#also while we're here and youre reading these tags like what the fuck set her off it was the lesbian masterdoc discourse

[thefallennightmare]

Just Pretend-nine

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Parings: Noah Sebastian x Musician! Reader

Warnings/Tropes: language, angst, fluff, smut, star-crossed lovers, right person/wrong time, cheating, talks of mental abuse.

Summary: “I can wait for years, heaven knows I’m not getting over you.” A story about two star-crossed lovers, that always find their way back because their souls are entwined. The universe desperately attempts to bring them together, no matter what the cost.

Authors Note: PLEASE, we are begging you guys. Take your time with this one, so many different emotions throughout. Its a big fucking deal and read it slow, immerse yourself in this world while listening to the playlist. Enjoy my lovelies. 😉

Collaborating With: @thescarlettvvitch(better give her all the love as well)

Tags: @thescarlettvvitch @ozwriterchick @waake-meee-up @notingridslurkaccount @niicoleleigh @sammyjoeee @xxrainstorm @dominuslunae @notmaddihealy @malice-ov-mercy @crimson-calligraphyx @iknownothingpeople @writethrough @thebadchic @blackveilomens Claudia on Tumblr @tobe-written @blacksoul-27 @loeytuan98 @loverofagoodbeard @comfortcharactercraze @lma1986 @plutonikchaos1 @spicywhenspeaking @lyschko666 @somewhere-diamond

NOAH

"I'm so fucking glad we're staying in a hotel the next few days," Folio groaned as we walked down the long hallway of the hotel.

I nodded in agreement. "I can't believe the tour is almost over; our last show is tomorrow night."

With our last show tomorrow night, we were spending the next few nights in a hotel and we all planned to take flights back home so we could get there faster. Hollow Souls were also staying in this hotel but they were a floor beneath us but it seemed the farther I went from Y/N, those imaginary pull strings inside of my heart tightened. If it hurt this bad when she was a floor underneath, how bad would it hurt when she was a state away?

As far as I knew, she still had plans to go back to Vegas because that's where her home was, granted it was with Trey. There wasn't a part of me that was worried she would go back to him; I knew she wouldn't. Ever since they fired him, Hollow Souls has been thriving. They posted on their social media pages that Trey was kicked out of the band due to personal reasons and while most of their fans complained about them kicking out their main vocalist, there was a select few that were excited to see what the future of Hollow Souls looked like.

Y/N was upset at first that so many of their fans were boycotting them now because they decided to kick Trey out.

"Seems like they only care about Trey's vocals when I'm the one that actually wrote our songs."

It took a while of Malcolm and Chase talking to her to realize that their future together as a band was looking bright. They could reinvent themselves.

I filled in for the last two shows but after playing my set for thirty minutes before their hour-and-a-half set, my voice was getting raw and sore so Matt thought it be best if I didn't fill in for the last show. I was going to argue, not wanting to let them down, but Chase reassured me they'd figure out what to do for the last show.

Y/N has been glowing since Trey left, slowly becoming a better woman in front of all of us; to me, she'd always been perfect. But we could all see her confidence growing. With her face in the dirt far too many times with Trey, she finally said enough; it doesn't hurt anymore. As all of his lies crumbled down, Y/N found a new life.

To say all of us were proud of her was a fucking understatement.

"Hey," Jolly bumped shoulders with mine, pulling me from my thoughts as we stopped in front of the door to his room. "Bryan wants us ready to go in twenty minutes."

Oh, right.

We were currently in Oregon and Bryan planned some time today on our off day to visit one of the national parks here to take some promo photos of us.

"Yeah, I'll be ready to go. I need to change quickly and I'll meet you guys down in the lobby," I said as I walked down a few more doors until I stopped in front of my room; the one I was sharing with Nick.

He patted my shoulder as he walked past me into the room. "You should ask if Y/N wants to come with."

I shrugged off his words, trying not to make it seem that I'd been tossing around the idea for the last hour when Bryan first told us about his plan.

"She might have plans with Chase and Malcolm," I said while tossing my suitcase onto the bed, quickly rifling through the clothes to find something to change into.

"She doesn't. Last I heard, Chase and Malcolm are going out tonight so Y/N will be alone," Nick raised a suggestive brow.

