#also when the son grows up he's just the most handsome man ever

[alicesbread]

AU where Danny somehow has a son (?) Called Rudolph, that is pretty much a tiny clone of her, so serious and patient. And then, Ich has a son called Elliot. At some point Rudolph meets Elliot as a baby, and holds him in his arms, instantly being like "I must protecc" and then they're besties for life becouse why not. They grow up together and yippeee

[chloe-skywalker]

Give Them A Chance - Robb Stark

Robb x fem!reader Baratheon/Lannister

Warnings: GOT

Word count: 1,362

Summary: Robb and Y/n don’t know that their fathers plan to betroth them. But Ned has a reason for not telling. Will his reason work?

Authors Note: Takes place in like the first episode of season 1 Game Of Thrones. Like right after the whole “You got fat” lines.

Masterlist

Game Of Thrones Masterlist

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Y/n watched the exchange between her father and his friend Ned Stark Warden of the North. It was very odd but she thought it was nice that they were such good friends that they still joked around with each other. She didn’t see her father act so freely like this often. It was a rare welcome sight.

“So I take it this is your oldest.” King Robert sighed looking at the eldest of Ned’s children with a scrutinizing gaze before breaking out into a smile.

“Yes, this is Robb.” Ned introduced his oldest son to his friend.

Robert slapped a hand on the young man’s shoulder, smiling widely. “You're a handsome young lad.”

Robb tried to contain his blushing that he was sure he was doing. “Thank you, your Grace.”

“You should meet my oldest. Y/n!” Robert called over his oldest daughter, but not before sparing a knowing glance to Ned. As Y/n came to stand next to her father, smiling politely at the Stark family before her. “This is my oldest. A year younger than you I believe.”

“Princess.” Robb bowed, before looking at the princess. She had caught his eye when she first entered Winterfell on horse back alongside her uncle. He could not deny she was gorgeous, and he couldn’t believe how fast he had started to fall for her.

“Mi’ Lord.” Y/n curtised, biting her cheek. Thus Robb Stark was by far one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. And she had seen a lot of people growing up in KingsLanding. She wondered if his personality was as nice as his looks.

“Would you like a tour of  Winterfell?” Robb asked, offering a way for them to talk and get to know each other a bit. He also was one of the most qualified people to show her around.

“I would love one.” She smiled. Looping her arm through his and the two young adults that in some ways are still kids went off exploring.

While the two went off getting to know each other and everyone else did God knows what, King Robert and Net Stark headed down to the crypts.

“Have you told your son?” Robert asked once they were done talking about Ned’s sister. The King was curious if his friend's son had offered to show his daughter around on his own or out of duty.

“Not yet.” Nod squinted, he didn’t like the idea of taking this choice from his son. But the other part, this was a good alliance, and you don’t deny a king.

“And why not?” Robert had told Ned of the idea to marry their oldest months ago. But to be fair he didn’t tell his daughter either.

“Because I wanted to give them a chance to fall in love before knowing they might be betrothed.” Ned explained his reasonsings, and even though Robert would never admit it he admired Ned’s heart and how he was trying to make this a better situation for their children. It was better than just throwing them together.

“Very well. I didn’t tell my daughter either. She would’ve fought me on coming.” He chuckled. Y/n would’ve tried to fight him or talk him out of it, and it might’ve worked even the slightest. Out of all his children she was the only one that had a somewhat relationship with him.

“They’d be more reluctant if they knew about what we had planned. The two of them being in the dark might lead to them actually gaining feelings for the other.” Ned just hoped that the two would get close and at least see they could make a marriage work. But he was truly hoping that maybe they could fall in love on their own and there wouldn’t be any hard feelings or reluctantness.

^     ^     ^

It had been a few weeks and things seemed to be working out for Y/n and Robb like Ned had hopped. Y/n seemed to fit right into the Stark family. She got along with all his children and they all act as if she’s one of them. Things between Robb and Y/n had taken some people by surprise. The two had been spending almost all their time together. They only separated to sleep it seemed like.

Ned was happy to see they had a lot in common. The two went horseback riding constantly and Y/n seemed to know how to use a bow and a sword no doubt thanks to her uncle. They didn’t even eat apart at meals.

Today Robb and Y/n had gone out riding, once they were far enough away from Winterfell the two dismounted their respective horses walking along next to each other.

“Are you having a good time in Winterfell Princess Y/n?” Robb asked, hoping that the time they���d spent together had been as enjoyable for her as it was for him.

Y/n smiled, nudging him teasingly shoulder to shoulder. “Yes, I am as matter of fact. My favorite part is the company.”

Robb blushed looking down before looking back to her. Robb had no idea why she could so easily make him react like that, but she could and he didn’t mind it. “You flatter me y/n.”

“You’ve been flattering me the whole time I’ve been here. It’s only fair.” Y/n smiled. As they came to the set of trees that they had made their spot over the time she had been in the North.

Robb just stood there watching her for a moment. He never expected to fall in love with her when he first found out the King, Queen, and their children were coming to visit. But he had and he didn’t regret it. “If I may be bold and speak my mind, Princess?”

Y/n nodded, smiling back at him as she turned to face him. She noticed how he wasn’t right next to her and Y/n wondered what had made him stop and if it had to do with what was on his mind. “Go ahead. I won’t stop you.”

“During your time here in Winterfell I have become quite taken with you.” Robb stated walking over to her. He looked in her eye’s trying to notice how his works were being taken.

“And I you.” Y/n blushed, biting her lip at her response back to him admitting his feelings for her. Which she reciprocates.

“I have a proposal for you Princess Y/n Baratheon.” Robb felt an air of convenience hit him at Y/n admitting she feels the same.

Y/n furrowed her brow, it confused her on why he was using her title and first and last name. “Go on Lord Stark.”

Robb took a deep breath, he knew what he wanted he just hoped she wanted it to. “We may not have known each other for very long or very well for the most part. But I would like for us to get to know each other better over time. If you’d like that of course.”

“I would.” Y/n nodded liking where he was going with this so far.

“Would you  also like it if we could become husband and wife, Lord and Lady.” Robb stepped right up to her, reaching out to intertwine their hands. Looking into her eye’s Robb reached up with one hand leaving the other one still in hers, he cupped the side of her face, “Would you do me the great honor and become my wife? For all my days till the end of my days?”

Y/n reached up with her free hand and cupped the back of his neck, while squeezing his hand holding hers. Looking up into his eyes with what could only be happiness and adoration Y/n answered. “I would love to.”

In her short time visiting the North Y/n had really connected with the Starks and of course Robb the most. Yes, she’d miss her siblings (minus Joffrey) and she'd miss her uncles but this felt like the better place for her. And as long as she has Robb, Y/n will always be happy.

Taglist; @gruffle1 @padawancat97 @misspendragonsworld

@starkleila

[slytherinshua]

BEAUTIFUL STRANGER

genre. slice of life. kind of open ending. warnings. none. pairing. fuma x fem!reader. wc. 913. request. requested by @heavenfilm for fuma inspired by beautiful stranger by laufey. a/n. i hope this fic like?? makes sense?? def heavily inspired by the song and doesn't have much plot but i think its cute :(

The train ride to work was more often than not, almost completely empty. You enjoyed the silence of being one of the 10 or 15 passengers travelling so early in the morning. It was pleasant. You usually took train 112 to your office, but it had recently gone out of business because of how little people it transported each way. A newer, fancier train had taken its place, going throughout the capital to many different stops. It was more cost-efficient, you had to admit, but you missed the quietness you once had on the one hour ride.

It was early in the morning when you boarded the compartment. The sun had barely been up for an hour, and you clutched your hot cup of coffee in your hands as you took a seat. Waiting patiently for the train to start moving, you started to people-watch to pass the time, scanning the unfamiliar faces of other passengers taking the same train, doubtless to one of the other stops.

There was a father reading a book about cars, and his son reading over his shoulder. Two teenage girls were talking to each other in whispers and giggles, most likely about a crush at school. There was a young woman staring out of the window, and in her hand was a small knitted baby hat. She looked sad, and you wondered what her story was. Your eyes travelled to the door of the train as you heard the sound of it closing. 

A young man had just walked through the doors as one of the last passengers to board. As soon as you saw him, your breath was caught in your throat. You looked away quickly, immediately shy in the presence of one of the most dashingly handsome men you had ever seen in your entire life. 

He took a seat right across from you, and pulled out a newspaper from his back pocket. You dared to take another glance at his face, memorising his jawline and cheekbones. How could someone be so effortlessly attractive?

He seemed to feel your stare on him, and he suddenly glanced up, catching your eyes before you could act discreet. You felt your face grow hot— you hoped he didn’t notice. From the corner of your eye, you were almost certain you caught a small smile on his face. What is it because of you? No. He probably read an amusing headline.

The entire train ride seemed to go by far too quickly, and you spent almost all of it studying the beautiful stranger. You tried to not be obvious, but you were sure that you failed within the first 10 minutes. It was as if he was hypnotising you, sucking all your willpower away, glueing your eyes to his figure.

A stirring feeling in your stomach told you that you should ask for his name. Maybe he was also on his way to your stop. Maybe you would see him again. You cursed yourself for being so nervous. You could never get yourself to take a risk. What if he already had someone in his life? The embarrassment would be unbearable if he did. Who were you to try to make a move, anyway?

So, you sat in silence, imagining what you thought his life might look like. You decided in your head that he was a plain office worker in the big city, and he was on his way to work as usual. Each morning was exactly the same, the comfortable routine that people dreamed of, but once achieved always seemed to be more underwhelming than expected. 

As you studied his face and mannerisms, you decided that he was probably an only child— taking after his father, though his mother adored him. He grew up with humble roots, his only dream being to be able to make his parents proud. And he was able to achieve it when he landed his job for a successful corporation. 

But life in the city was lonely, and he wasn’t one for socialising. While his coworkers went off to parties on the weekend, he stayed in his small apartment and read books. He liked all kinds of books, but romance was his favourite. He would never admit how much he longed to experience it himself, but he adored the idea of it. Not dramatic, adventurous romances, but quiet, serene love stories that budded like a flower, blossoming and blooming to perfection. 

Yes, that was what he longed for, you decided. But given his shy nature, he never had the courage to ask any lady out. He was worried he wouldn’t have time for romance, though the loneliness continued to eat away at him. It would be more bearable with someone by his side.

The announcement of your stop rang throughout the compartment and broke your train of thought. You sighed and took one last glance at the man, still contentedly reading his newspaper. You stood up and grabbed your bag, one last urge to ask for his name flashed through your mind, but you suppressed it and stepped off the train. You secretly wished that you would see him again— maybe he would be on the same train tomorrow morning. If he was, you would take your chance. But, for now, he remained your beautiful stranger; one that you had no guarantee of ever stumbling upon again, but had stolen your heart in that hour, and you were content with him keeping it. 

↳ &team taglist (bolded could not be tagged): @eternalgyu,, @kpoprhia,, @weird-bookworm,, @candewlsy,, @blossominghunnie,, @chiiyuuvv,,

@seunghancore,, @heavenfilm,, @sobun1est,, @bananabubble,, @talkingsaxy

[whyareyouhere66]

Omg cool I have an angsty request 😈(if you’re comfortable writing it<3)

Kind of Tom!Peter Parker x Male!Stark!reader x Tony Stark(platonic obviously) ??

Reader has a rocky relationship with his dad Tony, just wants his attention, to be seen by Tony etc. but once Peter joins and takes Tonys full attention reader just automatically hates him for ‘stealing his dad from him’. As time goes on reader just gets more hateful and jealous of Peter, maybe getting into fights with Peter on purpose. Suddenly there’s a new villain/anti-hero (??) that’s been interfering with there plans or just wrecking havoc to go after Peter. Plot twist when they finally catch them/they’re too hurt to keep fighting, it’s revealed as reader. You can make it as angsty as u want!

(A.K.A. Reader is Loki, Peter is Thor and Tony is Odin lol)

 AHH THIS

I love this trope-

So glad you requested this, (and thank you for checking stuff first) and enjoy

Also note that I’m not too fresh on the marvel timeline, if you notice anything that doesn’t exactly align with the movie than I’m sorry just brush past it- this also might be the longest fic I’ve ever written so 

Implied to be set around the start of Peter’s Spider-Man stuff. 

x

Look What You Made Me Do

Male Stark Reader x Avengers

“If I loved you, was a promise….

Would you break it, if you’re honest?” 

[idontwannabeyouanymore, Billie Eillish, 2017]

Cw: violence/fighting, Tony being a bad dad, slightest mentions of drinking, angst Kind of jumping straight into it too- 

I’ll fix a few things later I’m tired I want this one to be out and about

Named after a Taylor song, starting with a Billie lyric 💪💪 

If you were to ask anyone about the wealthiest men in modern day New York, it’s inevitable for Tony Stark to appear somewhere on that list.

He’s rich, handsome, a superhero. New  York’s knight in shining armor. 

Most believe his life is a dream, somehow oblivious to the fact that maybe a superhero doesn’t live life in the dream house. But when he’s made his brand through money, fancy houses, big parties, and shiny military weapons it’s easy for people to see no further than surface level.

That isn’t the case for his son, though. 

From a wealth aspect of it- the young Stark knows how grateful he is, how grateful he should be, for his father.

If it wasn’t for him, he wouldn’t be currently sitting in this large bedroom, with a view most would pay a couple grand for, wouldn’t be surrounded by the various expensive objects linked to his little interests. It doesn’t even matter how much Y/n would insist on paying- he never seems to think much of it. Maybe it’s his way of showing affection.

That’s what Y/n hopes, at least. 

Because if not- there’s not much there. Tony Stark has never been much of an affectionate person, some may blame it on his own father. Others would blame it on the business- no time for distractions on a long days work.

But neither of those reasons matter- for all his son ever wanted is for Tony to love him the way he wants him to.

-

Static crackles through Y/n’s small speaker, and quickly the boy perks up. A short glance  over and he finds the old Queen record spinning aimlessly, with the tone arm at the end of its songs.

Pushing himself off the bed, he walks over to the stand where Tony’s old record player sits. Taking the arm off- he flips the record over to side b, before returning it to its place. 

The intro of Queen’s “Hammer to Fall” begins ringing from the speaker, and a small, satisfied smile grows on Y/n’s face.

He hums the beat, nodding his head with it while turning back to his bed- but something catches his eye.

Outside, there’s two figures standing out front. One eyebrow raises, Y/n slowly steps closer to the window. 

“Who-?”

Recognizing his dad, dressed in his best suit, Y/n leans closer. The other figure isn’t quite as tall as Tony, and looks quite obviously nervous. 

Y/n furrows his eyebrows. 

….That’s Peter Parker.

What the hell is he doing at Stark’s house?

***

The sound of a backpack falling to the ground echoes through the foyer- and immediately it’s a sigh of relief. The sweet, sweet air conditioning here is heavenly in contrast to the one at school.

Y/n faintly feels a vibration in his pocket- grabbing it only to see multiple notifications coming from a group chat. 

‘What are they on…’ he wonders, scrolling through countless messages worth of nonsense. He goes to reply, when-

“Y/n!”

His head snaps up at the voice, echoing out from the couch.

‘didn’t realize he was home…’ he looks back at the window, finding his father’s car parked in the driveway. 

“Oh.” 

Deciding the group chat can wait, the teen wanders to where his father sits. 

“What’s up?” Immediately Y/n sees the  scattered papers piling on top of one another on the coffee table, the short crystal glass filled halfway with rum. You’d think he’d wait until at least five, but that’s not the Stark way.

“I found a uh, form on the coffee table,” his voice sounds bored, tired, “something about textbooks for school?”

Y/n notices the forms sitting at the edge farthest from Tony, as if they’d been pushed away as far as they could go. 

“Oh, uh, yeah.” He says awkwardly, looking at the dirty laces of his shoes, “it’s fine, I got it.” 

“Well I can pay for them, if that’s what you’d like.” The eldest Stark shrugs, finally looking at his son from over the rim of his glasses.

Y/n almost feels embarrassed- when had he asked for that? He shakes his head, though it doesn’t hide the surprised look on his face.

“No, no you don’t have to-“

“Oh please, I got it, education is our future or something, right?” Tony shrugs, taking off his glasses and beginning to stand up from his chair, headed for the black leather wallet he’d left on the dining table. 

Y/n isn’t quite sure why he’s now rushing to step in front of his dad- there isn’t much harm in the gesture after all. Maybe he just doesn’t want the weight of depending on his father for everything to lay on his shoulders. Either way, excuses are already falling from his mouth.

“You really don’t have to, dad-“

“You’re acting like I’m handing you the presidents treasury,” Tony deadpans, “besides, you don’t have a job.”

Y/n pauses. 

“Wha- yes, I do-“ does his dad really not know about his job?

“Look, it doesn’t matter, I can get them used anyways-“

Before he can take one step closer, a nervous voice quips up from the doorway and ends the race for the wallet.

“Um, Mr. Stark?”

Curiously, Y/n and his dad snap their heads to see who has just joined them.

“Peter-?”

Peter Parker stands in the large door way, curled into himself with his backpack strap folded between his fist. His eyes are wide and questioning, looking between his classmate and his idol as if he had walked into the wrong room. 

Suddenly, Tony’s shoulders drop- and he’s no longer interested in any textbook or wallet. 

“Ah, Parker, didn’t think you’d make it.” He says bluntly, strutting away from his son and towards the obviously nervous boy. 

“Here, sit down kid.”

With the man’s hand pressed into his shoulder blade, Peter has no choice but to follow him towards the various seats lining the dining table. And from the side- Y/n watches, absolutely lost.

After he had seen his father and Peter talking, he kept it to himself. Knowing the boy, he had simply assumed Peter was asking for an autograph or a picture, just like half of the city. 

But now, he is in his house. At his table. 

What the hell is this?

“Um,” Y/n’s voice sounds blunt, almost too similar to his father- who’s already sitting down across from Peter with his arms crossed and his eyebrows raised, as if this was a press conference. 

