peeked into the room and saw that it was empty. The person was about to go down the hallway but was quickly stopped by Namjoon, who jumped out and aimed his gun. He heard a familiar voice scream for dear life and quickly lowered his weapon when he realized who it was. The rest of the elders were startled and went to where the screech came from, only to see you slapping Rap Mon on the shoulder multiple times. Jin walked up to you and asked, “(Y/N) shouldn’t you be at school? Why are you here?” Instead of answering him you rushed everyone into the meeting room and told them to wait for the others to arrive.

It took V, Jungkook, and Jimin about 13 minutes to finally get to the hideout. Once they entered the room you hurried them to sit down on one of the desks. Your friends were intensely staring at you as you paced around the room. Namjoon was the first to talk, “What’s going on (Y/N)?”

“The Wings are here…”

“What?! How do you know?”

“The day I went home after you told us about them moving here I got a new neighbor; his name is Kangdae and this morning he told me that he moved here from Busan! I thought it could have been a coincidence but when I asked him if he was in a gang he didn’t hesitate to confirm it!”

“S-So your saying that you’re living right next to one the members?!”

“Nah she’s trying to tell us that she’s living next to frickin’ Scooby Doo. Of course that’s what she’s trying say!” Yoongi said and tousled his hair out of frustration—he had just woken up, so what do you expect.

You proceeded to tell them that some of his friends were attending (S/N) too and this caused your schoolmates to tense up slightly. This was going to make it extremely hard for them to go home without getting followed. Namjoon left the room and returned with a few handguns and pocket knives; he handed them out to the members and told them to keep it with them at all times. J-hope stood next to you and said, “There’s something else you want to tell us right? I can see it on your face.” All eyes were on you once more and you put your head down, “Kangdae…he said that he wants to make me his girlfriend.” Their eyes grew and they yelled out ‘Whats’ and ‘Uhs’ as they gathered around you.

“When did he tell you that?!”

“No way! I’m not letting him touch you!

“I’m going to stomp on him like a horse!”

“Is that why you looked so pale ealier?!”

“That jerk! Like hell we're going to let him take you!”

“What did you say!?”

“You’re not going to leave us right (Y/N)-ah?!”

Everyone was frantic and you had to calm them down first before reassuring them that everything will be fine. “Don’t worry I’m not going anywhere, I promise!” Namjoon patted you on the back and told you that you did a good job for gathering information before looking to the rest of the members; he explained that they needed to recruit some allies so that when they were in trouble they could have backup and started to team people up to go talk with other gangs. Tae and Hoseok were to go visit Block-B; Jimin was to go with Kookie to see 4minute while Jin, Suga, and Rap Mon were left to go talk with Got7. Your mission was to listen in on the conversations that Kangdae has when his members visit his house and to also continue getting close with him and the rest of his members if possible.

#bts scenarios #bts #jimin #jungkook #jin #seokjin #jhope #hoseok #rap monster #namjoon #suga #yoongi #v #taehyung

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imgilmoregirl · 6 years

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AO3 LINK

Notes: I'm so sorry about the delay with the chapters and the complete lack of updates for other fics. I have a new idea I really want to use for an One-Shot, I just have to find the right time to write now. But wait for it soon.

Also, thank you so much for the votes in the Finish This <3.

Chapter 4

Even having cancelled his long trip to Camelot, Rumplestiltskin had to go out to make deals sooner or later. He cast protection spells all around the Dark Castle and made sure that Belle had everything she could need right in her reach, meals appearing for her in the dining table and the dust got cleaned with magic, saying she was completely forbidden of doing any kind of work there.

Their relationship was going slowly, but they were managing to work things out. Along the next month, they shared long conversations and spent some time making out. He left twice for fast deals that only took him a day or two, going out for the third time on the day before.

Belle was walking around the library, some books in hand, feeling really frustrated. Her body changes and cravings were irritating her more than she could ever tell, her breasts were fuller and aching, forcing her to untighten the laces of her bodice a little more each day. Lemon pie was the only thing she could think about eating. And worse than that, her inner thighs were so sensitive that she was just about to beg Rumplestiltskin to touch her.

The only thing she really appreciated about that was the baby bump starting to show, her belly no longer flat, but slightly curved. Since the day she had discovered that she was with child, her dreams were divided between cute babies and fantasies with Rumple. Placing the books on a table, Belle shook her head at herself thinking that she should find a way to free her mind from those thoughts. It would just help if she wasn't so eager for his touch.