With a long sigh, I turned to face him. "You already planned this, didn't you?"

"It was Chase's idea," he answered.

Rolling my eyes, I pulled out my phone to send a text to Y/N.

Get dressed, I'll be by your room in fifteen minutes.

She responded quickly before I had the chance to set my phone down.

Care to tell me where we're going?

All you need to know is to dress warm, angel.

You're full of surprises. See you soon, mochi. Room 245.

"Mochi?" I chuckled to myself while pocking my phone.

With a smile playing at my lips and my heart pounding loudly in my heart at the nickname, I tossed on a fresh hoodie and my tan jacket, opting to leave my hair down. Nick finished getting dressed when I did and once we stepped out in the hallway, Jolly and Folio were already waiting for us right outside our door.

"Fuck," I cursed while clutching my chest. "You scared the shit out of me, Folio."

"Too busy thinking about Y/N, huh?" He gave a playful smile.

Shoving him on the shoulder, I mentioned we needed to stop by her room before heading down to the lobby.

Jolly adjusted the guitar bag on his back. "She's coming with?"

I hesitantly nodded. "Is that alright? Nick said she was alone, and I felt bad if we left her while we did something."

They all smirked at my rambling as we took the stairs down one floor, our footsteps echoing in the small confined space.

"Of course it is, we don't mind when she tags along," Jolly said.

Coming to a stop in front of door 245, I gently rapped my knuckles against it and waited for her petite voice to carry through the wood. It was silent for a few moments, nerves ate away at my stomach as I wondered why she wasn't answering yet.

I knocked once again, this time with a bit more force, and breathed a little when a loud curse sounded from the other side.

"Hang on, someone's at the door."

I looked over to Nick with a raised brow, and he merely shrugged. "Chase and Malcolm are gone so I don't know who she's talking to."

The door opened with a quick brush of air, and my heart skipped a beat at the sight in front of me. Y/N was dressed in a pair of black tights, and a deep orange sweater that rested to the middle of her thighs, and her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. I had to resist the urge to wrap my fingers through it to pull her back to me as she turned back into the room.

"Give me two minutes, I have to get my shoes," She said while clutching her phone to her ear. "No, Dad. Not you. I've got plenty of time to talk."

While the rest of the guys hung out in the hallway, I leaned against the wall right next to her bed and watched her as she slipped on her typical Doc Martin, nodding every so often to something her dad was saying on the other end of the phone.

"Dad, you seem to forget that you're seventeen hours ahead of me right now," she laughed causing my heart to flutter. "It's only noon here. Wait, why are you calling me so early? Isn't it your day off?"

She paced around the room looking for something and realizing what it was; I grabbed her bag and slung it over my shoulder. "I got it."

Y/N smiled her thanks before the conversation with her dad took her attention again. "No, I haven't talked to Mom in a while…. well, the last time she tried to guilt trip me into staying with her when the tour was over…I'm not staying at Trey's place anymore. We broke up.…..yea, long time coming, tell me about it….I'm sure I'll figure it out but I'm not staying in Vegas anymore…..hell yes I'm keeping Salem; asshole doesn't do shit for my cat."

I couldn't ignore the way my stomach flipped hearing that she didn't plan on staying in the same state as Trey.

"I can't move in with Malcolm or Chase because they're actually finding their own place together…Dad, they're dating; have been for the last six months…Yeah, that will explain exactly why Chase and I never got together."

I chuckled as I thought of her dad trying to set up her and Chase.

"You saw videos from the show last night?" There was a clear shock in her voice as she continued to talk with her dad as she rushed around the room getting ready.

"I'm surprised because you don't even know how to work face time," she giggled. "Oh, he's a friend of ours. We've been touring with his band for the last few weeks. Yeah, he filled in the last couple of shows….you think so? That's what everyone is saying online."

Her gaze flicked up to mine as her lips parted slightly, whatever her dad said made her give a long pause.

"Just a friend, dad." Then she turned swiftly on her heels away from me to whisper something low into the phone.

"I'm sorry," she mouthed to me with a pulled expression as she looked over her shoulder..

I waved her off. "Take your time."

"Dad, you know I miss you but I can't move to Japan; not now. But yes, I promise to visit you as soon as I can."