Peter looks at him first, while his father throws a glance over his shoulder. 

“What’s this?” Y/n asks, pointing to the strange teenage boy sitting down in his seat. Tony tiredly leans back in the chair, twisting to the side just slightly so he could look at Y/n head on. 

“Y/n, this is Peter, Peter, this is Y/n.” 

“Uh, yeah, we know each other.” Peter pipes up, giving Y/n the shortest, most awkward smile it seems he could muster. Y/n’s face stays blank.

“Yeah, I meant what is he doing here?”

Tony doesn’t seem at all phased by the rude undertones of Y/n’s question.

“Peter is gonna work as my intern for a little while, I’m training him.”

Y/n’s eyebrows furrow. 

“For what-“

“Hey, quit interrupting, will you?” Tony dismisses him with the wave of his hand, turning around so he’s fully facing Peter. And Y/n lingers there, processing. He doesn’t like feeling like a shadow, not in his own home especially, but that’s the feeling that begins to overtake him.

Intern…? 

He tries understanding what that means- there’s many possibilities. Assistant, maybe. But when he looks between his dad and his classmate one last time, seeing that he’s been nearly forgotten in the room (aside from the short glances from Peter’s end) he turns around to retreat, fists clenched. 

His dad has had interns before, Peter likely won’t be much different. Possibly.

***

It’s been 5 weeks.

And multiple times, for each of those weeks, Peter has been somewhere mixed into the tangle of Tony Stark’s extensive schedule, far more entangled than Y/n has been for the past few years.

He shows up to dinner, trains at the Avenger’s tower. He comes knocking on the door randomly asking for life advice, or something- he’s everywhere.

It wasn’t even until week 4 that Y/n discovered the truth behind his sudden presence, when he saw the suit for the first time.

He has his own suit, god can you believe it?

Y/n watches on as Tony seems to easily bring Peter under his wing- hating how he has to avoid the burning green envy that burns his ears. How has Tony managed to take on the father figure role to Peter, when he barely manages that role with his own son?

‘It shouldn’t hurt this bad,’ y/n will think to himself, ‘you’re independent, relying on him will only make it harder in the long run.’

But he couldn’t help the hardened glare that arose every time he saw his dad, his own dad, bonding with someone else the way he had been wanting for what- 16 years?

Even now, sitting at the table, while the teen stares into the bowl of cereal in front of him, it’s just so irking to think about. 

His spoon scrapes the edges of the bowl, gathering the now soggy cheerios into a cluster in its silver dip. Then, they get lost in his mouth. Rinse and repeat- he does it over and over while staring a blazing hole into the wall. 

What is Peter doing that he can’t?

“Mr. Stark-“ 

Speak of the devil. 

Y/n’s grip on the spoon tightens.

Peter comes stumbling into the room, out of breathe as if he sprinted all the way here. He doesn’t even knock anymore, Y/n thinks, he’s made himself at home.

“Kid? What’re you doing here?” 

The nickname sends a shivering twitch through Y/n’s already sore muscles, tugging his face so he can’t control the annoyed look that comes through. 

They’re talking to each other now, Peter trying to tell a story far too quickly for either of them to follow. Y/n blocks their voices out.

His chair scrapes against the floor, and he grabs his bag to leave. 

“I’m going to school.” He says loudly, cutting off their conversation. 

“Oh, I guess I gotta go too-“ 

“No,” Peter freezes, looking at Y/n curiously, “no, no stay here longer why don’t you? Practically your house.” Venom leaks from his words, the sarcasm so loud it makes Peter flinch. 

“Y/n,” Tony groans, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. Y/n’s stare only hardens.

“What?” He snaps, now looking at his father. 

“Really?” Is all that Tony manages, before Y/n is rolling his eyes and spinning on his heel.

“(F/n) is waiting for me.” He grumbles, snatching his phone and stomping out of the room. 

How does his dad not get it? Is he so blind he can’t even see his own blatant favoritism? 

The look of exhaustion displayed on his face would make you think hes working day and night having to put up with Y/n’s attitude- yet he’s unaware he’s exactly what’s causing it. 

Y/n doesn’t want to blame Peter, in the back of his mind he knows that it’s his dad’s fault. But it feels like his father is being stolen.

But can it really be theft if there wasn’t much of him in the first place?

Y/n knows that he’s picking all the fights, starting all the arguments just so that twisted part of his head gets some satisfaction. 

It shouldn’t be working so well.

The young Stark doesn’t return home until it’s just about dark outside, his backpack hanging loosely off his shoulders. 

He walks the long halls of his home, past the doors that could either be a guest bathroom or a weapon closet. Even if there’s more entryways than doors, his father opting for large empty frames, he walks the length of it with no specific destination in mind. 

He isn’t too sure where he’s headed anyways, considering he’s passed the way to his bedroom already.

Through half lidded eyes he guides himself through this maze of a house, bitter jealousy bubbling in his lungs. It’s such a haunting thought, a looming presence, and he wishes he could push it down the drain but it seems that he can’t. 

“Stupid, stupid Peter…” he mumbles, hand grazing the wall beside him. 

Ned’s voice still rings in his ears, breathy from how he had been exercising for most of the class.

“You don’t know what he looks like- what if he’s like seriously burnt?”

“I wouldn’t care, I would still love him for the person he is on the inside.”

Of course it caught their attention- Peter’s little crush on Liz wasn’t hard for most to notice. 

“Peter knows Spider-Man!”

How horrible. 

Across the room, Y/n’s head snapped to where the pair was on the gym floor- Peter’s jaw slacked. It didn’t matter how much he tried to quickly say otherwise- Flash already had slid down the climbing rope with another remark slick on the edge of his tongue.

And Y/n watched on, eye twitching, feeling how his  friends slapped his arm in amusement. 

“I can’t tell if he’s for real or not-“ F/n mumbled from next to him. Y/n’s eyes never tore away from the scene playing out ahead, tongue poking the inside of his cheek.

“Yeah,” and his eyes squeezed shut, “me neither.”

Y/n’s fists curl together, knuckles scraping the wall for a moment before he’s pulling away.

It’s so frustrating. 

He’s walking further down the corridor, eyes sliding open just in time to catch a door left slightly ajar- and he pauses.

He’s passed the door many times, no doubt, but this time it’s different. There’s something pulling him inside, an unknown source that’s too intriguing to walk past.

Slowly, he pushes open the door. And there it is.

Old bins and cabinets with junk gadgets shoved inside- worn blueprints from his fathers old work. One eyebrow raises, cogs turning and grinding in his head.

There’s some things still in tact, some that have been broken apart and scattered about. Y/n kneels down to observe closer. 

He feels the smooth surface of a metal clasp against his fingertips, grazing the jumbled objects. 

This is his answer.

The backpack slides off his shoulders, thumping on the ground beside him. This room is one that his father doesn’t visit much anymore, now much more caught up in other things such as the Avengers, Peter, the scattered piles of paperwork that seem to constantly consume him.

And in the corner, there’s a bend in the wall partially hidden by a cabinet- if you were to tuck something inside, no one could see from the door frame.

Y/n already feels his mind blooming with ideas as he skims over the various parts and pieces in front of him.

If he can’t live up to his fathers standards, his fathers name, 

then he’ll make his own.

***

Multiple nights pass, weeks go by and Y/n finds himself spending the time after dinner until midnight cooped up in Tony’s old gear room. 

He likes to think it’s a family trait, something tying him to the Stark name, also known as his skill for parts. He can take a few glances at both his own notes as well as the old blueprints and suddenly have the necessary concept for a retractable weapon, built to strike out of an arm piece. And when he’s done, he simply drags it all into his tucked in corner- hidden until night falls again the next day. 

Time not spent at school, occasionally in his room, or in his new lab- is now spent taking full advantage of the gym on the higher floors. 

The Avengers don’t question it, barely even using it at the same time as him anyways. He’s planned it so no one is around to see the training he does, the work put in to not only muscle- but also skill.

He doesn’t have a vigilante name just yet- but perhaps that’s the fun in it. He’s totally anonymous.

And as the firm punching bag jerks beneath his incoming fist, he feels the creeping joy of power.

Y/n puts lots of thought into the first strike against the city- building an elaborate yet somewhat reckless attack plan, a formula. 

No citizen will get hurt- it’s only the churning, growing need for revenge he wants so badly to be satisfied. Among the jumbled emotions, and new discoveries, he knows what he wants, and he knows just who he wants to be.

Y/n Stark may never be the millionaire superhero his father is- but he will be something. Something that no one will ever expect.

***

“A new vigilante seems to be on the loose, unidentified. They’ve struck many times already, but police have noticed that, interestingly enough, among the pattern of crime scenes none of the main public areas or citizens have been hit. Could this be the work of an Anti-hero, perhaps? Down at the Avengers Tow-“ 

The anchorman’s voice is cut off, mid sentence, and Tony holds the remote firmly. 

Around him, on the expensive couches sit the Avengers themselves, but their faces are dulled by distress, their knuckles tense from a firm grip. 

“We gotta find this guy,” Bruce sighs, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose tightly. Beside him, Natasha agrees.

“If we don’t catch them soon, people will start doubting us.” She says it like it’s so simple, lips pressed into a thin line. Steve groans.

“They aren’t gonna start doubting us-“ he tries, but no one seems to believe him. 

“Oh really? Sounds like you’ve got some superstar solution then, huh?” Tony, always packed full of sarcasm, looks absolutely exasperated. He’s been looking tirelessly for this new ‘vigilante’ of the sorts - they don’t even seem to have a name. They work quickly and precisely, yet go at it with a powerful vengeance. Their skill- it’s almost something he wants to respect. 

The group begins to speak again, switching between civil turn taking and overlapping words. They don’t even notice the figure standing by the door. 

Y/n peaks his head around the door frame, watching these strong, powerful superheroes stressing over him. Oh, they just have no clue.

As they’re still talking, planning unknowingly within earshot of their own enemy- Y/n takes his notes. He listens, until finally he slips past the door and walks quietly down the hall as the sick, strong feeling of triumph sinks into his stomach. 

He’s got them.

***

The rumbling fill of chaos echoes from all around- machines jittering, codes breaking, and a light flickers down the hall.

Y/n stands at the center of the room, looking around at one of his father’s many warehouses from all around- this one being stationed north of his own home state- Maine, USA.

His dad brought him here only a few times as a kid, once or twice perhaps. He always hated it- still does, actually, hence the small bombs scattered across the place. 

It would be funny, to think that not even the Avengers have caught on to his pattern- but that may be jinxing it. Plus, he knows the common traits of each area he’s hit so far, the places holding the unjust power. This stop, though, he’s been waiting to finally hit.

“Stark Enterprises” - a sign once strung together in big letters, now laying at Y/n’s feet broken into pieces. The boy crouches down, picking up a chunk from the “E” and crushes it in his hands. 

Under his mask, he grins. 

His suit, not quite as advanced as those made by his father, fits him well. The sleeves are tighter, snugly wrapped around his biceps with streaks of purple running through the black material. Padding, like thin layers of armor, protect his torso and the pants are the most loose- cargo, with big pockets.

A mask is what pulls the whole thing together, though, concealing the entirety of his head underneath its black and purple coloring. 

Littering his hands, and even weaved into the material all across, are the gadgets he’s spent so many hours on. Rings sealed into the gloves have enough sharp metal twisted together inside that when activated, spread into blades. In the pocket around his waist band- is a button, the button, that with one push turns this warehouse into a cloud of orange and yellow. 

Y/n is still watching the crumbling sign fall from his palm, like grains of sand, when the door caves in behind him. 

“Put your hands up, tough guy, we caught you.”

Captain America, confident as ever, bursts in at the front of the group with his shield held high. Behind him, Tony, Peter, Natasha and even Bruce waltz right in after him. For a second- a glimmer of pride washes through Y/n’s body, they brought 5 to a fight against 1- he must be special.

“Yeah, times up buddy.”

Seeing his father, dressed in the famous Ironman suit, reminds Y/n of the whole reason this started- and another twisted feeling knots itself in his stomach.

The moment he’s been waiting for.

They can’t see him as he smirks underneath the mask, deciding to toy with them just a bit. He doesn’t speak- no one’s heard his voice when spoken through the filtered material yet. It seems they’ll be the first.

Y/n’s head cocks to the side, and raises an eyebrow- something the Avengers can see through the imprint of his mask. A challenge. 

Bruce’s battle cry cuts through the air- and suddenly the Hulk is charging. It startles Y/n for a moment, but quickly he steps to the side and lets the green giant crush the ground beside him. As Hulk gets back up, snarling and growling, Y/n is already grabbing a long beam, bent from where it fell with the rest of the Stark Enterprise’s sign, and strikes Hulk right in the gut.

The giant man stumbles slightly, yet still stomps forward. But Y/n isn’t in front of him.

“Hulk!” Natasha yells out, watching from across the room as Y/n comes from behind, mid air, wielding the same beam from before. Hulk is barely able to tilt his head an inch before the metal is crashing down into the area just below his head, and bruising his neck. 

He’s out within a few seconds, stumbling around clumsily while black dots tease his vision. Then, he falls to the floor.

“Well shit.” Steve mutters, bending his knees like a bull preparing to charge. He should’ve known sending in Hulk with no preparations would be a bad an idea.

“Sending the big one in first, huh?” Y/n looks at them cockily, “do you see me as a threat, Ironman?”

Tony raises an eyebrow, “oh look at that, he can talk.”  He doesn’t even skip a beat as his suit begins to whir, the arm unfolding so a mini blaster pokes out from the forearm. 

The vigilante barely has time to react as strings of energy are thrown his way, jumping and dodging each of them narrowly. Tony doesn’t wait for him to regain his footing though, flying straight towards his figure.

Steve eyes Natasha, gesturing for her to move. The woman obliges, creeping around the fight so Y/n’s back is in front of her. 

Ironman grabs Y/n by the shoulders, pushing down with such strong force that the latter is forced back a few steps. He holds the metal sleeves with a firm grip, and at first Tony doesn’t notice as the boy’s rings begin to scrape against the surface. Sparks fly like the touch of a welding torch, grazing the edges of Tony’s mask just in time for him to realize mini blades are beginning to prod at his suit. Y/n doesn’t hesitate to take the opportunity and shove the man away from him. 

Natasha watches closely, seeing how Y/n stumbles from the impact. She jumps at him.

Y/n extends his arm in her direction, not even turning all the way around, and his rings grow from small blades to a sharp spiral of metal pointing right at Black Widow’s chest.

She freezes, he smirks.

Of course, it’s not his intention for someone to die. That’s not what he does. This, well, is simply defense.

“How about we get right to the point.” He says, slipping his free hand into one of the pouches around his waist band. Out with it comes a cylinder- black and sleek with some sort of dial built in, a bright red button on top. 

Steve feels his stomach drop. 

“Pick a number.”

Tony, seemingly unaware of the detonator to have just been introduced, rolls his eyes, he’s growing impatient. 

“Alright, fine, 5- you wanna quit it with the games now?”

Big mistake.

Without skipping a step, Y/n is scrolling through digits on the small screen built into the detonator. It’s almost too quick for any of the Avengers to realize what he’s doing- and it’s far too late by the time they do. 

“Alright, then.” Y/n presses the button.

Steve goes to lunge forward, tries to make a grab for the device, but he waited too long. The whole room rattles, and the section just to the left of them suddenly bursts. Bombs. 

Y/n watches with a special glint in his covered eyes as everyone stumbles, yet his feet stay firmly planted in the ground. They’re startled, bits of the wall flying around and clattering against the floor. Peter snaps his head towards Y/n in shock.

“Who’s next?”

“Oh my god.” Peter mumbles, wide eyed. It’s the sound of his voice, his first time saying a word, that catches Y/n’s attention right away.

His teeth grind together, thumb smoothing over the button’s smooth surface. His mind mumbles, Do it again.

Staring into the large white panels of Peter’s mask, his guard is left fallen for just a moment too long. Tony sends one more blast his way. 

A jolt of pain seers through Y/n’s thigh. The energy was strong enough to surpass the material of his pants, leaving a heavy ache in the area. Y/n glares.

“You asshole,” he grunts, spinning the dial with his thumb before slamming down the button.

Above them, part of the ceiling crumbles.

Bits of concrete come tumbling down, Peter and Natasha diving for cover. But Y/n is no where near finished.

“How many bombs are there-“ Peter asks to no one in particular. His question is soon to be answered.

“Let’s not wait to find out,” Steve grunts, sprinting to where his opponent stands at the opposite side of the room. Y/n feels the previous feeling of confidence, the smooth and cocky facade, slipping away. He wants to win.

Each of Captain America’s hits clang against metal couplets clasped to Y/n’s wrist- chaos ensues around them. Tony firing shots, Peter surrounding the fight, Natasha running for a hit at close combat- and hulk just starting to stir from his little nap. 

But Y/n doesn’t let up- not until it’s too late.

A fiery blaze heads straight for him, straight for his face. It’s beginning to sizzle against his ears, he can feel it coming. But he doesn’t react in time, trying to defend himself from too many things at once. 

The blast, coming from his own father’s hand, hits him.

His mask begins to spark, edges curling into themselves as slowly, Y/n feels the right side of his face being revealed. 

His hand meets the wall, holding him up as he recovers from the impact. They haven’t seen him yet. 

He hears Steve’s heavy breathing from behind him, something so familiar it almost tricks his mind. Then, Tony’s voice.

“It only takes a few hits, huh? If I knew that’s all it took I wouldn’t have wasted so much time.”

More sarcasm, Y/n almost laughs.

“Who are you.” Natasha doesn’t even make it sound like a question, her voice strong and firm. 

Silence ensues, just for a moment, Y/n’s head is swimming. 

Yet, over all the thoughts and noise, one thing screams loudest over the rest. 

“Do. It.”

“Don’t you recognize me?” Y/n’s voice, no longer protected by a filter, is raspy and hoarse. He slowly turns around, head peaking out of the shadows.