She bit her lip, passing her fingers through the cover of a book and placing a hand on her stomach. Yesterday she had read that being with child sometimes caused these strong desires. "Look at what you're doing to me." Belle told the baby. "I shouldn't be thinking about those things!"

In an attempt to distract herself, she found a book about childbirth to read, even though she didn’t like the subject, she felt like she needed to gather all the information she could, because afterall it would be something inevitable for her. Sooner or later, the baby would have to come out.

The maid spent the whole day in the library, just going downstairs for dinner and then coming right back. By that time, her whole body was aching in some way. Belle undid more the laces of her bodice, a little breathless with the nuisance it was causing, that was when she decided she had enough of that day and went to her chambers, changing the blue dress for her nightgown. She thought that the sooner she went to bed and slept, the sooner the next day would come and she would see Rumple again.

A noise came from the end of the hallway, making Belle jump, startled and scared. No sounds should come from any part of the castle, but where she was, because she was supposed to be alone.

"There is somebody in here." Belle whispered to herself and the baby, caressing her belly with shaking hands.

She went out of her chambers, barefoot and took one of the torches from its place, using it as a weapon and followed the next sound of something hitting the floor. It was coming from Rumplestiltskin's chambers.

Her heart raced and she opened the door putting the torch in front of herself, only to let it fall when she saw Rumplestiltskin. Belle screamed, fire starting to burn the carpet before his magic extinguish it.

"Are you mad? What were you trying to do?" He asked, looking at her in disbelief.

"I - I thought that someone was in here."

"Yeah, me, obviously!"

Her lip trembled. "I - I'm sorry."

"Oh, no, don't start crying, sweetheart. It's alright, you were alone and scared, I understand."

The hormones had gotten her crying at the most unexpected moments and she knew that the last thing he wanted was to make her all teary and sad. Rumplestiltskin cupped her face with both hands and brushed their lips together.

"How are you feeling today?" He asked.

"In pain."

A scared expression crossed his face and his hands palmed her belly. "There is something wrong with the baby?"

"No, it's my body. Everything aches."

Belle pulled away, feeling herself shiver at the mention of her discomfort. She slipped into his bed under his watch.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to talk, but as I said, I'm aching and tired, so stop complaining and join me."

Rolling his eyes, Rumplestiltskin took a moment to take off his boots and then laid by her side, wrapping his arm around her waist and letting her cuddle against him.

"I can work on a potion for your pain tomorrow." He offered.

“I would be really thankful if you do so.” She bumped their noses together, giggling a little, before continuing: “Did you make that deal?”

“Of course.”

Belle trailed a hand over his neck and cheek, the familiar texture of his skin warming the tips of her fingers, their eyes at the same level, as they crawled together into the bed in peace. Stroking his face with her thumb, until it was placed on his lower lip, she asked: “And do you have a story to tell me?”

“Aye, do you want to hear it now or later?”

“Later.” Closing the gap between them, Belle kissed him softly. "I'm really tired and uncomfortable, I just want this day to be over."

She rested her head on his shoulder, his hand running over her arm in a kind of tender touch that no person would ever guess the Dark One could do. Belle had found a side of him that nobody had ever seen before and every time he let one of his wall fall down, she loved him even more.

"Wore your bodice too tight, didn’t you?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

"No, of course, not. But I'm sure that in time I won't manage to fit in that dress anymore."

If she was uncomfortable now that she had barely started showing, Belle imagined what was expected of her in the next few months. She hadn’t seen many pregnant women in her life, because in her lands, confinement was an obligatory thing and just now she understood why. Being with child was wonderful, but in the bad days, it was really a hard challenge.

"So I will buy you new gowns.” Rumple promised. “What more? Did you have any cravings?"

Belle shrugged. "I probably ate all the lemon pie your magic could make appear."

"Well that's a good thing. At least now you're eating."

"Yeah, your potion for nausea really worked."

Although she wanted to remain there during the whole night, Belle was just waiting for the moment that he would tell her to leave. For some reason Rumplestiltskin never allowed her to stay in his room for long, she barely entered there since the day their baby was conceived and she felt lucky that he hadn’t told her to go to back to her chambers yet. Even if her body had a million ideas of what it wanted to do there, the only thing the maid really wanted was to cuddle with him for a little while.