Eventually, after another minute, she said goodbye before hanging up with an audible groan. "Don't get me wrong, I love my dad but sometimes he forgets we talk almost every other day. He wants a play-by-play of my life every time."

"He wants you to visit?" I questioned.

She nodded while slipping into a jacket. "Yeah but its hard to find time. You need more than a weekend to visit Japan; there's so much to do."

"Yeah," I pushed her hand away when she went to reach for her bag. "I've got it."

"Noah, you don't have to carry my bag," she chuckled.

I shrugged. "I don't mind. Ready?"

"Yep," she smiled that heart-stopping smile.

When she walked past me towards the open door, my fingers grazed the inside of her wrist to stop her.

"Mochi?" I asked.

"Yes," she responded immediately. "Because you're the sweetest and your tummy is soft."

She poked her finger into my stomach before letting out a loud shriek of laughter as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders to bring her into my embrace, the both of us walking to the doorway where the guys were waiting.

"Malcolm and Chase are going to meet us once they're finished with their date," Y/N said.

"I'll text them the address," Nick said while pulling out his phone.

"Where are we headed?"

"The mountains," Folio answered with a smile.

"Ooh," she slipped out of my embrace, much to my dismay, to rummage around her suitcase for a book before she came back to me, lifting my arm and throwing it over her shoulder once again. "Now I'm ready."

Resisting the urge to press a kiss to her forehead, I set my sunglasses over my eyes and pulled her along with me as she let the door close behind us and ignored the smug look Nick threw my way as we walked past him; Y/N wrapping an arm around my back.

NOAH

"Can you believe how many people are calling for us to collaborate? It's all over Twitter," Nick said while browsing on his phone.

"Shit, really?" Y/N peered over from the back seat so she could gaze down at Nick's phone, who sat in front of her.

I was driving the van to the location that Bryan chose for our photo shoot but Folio called shotgun before she could which earned a cute little pout on her lips; lips that I wanted so bad to taste once again. So she sat in the far back with Jolly while Nick and Bryan sat in the middle. It was weird not having Chase or Malcolm with us since we did everything together on our off days.

"What are they saying?" I wondered while keeping my eyes on the road.

"Fans want you to feature on Hollow Souls next album," Y/N grinned as our eyes locked in the rearview mirror for a few seconds.

I hummed while pulling the van to a stop at the park's entrance. "I'm around whenever you need me, angel."

Once we all piled out, I met Jolly and Bryan at the back of the van to help them unload the equipment while Y/N chatted quietly with both of the Nicks, and out of the corner of my eye; I marveled at how goddess-like she looked with the afternoon sun casting her with her own aura glow. Jolly caught me staring because he smacked my chest before handing me the guitar he brought.

"You could ask her out, ya know," Bryan smirked.

I snapped my gaze over to him. "I can't."

"Why not? It's clear she feels the same since she's here right now," he said.

A long sigh fell from my lips as I ran a hand over my face. "It's not that easy, guys."

Bryan rolled his eyes and then hung his camera from his neck. "I mean you've already kissed, how much easier could things be between you two?"

"You told him?" I seethed at Jolly, who held up his hands.

"I didn't say anything. You two give it away with all the romantic googly-eye shit," he chuckled while he and Bryan began walking up the long trail toward the top of the mountain where we planned on taking the pictures.

"Hey," Y/N smiled as she bounded up next to me. "Little photo shoot?"

Immediately the scowl that followed Byran and Jolly turned into a warm smile, matching Y/N's, and I nodded. We began walking step in step, hands brushing against each other every so often, and I nearly linked fingers with her more than once. However, when we reached some rocky terrain while walking up a hill, Y/N cursed herself for not wearing smarter shoes.

"Here," I bent low in front of her and patted to my back.

"No, you're not carrying me," she tried to laugh it off, but I knew she was nervous about me carrying her weight on my back.

"Angel."

I peered over my shoulder in time to see her place her hands low on her hips.

"Mochi," she teased back with a small smirk.

My heart skipped a long beat at hearing the nickname again. It sounded so fucking sweet falling from her lips; almost as much as my actual name sounded.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," I said, still bent low at my knees.

Y/N pulled at the bottom of her sweater dress. "I don't want to give these bozos a show."