“You know me already…”

.

.

Holy shit.

A loud clang echoes through the now dead silent room, the red white and silver shield rolling across the floor. 

“…Y/n?” 

Tony’s helmet folds into itself, revealing a sweaty face with wide eyes and a slack jaw. 

A bitter smile is what he receives.

“Dad.”

Tony looks around, dumbfounded. 

“I-“ he stutters, nearly speechless, “what- what the hell are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” Y/n steps forward, voice dry yet dripping with venom. 

Tony chokes, “being an absolute moron, that’s what-“

Y/n barks out a rough, quick laugh. “Ooh, rough.” He rasps. Steve steps forward, putting a hand onto Tony’s shoulder and pulling him back. It’s like a warning, silent communication because next, he’s the one to step forward.

“Y/n…” the words die on the tip of his tongue, throat running dry, but he still tries, “what- I mean, why?”

Y/n has begun to pace slightly, taking slow steps around the shocked group. He peels the mask away from his face.

“Yknow, most people tend to turn to the worst of their options when in a dark time,” he says smoothly, feeling each and every set of eyes watching while he walks. Hulk watches through blurred vision, completely disoriented. 

“I mean, hate to give you the classic origin story and everything, but…” 

“Hold on,” the thoughts are almost visible, loud and heavy in Tony’s head, “is this about something I did?”

So he’s finally getting it.

“What could Tony have possibly done?” Asks Natasha, and Y/n looks at his father directly.

“You don’t care, ok, that’s what-“ his voice is breathy, and he scowls, “You can’t even talk to your own kid, Stark. It’s like you don’t realize what I am, to you- what you are to me!” Anger rises with each word that shoots like poison from Y/n’s mouth. 

Tony gets defensive, shaking his head and squeezing his eyes shut. “That’s not true, I know damn well you’re my kid-“

“Oh really? Cause you seem to have it a bit mixed up.” Y/n’s eyes flicker to Peter’s frame, and everyone tenses.

“Is…is this about Peter?”

At the mention of his name, Peter tears off his mask, a concerned, heavy look on his face. 

“I, Y/n it’s not like that-“ he tries, only to be interrupted.

“Yknow,” Y/n’s voice sounds so pained, “I always thought maybe you aren’t too upfront with your affection. For years, ok, I would wake up, go to school, come back, and go to bed all without saying more than a few words to you. Years, dad.” A lump is forming in his throat, but it’s too late to turn back now. “But then, out of nowhere, someone else comes into the picture and suddenly you’re taking him to lunch, you’re picking him up from school, basically spending way more time with him, than with me.”

Bold, bitter, and wavering- Y/n doesn’t stop. Even as his father, his classmate, the people he’d grown up with thinking were like family, just watch with feeling burning in their eyes. 

“Y/n,”

“You made it look so easy with him.”

“Hey, kid, c’mon-“

“Are you serious?!” Y/n yells in disbelief. “Are you gonna tell me I’m wrong? Is that it? I’m just exaggerating, or what-“

Tony straightens his posture, swallowing hard. 

Y/n’s face almost crumbles from the way his fathers face wavers. But he just doesn’t stop. 

“You can be the greatest hero in the world,” Y/n breathes, sweat sparkling around the frame of his face, “you can put on a face for the interviews, and train Peter to perfection,” a step closer, “but don’t forget that I’ve always been here too.” 

Y/n’s voice sounds so dark, unfamiliar and breaking, it’s gone raspy from the pounding drum of his heart beat. 

Ringing silence once more. 6 melting souls standing in the waste of their own troubles. 

Y/n feels budding tears threatening to spill.

“And now look what we’ve done.” 

[starsfic]

The Deer Prince

Summary:

Prince Qi Xiaotian finds a beautiful scarlet deer on Flower Fruit Mountain while Prince Red of the Demon Bull Clan goes missing.

Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms.

One was the Demon Bull Kingdom, ruled by the Demon Bull King and his beautiful wife, Princess Iron Fan. DBK had inherited a small kingdom and turned it into a vast empire, sending more and more soldiers out to take more and more land and even more wealth. Often, he himself led the charge, swinging his mighty battle axe to cut his enemies down. She, with her own fierce strength and power over the wind, was left to defend their capital as well as their most prized possession- their son, Red Boy. They wished to rule over the world, as well as give their son everything he ever wanted.

The other was Mount Huaguo, also known as Flower Fruit Mountain, ruled by the legendary Monkey King Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong had started as nothing more than a simple monkey, born from stone. However, through learning and cultivating his magic, as well as some stealing, Sun Wukong had become immortal, powerful beyond anyone’s wildest expectations, and his desire for more was frightening. His fear of death was more frightening. Slowly, though, thanks to a pilgrimage he had to take with a band of loyal friends, his desire for more power faded. It came to an end when he discovered that, in his absence, the mountain had produced another little monkey. Sun Wukong took the little one in as his child, dubbing them Qi Xiaotian, and his worries about death faded.

In the beginning, Sun Wukong and the Demon Bull King were good friends, sworn brothers in arms, and even lovers for a short while. However, a distance grew between them. It did not help that, in all his conquests, the empire that DBK had built was starting to fall apart.

Years of war had left his army exhausted and his treasury running close to empty. Slowly, battles began to be lost, and DBK found himself pushed back more and more, pressure growing when the edges of his empire took advantage of the distance revolted. Princess Iron Fan found herself having to deal with riots as taxes on the people increased. In all of this, Red Boy grew into a young man proud of his heritage but frustrated by his parents’ refusal to let him help. His only method of aid was building robotic soldiers and servants for his parents, a staff, and an army that would never tire.

Eventually, DBK swallowed his pride. He took Red Son with him to Flower Fruit Mountain to ask Sun Wukong for help. Over the years, Qi Xiaotian had grown, turning into a lovely and powerful young man. Surely, DBK reasoned, a marriage between the two would be beneficial to their kingdoms, with the wealth of the mountain and Red Son’s knowledge. Sun Wukong had tried to reach out to repair their brotherhood, after all.

Much to their shock- DBK, Red Son, and even Qi Xiaotian watching the meeting in secret- Sun Wukong refused. Qi Xiaotian was the most precious thing to him, after all, and he did not want his son to live on the edge of poverty, much less in civil war. Stunned and angry, Red Son decided to find another way to fix his family’s fortune…

“So he said no, just like that?”

“Just like that! And I can get why, but it’s…” Qi Xiaotian sighed, staring up at the blue sky. “I don’t know.”

A head rested next to his. “What did you think of the prince?” Long Xiaojiao asked. She had been Qi Xiaotian’s best friend since they came out of the egg. She knew him best.

“He was…really handsome,” Xiaotian admitted, face growing warm at the memory. Prince Red had hair like fire, scarlet embers glowing in the warm sunlight. Like his father, he was a bull, smaller and shorter but still visibly strong. Xiaotian, watching from the window, had been immensely drawn to the sight of him. His first thought had honestly been I wonder if he could pick me up. He was willing to bet the answer was yes, since he was smaller than him. “He had big biceps.”

“Ah, yes, biceps,” Xiaojiao said, nodding. “You and your fascination with them.” Xiaotian flicked his tail against her head. She didn’t understand it, but he didn’t get her fascination with long legs, so they were equal. “So, did he say anything?”

“I think he brought some of his inventions to show what he could provide, but he didn’t get very far down the list.” It was enough to show that he was smart, way smarter than Xiaotian could say for himself. “He did have a nice voice.” And very nice horns-

"Um, your Highness?"

His thoughts about the horns stopped. "Yes?" Xiaotian sat up at the sight of the nervous-looking servant, one wearing a massive shiner. "What happened?!"

"Well, there's a strange animal acting strange, and some of us tried to catch it to see if it was alright." Made sense, his father protected all of Flower Fruit Mountain, including the animals. Any signs of disease were quickly caught and treated. "But it's lashing out, and your father and the generals are in a meeting. It's in your private grotto, and we were hoping you could-"

"I'm already on my way," Xiaotian scrambled to his feet, reaching a hand back to help Xiaojiao. "Show us this animal."

The servant wasted no time in leading them out of the garden and down the path, splitting away from the main path down a small side path. As they rushed down it, Xiaotian could hear cries and yells.

"What kind of deer is this?!"

"Run for your life!"

"Duck!"

"AH!"

The servant shoved some bushes aside, revealing one of his private groves, and Xiaotian felt himself come to a stop at the scene.

First, there were several monkeys, all nursing cuts and bruises. One even had an arm twisted the wrong way. Not all of them wore servants' or guards' uniforms. Some wore simple clothes. Baskets of fruit had been scattered around in the chaos, peaches smashed beyond recognition.

And there was the deer.

It was unlike any buck Xiaotian had seen before. For one thing, its horns were strangely thick, to the point that it had to be hurting the poor thing despite its large size. Another thing was that its eyes were strangely intelligent, fiercely flashing as it kicked and bucked. And, the last thing, its fur was a deep scarlet red, not unlike the hair of the prince who had recently come to visit.

Xiaotian shook his head. He couldn't get distracted by thoughts of Prince Red, not now. Instead, he rushed forward, coming between the buck and a servant. "STAND DOWN!" he yelled to the guards, forcing them to lower their weapons.

The buck came to a stop.

Xiaotian blinked and slowly held up his hands, showing that he had no weapons. He and his father shared the staff that could move mountains, and it was currently with Sun Wukong in his meeting. "It's okay," he said to the deer, keepng his voice soft and pleasant. "It's okay. We don't want to hurt you. We just want to make sure you're okay." He raised a hand up, dropping his eyes to the scarlet coat.

Slowly, he felt the deer lean forward until the softness of its forehead pressed against his palm. Xiaotian allowed his other hand to move forward, gently running his hand over the coat, feeling a happy laugh escape him at the feeling. He had never been able to pet a deer, despite the lovely deer that frolicked on the mountain.

He pulled his hands away once he felt the deer relax. Xiaotian carefully raised his hands to his head and pulled off the scarlet ribbon that tied his hair back. "Xiaojiao," he called to his best friend. He hear the rasp of her jade sword settling back into its sheath. "Can you run to the stables and ask them to prepare a stable for my little friend here?"

"Uh, sure. Do you want me to get the vet too?"

"That'll be great!" Xiaotian was more focused on gently wrapping the ribbon around the buck's neck, making a leash out of his ribbon. He expected the deer to kick and bite, but it remained still, excluding a small, impatient stomp. Once it was done, he had a leashed deer who gently followed behind him.

He left his grove silent, his subjects gaping after him.

The stables had a small stall set up by the time Xiaotian arrived. The deer looked a little nervous as they stepped inside, and Xiaotian couldn't blame him. The stables were full of horses- at least three were stolen from Heaven when Sun Wukong served as the bimawen, while the other five were either gifts or horses that the Monkey King had wrangled himself. Second to the monkeys, these were Sun Wukong's favorite creatures, and he made sure they were well-kept. "Uh, here, my prince," the stable master said, leading Xiaotian to the stall at the end.

Sweet new hay had been set up, with a trough full of grass and a small thing of salt. Xiaotian settled into the hay and the deer followed, sweetly settling next to him and setting his head in his lap. "Wow!" Xiaojiao said from the doorway. "He's nothing like before. What did you do?"

“I don’t know,” Xiaotian admitted. He paused his pets, and the deer butted his hand, forcing him to start the gentle movements again. “I just told him to stop, and he did.” He turned his smile to the deer. “You’re just a scared little sweetie, aren’t you?” he cooed.

It might’ve been his imagination, but the deer seemed to roll its eyes.

-_-

Xiaotian loved his new pet.

As it turned out, the deer was not sweet. The stable master had made the mistake of trying to feed him, still amazed by its appearance, and the deer had bit him. Any stable boys were promptly kicked and bit until Xiaotian had arrived. At the very sound of his voice, the deer had calmed.

So, it was agreed. Xiaotian was the only one allowed to approach the deer. He didn’t mind. The buck was nice to him, even though he felt sassy to the point of brattiness sometimes. Still, he allowed him to brush out his fur, feed him, and take him out on walks. (He had tried to take some of his father’s horses out, but the deer had stomped its foot until the stable master took the reins. Xiaojiao had tried to join, but one attempted kick from the deer was enough.) Xiaotian had found a lovely meadow next to a waterfall, and there he grazed the deer.

Out there, alone with nothing but the deer and his thoughts, Xiaotian found himself talking to the deer. 

At first, it was nothing but notes on drawing his new pet. “You’re so energetic!” he said, scratching the deer’s head. “You’re giving me lots of practice for dynamic poses.” For the next few minutes, it felt like the deer was posing, allowing him to scrawl out the weird horns (the vet had no explanation for the horns) and the buck’s large chest.

Slowly, though, more thoughts came out. Some were just kingdom gossip that his father told him during dinner. Some were his own thoughts, mostly around his rejected engagement. “I wished I could’ve drawn him,” he admitted as the buck rested against him. “He was beautiful. Not like you-” The deer snorted with a vain little flick of his head. “Definitely not like you. You don’t have his eyes.”

Those amber eyes had seared into his skin, matching the warmth of the flames he so easily wielded. Xiaotian could imagine those amber eyes staring into his own, studying him with every inch. He sighed, shutting the book. “But, hey, at least I have you.”

It might’ve been his imagination again, but the buck looked sad.

That night, at dinner, his baba seemed… weird. Uneasy. He picked more at his food than ate it, and considering his appetite, Xiaotian had to ask. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Oh, well…” Sun Wukong looked around as if expecting to see someone eavesdropping. Most of the monkeys were in the dining hall, eating their food or talking with each other, the din rendering any attempts at eavesdropping moot. “Red Son is getting married.”

Xiaotian’s heart did a weird thing, a mix between a squeeze and an ache. “Really,” he said, trying to sound calm. “Who to?”

“Some noblewoman named Ivory Lady. The issue is that Red disappeared the day after I rejected his courtship of you,” Wukong stared at his bowl, his brows furrowed tight. “Apparently, he went on a quest for some way to reverse his family’s fortune. And then suddenly, he appeared out of nowhere with this random older woman?” Wukong picked up a slice of peach and bit into it almost savagely. “Maybe it’s just me…” He didn’t explain why he was concerned.

Xiaotian’s heart was busy doing that weird ache-squeeze.

He found himself not touching his dinner either, excusing himself as soon as he could. Xiaojiao was back home, visiting her great-uncle, so he found himself stumbling to the stable.

He shouldn’t have been surprised. DBK had been desperate to set Red up with a good match. And with things as poor as they were in the bull clan, Red would, of course, go looking for a match of his own. He just hadn’t expected it so soon, barely a month after his baba’s rejection.

The deer looked up with a mouth full of sweet cud as Xiaotian stumbled in, collapsing to his knees. The deer wasted no time snuggling up, looking up at him with those big dark eyes. It took a drop of water landing on the red fur to realize tears were rolling down his cheeks.

“I mean…of course, he would just try again with someone else…” Xiaotian sniffled, letting the tears roll down. “I wasn’t anyone special to him. We barely…barely knew each other…” Gods, he was crying over a guy he had only seen up close once. “I’m being ridiculous…”

The deer rose up, nuzzling his face. Xiaotian couldn’t help but laugh at the sweetness of the gesture.

“Yeah, I’m being stupid. Who cares if Red is getting married?” The deer’s eyes went wide. “I mean, I have plenty of opportunities- Where are you going?” The deer had stood up, looking around frantically. “Wait, hang on-” Before he could grab the collar, the deer had somehow managed to jump over the stall door. It wasn’t a full jump, leaving the deer struggling on its stomach on top of the door. In front of Xiaotian’s horrified gaze, the deer somehow managed to shimmy to the other side.

The moment he got his feet under him, the buck took off at a run.

Xiaotian scrambled past him, following the deer as fast as he could. Several screams and cries, like the first time he had been called to handle the deer, led him to the stone manor. The doors had been thrown open, and several monkeys were huddling around, clearly terrified. Xiaotian wished he could stop and comfort them, but he had to get his pet.

He finally caught up at the doors to the throne room, reaching in time to see the deer throw his head, throwing the doors open. Sun Wukong, talking with his marshals and generals, looked up, startled.

"WAIT!"

Xiaotian threw himself forward. It was the stupidest idea, but he had to try. He buried his fingers in the soft fur he had just been petting a few minutes ago and yanked down. The deer went stumbling head over heels, coming to a stop in front of Wukong.

"Sorry, baba!" Xiaotian said, desperately trying to keep the deer from moving. He hadn't bucked him off yet, which was a blessing. "He just started to freak out, I don't know what's wrong-"

"Red?"

"Huh?" Xiaotian looked up, realizing his father's eyes were glowing gold. On a guess, he looked down and allowed his gold vision to activate. (He honestly kept forgetting he had that.)

The next second he was scrambling off.

Instead of a deer, a bull demon was hunched on the floor. Those warm amber eyes, that scarlet fur...Prince Red stared up at him desperately. "...I've been keeping a prince in the stables," he managed out. There were several other issues, but that was the first he was focusing on.

Wukong's brows furrowed together. "Well, if he was in the stables, who's the Red getting married?" he asked. Red's face scrunched up in a furious look and if Xiaotian wasn't so embarrassed, he would be swooning.

“I have no idea.”

-_-

"I OBJECT!"

The wedding- sparsely but lovingly decorated- fell silent. Xiaotian's face burned, but he ignored it, focused on the couple mid-bow. The bride appeared to be an older but still beautiful woman, her features full of icy beauty. The groom was Red Son, prince of the Demon Bull King.

At least, he appeared to be.

"What is going on here?!" The Demon Bull King bellowed. He rose up, eyes narrowing on Xiaotian and his father. "Sun Wukong! You dare to interrupt! You already snubbed my son-"

"Yes, but I'm here on behalf of your son." It had taken a lot of work to figure out how to get Red here, but he trotted in, allowing Xiaotian to bury his fingers in his fur. "What appeared to be a simple but extraordinary deer caught the eye of my son. I looked upon him with my vision of truth." His voice rolled through the hall. "Do you want to know what I saw?"