"And lemon pie is the only thing you are craving for now? Or is there anything else that you want? I can make all type of food appear for you.”

A smile grew on her lips as she traced the lines of his black leather waistcoat. His concern was something she appreciated very, very much. "I'm sticking with lemon pie, thank you. But if you really want to help me I suggest you work on a second potion tomorrow."

"For what?"

Her cheeks flushed. Belle wished to keep her insane need for herself, but she also wanted to stop it from growing impossibly irresistible, so she explained without meeting his eyes: "I'm kind of having this increasing desire inside me and it is not going away."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh." Belle repeated. "It is really bothering me, so if you can make a potion to end it, then it would really help, otherwise I think I'll go crazy."

Rumplestiltskin cleared his throat a little and lowered his gaze, catching her chin in hand to made her look at him. Belle was so red with embarrassment that her face almost matched the bed covers.

"You know you can smooth this ache by yourself, don't you?"

"What are you suggesting?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your fingers can work the same way as mine."

Her jaw dropped and she stared at him like he was completely crazy. Not that she hadn’t thought about doing it before, because she did, but always reconsidered that option, because she concluded that she would feel really weird doing this. It seemed pointless. Her body needed a certain touch, but she only wanted one if it was accompanied by love.

"Rumple!” She shouted out, sitting on the bed, eyes widened. “Gods, if you don't want to touch me, it's alright, I wasn't even asking, but I'm definitely not going to do that!"

"I would have no problem in doing this for you, but we agreed to take it easy and there is nothing wrong with ending your suffering on your own."

Rolling her eyes, the maid stood up. "I'm not that desperate. Actually, I think I'm going to sleep."

“Belle -” He called, sitting up on the bed.

“Goodnight, Rumplestiltskin.”

…

Two days after that, they were in the dining hall in the middle of the afternoon, Rumplestiltskin sitting by his spinning wheel and Belle on the chaise, a pile of books by her side. She was definitely feeling better, his potions had worked pretty well, though they hadn’t vanished the symptoms of her pregnancy completely like she wished they did, but now her discomfort was somewhat acceptable.

The maid closed the book she had on her lap, looking up at her lover as he spun straw into gold.

“Can you tell me a story?” She asked, sweetly.

Rumplestiltskin raised an eyebrow at her, his hands still working on the wheel. “Aren’t your books entertaining enough?”

“They are, but I wanted to hear about something real.”

It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining with almost no clouds to cover it up, the breeze fresh and wonderful, making Belle want to venture herself outside the castle, but she wasn’t even allowed to go wash clothes on the river anymore, so she wanted a story to fill her soul.

“And what exactly do you want to hear about then, dearie?” The imp questioned, leaving his golden strips aside and turning to face her.

“First, can you please stop calling me dearie?”

“Why?”

Belle shrugged her shoulders. She loved the fact that dearie was his word, because it sounded amazing in his deep accent, but she hated to be called that. “When you do that I feel like I’m nothing to you. You call everybody dearie, especially when people are annoying you.”

“Well, that’s true.” He took a moment to think before speaking again. “Are you fine with me calling you sweetheart at least?”

She smiled, nodding. “Yeah, I like that one. It makes me feel special.”

“It does. I don’t ever call anyone else that.”

In fact, she never ever heard him calling anybody that. When somebody appeared in the Dark Castle desperate for a deal, he always called the guest dearie, even when the person was someone he knew for a long time and was somewhat close to. That made her feel good. There was no other person like her in the Dark One’s life, she was now his lady and the mother of his child.

“What about my story?” Belle recalled, still smiling.

“You haven’t told me what you want to hear yet.”

The maid bit her lip, unsure if she should cross the line she was about to, but her curiosity won her internal battle as always. “Baelfire.”

“My son?” Rumplestiltskin asked, stupefied.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because he was important to you and I hope that someday when you find him, I can get to know your boy.”

He seemed lost, a little haunted, his eyes fixed on her, however appearing to be seeing something that wasn’t there. Maybe he was having a flashback from old memories or maybe he was just sad and hurt to even talk about his long lost son.