She threw a thumb over her shoulder towards both Nick's who walked a few paces behind her. I rose to my knees and gave her a suggestive smirk while closing the distance between us.

"What color are they?"

"Uh," Y/N stammered but quickly recovered. "A cute olive green. Looks great against my skin tone."

A low noise vibrated in the back of my throat and I stood straighter as Folio walked passed just in time to feel the growing sexual tension.

"Either you hop on his back or I will," he joked as he and Nick walked passed us.

She stared up at me and slowly licked her lips, an action I watched carefully through my sunglasses. "Noah?"

"Yes, angel?"

"You have a cute nose," her voice was quiet, and I thought I misheard her.

I titled my head to the side. "My nose?"

"Yeah. It's just the perfect size for your facial structure," she finished with a boop to my nose.

I scrunched up my face. "Did-did you just boop my nose?"

"See!" She pointed to my face. "You look so fucking cute; it's insane."

"Angel, literally," I breathed a low chuckle.

"Mochi, literally," she mocked while sticking her tongue out.

My fingers itched to grab it but Bryan's loud voice echoed through the trees from far ahead. "Let's go you losers! You're holding us up."

I swear to-.

"What will it be, angel?" I asked.

Y/N dramatically sighed before motioning for me to spin around, which I did with a quick wink.

"If you drop me, I swear to Hades," She grumbled while adjusting her dress.

The warmth radiated from her in giant waves as her legs wrapped around my sides and I hooked my arms underneath her thighs to hoist her up.

"I swear to Hades that I will not drop you," I promised while walking up the steep hill towards the rest of the guys. "Do you actually pray to the Greek Gods?"

She flicked my ear. "No, silly. I just like to joke around with them. They're my favorite mythology."

"Will you teach me about them?

"I'm honored you asked; I'd love to," she ran her fingers through my long hair and I briefly let my eyes flutter shut at the calming feeling.

"Only if you let me braid your hair."

My eyes snapped open. "Uh, we'll see about that."

She flicked my ear again. "You're no fun."

Hooking her tighter against me, I closed the distance between us and the guys in a few long strides. Nick gave the two of us a look as I set Y/N down gently on her feet, she quickly pulling down her dress.

"You didn't see shit," she pointed a firm finger to all of us.

"Nope."

"Nothing."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Bryan held up his camera and snapped a few pictures of Y/N; who in return, flipped him the finger.

I watched with a racing heart as she messed around with the guys, almost as if she'd been part of our little group for years.

"Alright," Y/N pulled the book out of her bag. "I'll let you guys do your thing. If you need me, I'll be reading over there."

She pointed to the edge of the mountain that looked over the small lake we drove past to get here.

"Be careful, angel," I warned.

"I'll be fine," Y/N rolled her eyes but as she turned, she tripped over a rock and stumbled a bit before standing straight.

I raised a teasing brow at her while crossing my arms over my chest. "What was that?"

"Fuck you," she taunted with her middle finger.

Don't tempt me, angel.

The next hour passed in a blur as we took countless pictures, just having a fun, relaxing time. Every so often, my gaze would fall onto Y/N as she leaned up against a large willow tree, book perched in her lap. The wind blew through her ponytail every so often and I marveled at how fucking breathtaking she looked when her face would scrunch in surprise with whatever she was reading.

I knew from the moment I stepped off our bus the first day of the tour when I saw her standing amongst the group; when we first met. It wasn't the typical love at first sight bullshit Folio talks about that happens in the movies. It was more like a familiarity, almost like 'oh, hello. It's you. It's always going to be you.'

"Noah, could you take a little step forward," Bryan directed.

Snapping my gaze away from Y/N reluctantly, I followed Bryan's orders for another long few minutes until he decided we got enough pictures. I motioned towards Y/N, who still had her nose perched in her book, and Bryan knew what I silently was saying because he snapped a few pictures of her.

Malcolm and Chase walked up just as we finished our photoshoot so a quick idea came to my mind.

"Angel," I called.

She looked up. "Hm?"

Not saying anything, I waved her, Malcolm, and Chase over to our position which they did hesitantly.

"If Bryan is cool with it," I pointed to him. "What do you guys say for a Hollow Souls photoshoot? New and reimagined?"

Bryan immediately agreed. "Let me change out some things and we can get started.