Silence fell as everyone turned to stare at the frozen couple. The man pretending to be the prince was sweating while the bride just looked annoyed, especially when there was an awkward "Uh..."

'Red' squeaked as he went poof, revealing a scrawny man with big glasses and blue hair. The entire hall went silent. The woman, Ivory Lady or whatever, yanked her hands away with a disgusted noise. "I can see destiny refuses to let me walk this path," she sighed.

Red lunged forward, antlers clearly ready to gore, and she disappeared in a flash of cold blue. The man yelped, jumping off the stage just in time to avoid being gored. Two guards were immediately at his side, yanking him off his feet and away despite his protests.

The hall fell silent as people awkwardly, without much of a word, got up and shuffled out after the false groom. DBK didn't seem to care, rushing over to help Red get his antlers out of the wall. Princess Iron Fan trailed behind, looking surprisingly calm.

"How do we fix him?!" DBK demanded, hugging Red as best as he could. "I need my son back!"

"Well...uh, I don't know, we just found him like this...!"

As the argument continued to grow, Xiaotian slipped over to Red. The transformed prince nuzzled against his face. He sighed, scratching him in that spot he liked. “It's okay, Red,” No, it wasn't okay, but Xiaotian had to believe this could be fixed. “We’ll find a way. I promise.” He leaned forward and kissed Red right between his horns, sealing his promise.

Poof.

Xiaotian blinked at the sudden smoke, feeling heat crawl up his face. Instead of a soft deer, he was face to face with muscle. He dared to look up, feeling the heat grow even hotter as his legs went weak.

Red blinked, and suddenly, his hands were around his waist, keeping him steady. Xiaotian stared at him, wide-eyed, and that heat was just growing worse as Red grinned before his feet left off the ground as the taller prince scooped him up fully in his arms as he spun, holding him tight.

He had never been so thankful for being picked up.

"Thank you," Red said, his voice low before he moved forward. The kiss was soft and pleasant, sending an electric shock up Xiaotian's spine. He pulled away, and Xiaotian wasted no time, grabbing Red's collar and hauling him close for another kiss.

At least, he tried.

"Okay, okay, make som room for Buddha!" His father shoved their faces apart, looking like he had just come to the realization that Xiaotian and Red had technically been alone for weeks. "Red has some explaining to do."

"What happened?" DBK was the first to ask, which was reasonable. "Where did you go?! Your mother and I were so worried!"

Red managed a cough. "I went to the neighboring kingdom," he said. "I heard that the king there was interested in servants that never tired." He gestured. "I was hoping that we could arrange a deal, since we've made a way to mass-produce the bull clones." Those must've been the never-tiring servants he had created. "She...I met her first. She was his advisor, but she wanted the bull clones to serve her. I refused, because I didn't trust her."

"And she turned you into a deer," Xiaotian said, slotting the pieces together. "She must've figured marrying at least someone who claimed to be you was the best way to get her soldiers."

Wukong sighed. "Well, glad we could get that solved. C'mon, Xiaotian-"

"Nope." Red started walking in the other direction, still holding him close. Xiaotian couldn't, wouldn't protest. "I made a promise to myself that I would keep him, so..."

"Wait, HANG ON-!"

Red broke into a run, leaving Wukong to scramble after him. Xiaotian didn't protest, snuggling close.

He would miss his deer. But he was happy to have his prince.

[copajay]

lightning bolt

⋆˚✿˖° 𐙚 ₊ ⊹ ♡

masterlist

ITS BEEN ALMOST 3 YEARS SINCE I LAST LEFT THIS SERIES OMG but here’s soobin! not even gonna lie I hate this one esp bc I'm rusty after my writing break </3

summary: choi soobin has been madly in love with his best friend since they were kids, but she's never seemed to notice. when she starts showing interest in another guy, soobin realizes he needs to make a move or move aside. (not proofread)

date: 12/28/23

series: txt demigod series (located in masterlist)

scenario themes: best friends to lovers!au, percy jackson! au

idol: soobin or choi soobin of txt

concept: fluff

warnings: swearing, soobin making bad decisions

word count: 2.1k

choi soobin's father is none other than the king of the Gods. the widely revered and respected zeus, who also happens to be quite the lady's man...if you consider turning into an animal to seduce a woman romantic.

soobin, on the other hand, isn't so lucky when it comes to romance. he could easily get with most of camp half-blood's residents with his impressive height, handsome features, and high status (being zeus's son and all). but soobin has only ever had eyes for one demigod: y/n l/n, the child of dionysus and half-sister of choi yeonjun, soobin's good friend.

like your brother and father, you're exceptionally outgoing and flirtatious. meanwhile, soobin is exceedingly reserved and has virtually no game. the two of you are polar opposites, which is why it comes as a shock to most people once they find out you're the closest of friends.

growing up in the same neighborhood with your respective human parents, soobin and you walked hand-in-hand through every stage of life--from sitting next to each other on the school bus in kindergarten to finding out that you're both full-blown demigods on a class trip to the empire state building.

once you guys made your way to camp half-blood upon the discovery of your mythological lineage, soobin felt a surge of confidence. he was related to the most powerful being on mount olympus, there's no way you'd curve him now... right?

unfortunately, right before he could even attempt to make a move, he met your newfound older half-brother and camp counselor, choi yeonjun, who scared the absolute shit out of him. luckily for soobin, he was able to form a close friendship with the older boy, but that doesn't mean he scared him any less.

it's always been difficult for soobin to express himself romantically, especially around you. terrified of rejection, he could never bring himself to tell you how he feels. you, however, have no problem making romantic advances towards others. notorious for being a camp heartbreaker, you often share tales of your many flings with soobin, unbeknownst to the fact that he absolutely despises hearing about them.

the only thing that keeps soobin from sobbing in his pillow every night is knowing that you're never serious about any of your prospects. sure you have a tendency to go on and on about them, but in a matter of days, you'll simply move on to the next.

although it frustrates him to no end, he'd rather have it this way than have to see you actually in love with someone else. soobin wouldn't know what to do with himself if you actually fell for someone that isn't him, which is why he was a complete and total mess when you finally did.

it started off just like any other short-lived crush of yours: giggling over the new addition to camp half-blood: lee jeno, son of aphrodite. he might be painfully good-looking, but soobin was sure you'd be over him within less than a week.

"you don't get it. his nose is, like, perfect." you raved as soobin felt the biggest eye roll of his life coming on. "uh-huh" the boy absentmindedly responded.

once you had officially been fangirling over this jeno character for two weeks, soobin started to get worried.

"why don't you approach him, then?" soobin asked, irritated. you've been talking about jeno nonstop for an hour and it was seriously starting to piss him off.

not only that, but you told yeonjun of all people. you've never told yeonjun about any of your small crushes before, so why are you starting now? soobin was beginning to panic, was he really about to lose the love of his life to some guy she just met?

"because... I guess I'm nervous. i don't know?" you responded awkwardly. "you? nervous?" he teased, "it's weird, I don't think I've every felt this way about someone."

uh oh.

that was all he needed to hear to confirm his worst fear. you were actually starting to like this guy, and soobin had yet to tell you how much he liked you first.

"i've gotta go." he said abruptly, leaving you mid-conversation. what the hell is his problem? you thought to yourself.

soobin didn't know what to do or how to feel. whenever he has a problem he usually goes to either you or yeonjun, and he definitely can't go to you for this one.

after pacing around camp for nearly 10 minutes, he wound up at the dionysius cabin door. with a shaking fist, he knocked gently on the wooden door. per usual, yeonjun opened the door with a wide smile on his face, and all soobin could think of is how that smile would disappear after the conversation he was about to initiate.

"could I talk to you in private maybe?" the younger boy proposed, hands still shaking. "of course. is everything alright?" yeonjun responded, ushering soobin inside.

"you know how to get girls right?" soobin asked awkwardly once the pair had made their way to yeonjun's desk. chuckling, yeonjun simply nodded his head.

"look, i need you to promise me you won't get mad." he pleaded. "of course I won't, soobin." yeonjun promised. "i'mkindainlovewithyoursisterandnowshelikesanotherguyandidontknowhowtowinherover." soobin stammered.

yeonjun's pursed lips quickly transitioned into a cheshire smile. "soobin. everyone knows you like y/n, why would I get mad?"

"EVERYONE?"

"well, I guess not y/n herself, but pretty much everyone else."

was it really that obvious? soobin thought he was pretty slick, but people definitely began to connect the dots after he rejected yet another admirer to follow you around all day.

"then what should I do?" soobin retorted. "have you tried telling her how you feel?" yeonjun shrugged, leaning against his bedframe.

soobin felt himself turning red, far too embarrassed to answer. "of course you haven't" the other demigod replied. "isn't there another way?" soobin pleaded, ignoring yeonjun's facepalm.

"this guy belongs to the aphrodite cabin, right?" yeonjun began, causing soobin to nod his head vigorously. "well good luck with that, it's impossible not to fall in love with one of aphrodite's kids. they're walking love potions."

"love potions? those are real?" soobin prompted. yeonjun's face immediately stiffened, "are you seriously about to use a love potion on my half-sister."

"nope. I'm going to use it on jeno and make him fall in love with someone else." soobin declared excitedly. "that doesn't sound like a good idea bro-"

"don't worry about it! I won't!" soobin hurriedly shouted before his friend could protest. "shit, what did I just do?" yeonjun mumbled to himself as soobin made his way out the door.

perhaps soobin was acting irrationally out of desperation, but he couldn't care less. in moments like these, he really resembled his father: going on a fiery rampage over something seemingly insignificant. he was in way too deep to turn back now, and as he marched to find a way to access a love potion, he found his golden ticket: choi beomgyu.

beomgyu is a mutual friend between soobin and yeonjun, but more importantly, another son of aphrodite. if anyone could get him a love potion, it was the youngest choi of the trio.

"beomgyu! what's up buddy," soobin mused. turning around, the slightly shorter boy cheerfully responded, "long time no see, soobin. what's up?"

"you wouldn't know how to get a love potion, would you?" soobin feigned a nonchalant attitude, getting straight to the point. "a love potion is pretty easy to make, but what would you use it for?" beomgyu questioned. "umm I'm just curious! I think I read about it in a book somewhere." soobin lied. although he felt guilty, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

as soon as beomgyu listed the ingredients, soobin ran off in the opposite direction, shouting a quick "thanks!" before heading out

that night, soobin ran all around the camp and forest to find everything he needed to create his very own love potion. finally finishing around 2 a.m., he crashed in hopes of succeeding in his plans.

the next morning, as he confidently made his way to the mess hall, he saw jeno and you sitting side by side eating breakfast. the sight made his stomach turn and him even more eager to hatch his plan so he could finally win you over.

all he had to do was create a distraction so he could slip the love potion into jeno's orange juice, so he shot a lightning bolt directly at the window to shatter it. maybe that wasn't the smartest idea, but soobin was running out of patience. as the campers ran to investigate the window, he rapidly poured his homemade love potion into jeno's drink before taking the seat opposite him.

as you and jeno made your way back you noticed soobin was sitting at the same table that you were previously at. "soobin!" you waved. the boy turned and shot you a smile before dapping up jeno beside you.

"what are you doing here?" you asked, ignorant to the situation. "oh, I got a bit hungry and saw that this table was empty. what a coincidence!" he shared awkwardly.

jeno simply laughed and reached for his juice to take a sip before soobin realized just how stupid this whole plan was. he didn't even know how a love potion works... who's he going to fall in love with? how fast would the results appear? is it even ethical to use a love potion? IS IT EVEN LEGAL?

before jeno's lips could touch the cup, soobin reached over and slapped the drink out of his hand. the silence that followed was deafening. you and jeno looked up at him in shock, along with the rest of the campers at the mess hall.

humiliated, soobin ran out. he wasn't sure where he was going or how he was going to face you. he just knew he couldn't handle all the attention he was getting back there.

"soobin, what the hell was that?" you yelled running behind him. turning around, he struggled to find the words as you looked at him equally disappointed and angry.

"woah woah what's going on?" yeonjun butted in after hearing you yell across the patio, with beomgyu trailing behind him. "what was that for?" jeno confronted angrily, emerging from behind y/n.

the next thing soobin knows, he's cornered by four people he lied to and he can't think of another lie to get himself out of this situation.

"I was planning on using a love potion to get jeno to fall in love with someone else and not y/n." he admitted with his head down.

yeonjun simply sighed while beomgyu gasped. you were still processing why your best friend would sabotage your first potential relationship until jeno opened his mouth.

"fall in love? I was just looking for a hookup. she isn't really all that anyway," jeno quipped.

you immediately whipped your head in his direction, dumbstruck. "excuse me?" yeonjun quickly retorted, fists balling up. meanwhile all beomgyu could do is gasp again.

for once in soobin's life, he didn't feel nervous or hesitant. he felt angry, furious even. without thinking, he pushed jeno to the ground, hovering over him.

"soobin, calm down." yeonjun interjected. confused, you decided to take matters into your own hands.

"first of all, you're an asshole jeno," you began, "and you." pointing at soobin, "are an even bigger one."

you stormed off but you could hear soobin trailing behind you. "leave me alone." you sputtered. "please just hear me out, y/n," he begged.

"how could you possibly justify that? how could you defend anything you did?" your voice broke towards the end of the sentence, breaking soobin's heart. it felt like he was being hit by a million lightning bolts.

"I can't. I acted immaturely and carelessly. the truth is I've liked—loved you for a long time now, but I didn't know how to tell you, and i felt threatened by how much you liked jeno so I made an idiotic decision. i know it’s not enough but im sorry.”

as mad as you were, you couldn’t help but feel bad. were you really that oblivious?

“you’re right about it being an idiotic decision…” soobin’s gaze was stuck to the ground in shame at this point. “but i’d be lying if i said I didn’t have feelings for you. I guess that’s why i never really settled for one guy, because none of them were you. and jeno… was clearly a mistake.”

soobin finally looked up hopefully, “does this mean…” he started, “not until you make it up to me.” you shut him down.

“oh.” he replied awkwardly, scratching his neck. “…by taking me out tomorrow.” you added, grinning.

“of course.” he agreed, mimicking your smile.

[rose-pearls]

Baby’s first snow

Prompt: baby's first snow

The night had been calm for once, Bob had managed to sleep through the night and you were incredibly grateful when you woke up finally rested. Ice was still asleep with his arms around you but by looking at the clock you knew that he would be waking up any minute now.

You enjoy the early hours of the day to look at your husband and admire him, even after ten years together he is still the most handsome and caring man you have ever met. He gave you a sweet boy and you were expecting a second child, but the gender was still a mystery. It had been a surprise pregnancy; Bob was going to be 1 years old in a few months and you had planned to try for another when he was three. But once you learned of the pregnancy you both decided to keep it, excited to grow your little family.

Ice stirs in his sleep and slowly starts waking up, his arms tightening around you and his eyes slowly opening. 

“Good morning beautiful.”, he whispers, and you can’t help but melt at his sleepy voice.

“Good morning handsome, slept well?”, you ask and Ice nods before giving you a good morning kiss.

“Strangely without interruptions.”, he says, and you sigh happily.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?”, Ice smiles lovingly and brings you back into a kiss, this time more passionate. But before he can deepen the kiss you hear some noise from the baby phone. 

Ice sighs and you giggle softly as he looks at the baby phone expecting something to come.

“Dadda”, you hear suddenly, and Ice suddenly turns into mush at the words, giving you one last kiss before getting out of bed. 

“Mama”, you hear next and your heart melts at the small voice of your son, who seems to start getting impatient as he babbles.

You hear Ice coming into Bob’s room and enjoy hearing your husband and son getting ready for the day. Ice always enjoyed the quiet moments with Bob in the morning before he had to work, and it became a habit that he also took during the weekends. You were more than happy to let him have this time with Bob while you took some time to get ready and get time for yourself.

The boys are still getting ready when you head down to get breakfast ready, and you enjoy hearing the laughter coming from the room. 

Ice comes down with Bob a few minutes later and you turn around to see Bob and Ice wearing matching sweatshirts that Slider had bought as a joke.

“Don’t you two look dashing.”, you say as Bob gurgles happily towards you and you take him into your arms, kissing him on the cheeks to say good morning. 

Bob suddenly starts to wiggle in your arms, and you turn around to see what he has seen, Ice had just opened the curtains and a thick coat of snow was everywhere. Little Bob seemed transfixed at the sight of it, and you smiled at his wondering eyes.

“That’s snow buddy. We can go later if you want.”, he babbles some words back and you assume it’s a yes before setting him down in his highchair while Ice gets everything ready.

Breakfast goes by quickly and before you know it you are getting ready to go into the snow, Ice has put a big jacket, a pair of small gloves, a scarf, and a small hat to cover him. He looked at Bob with a doubtful look, but you reassured him that it was enough.

Ice is the first to go out with Bob in his arms and you sneakily take a camera to picture the moment. Bob is looking at everything with big blue eyes while Ice is whispering things to him. 

Your husband sits down in the snow and Bob clings for a moment to his father while looking at the white powder doubtfully.

“It’s alright buddy, it’s not going to hurt you.”, Ice whispers softly and Bob looks at his dad once again before deciding to trust him and try out the snow.

His little hand touches the snow for the first time with his glove and he starts poking at it, like he is waiting for something to happen. Ice tries not to laugh at the furrowed eyebrows of his son and takes his small glove off so that he can touch it.

Bob tries again, this time without glove, and when it finally touches, he looks at Ice surprised and his father smiles reassuringly at him.

Your little boy goes back at it and this time tries to take some in his small hand, giggling when it stays in his hand. Ice is looking near to tears as Bob continues to play softly with the snow while holding on to his father with his other hand.

They stay like that for a few minutes before it starts snowing as you join them. The small snowflakes fall down the three of you as you continue to play around, and Bob looks up with sparkling eyes and a big smile while he jumps in his father’s arms.