“A long time ago,” Rumplestiltskin started hesitantly “when I was only a common man, there was a war happening just like the one your lands were facing and I was recruited to fight in it, but a seer told me that my wife was with child and my actions in battle would leave my boy fatherless, so I injured myself to be sent home.”

Belle pressed a hand to her heart in shock. “You hurt yourself?”

“Yes. I was abandoned by my father when I was a child and didn’t want my son to grow up without his father like I did.”

“Oh, Rumple -” her eyes were filled with tears and one of her hands came to rest on her little baby bump, suddenly very conscious of all the responsibilities of being a mother.

“When I came back and held him in my arms, I knew that I had done the right thing. But things got difficult, I became a cripple, a coward, my wife hated me. Baelfire was the only thing I had.”

“If he mattered so much to you, how did you ended up choosing your power over him?”

His gaze met hers, his fingers drumming the wood of his stool. She noticed that he had a thing with his hands, he couldn’t stop moving them, mainly when he was nervous about something.

“Dark magic is addicting, Belle, it becomes a crutch you can’t walk without. I got these powers to save him from the war, but when magic started to corrupt me and Bae found a way to free me, I stepped back. He fell through a portal that would lead him to a land without magic.”

“This land is far away from here?”

“Aye.” He admitted sadly. “I’ve spent a long time trying to find a way to reach him, but I haven’t found it yet.”

Standing up, Belle walked towards him and sat by his side, caressing his thigh and stroking his hair, while giving him the most hopeful look she had ever wore in her life. “You will.” She assured.

“I fear that when I do, he’s not going to forgive me.” He said with a sigh.

“Rumple, you made a mistake, but you love him and you’re trying to get him back. When you find Baelfire, it may take some time, but I’m sure he will forgive you.”

Cupping her cheek, he kissed her forehead, gratefully. “Thank you, darling Belle, for your kindness.”

Hiding her face on his neck, Belle clutched him, inhaling his scent, happy to be able to find out more about him each day. She grabbed his hand in hers, leading it to her stomach and felt his thumb making circles in her skin, through the fabric of her dress.

“How do you think Bae will react when he finds out he has a little brother or sister?”

“I think he’ll be fine with that. Baelfire always wanted a sibling, but this was something he was never going to get from his mother and I.”

Pulling away, the maid asked: “What happened to her? Milah?”

His face darkened. “She is dead.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Not for her.”

Whatever had happened between Rumple and his ex-wife Milah, she knew it wasn’t good, afterall he had told her that the woman hated him. Belle concluded that these should had been difficult times for him and she wished to be to Rumple, everything Milah never could. She would do her best, even if she never became his wife like the other woman once was, she was going to be a good lady and a great mother.

Thinking about that, Belle remembered the things her maids used to teach her in her father’s castle and had an idea. “Rumple, when you’re out for your next deal, can you bring me some white soft fabric? And maybe some thread?”

“Sure, what for?”

“I want to try sew up something for the baby. I was never too good at that, but I feel like I should.”

He gave her a bright smile. “Whatever you want.”

“Thank you.” She said with an equally radiant smile, then her eyes set on the kitchen and her mouth watered. “Do you know what would be really great right now? Blackberries.”

Rumplestiltskin rolled his eyes. “You’re really having an issue with all those fruits. Lemon, oranges, pineapples and now blackberries.”

“I love fruits.”

“So it seems.” He waved a hand a basked full of blackberries appeared in his lap with one tiny bottle of yellow coloured liquid. “Here. And before you have the chance to forget, take your potion.”

Belle’s eyebrows narrowed as she caught the bottle, looking for its missing partner. “Where is the other one?”

“You are not going to take it today.”

“Rumple I need it.”

He shook his head and smirked. “No, you don’t. You’re not going to take the other now because tomorrow night you’ll come to my chambers and I’ll have a little surprise for you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really, Belle. Unless you don’t want it.”

“No! I’ve been wanting this for months.” The maid threw her arms around his neck and kissed her lover, her heart pounding furiously with happiness. She couldn’t believe that he was finally giving in. When they pulled apart, her eyes were bright. “So, tomorrow night?”

“Aye. But this time we will not rush it because of our urges. I want you to enjoy it.”

All sort of fantasies came to her mind, making one whole day seem like an eternity for Belle, but one that she would wait for with eagerness.

“Oh, believe me, I will.”

#rumbelle #rumbelle fic #rumplestiltskin #belle french #mine #writing

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