Chase and Malcolm also agreed with a nod. "I think it'll be good for us."

"You guys don't have to do this for us," Y/N stated. "You've already done so much for us, Noah by filling in."

I shrugged while stuffing my hands deep into the pockets of my jeans. "I take care of the people I care about."

She pondered my words for a long moment and eventually let out a long breath. "Alright fine."

Once Bryan returned, the rest of stepped back to give them space to work. Nick was the only one who watched me as Jolly, Folio, and I kept our eyes on Hollow Souls. We grabbed a few beers from the cooler Jolly packed and was nursing them slowly.

"You know, this would be a perfect opportunity to maybe slip away just the two of you," Nick whispered.

I peered over to him and rolled my eyes, shoving him in the shoulder. "Whatever."

"I'm just saying," he held up his hands in defense. "A night under the stars in the mountains. Anybody would kill for a date like that."

Nick's words weighed heavily on my brain and when she began walking towards me, I made the haste decision by grabbing the guitar that was leaning against the tree.

"Hi," Y/N smiled as I met her halfway.

My heart warmed at the sight.

"Do you want to go somewhere more secluded, just the two of us?" I suggested with a hopeful smile.

I didn't want to think how I would feel if she rejected me and walked away from me.

"Sure," she answered quickly with a glimmer shining in her eyes.

Ultimately, after walking for a few minutes, we decided on an area far from the rest of the group down the water's edge. We sat down in the sand, our knees brushing against each other, and held the guitar in my lap as I watched her stare out into the vast distance of the water. There was a faraway look in the depths of her eyes as she messed with something on her wrist, fiddling it between her fingers.

A hair tie; the one I gave her the last time we were on the beach together. I wondered where it went but decided that I never wanted it back. It's hers to keep; along with everything else I gave her.

"How are you doing, angel?" I asked, breaking the growing silence.

She didn't look at me, kept her eyes straight ahead.

"I'm-." A hesitant breath. "I'm not sure. I want to believe I'm doing okay with the breakup of not only my relationship but also the band. For the longest time, Hollow Souls was the four of us and we released three records together. The future scares the shit out of me. Can the three of us reinvent a new Hollow Souls or do we need to find someone to replace Trey completely?"

I strummed a few random notes on the guitar; the melody echoing into the sounds of the waves.

"I think a fresh start in all aspects is good for you," I answered slowly, trying to get my thoughts and words right. "I've said it from the start, you're the heart and soul of this band, Y/N. The screams were a bonus. It didn't make or break you guys."

She finally looked towards me and her eyes darted over every inch of my face, wondering if my words were the truth. With her, they always were.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, mochi. Truly."

I scrunched up my face to show that the nickname wasn't my favorite but deep down, my insides were floating in pure bliss having her call me something so disgustingly cute. If any of the guys heard it, though, they would give me shit until the end of my days.

"Ditto, angel, ditto."

I tried to play it cool, sauvé, and chill. My typical demeanor was chipping like ice though, the fear of what would happen if it broke completely had its vise grip on me. No one has ever considered a fuckin a nickname for me, not one without a punchline. Not one without a groan or a cursed tantrum that followed. I wasn’t sure if the pure bliss I was feeling was normal, but who the hell wants normal? Hearing it come from her lips meant everything to me.

"Let's play something," I motioned to the guitar.

"Ooh, what do you have in mind?" She asked while turning her body to face me completely head-on and letting her hair flow as she took it out of the ponytail.

The view of her sitting in front of me with the waves crashing behind her, the setting sun's rays breaking over the horizon stole the breath from my chest.

"Only Love," I answered without an ounce of hesitation.

Y/N's nose scrunched up with confusion and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't the cutest fucking thing ever.

"Noah, that was a demo song from three years ago."

I shrugged and played the first few notes of the song. "Might be silly to some but to me, it means a lot."

It was true. I listened to that song on repeat when it first came out. It was the first song I heard by Hollow Souls and Y/N's voice captivated my heart with its claws. I remember laying on the pullout couch next to Nick in his bedroom as I stayed there yet again. My mind was racing with only one thought.

I have to fucking make it. I needed to buy my own couch that brought a sense of comfort and security I yearned for.