You stay there for a few more minutes before going back inside with a promise to go back later to Bob as he looks outside with a pout. 

The hot chocolate is ready, and you bring it to the living room to warm Ice up but as you arrive you find him asleep on the couch with Bob asleep on his chest under a cover. You take a picture of the two before taking your book and enjoying the calmness of the day.

At this point little Bob and Ice are a a series but I can't help myself, they are too cute :))

[the-badger-mole]

The Other Woman

Katara sometimes thought that her love life was cursed. First there was Jet, whose radical politics clashed with her own compassionate views of the world. They'd broken up after a year and a half when Katara refused to support the extremist candidate he'd begun volunteering for. When the candidate lost, he had blamed Katara and everyone like he who "claimed to want to see real change, but refuse to get your hands dirty!" When Katara pointed out that Jet's candidate wanted to pass laws that would directly take away women's rights, he had snorted in disgust and stormed out of Katara's apartment. A very inauspicious end to what had started as a promising romance.

Next had been Aang, who had been her neighbor growing up, and her friend for most of middle and high school. He'd had a crush on her for years, and after militant bad boy Jet, nice guy Aang seemed like a good idea. It was not. After being let out of the Friend Zone, Aang had ceased to do any of the things that had made Katara want to be his friend in the first place. He was never interested in her thoughts or interests, and he never took her out unless it was to someplace he could show her off. He flirted with other women- right in front of her, on more than one occasion- but got huffy and possessive if she even glanced in another man's direction. The end to that relationship had come when she found Aang in a compromising position with a woman Aang had recently begun referring to as his "new best friend". Aang had done everything to get Katara to forgive him, vowing to cut off the new girl, and to never have any female friends again. He'd even proposed, which only served to make Katara angrier. She threw Aang out of her apartment, chucking the jewelry box out after him.

Zuko was the latest, and until recently Katara had thought greatest of the men she'd ever dated. He was handsome, in spite of a large scar on his face. He was smart and successful, but not arrogant. He kind and compassionate, even if he wasn't necessarily nice all the time. He was considerate of everyone, not just because he wanted something. Like Aang, many of his closest friends were women, but he never gave Katara any reason to be suspicious of them, and in fact, most of them had become Katara's close friends, too (one even started dating her brother, to Katara's delight). They had been together eight months when Katara began to allow herself to imagine a future with him in it. She should've known it was too good to be true.

Ursa was a formidable woman- beautiful, gentile, successful. She had rebuilt her life from essentially scratch after her divorce and losing custody of her children to her much richer ex-husband. So perhaps it was understandable that she was so protective of her son. Unfortunately for Katara, that protectiveness manifested in harsh scrutiny of any woman Zuko brought home. Even more unfortunately, her perfect man was also very much a Mama's Boy.

"She didn't mean it that way," he told Katara the first time Ursa had insulted her education. Zuko had gone to the most prestigious schools in Caldera. Katara had gone to a local school in the Southern Water Tribe.

"You just have to give her a chance to get to know you like I do," Zuko had insisted when Ursa had criticized her career pursuit (her precious son would need to settle down with a more home-minded woman).

"She didn't mean that you're a bad cook," he swore. "Sea prunes are just not everyone's taste. Besides, you know I love your cooking." Katara hadn't even made a lot of sea prunes. They were a side dish to introduce Zuko's family to her culture.

The final straw, however, was the day that she and Zuko had announced their engagement to his family. Katara had mentally prepared herself for Ursa not being thrilled, but she never saw her future mother in law's reaction coming. Rather than the polite, collected, if cold congratulations hiding subtle barbs that Katara had been expecting, Ursa's face had gone white, then red in anger. She managed, at least to wait to pull Zuko aside, but Katara had gone to the bathroom, and overheard on her way back what Ursa really thought.

Zuko was going places. His career was taking off, and he needed someone who would support his ambitions instead of pursuing her own. Who would raise her grandchildren if he married a career woman? He could do so much better. That woman wasn't in his class (never mind that before she had married Zuko's horrible father Ursa had been a struggling actress from the wrong side of the tracks). Zuko barely had time for his mother and sisters as it was, that woman would only pull him farther away. Ursa was getting old, she didn't have much time left and she wanted her son in her life. Oh, never mind, he would abandon her, just like every other man in her life ever had (Ursa was still very much married to her second husband, who was sickening in his devotion to her). The last blow, however wasn't anything that Ursa said. Katara waited in her hiding spot to hear Zuko's defense of her.

"Oh, Mom," he sighed. "Of course I'm not going to abandon you." There was nothing else. Katara suspected they were hugging. Something in her broke in that moment. Suddenly, decades of competing with Zuko's mother flashed before her eyes, and Katara knew she couldn't do it. She quietly made her way out of Ursa's house, and walked away alone.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

[yeetus-feetus]

Clex fic idea where Lex Luthor is transmasc and Kon is their bio kid. But Lex got pregnant before he started physical transition and he left Smallville when he found out he was pregnant so Clark doesn't know about Kon.

Clark also doesn't know that Lex Luthor used to be the pretty redhead that he shared most of his highschool classes with.

The pretty part hasn't changed, actually, Lex is just pretty in a different kind of way now, with his sharp jaw, no good smirk, perfect suntan and defined muscle barely hidden under his crisp, expensive suits.

And there's definitely something familiar about Lex, something about his eyes. But Clark can't put his finger on it and it's driving him insane. No, that's the least of his worries - what's really worrying is the way he's falling for his arch nemesis and the most infuriating man he's ever known.

And really, unknown to Clark, he's already fallen for Lex once before.

And then one day, Clark wakes up after the end of the world, and there's a mini-me version of himself trying to help him save the world again. And the kid is calling him dad.

And this Superboy has very familiar eyes.

He finds out about this kids involvement with Lexcorp. And he immediately assumes this another clone of his- like the many other clones of himself he's had to face before. And he's ready to come down on Luthor with an almighty fury for cloning him, because this kid has the same clear grey-blue eyes.

Luthor has always wanted Superman's power, or at least control of it, and it's not a huge leap to assume he's made a clone so he can do just that.

But when Superman confronts Lex? Well, he finds out a lot more than what he was prepared to. And he wants to be angry, that his son was kept from him until now- but this is the first time he's ever seen fear in luthor's eyes.

And that makes a pit open up in his stomach, this sinking guilty feeling that Lex was scared all those years ago and felt safer running away than talking to him. That Clark hadn't felt like a safe enough person to tell all those things too.

Then it starts to make sense why Luthor's attacks had greatly decreased in lethality during that year leading up to Superman's death. Because Conner had developed his powers, but Clark was his other father, so the only possible conclusion was that the big blue boyscout is actually that dorky kid from Kansas that had accidentally blown up their middle-school science room that one time.

In the end, things work out and Clark and Lex try to go on dates as Lex rekindles the feelings he had from highschool and Clark falls all over again, as they stumble through their relationship and what this means for their public personas. And some cute, slightly sad stuff about Clark trying to catch up on all the years he's missed with his son, trying to find out what things he likes and how he's been doing with school and what his favorite movie/food is, and they stumble their way through father-son bonding time.

It's hard at first, because Conner likes a lot of things Clark is unfamiliar with, and he has no interest in fishing or sitting still long enough to play a board game or read a book. But Conner does teach Clark how to play Mario Kart and Clark sits through one of Conner's favourite shark documentaries on YouTube, he also gets introduced to TikTok dances and becomes familiar with the words 'rizz' and 'speedrun' and- during many missions 'yeet'.

In return, Clark teaches him about Krypton, takes him to the fortress of solitude, gives him a Kryptonian name, and takes him for a tour of the watchtower.

There a growing pains, yes, but Clark is just happy to know his son. Is happy to be getting to really know Lex, handsome and more confident in himself now, than he ever was as the redhead in the back of class.

Also wingman Lane Lane! She is the fun aunt who buys into Conner's mischief whenever she's got him for the weekend while Clark and Lex go exploring (ifykwim).

[cognacandlilac]

To the Depths - Part One

(Pirate!Silco x Fem!Reader)

An Admirable Spirit

Part 2 - Part 3.1

Rating: Explicit, MDNI

Set during the golden age of piracy, you are unwillingly engaged to an honorable Captain of Piltover’s navy when you’re kidnapped and held for ransom by a notorious and fearsome pirate.

Chapter Tags: kidnapping, suggestive content, mild knife play (?)

AO3

“I don’t want to do this,” you say for the third time since you stepped into the carriage. Your father presses his fingers into his temple and tries not to look as worn down as you know he feels. You have that effect on him but - to your credit - you feel bad about it most of the time. But not today. 

“He’s your fiancé. You should want to spend time with him.”

“I barely know the man and you know how I feel about marriage,” you fire back, sticking to your script. Now, your father will bring up your mother and the wonderful marriage they shared before she died ten years ago. He’ll hammer in the point that their marriage was also arranged and how he can’t imagine loving anyone the way he loved her. 

“Your mother and I-”

“Please,” you groan, tipping your face toward the window to catch a bit of breeze. It’s a cool morning, cooler than you’d expect for the time of year. Something heavy hangs in the air. You pray for a storm. “Spare me.”

“Captain Vander is a respectable man. Honorable. His men speak highly of him.” 

“I’m sure that’s all true,” you nod. In fairness, Captain Vander has been nothing but polite and companionable in the handful of hours you’ve spent together under the watchful gazes of chaperones. “But that’s not enough to make me want to marry him.”

“What would you have me do?” The cold note in your father’s voice catches you off guard. “When I’m gone, who is going to provide for you?”

“I’d be able to provide for myself if I inherited the company,” you fire back. Your father built Star Crossed Shipping from nothing. Your childhood memories of him are few and far between since he was always at sea. When your mother died, your father made the bold decision to bring you along on his ventures. Those were the happiest three years of your life. 

You crisscrossed the globe and learned more about the world than you ever could in a finishing school. You were able to grow close to your father in a way you hadn’t been able to before. 

When you came of age and were expected to take your place in society, you didn’t think you’d actually have to return to Piltover. The day your father told you that you were to remain at the family estate to brush up on etiquette and dancing was the second darkest day of your life, after your mother’s death. 

Without your knowledge, your father had arranged for your aunt on your mother’s side to guide you into becoming the lady you’re supposed to be. You weren’t a fool. You knew that being the daughter of a wealthy merchant came with expectations. You were okay with all of those expectations for the first fifteen years of your life. In fact, you actually looked forward to the day you could wear a beautiful gown, twirl around the dance floor with the handsome son of a politician, and fall in love. Life was laid out before you in neat little tiles. 

Then you felt what it was like to sail through the open ocean, to survive storms so brutal you sometimes believed a giant cosmic hand swirled the skies and directed the very lightning, to see colorful ports all over the world, and to taste food so incredible it holds a place in your dreams. Compared to those three years at sea, everything else seemed dull. 

Yet, that isn’t the worst part. You would have been able to accept that you couldn’t spend your life sailing the seas with your father. You understood the expectations placed on you hadn’t gone anywhere just because your mother died and your life took a turn for the unconventional. 

But you were blindsided. No one prepared you. No one bothered to ask what you wanted. You were left behind without warning and everything in your life changed once again. You were betrayed. 

You quickly realized none of the eligible suitors you once would have been glad to know and even marry could ever give you the life you wanted. You became impossible to court, evading invitations and intentions until they lost interest in you.

Last year, just after you turned twenty-five, your father suffered an injury that ensured he would not be able to travel with any of his ships for the foreseeable future. He quickly caught onto your schemes to avoid marriage and put a stop to them. 

Within months, he introduced you to Captain Vander who proudly served in Piltover’s navy. Six months later, there was a ring on your finger, though you only wore it when you absolutely had to. 

“I don’t want that life for you,” your father sighs. “I want you to have a safe, comfortable life. A stable life. Business owners don’t get to have that.”

Guilt shone in his eyes. Guilt for never being around when you were a child. Guilt over the loss of your mother. Guilt over abandoning you at the estate to save himself the pain of actually telling you what was going to happen. 

“I know,” you say, your voice soft. As much as he might deserve to drown in that guilt, you don’t like to see it. You understand he truly thinks he’s doing the right thing. 

You’re jostled as the carriage takes an unexpected turn. You glance out the window once more. “We’re going to the harbor?”

Your father’s face brightens. “Captain Vander thought you might like to see his new ship. The Council just awarded it to him. Word of your engagement has left a positive impression. I’m certain he’ll be promoted within the year.”

“Oh!” You choke out a hollow laugh. “I’m so thrilled to know that my freedom bought someone else a fine new ship. That’s just delightful.”

“Enough,” he sighs. “Spew your venom at me, if you must, but I expect you to treat Captain Vander with the respect he deserves.”

“When have I not?” You challenge. 

“He’s not a dullard. He knows your affections still need to grow.”

“Which has nothing to do with respect,” you point out. “If he’s after my affection, then he’s welcome to earn it.”

You know damn well he won’t be able to. Friendship? Perhaps in time. Affection? Never. Your heart and your mind are the only two things that can’t be bought and bartered by someone else and you plan to keep both well within your control. 

The carriage comes to a halt and a footman scrambles down from his perch beside the driver to open your door.

“Thank you,” you say and make your way to the front of the carriage to give the horses an affectionate pat. You’re only beastly to those who deserve it. 

You silently follow your father down the dock, taking in the comforting sight of so many magnificent ships. Though it’s early in the day, the dock is quiet. Everything exciting happens closer to dawn. Pity. You would have liked to see what goods are going in and out. 

You make a note of the ships that bear the insignia of your father’s company, whether they are ships he owns or ships he’s chartered. There aren’t many, but that doesn’t tell you much. You’ve been kept in the dark about business aspects since you came of age. As far as you know, everything is going well with the company but you still enjoy the details. 

Your father approaches a ship that is, frankly, magnificent. The hull of the heavy frigate boasts a fresh coat of deep blue paint with a brilliant red stripe beneath the closed canon hatches. You count thirteen, meaning twenty-six in total. Enough to reduce any challenging ship to splinters.

Your eyes drift toward the bow where the ship’s name, The Hound, is painted in bold red letters. A completely new ship, then. 

As far as you know, Piltover isn’t at risk of being pulled into a war and the navy is more than equipped to handle any conflicts they might come across at sea. Why build a brand new frigate when there are surely several waiting to be placed back in commission?

The Council must truly favor Captain Vander or they know something you don’t. 

You gather your skirts so you can traverse the gangplank without tripping. As you board, you tip your face up to inspect the three towering masts. The sails are furled, but you can see how pristinely white they are from where you stand. You’re so busy looking at the rigging that you nearly collide with Captain Vander’s broad chest. 

“Quite a sight, isn’t she?” The pride in his voice is unmistakable. 

“She is, indeed.” You don’t even have to fake a smile. The ship truly is spectacular. “You must be happy, Captain.”

“Vander, please,” he dips his head before offering his arm. Knowing your father is watching and you’ve already put his nerves on edge, you take it. You don’t miss the hint of surprise flashing across the Captain’s face. Aside from one dance at a Council ball, you’ve kept your distance from him. 

“Have you taken her out to sea yet, Captain?” You ask, keeping your voice kind but your boundary firm. Captain Vander takes it in stride. 

“Just once to make sure everything works the way it ought to,” he says. “We’ll join the regular patrols later in the week.”

“You’ll be the envy of the armada, no doubt.”

“I don’t know about that,” he chuckles. Again, you feel a twinge of guilt beneath your breastbone. It would be easier to despise him if he weren’t so damn nice. “Tea?”

He ushers you to a small table near the bow, set for three. Two uniformed crew members wait in attendance, every button polished to perfection. 

“How thoughtful,” you smile, though you’re certain the hovering crewmates have better things to do. Surely, this can’t be in their job description. The crewmate closest to you, a young woman with a shock of pink hair and a scar on her upper lip, looks like she’d rather be scraping barnacles off the hull. 

“May I introduce my first mate, Violet?” Captain Vander gestures to the pink-haired woman, who dips forward in a shallow bow. 

“Pleased to meet you.” You allow the tiniest hint of apology to bleed into your smile. You didn’t ask for this. If Violet notices, she doesn’t let on. 

Captain Vander turns his attention to the second crewmate, a young man with a kind face and a quiet demeanor though he was almost twice the size of Violet. “And this is gunnery chief Claggor.”

Claggor bows as well and offers a kind smile. “An honor, my lady.”

“I’m not a lady,” you correct gently, “but the honor is mine. With twenty-six cannons, you must feel quite spoiled.”

“I do,” he grins, relaxing a touch. “The armory isn’t anything to scoff at, either. Of course, I hope we’ll never have to use them in true battle.”

“Of course,” you agree. 

“Where’s Mylo?” Captain Vander asks Violet. 

“Up in the crow’s nest,” she replies. “Wasn’t structurally sound enough for his liking.”

“Ah,” the Captain nods. “I’ll leave him to it. You two may return to your posts. Should Mylo come down, send him this way.”

“Yes, sir,” Violet nods before she and Claggor depart. 

Captain Vander pulls out a seat for you and invites your father to sit as well. Rather than take the last seat, Captain Vander pours the tea. 

“My Quartermaster Benzo is quite fond of the culinary arts,” he explains, gesturing to the elegant trays of tea cakes, finger sandwiches, and delicate confections. “I tell him every week he should have gone to the culinary arts academy instead of joining the navy with me, but he didn’t want to turn a hobby into a job. We’ll hire an actual cook when The Hound is eventually deployed, but Benzo is happy to do it for now.”

“You trained at the naval academy together?” You take a sip of tea. It’s delicious. Rich and sweetly spiced. Nothing like the mild floral teas stocked in your home.

“Oh, yes. We’ve been thick as thieves since we were children. There was quite a merry band of us for a time.” A shadow flickers across his face but it’s gone in an instant. “We graduated together and ensured we were assigned to the same vessels while we were climbing the ranks. We taught at the academy for a spell, too. That’s where we found Vi, Claggor, Mylo, and a few others. Kept them with us ever since. We’ve become something of a family.”

Your cup clatters against your saucer as you realize why Captain Vander invited you aboard his ship. Perhaps he did want to show off The Hound, but this is his way of introducing you to his family. 

You’ve never met his parents. You don’t even know if he has parents. The Piltover Navy is a common refuge for those with limited options, including orphans. It strikes you just how little you know about the man whose ring you wear on your finger. 

This is exactly why you shouldn’t be his, or anyone’s, damn wife. 

You take another sip of tea while you scramble to come up with an appropriate change of subject. 

“It seems such a shame to keep such an incredible ship bobbing against the dock,” you say. “Might I persuade you to take me on a brief voyage?”

Your father murmurs your name with a smile on his face but a warning in his eyes. You elect to ignore him and fix Captain Vander with your most charming smile. 

“I’ve never gotten the chance to see you in your element, Captain,” you say. “And I would think myself a poor guest for not being able to fully admire The Hound’s splendor and the strong bonds of your crew.” 

That does it. He gives you an indulgent smile before rising from his seat and approaching his First Mate. 

“What are you trying to do?” Your father whispers as soon as Captain Vander is out of earshot. 

“I’m doing what you asked,” you reply, all doe-eyes and fluttering lashes. “I’m taking an interest in the man you’ve sold me to.” 

“It’s a marriage agreement, not indentured servitude.” 

“Then walk down the aisle yourself.” 

All around you, the deck has come to life. Getting a ship of this size underway is no small feat. Bringing your tea with you, you step away from the table and wade into the whirlwind of activity, careful to stay out of the way. Before long, those clean white sails are unfurled and the mooring lines are released. 

Captain Vander stands on the weather deck before the helm, surveying the crew. He gives orders to Violet with calm authority and she relays those orders to the rest of the crew, her voice cracking like a whip. 

You make your way up the steps of the weather deck and position yourself at the bow while The Hound glides toward the heart of the harbor. Captain Vander joins you.

“Why do I have the feeling you’re used to getting your way?” He chuckles.

“On the contrary, Captain, I can’t recall the last time something went my way.” You keep your eyes fixed on the open ocean beyond the shelter of the harbor. 

“If you could have anything you want, right this moment, what would it be?”

You nearly say that you’d ask to be released from your engagement, but you can’t quite bring yourself to do it. Blindsiding him like that, on his own ship no less, would be cruel. You can find a way out of the marriage without inflicting unnecessary pain. 

“Take The Hound beyond the harbor,” you say. 

“Out to sea?”

“Not for long. Just a few minutes.”

“You enjoy the sea, don’t you?”

“I do.” That doesn’t even begin to cover it, but you’re not about to clue Captain Vander into the deepest longings of your heart. 

“Alright.”

You turn to look at him. “Seriously?”

“A few unauthorized minutes at sea won’t kill anyone,” he winks before striding away to dispense fresh orders to the crew. 

You grip the railing as the bow shifts until The Hound is headed straight for open water. The wind picks up and you take in greedy lungfuls until the ache you’ve carried in your chest for years starts to lift. 

Within minutes, The Hound is beyond the shelter of the harbor. Nothing but endless blue stretches out before you. For a moment, you forget who you are and where you are. All you let yourself see is the endless possibilities in front of you. Beautiful countries, wonders beyond imagination, and freedom. 

Far too soon, noise crashes through the fantasy you’ve woven for yourself. It takes you a moment too long to realize the noise isn’t just noise, but cries of alarm. You turn away from the bow to see Captain Vander’s crew darting across the deck, preparing the cannons on the port side. 

You lean over the railing to see a sleek little sloop quickly gaining on The Hound. The black painted hull has seen better days. It’s covered in chips and scrapes. Disheveled men stand on the deck, their shouts laced with malice and sinister glee. Most incredibly, the sails of the rundown sloop are unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Bolts of deep red stretch against the wind. The color makes you think of pomegranates and dying roses. 

“Get back and stay out of sight.” Captain Vander appears at your side only to vanish after pushing you toward the galley stairs. Your teacup is abandoned on the nearest surface. 

You don’t go below deck, though you probably should. The idea of not being able to see what’s happening is more than you can handle. Instead, you press yourself against the starboard railing and watch the masts of the approaching ship. 

You quickly realize The Hound’s cannons are positioned too high to deal much damage to the other ship, which veers close enough for you to anticipate a collision. 

You watch the opposite railing, waiting to see barbed hooks dig into the wood as the attacking crew prepares to board The Hound, but that doesn’t happen. You hear them jeering and shouting as Captain Vander orders his riflemen to take their positions. 

Something about this isn’t right, besides the obvious. A small number of your father’s shipments have been pirated over the years. Occupational hazard. You’ve never witnessed piracy in person, but you’ve heard the stories. 

Sleek, rundown ships quickly gaining on heavier ships carrying precious cargo. They sneak up right against their target ship, launch hooks and lines followed by crude gangplanks allowing them to board, and then they wreak havoc.  

You check the masts of the other ship. It’s not flying any colors, not even the black flag. You spy someone in the crow’s nest, a skinny girl who looks several years your junior with brilliant blue braids. You can’t make out what she’s doing. From your vantage point, she seems to just be…enjoying herself. She nearly distracts you from the actual problem at hand. The other ship is in the perfect position to board The Hound, but they make no move to do so. 

While you’re grateful for that, you don’t understand why they aren’t pressing their obvious advantage. Who are they? What do they want?

Captain Vander’s crew fires their weapons. Your gaze shoots back to the girl in the crow’s nest but she’s unbothered. In fact, she’s laughing. None of the shots fired from The Hound appear to be directed at her, as far as you can tell. You hear no screams of pain or agony so you have to assume that the riflemen aren’t hitting their targets on purpose. Even your father has found a spare rifle to carry, though you never see him actually fire it. 

You keep a sharp eye on what you can see of the other ship. As soon as the other crew attempts to board, you’ll scurry below deck. 

A hand clamps around your wrist and pulls it behind your back, setting you off balance. You assume you’re being manhandled by a well-meaning member of Captain Vander’s crew and prepare to politely rectify the situation, but then you hear his voice. 

“Scream for me, pretty one.”

Never in your life have you heard a voice like that. All darkness and silk and deadly secrets. For a split second, you’re too stunned to do anything but marvel at the sound. You quickly snap back to reality, teeth bared and anger snapping. 

“Get your hands off me!” You throw your head back, hoping to collide with a face. Instead, the hand on your wrist wrenches your arm further behind your back, sending pain straight into your joints. You lurch forward in an attempt to escape the pressure only to feel the cold kiss of a blade against your throat. You’re trapped and have no choice but to go still.

“There we go. You’re a proper sweetheart with the right leverage, aren’t you?” His breath tickles your neck and you feel a sharp nose brush against the shell of your ear. You fight off a shudder to avoid nicking your throat on his blade.

“I will put the hangman’s noose around your neck myself,” you hiss through gritted teeth.

Your assailant laughs low in your ear, smooth like rolling thunder. “Oh, this is going to be fun. Now, scream.”

Screaming would be the wise thing to do. Captain Vander and the rest of the crew are still trying to drive off the sloop, which you realize must have been a diversion so the man behind you could sneak aboard. Yet, the foolish part of you that writhes with oil-slick anger absolutely refuses to do anything this man says.

“Do I need to make it hurt, beauty?” The blade at your throat moves lower and twists until the point presses against the swell of your left breast. When you say nothing, he presses the knife harder into your skin. You hold your breath, waiting for the faint stinging sensation to grow into true pain, but that never happens. 

“Interesting,” he murmurs but before you can figure out what he means, he lifts his chin. “Captain Vander!”

Captain Vander goes deadly still before slowly turning around, his face a mask of pure rage until he sees you. 

“Let her go,” he says with that same controlled authority he uses when he gives orders to his crew. The man behind you simply laughs. 

“I don’t think you’re in a position to be making demands.” The knife returns to your throat. 

Several of the crew raise their rifles but Captain Vander signals for them to hold. 

A man similar in size to Vander, wearing a stained apron over his uniform, thunders up the stairs. The Quartermaster, you assume. Unfortunately, his booming footfalls alert your assailant to his presence. You’re swiftly moved farther down the deck, your body acting as a perfect shield. 

The Quartermaster’s eyes land on you, then the man behind you. His eyes fill with not only rage but recognition. 

“Silco?” He snarls before looking at Captain Vander. “How the fuck did he get on board?”

They know the man holding you hostage. You aren’t sure if that makes the situation better or worse. 

“Step back, Benzo,” Captain Vander orders. The Quartermaster reluctantly does as he’s told. Dozens of rifles remain trained on you. Surely, one of them is a fine enough marksman to get you out of this predicament. 

“Someone take the bloody shot!” You shout. Isn’t this crew supposed to be the pride of Piltover’s Navy?

“Hold your fire!” Captain Vander insists before fixing your assailant with a murderous look. “What do you want?”

“Your fiancé knows how to cooperate,” the man, Silco, whispers to you. “Perhaps you could learn something from him.”

You fix your gaze straight ahead and say nothing. 

“I’ve come to negotiate a trade,” Silco says. 

“You have nothing I want,” Captain Vander snarls. 

“Don’t I?” Silco pulls you in tighter, your hands trapped between his abdomen and your lower back. You feel him press into the curve of your backside, sending heat to your cheeks that grows into a fever of anger and humiliation when he moans into your hair. “Vander, you lucky devil.”

“Forget the noose, I’ll kill you myself.” Your nerves mutate what should have been a scathing threat into a pathetic whisper. 

“What do you want, Silco?” Captain Vander repeats. 

“Your little treasure is going to come with me. In that lovely office of yours, you’ll find a note detailing a date, a location, and a sum of money. If you follow my instructions, your fiancée will be returned to you unharmed.”

“And if I refuse?”

The blade presses into your throat hard enough to make you flinch. “You wouldn’t make me slit such a pretty throat, would you?” 

“Do something!” Your father stammers, shaking Captain Vander’s arm. For a moment, you think Captain Vander is going to run at Silco or order his crew to open fire, but then his shoulders sink. 

“If she comes to any harm, even a bruise, I will tear you apart.”

Disgust rolls through you as you look from the useless crewmates to your useless father, and finally your useless fiancé.

“I’m glad we could come to an arrangement. Come along, beauty.” Long fingers wrap around both of your wrists, pinning them together behind your back. 

He lowers his blade and you don’t hesitate to dart forward, wrenching your arms against his grip with all your strength but he’s so strong he might as well have you in irons. Your wrists bark in protest as they’re crushed under the pressure of his grip. He yanks you back again, forcing you to stumble and turn toward him. You slam into his chest, hoping to throw him off balance, but he simply laughs. 

“I admire your spirit. I sincerely hope I won’t have to break it.”

You feel the tip of his blade under your chin, forcing you to look up. Your eyes snap to his and you can’t stop the horrified gasp that tumbles from your lips. 

One eye bores into you, blue-green and as volatile as a stormy sea. The other is something out of a nightmare. Black as the depths with a broken iris of pure hellfire surrounded by ruined flesh and jagged scars that stretch all the way down to his mouth. 

You know this man, though not by the name the others called him. You know him only as The Eye. 

You thought he was just a story, a tall tale used to terrify naughty children. During those years at sea, your father often used that story to usher you below deck when passing through waters he deemed dangerous. Hell, you’ve told horror stories about The Eye to scare a cabin boy or two into behaving. 

Never once did you think there was a speck of truth behind those stories of a cursed ship crewed by men twice damned under the orders of a vile, depraved captain who was more monster than man. A monster with an eye gifted to him by the devil himself.    

Those stories never frightened you, but now you realize they should have. 

The monster is very real and he has you in his clutches. 

****

thank you thank you thank you to @silcoitus @sherwood-forests and @averagecrastinator for beta-reading. ioweyoumylifeandlove

[skylerbluexd]

Physician-Patient Confidentiality

Omegaverse ZhouDu: beta police captain Luo Wenzhou X omega psychiatrist Fei Du

There was a sudden light from the corner of Fei Du’s eyes, it reflected onto his glasses, blinding him momentarily as if the sun had just risen over the horizon. Of course, this was impossible since the sun had just set a few hours ago. The movement was quicker than the sound, the impact was felt first rather than heard. Glass shattered and exploded onto Fei Du as he turned away from the light on instinct. Something cracked near him as the whole car jerked into a harsh spin by the force, stopping at a ninety-degree angle from its original position, tyres screeching from the friction. The airbags deployed, punching Fei Du from all sides. His head was flung backwards, hitting the headrest and turning his sight white. An engine came alive and coughed somewhere a bit further away, its roar closing in on him yet again. After that came the deafening sound of metal bending and windows blowing out as something big slammed into his side once more. The onslaught was too much for the human ear to take in at once, instead, everything turned into a ringing sound. Just before his consciousness left him the pain arrived, slowly covering his whole body like a blanket of sharp needles.

***

Fei Du is a psychiatrist who works with people with temperamental and unpredictable behaviours. Most of his patients are alphas despite him being an omega, and this is due to the fact that he is considered less emotional than typical omegas. Everyone knows that omegas and alphas complement each other, because of this, Fei Du is often paired together with alphas who need the calmness of omegas. With Fei Du's personality, there is little risk for breach of boundaries due to emotional compatibility.

One of his more recent patients is a man named Zhou Haiying, an alpha who deals with childhood trauma from growing up in an unstable environment. Zhou Haiying has all kinds of problems, but his sessions with Fei Du seem to work wonders. With time, he becomes totally obsessed with his psychiatrist. Fei Du rejects him and suggests that they end their partnership. Zhou Haiying pleads with him and promises to keep everything professional going forward. Fei Du gives him one last chance, since Zhou Haiying has only ever shown progress while working with him.

While Fei Du continues to work with Zhou Haiying, a new lead on an on-going disappearence case emerges. The lead is connected to a famous nightclub in Yan City. Luo Wenzhou and the City Bureau team take over the investigation. Soon, the lead takes them to the doors of Zhou Haiying's little rental apartment. After learning who Zhou Haiying's psychiatrist is, Luo Wenzhou finally visits Fei Du. The last time they saw each other, Fei Du was one of the victims of a domestic abuse case, and Luo Wenzhou was the young officer carrying out the arrest of Fei Chengyu. Tao Ran had checked in on the kid a few times after that, but he himself had never really interacted with him after the case. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't surprised to see that Fei Du had become such a handsome young man.

As only betas were allowed to join the police force, Luo Wenzhou was actually lucky with his lot. He loved being a beta. What was there not to love? Betas were the most level-headed of all the subgenders. They were not affected by pheromones as much as the others, and they didn't have to deal with ruts or heats. And best of all, he got to be the sane and calm one when arrogant and hot-tempered alphas try everything to pull ranks with him during arrests. It doesn't matter that his father thinks Luo Yiguo is a better son just because the cat acts like the alpha of Luo Wenzhou's apartment. He loved being a beta, and he also loved being with other betas. Now, his physical traits gave him the looks of an alpha, and he had successfully pulled a few omegas — sometimes even alphas — into his dating life before because of this. The thing was, it simply didn't work because the omegas were never really satisfied with what they got, and Luo Wenzhou was fully prepared for that. Omegas and alphas were made to be with each other. Betas had to find partners in other betas, and he was totally okay with that. But, this Fei Du really was a pretty man. He just happened to be an omega.

Luo Wenzhou tries to focus on the case they are investigating and ignores the slight bitterness in his heart. As expected, Fei Du reveals nothing about Zhou Haiying without a court-ordered warrant. He does, however, flirt with Luo Wenzhou, seemingly not repulsed by the lack of alpha pheromones. Grabbing the opportunity of getting at least a one-night fling, Luo Wenzhou doesn't turn him down. They spend the night together, and Fei Du seems to enjoy it more than the other omegas Luo Wenzhou has been with before.

Shortly after that night, Fei Du is involved in a serious car accident. After reviewing the security cameras, it is revealed that a truck had rammed into Fei Du's car even though the wide road was completely empty. The incident becomes a police matter when the clear footage shows the truck deliberately ramming into Fei Du's car a second time after the initial hit.

--

(I am a very slow writer and I am very busy at the moment, but I might turn this idea into a multi-chaptered fic at some point, and it will be on my Ao3 if I do.)

[princess-dirt]

Long Rant, please ignore... or don't

Growing up, my mom would tell me how handsome I was, how I'd have to be careful with girls because of how many I'd have to deal with. She told me this as early as elementary school.

Of course, she couldn't have been more wrong. I grew up with undiagnosed adhd and likely autism. I had social anxiety and horrible self-image issues. I never cared how I looked, but hated how I looked. I was socially awkward and could barely talk to girls. That's to say very few girls ever approached me.

I was thinking about this, and only now have I really connected the dots. The patriarchy and heteromormativity of the world fucking sucks. Like I grew up and every good thing about my appearance that my mom would say never materialized. No wonder I suffer so bad from self-image issues. I had my mom pushing it down my throat that I should have a girlfriend, but also to be careful of girls, but also that they'd be all over me, but also that I have to make the first move since I was a guy.

I think the worst part about all of this is that when I was in high school, the lack of any romantic relationship really fucked with me mentally. I already had a pretty shit childhood, so it was frosting on the cake. It got so bad I fell down the alt-right pipeline and was a few months away from becoming an incel.

But I watched MLP. This show was the first time I was ever really taught empathy, and it changed my life. Fast forward senior year, and I've been experimenting with how I look. I have alt and queer friends, I'm learning about myself.

I spill my heart out to my mom about everything and how trapped and hopeless I felt about relationships. Like 20 minutes she listened to me. I was crying and desperate for any bit of advice from my parent.

"So are you gay?" My mom asks sounding almost annoyed.

Which leads to me begging her to listen to me and to take what I am saying seriously.

"Well, how do you think I feel?" She says now sounding angry.

This same conversation happens a half dozen more times. Each time I become more desperate for any hint my mom cares at all.

"You just need to approach them and be nice."

"You should try harder."

"Are you calling me a bad mother?"

"I didn't raise you this way!"

Now, both of my parents are brainrotted by Fox News. My dad is mentally ill while being the most toxic man ever, never being emotionally available for me ever. My mom still thinks I just need to try harder and that girls will just throw themselves at me. Her state of delusion is horrifying tbh.

It sucks because they will both die never having known their son. They'll die never knowing I use he/they, never knowing I'm pansexual, never knowing I crossdress, never knowing I cosplay, never knowing me, the pansexual nuero divergent femboy. And I don't feel bad over it.

I know my story about this kind of shit is way more common that I'd like. I've seen tik toks with very similar events I've mentioned with 100s of 1000s of likes and comments.

To think a generational gap could have such destructive consequences. My only solace for this is that I was able to overcome their horrible parenting.

It seems to me that as each day passes, the only way I'll remember my parents when they are long since dead is the mental scars they've left. I hate it, but I love my parents. They tried their best, but their best failed me and my 3 brothers horribly.

Anyways, back to watching Vampire Dormitory. It's a gay ass anime about some twink and a vampire.

Edit: finished episode one, the Twink was girl. I feel so betrayed.

[sapphirefallschronicles]

- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 11 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌

Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)

Summary: When Sy has to pick up coffee for his sister, he sees Livia.

Word count: 1.4k

Warnings: None

The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)

Abigail often ordered me to get her a coffee from the cafe around ten minutes from the farm. Despite being the oldest by two whole minutes, she has zero respect for me. Sometimes I just want to tell her: ‘Go get it yourself’, but then she throws some logistical terms at me and how I should arrange it all by myself and then it’s checkmate.

So… Here I am, getting her coffee. 

As I near the only cafe in town, I already see Livia sitting next to the window. Her back ever so straight as she types away behind her laptop. I tap on the window and she looks up, breaking out in a wide smile, waving enthusiastically at me. The familiar bell announces my presence and I hold up my hand to the barista, before I make my way to her table.

I’ve had many drinks with Livia before she left and it was always nice. Back then I used to sit next to her, because she liked that, but now I decide to go for the safe option and sit across from her.

‘You know,’ Livia says, closing her laptop, ‘I have to say, there is a certain charm in bumping into the same faces all the time here Sapphire Falls. Especially when that same face is yours. You’re really not a punishment to look at.’

I place my hand on my chest, only to feel my heart pounding because of the compliment. ‘I’m touched, Liv. What were you doing?’

‘I was writing.’

‘You found inspiration?’

‘Yeah, I did, actually.’ Livia grabs her cup and brings it to her lips. After taking a sip, she says: ‘It’s just a short story, but I am hoping that I am able to create a full novel out of it.’

‘What is it about?’

‘Just a small-town girl, livin’ in a lonely world,’ she softly sings, terribly off key.

I cock an eyebrow. ‘Seriously.’

‘You’re no fun,’ she jokes, placing down the cup and leaning over the table. ‘It’s about an Indonesian girl growing up in a little town.’

‘So, it’s about you?’

‘Based off of me.’ She smiles and says: ‘I’ve always written about things I didn't know everything about. Writing about this, it’s therapeutic.’

‘So, there’s also a big handsome farmer in this story, I suppose?’ I ask with a smile.

Livia pretends to vomit. ‘Ew no.’

‘Ouch.’

She chuckles and admits: ‘I really enjoy writing this. I guess I just missed Sapphire Falls more than I thought.’

‘You did?’

She nods. ‘Yeah, the people, nature, your farm of course. It brings back so many memories. It’s… I… I don’t think I’ve made many fun memories in my time in New York, as opposed to here.’

‘Do you like it in New York?’ I carefully ask.

‘I do, but… I don’t really have friends. It was mostly me and my ex Ian and his friends. Other authors too, but they usually have their own personal lives and I don’t fit in there. It’s hard making new friends.’

There is so much I want to say to her, because I wonder if her life in New York was as glamorous as I always thought it would be. But her phone rings and she looks at her screen, before placing the phone on the table again. 

‘Ian,’ she clarifies.

‘He’s been calling a lot?’ I ask.

‘Non stop.’

‘He doesn’t take no for an answer, huh?’

She shakes her head. ‘He thinks this is just one of our many break ups, but to me it feels more… Definite. I’m really over him.’

And then I see it again. The pain in her eyes. She thinks she hides it well by staring at her hands, but I know better than that. She is hurting. That son of a bitch hurt her deeply. ‘Liv,’ I say, ‘look at me.’

She averts her eyes from her hands to me. ‘What?’

‘You’re better off without him,’ I tell her, despite not even knowing the guy, but it’s true. She is better off without him. No man is good enough for her. 

‘Sy, do you think I’ll ever be truly happy?’

Nothing changed with Livia. She always asked these incredibly deep questions back in high school at the most random moments. I wonder if she does it with everybody or if she reserves it solely for me. I’m kinda hoping for the latter. ‘Weren’t you ever truly happy?’

She shakes her head. ‘I don’t know,’ she then says. ‘I guess maybe when I was here, with you, Abigail, Chris, Bernard and Dottie. Maybe that was the only tiny taste of happiness I truly experienced.’

‘Want to further expound about it?’ I ask.

‘Are you asking me this because it makes you uncomfortable?’

I shake my head. ‘No, because then I know whether or not I should order a small or a large coffee.’

Livia smiles. ‘Maybe I want to, but I would also really like it if you just sit here with me.’

I walk up to the counter and wait until it’s my turn. I look at Livia, who stares out of the window. In these years,I’ve read her books. I’ve been meaning to tell her about how much I love her books, but every time something stops me. I want to tell her how it took me weeks to finish her book, not because it was dull, but because I’m a slow reader and I want to devour every bit she wrote.  

Her books were my only connection to her. 

After I ordered my coffee, I sit across from her again. She has pushed the laptop to the side and takes another sip of her coffee. 

‘Sy…’

‘Yes?’

‘Are you mad at me for missing Dottie’s funeral?’

I shake my head. ‘No, of course not. How can I be mad when you didn’t even know what had happened?’

‘I don’t know. I mean, I wouldn’t blame you for holding a grudge, I suppose. It was your mother after all.’

‘I can take you to her grave. It’s right next to my pops.’

‘I would really like that.’ 

Time goes by slowly, but it’s nice to just take my time and to talk to Livia. Hearing about her missing my mom, maybe even more so than I do. But perhaps that’s because Livia just learned about it and I had many years to mourn.

‘We’re still friends, right?’ Livia asks.

‘Liv, come on,’ I say. ‘You know we’re still friends. I don’t think I’ve been happier ever since you arrived here.’ 

‘I’m sorry for everything,’ she says. ‘I know you don’t want to hear it, but I just want you to know I apologize for everything.’

‘You’re right, I don’t want to hear it.’ I let out a chuckle. ‘Remember when we finally saw that shooting star?’

She nods. ‘Yeah, and you wished for me. Forever. Guess your wish didn’t come true.’

‘That is true, because I had to miss you for eleven years, but remember: now that you’re here, I want to be part of your life forever. Even when you go back to New York, I will make sure you and I keep in contact. Maybe… One day, you can show this hillbilly around in the big city.’

She starts to laugh. ‘I would like that. All of what you just suggested.’ Livia reaches over the table and places her hand on my arm. ‘Thank you, Sy. For everything.’

●・○・●・○・●

●・○・●・○・●

With a smile permanently plastered on my face, I walk back to the ranch and by the time I enter through the front door, I hear Abigail say: ‘Took you long enough.’

I think I totally forgot something. ‘Yeah…’ I hesitantly mutter, as I approach the kitchen table to see her sitting there. 

Her eyes darken when she looks at me. ‘Caleb Syverson, tell me you brought me back my chai latte.’

I clear my throat. ‘Oops.’

She groans. ‘What the hell did you do all this time?’

‘I was talking to Livia. She was at the cafe.’

Abigail barks out a laugh. ‘For fuck’s sake, Sy. It’s quite unbelievable she still has that effect on you.’

‘Shut up,’ I grumble. 

‘You still love her loads, don’t you?’

‘I thought I told you to shut up?’

She nods. ‘True, but I am deciding to ignore that. Come on, it’s obvious she’s not over you.’

‘She was never into me. She made that clear back in the day.’ Realizing I don’t want to have this conversation, let alone with my damn sister, I say: ‘I’ll get you that chai latte.’

‘Buy a complimentary muffin while you’re there,’ she yells after me.

●・○・●・○・●

[skaldingrayne]

Titles! How about: When the Sun Rises

Title: When the Sun Rises

Pairing: Jaskier/Geralt/Eskel/Lambert

In the garden of the king, it was said there were wonders the like of which most men could only dream of. Massive fountains that sounded like music, flowers as large as a man's head and smelling of the sweetest perfumes, fruits so sweet and delicious it was as if heaven itself was on your tongue.

But in the very center of all these delights, was also the source of the king's greatest pain. Three statues stood, in the heart of the garden; said to be the cursed stone forms of his three wards, whom the king held dearer than if they were the very sons he could never have.

Every child had heard the story, of course. The powerful sorcerous he'd crossed, the spell cast, the curse -

Stone hearted you are

So stone they shall be

Caught in marble guises

But change your tune

By love transformed be

Freed when the sun rises

The part about the great riches - a prince's ransom, in fact - that should be the reward of any to break said curse tended to particularly stick in the memory.

Money like that could open doors; could buy a whole new life. It could certainly cover the tuition at Oxenfurt Academy for one aspiring, but penniless, bard-to-be.

Which is how Julian Pancratz - known to his fans as Jaskier the Singer, the local constabulary as "that damn troublemaking popinjay", and to the local shrubbery as "Ow!" - found himself covered in leaves and scratches while standing in the middle of the royal gardens at a terribly ungodly hour before dawn.

He was growing frustrated.

He'd already tried the classic kiss, of course - giving each of the three statues a peck on the lips in turn. He'd even - feeling very much the fool, thank you - tried a few so called "magic words" he'd once heard from some of the story tellers that would come sit with their begging cup in the market square.

Wait...

"Please?"

The statues remained extremely stone-like.

Damn.

If one didn't know about the curse, you could almost believe them the work of a master carver. Each of the three figures was incredibly handsome, though in a way entirely unlike the other two.

Based on the stories he'd heard, Jaskier could only guess this tall man with deliciously broad shoulders and an intriguing scar across one side of his face could only be Eskel; the son of some border lord hailing from hill tribes of the north.

To his left stood a shorter, slighter man with a piercing stare and an impressionably aquiline nose. Lambert, probably - son of a western Duke that had tried to rebel some years ago, before the King had had him put to the sword for treason. He had named the Duchess as her son's regent, and brought the boy himself to the palace to ensure he grew up with a much greater respect for loyalty than his father.

Jaskier wondered if it had worked. The statue's expression was frozen in a smirk; as if he knew a joke and was only waiting for the right moment to share it with you.

Which of course meant the third statue was the child sent by the druids of the south, to learn the ways of the court and be their representative. Geralt, he was called, of the White Wolf Grove.

He knew their stories, knew their song too - the one the great bard Dandelion had penned about them some years back, commissioned by the king himself in honor of his cursed wards.

But what he didn't know, was how to break this bloody curse.

He flopped onto the grass, exhausted after being up all night, not to mention sneaking into the gardens themselves. During the day, they were too filled with would-be curse breakers, all lined up and hoping to get lucky.

But now, lying on his back in the cool grass with the sky just beginning to lighten with the first hints of dawn, it was quiet. Beautiful, even.

Jaskier glanced again at the three statues and sighed.

Well, it was worth a try, right?

He wondered if they'd ever heard their song. Standing here all this time, had anyone ever bothered to play it for them?

It really was a lovely piece. Jaskier had sung it practically ever day as a child. Even then, he'd loved to sing, loved it more than...than almost anything.

He hadn't brought his lute of course. Even as sorry as that old banged up third hand instrument was, it was still too precious to him to risk losing should he find himself needing to flee from some overly zealous palace guard.

Which, speaking of...

Jaskier eyed the still lightening sky, the first edges of pink just kissing the horizon. Better get back before it was light enough for them to spot him. Those hedges sure weren't going to climb themselves.

But...

He turned, not quiet sure why; looking once more at the stone grey eyes of the cursed statues.

It really would be a shame to stand here for ages, see all these people day in and day out, without ever knowing why.

What could five more minutes hurt, really?

It's not like Jaskier had classes to get to or anything.

And so...he sang. There, sitting up in the middle of the small circle of statues in the heart of the palace gardens, he sang about loss and heartache, about family and gifts, about love - and about regret.

And when he finished, as the last note faded into the air and he finally opened his eyes -

He heard three more pairs of lungs draw breath alongside his own.

Three sets of eyes, their gazes locked on him; flashing golden in the dawn's light as the sun began to rise.

@continentcakeshop @oxenfurt-archives

[stuckysbike]

@bucky-barnes-diaries inspired me to do this. Hopefully it’ll give me a kick up the ass and get me focused.

Or I’ll get distracted by shiny things (arms)

My current WIP’s in my Evernote app. Also I’m crap at titles. Hate them. Worst part of all of it.

Howl: Werewolf AU.

Someone tried to get rid of you, made you leave town then tried to have you declared dead. When you ran you were pregnant and fate brings you back when your son is kidnapped.

But everything ends up being connected, someone is still out to get you and you don’t know why.

Meanwhile you never finished high school, and you made money stripping and dancing. So when your ex finds out you’re picking up shifts in the local club he’s less than pleased.

Bucky x Reader.

Untitled

Left as a single mother before your baby is even born after your fiancée Bucky is filled in the line of duty you reach out to his best friend Steve for support. As you grow closer you fall in love, marry and have a baby together.

Five years later your Bucky is discovered in a Russian Gulag. He’s been experimented on, and lost an arm because of it but he’s home and he’s alive.

As the three of you try to work out where to go next you find out that Bucky and Steve had a complicated past and are closer than you ever realised. Bucky isn’t as upset about you and Steve as you expected him to be, in fact, he has a solution to all your problems.

Stucky x Reader.

Untitled

You can’t help but fall for the handsome “Yank” who has interrupted your life. Your work at the Foreign Office in London is top secret and with the country at war he’s like a tall glass of water on a hot day.

You marry with haste, and as the war comes to a close you end up being a GI Bride. Alone in New York with only the name of a husband that every woman in the city seems to know, you need to find your way until he gets dismissed from service.

Will you have a happy ever after or will that wartime romance be a passing phase for both of you?

Bucky x Reader

Untitled

Natasha Romanov-Barnes wants a baby. What Natasha wants, she gets. Her doting husband is the most powerful man on the East Coast right now. Unable to conceive after a cruel revenge for her family’s misdeeds Natasha sets about finding the perfect surrogate.

But Natasha doesn’t just want someone to carry her child, she wants a friend, confident and someone she and her husband can share and spoil. Someone to keep her company when Bucky’s on business.

And Bucky is willing to do anything as long as his wife is happy.

Buckynat x Reader

Untitled:

The daughter of a Duke, you were a prize given to one of the leaders of the invading and victorious army to marry.

The man is a handsome brute but he doesn’t act like a beast. In fact he seems rather indifferent to your presence in his life and his bed.

Travelling to his home you get trapped during an early snowstorm and with nothing else to you you end up bonding. A lot.

Bucky x Reader

[mrsfrecklesmarauders]

Alphard

In this AU, Remus and Sirius were childhood friends because the Lupins used to work for The Black Family. Remus is trans. Rosie is Remus' death name before he transitioned.

CW: Drug Use, Grief and Homophobia.

*****************

2006:

Sirius didn't have the nicest family. They all kind of scared Rosie a little. They were beautiful but vile. No wonder Sirius didn't like spending time with them and he spent most time with Rosie and her parents. So it was weird when Sirius' whole expression changed when they saw that car arriving. He smiled like never before.

"Uncle Alphard!! He is here!"

Sirius climbed off that tree as quickly as possible. And he ran towards the gates.

"Sirius, wait!"

Rosie climbed behind him as well.

"Uncle Alphard is the best. You will see, Moony" Sirius said as Rosie reached him. "He is my favorite person in the whole world. He is so wicked"

Rosie smiled because it kind of warmed her heart to see Sirius so happy. And when Sirius smiled, Rosie felt something burning inside her chest.

"I would like to meet the famous Uncle that you always talk about" Rosie teased.

Rosie was really curious, especially when they saw that fancy car getting inside the property. With loud music sounding inside.

Sirius was practically bouncing.

"He always brings me wicked presents when he gets back from his trips"

The car's door opened and Rosie could see the famous man getting out.

Rosie's cheeks went immediately red. Alphard Black was absolutely handsome. Of course, just like his nephew. He was wearing white trousers with a fancy belt and a half opened shirt, showing his hairy chest. His hair was elegantly ruffled. And he was wearing black shades. It was weird but that was what Rosie always admired from men. Masculine, adventurous, naturally handsome. Sometimes Rosie hated thinking she'll had to grow up and be feminine like her mum, or Mrs. Black. And she would never be this. Whatever Alphard was.

"Guess who's back!!" Alphard exclaimed opening his arms.

"Uncle Alphard"

Sirius looked like he wanted to hug his Uncle but he was containing himself.

"It's my favorite nephew! Yeah!"

Sirius giggled.

"What are you waiting for? Ha?" Alphard laughed "Come here and hug your Uncle"

Sirius raised an eyebrow but he obeyed. Rosie saw Alphard squeezing his nephew hard.

Not Orion or Walburga Black ever hugged their son like that. And Sirius loved hugs, he desperately craved them. But he liked to act cool and pretend he didn't.

Then Alphard noticed Rosie and he took off his shades. Rosie noticed the same gray eyes that Sirius had. The same gorgeous eyes. But they were red. And his pupils were bigger. It kind of scared Rosie. Alphard smiled.

"And who are you, sweetheart?"

"Rosie..."

"Rosie is my best friend, Uncle Alphard" Sirius smiled "She is so cool for pranks and stuff"

Rosie smiled back.

"Woow!" Alphard exclaimed and touched Rosie's head "Your hair is so soft, Rosie dear..."

Rosie froze.

"Isn't it soft, Sirius?" Alphard insisted. He even grabbed Sirius' hand "Here, touch it"

"Yeah..." Sirius blushed embarrassed "It is"

This man was really weird. For what Sirius had told Rosie, Alphard was different from the Blacks. Alphard was free, fun and reckless. Not a complete lunatic.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir"

"Sir?" Alphard laughed. But there was nothing funny. He was just laughing. Sirius and Rosie looked between each other.

"Oooh you got yourself a beautiful girlfriend, Sirius" Alphard winked.

"Rosie is not my girlfriend, Uncle!" Sirius protested, going very red "She is just my friend"

Although Rosie wanted to be with Sirius. Not now, of course. In the future when they grew older. But she didn't say that.

"Ooh" Alphard looked between the two.

"I'm never having a girlfriend. Just like you" Sirius added.

Alphard smiled.

Rosie also saw another man getting out of the car. He was different from Alphard. He was wearing brighter colors and he acted a bit feminine.

"Alphie..." he said, putting his hand on his hip "You're not introducing me to your gorgeous nephew?"

Sirius frowned, looking at this man with disgust.

"I told you to wait in the car, Roddy"

"You know I'm very impatient, handsome"

"Who is this, Uncle?" Sirius asked with the same expression as Orion used when he met Rosie.

"Rod... He is just my friend" Alphard explained.

"Oh yeah we are really good mates, aren't we love?" Rod winked and giggled.

Alphard rolled his eyes. He looked embarrassed of his friend. He ignored him.

"I bought you something, Sirius..." Alphard laughed. Sirius smiled

"Yeah?"

"Of course I bought you something...." Alphard went to retrieve something from his car "Didn't I get him something, Rod?"

Rod nodded "He spent good money on you, love... I don't even get candy from him" he sighed "Or maybe some sort of candy..." he smiled to himself.

"Will you shut up?!" Alphard screamed this time.

But then he smiled widely as he turned to Sirius. Rosie was starting to think this man was completely bunkers.

Alphard gave Sirius a wrapped package.

Sirius ripped it from his hands and opened it.

"Wow!" Sirius stared at the box. It was some sort of video game console "This is wicked. Look Moony!!"

"Wow" Rosie's mum always said that The Blacks bought Sirius expensive stuff to erase the fact that they didn't show him love.

"You're welcome" Alphard smiled. But then he put his finger on his mouth "But don't tell your brother because I didn't get him anything"

"Regulus is a whinny baby" Sirius said as he opened the box.

Alphard roared in laughter again. As if Sirius said the most funny thing ever. Rod laughed with him. Sirius and Rosie stared at them.

"Whinny baby! You're right!" Alphard raised his palm and Sirius smiled weakly as he hit it.

"So what do you think, Sirius?" Alphard kneeled down to face him.

"About the console?"

"What? No!" Alphard shook his head "About coming with me... For a ride... For a little adventure"

Sirius stopped looking at his new toy and stared at his Uncle with opened eyes. He even smiled.

"Really? Now?"

Alphard nodded.

"Can Rosie come?"

Rosie didn't want to go anywhere with these two lunatics.

"Yeah of course!!" Alphard exclaimed.

Sirius giggled, but then he looked at Rod with hate.

"Does he have to come?" Sirius whispered.

"Heard that!" Rod exclaimed "Rude!"  he crossed his arms.

"We'll drop him home" Alphard winked. Sirius giggled.

"Alphard!" Rod protested, sounded angry now "You promised to spend the evening with me"

But Alphard silenced him with his finger and closed his eyes.

"I thought you missed me and you wanted to see me" Rod continued.

"Sh sh sh..." Alphard interrupted "Do you hear that?"

But none of them were hearing anything apparently, because they were trying to listen carefully.

"Do you hear that?" Alphard insisted, this time smiling "Do you hear it, Sirius?"

"What is it?" Sirius bounced, expecting something cool from his Uncle.

Alphard went to his car again.

"A really bloody good song!" he turned up the volume.

The loud music filled Rosie's ears. It was a good song. The Rolling Stones' Emotional Rescue. Lyall liked it as well. But it was so loud, that Rosie was scared Orion and Walburga would hear it. Even Rosie's parents could hear it from the pool house.

It became weirder when Alphard began dancing and singing on his own. It would've funny if Rosie didn't find this strange. But Sirius didn't seem to mind, because he was laughing at his Uncle amused. And Rod, Rod was looking at Alphard in a strange way. In an intense way.

And it became even weirder when Alphard took Rosie's hand and spinned her around. And then he made her face Sirius. And dance with him. But Sirius always looked away when Rosie looked into his eyes.

When Alphard walked away dancing, Sirius let out a chuckle.

"I told you Alphard was wicked"

"Yeah insanely wicked, that is"

"What?"

"Nothing..."

Now Rosie understood why Sirius liked Alphard so much. He was so different from the rest of the family. Always perfect and correct. But Alphard was acting like a child. Not like an adult.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE?"

Walburga's scream could be heard even through the loud music. She looked shocked and furious. And little Reggie was hiding behind her. Rosie saw Sirius rolling his eyes, like he always did when his mother "spoiled the fun" As Sirius said.

Walburga's eyes flickered through Sirius, then Rosie, then Rod who was looking at her upside down and Walburga made the same disgusted expression than Sirius before.

"ALPHARD!!" she screamed.

But Alphard was still too busy dancing. His eyes closed.

"ALPHARD!!"

When Alphard didn't answer, Walburga went to turn off the music.

"Hey!" Alphard protested.

Walburga crosses her amrs.

Alphard smiled when he saw her.

"Wally! Dear sister!" Alphard went to hug her, but Walburga pushed him away. She looked furious.

"Uncle Alphard!" Reggie was also happy to see his Uncle. He was smiling at him.

"Little One!" Alphard ruffled his hair affectionately "What do you have there?"

"My action figure"

"Your action figure?"

Rosie noticed Walburga was placing herself in front of Regulus, protecting him from Alphard.

"Nerd!" Sirius protested, rolling his eyes. He was jealous that his Uncle was paying more attention to Regulus.

"Shut up, Sirius!" Regulus protested.

Alphard laughed.

"Look, Reggie" Alphard pointed at Sirius' hands "I brought you something"

Regulus smiled looking at the console.

Sirius hid it "You said it was for me!"

"Ah..." Alphard smiled "You'll have to share it, I didn't bring anything for you, Wally.... Oops..." Alphard shrugged.

Walburga was still looking at Alphard furiously.

"What are you doing here? You didn't say you would come"

"Do I need bloody permission to see my nephews? To see my family? Ha? Ha?"

Walburga didn't answer.

"Bloody party pooper...."

Sirius and Regulus laughed at the lame insult. Alphard laughed with them. But then it was all silence until Rod spoke.

"I didn't introduce myself, did I?" Rod showed Walburga his hand "Roderick Carson... Call me Rod... Alphie's... Friend"

But Walburga wasn't interested because she ignored him.

"You should probably go, Alphard" Walburga said calmly "Now"

Alphard whined like a little kid.

"But he just got here!" Sirius protested, approaching his mother.

"I just got here!"

"And we were going for a ride!"

"For a ride, Walburga!" Alphard added.

"Can I come?" Regulus asked shyly.

"Yeah..." Alphard smiled.

"Of course not!" Walburga interrupted "You are not going anywhere.... Neither of you"

"But mother...."

"Don't protest, Sirius!" Walburga crossed her arms "I said you are not going anywhere"

"But why?"

"Because I say so and that's it!" Walburga snapped "And you have to obey me because I am your mother"

"Uuuh..." Alphard teased.

Sirius shook his head in frustration.

"You always ruin everything"

"Get back inside!" Walburga said "And take your brother with you..."

Sirius groaned but reluctantly obeyed.

"Let's go, Moony"

"I think the Miss Lupin's parents are waiting for her at home" Walburga added "It's getting late"

"But we were trying my new console..."

Walburga's penetrating and scary eyes said everything.

"Yeah... I should probably go" Rosie said.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"We'll try it tomorrow" Rosie smiled at him.

But Sirius didn't look happy.

"Bye Uncle" Sirius said "Bye Boring Witch" he added in a whisper.

"What did you say?"

Sirius smirked.

"Bye Uncle Alphard" Reggie added.

"Now that I am back in London, I'll come visit everyday..." Alphard smiled.

Rosie and Sirius walked away, taking Regulus with them. They left Walburga, Alphard and Rod.

"Can I see what Uncle Alphard got us?" Reggie said as they reached the house.

"No!" Sirius snapped hiding the console away "He said he bought it for me!"

"He said he bought for us!"

"No because you are boring"

"And you are a bogger!"

"Guys!" Rosie protested "Please don't fight... We can all play a little, right?"

Rosie looked at Sirius.

"You're lending it to Reggie and I, right Sirius?"

"Yeah!" Reggie smiled.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Oh no!" Reggie added.

"What is it?"

"I dropped my action figure!"

"I'll get it for you" Rosie said confidently.

"I'll go with you" Sirius said.

"No! Your mother said to get inside" Rosie said "I'll be back in a second"

Rosie left the two boys fighting for the console again. She walked slowly towards Alphard's car. She didn't want them to see her. She just wanted the action figure and that was it. She wasn't even listening to their conversation. But when Rosie retrieved the action figure, she heard something that got her attention.

"What's wrong with you?? Are you absolutely mental? You cannot come to this house in that state!"

Walburga was raising her voice. And Rosie felt that she had to continue listening. For Sirius. So she hid behind a bush. Alphard and Walburga were discussing and Rod was waiting inside the car but really pendant of the conversation as well.

"What state, Walburga? What state?"

"What state? You are absolutely wasted!!" Walburga snapped "Or stoned..." Walburga stared into Alphard's eyes "Bloody hell you're fucking stoned, Alphard! Look at your eyes! You're high as a kite! What did you have? What was it?"

"I don't know what you are talking about. I didn't consume anything"

"Oh please"

Walburga shook her head.

"It's not a big deal" Alphard shrugged "The doctor got me some new pills for the nerves"

"IT'S DRUGS, ALPHARD! DRUGS! OF COURSE IT IS A BIG DEAL!!"

Of course Rosie knew about drugs. She read about them once in a book and her mum explained it to her. But she had never seen someone like that in real life. Stoned, was it? It was worse than when adults drank alcohol.

Walburga was losing patience.

Alphard silenced her.

"The kids are going to hear you"

"I am not letting you see my sons ever again in this state..."

"Wally..."

"If you come to this house, you come sober... Otherwise you're not coming here at all!! I'm telling the guards to forbid you the entrance. Do you understand?"

"Come on..."

"And worse even with company like that..." Walburga gestured to Rod "Alphard, what is this?"

"What's wrong with Rod?"

"What's wrong with Rod? Really?" Walburga snorted "Don't tell me you keep that kind of company. Don't tell me Orion is right"

"Your bloody husband is insane! That's what he is!"

"But he is right... You are not a good influence for my kids... You're not a good influence for Sirius. He is becoming a bloody rebel because of you"

"And you are becoming a old boring cow because of Orion" Alphard said, now with a serious tone and expression "You sound like mother"

Walburga was taken aback by that. Like she was offended.

"What happened with the old Wally? The cool one?"

Rosie couldn't imagine Walburga being cool, ever. She was strict and scary.

Walburga rolled her eyes.

"I've grown and matured"

"You're letting Orion control you"

"And you are becoming a drug addict" Walburga snapped "And a faggot"

Now it was Alphard's turn to be taken aback. Faggot? Rosie didn't know that word.

"I'm not... I..."

"Unless you stop with this ridiculous life style, I am not letting you see my children" Walburga said "Now, I want you out of my property, otherwise I will call the guards. And I will tell them to kick you out like a dog"

But Alphard didn't move.

"Get out, Alphard!!" Walburga pushed him this time "Now!... Out! Out! Out!"

Alphard got in the car reluctantly. Rosie saw Rod trying to comfort him but Alphard pushed him away. Rosie thought it was enough and she ran out of there before the car drove away.

This was too much to process. Rosie didn't know if she should tell Sirius what she had seen. When she returned to the house the boys were still discussing.

"You're just jealous because Uncle Alphard said I was his favorite"

"Uncle Alphard is insane, just like you"

"Here, Reggie" Rosie gave him the action figure.

"Thanks, Rosie"

Rosie smiled.

"I should probably go home"

"Noo..." Sirius pouted.

"Let your girlfriend get home, Sirius" Reggie giggled.

"Rosie is not my girlfriend!" Sirius yelled and Regulus ran inside giggling

Rosie smiled.

"So? What did you think?"

"Ha?" Rosie was still thinking about the conversation she heard.

"About Alphard"

"Oh!"

Rosie didn't want to hurt Sirius. Alphard was the only person in his family he liked. The only one that cared about him. So Sirius said. The only one that actually listened. And didn't treat him like the heir. But like a kid. So Rosie couldn't tell him. It wasn't up to her. And she didn't understand the whole thing yet.

"You were right" Rosie smiled "Alphard is wicked"

Sirius smiled back.

***********************

2013:

Sirius hadn't said anything. Sirius hadn't moved. Ever since he arrived from his Uncle's funeral, all he did was sit next to Remus and ask him for a cigarette. Remus had waited for him awake, because he wanted to be there for Sirius. He had gotten back to that house with that family of his. Only for his Uncle Alphard.

"I don't want to talk about it, Moony" he had said.

So Remus didn't ask questions. But it was obvious that Sirius was bad. He was too good at hiding it. But Remus knew him well.

"I can't believe he is gone" Sirius said after a while "I am supposed to be sad and cry. But I can't..."

Remus stared at him as he finished his fag.

"I want to. I feel like I have to. But I can't" Sirius continued "All of them were fake. Cissy cried. And she didn't even like him..."

Remus decided just to listen.

"And Walburga cried. That bitch hated him. Reggie cried. He doesn't cry anymore. But he cried. Not at the funeral. The night before.... And everyone seemed sad and pretended to be sad but talked shit about him when no one was around. I heard, Remus. I heard them"

Remus nodded.

"And I was supposed to cry because I didn't hate him. And I got along with him. I was his favorite. He was my favorite person. He was favorite uncle. But I didn't cry. I can't"

Remus couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to hug him. He wanted to kiss him. But all he did now was squeeze his shoulder gently.

But Sirius pulled away and he stood up and began pacing.

"He lied to me, Remus!" he said "He lied to everyone. I admired him and I wanted to be like him but he wasn't what I thought. Who was he? He consumed drugs, he was an alcoholic... And he was... He slept around... With... With men"

Sirius said it with disgust. Even if they had been snogging and Sirius knew Remus was gay. But it didn't matter. Remus understood Sirius' frustration.

"I thought I knew him better than anyone but apparently I didn't. I didn't even know my real Uncle... That bastard!! That bloody bastard!!!"

"Hey... Hey... Sirius..."

Remus stood up to calm Sirius down.

Sirius' eyes were moving desperetly on the floor. Moving through his thoughts.

"Nobody is perfect" Remus whispered "And I know your Uncle loved you.... And I know you loved him..."

Sirius shook his head.

"That's the important thing, right?"

Sirius grew up very close to Alphard. Alphard consented all of Sirius' rebelties. Alphard was the cool parent figure that taught him about life, while his parents were the strict authority. Alphard had been there for Sirius when Sirius most needed him, when Sirius most needed love, when Sirius most needed a parent. Someone to guide him. And perhaps Alphard wasn't the best example. He taught Sirius to smoke and drink. He took him to parties making him seem older. He taught him how to flirt and be popular with girls. Although Alphard did the same with men. Alphard wasted his life in parties, drugs and sex. But he was the only one that actually cared for Sirius. The only one in his family that loved him. And that counted for something.

"Sirius... I know you are in pain. I know you are gonna miss him" Remus said carefully "I understand how you feel. It was the same when I lost my mum"

"It's not the same thing"

"It doesn't matter that he lied or hid things from you. What you're going to remember is what he did for you. And how he loved you"

Sirius' eyes filled with tears, so he looked away.

"I told you I don't want to talk about it! Don't you understand?"

Remus sighed but nodded.

"I'll leave you alone then"

He wasn't angry. He understood. He wished Sirius would let himself feel. And he wished Sirius would not be embarrassed of anything. Especially around Remus.

Remus started walking away towards their dorm When Sirius called him.

"Remus!"

He sounded so desperate that Remus had to look back.

Sirius closed the gap between them wrapping his arms around Remus' waist and burying his head on Remus' chest. That's when he started crying. Remus' heart broke. But he did his best to hug him back and comfort him.

That's when Sirius started sobbing, clenching for Remus' sweater for dear life.

"He is gone, Moony!" Sirius exclaimed "He is gone!"

"I know... I know..."

"It hurts... It hurts so much... I am going to miss him..."

"I know Sirius..."

Sirius continued crying and Remus stroked his hair and gave him several kisses on his head.

"I hurts, it hurts... But I promise it will get better, Sirius. I promise"

Remus reckoned he would do anything to make Sirius' pain go away. But he couldn't. Remus was there for him. And he loved him. He loved him so much. Sirius didn't deserve the family that he got. They all made him suffer. And it wasn't fair that this happened to Alphard. Not now, when Sirius could actually get to know him. When they could talk about sexuality and growing up. Sirius had left his house and it would've been amazing that his Uncle was there to support him.

But this was life. And Remus wanted to be there for Sirius no matter what. It didn't matter what Sirius felt for him. It didn't matter if they would never formalize a relationship. It didn't matter if Sirius used him or only saw him as a friend. Remus didn't care about all that. He was completely in love with Sirius and he was going to be there for him. That was all Remus knew.