That's when her soft voice came through my headphones and it shocked me to hear a feminine voice after Of Mice and Men. I brushed the hair away from my eyes as I settled deeper into the couch and let Y/N's angelic voice lull me to sleep that night and far too long after.

Cut to three years later and the girl who wrote that song is here in front of me. Some may call it a ‘rockstar crush. Would she be considered that? Who the hell knows? All I know is that I had pent-up memories, and needed to hear that sweet voice sing it, just for me all these years later.

Y/N's real, right there in front of me.

"I'm shocked you remember that song."

"Why wouldn't I? You talked about it being on the cloud during that one livestream," I answered.

Her eyes doubled. "You watched the livestream?"

"Twice."

A red hue brushed across the soft skin of her face as she tilted her head down towards the sand, long hair covering her face.

"No," I brushed away the hair behind her ear. "Don't hide your beautiful face, angel. I want to see all of you if you'd let me."

"Sorry," she muttered under her breath. "I don't even realize I do it."

"Don't apologize. Never apologize to me. Just understand that this is how I see you. Now, enough sadness. Sing for me, angel."

She looked up at me through lashes with a small smile. "Do you know how to play it?"

I snorted, a little hurt that she would doubt me, but proved her wrong as I played the opening part of the song.

"I told you I watched the stream twice."

"Okay," she nodded. "Where did you want me to start?"

"Sing the whole song for me. Please?" I begged.

"You want me to sing the whole song?"

"I do," I rushed out.

Y/N gave a curt nod. “Okay, I’ll play the whole thing- but only because you asked me too, no one else gets the privilege.”

I playfully narrowed my eyes at her. “They better not.”

She took a deep breath while shutting her eyes as I played the tune on the guitar.

"I’m hoping you weren’t heaven sent cause only hell knows where you’ve been. Your built composure’s wearing thin and all your walls are caving in. Before you shut this down, I just wanna lift you up. I’ll take all this love I found and I hope that it’s enough."

We both could hear the ache in our hearts as it bled out, the lyrics mean so fucking much right now.

"Now don’t you shut this down. Ooh no don’t you give this up. I took all this love I found and I hope that it’s enough. Is it enough? If we don’t bend, then this might break. Please don’t give into this pain. Just keep on counting down the days and dream of me to keep you safe."

Y/n opened her eyes to meet mine, a blaze of passion that cut deep into my bones.

"Before you came around I was lost and out of place. You’re the only love I found and I’m hoping that you’ll stay. Please stay."

As we played on together in perfect harmony, there was one thing bright in clear in my mind: I'd stay for as long as she let me.

"Fuck," she breathed. "I forgot how much I loved singing this song."

I nodded in agreement while setting the guitar down next to me. "It's one of my favorites. It's actually what got me into Hollow Souls. I'd been hooked on your voice since that first night on Nick's couch all those years ago when I first heard it."

Y/N beamed when an idea struck her with such force, she stumbled to her feet. "I have to talk with Chase and Malcolm about something."

She took off a few steps in front of me, clearly excited about this idea she had. As we reached the rest of the guys, Y/N made a beeline toward Chase to tell him about her idea while I walked up to Nick and Folio, the former giving me a look.

"So my date idea was good, huh?" He playfully jabbed my side.

I pushed him away with a groan of embarrassment. "Fuck off, Nicholas."

"Oh, he pulled out the full name," Folio teased.

Jolly and Bryan joined us as we finished packing up the van and when I glanced over to Y/N, I noticed Malcolm pinching her cheeks playfully and she smacked his hands away, her cheeks flushed with her own embarrassment and large smile.

NOAH

"Oh wow, look at all of these beautiful people tonight!" Y/N's voice carried through the sold-out arena.

It was the last show of tour and Hollow Souls just took the stage for their set. We could feel the nerves radiate off of all three of them all the way where we stood on the stage to watch them. This was new what they planned on doing tonight but the three of them spent the rest of last night after we parted ways at the hotel and all morning and afternoon today practicing nonstop a new setlist. They wanted to show everyone tonight the first step towards the new Hollow Souls.

"Where's Noah?!" a voice yelled from the crowd.

Jolly chuckled from beside me. "Think they'll be upset you don't show up tonight?"

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. "I hope not. This is something that they need to prove they can do. The fans need to have faith in Hollow Souls."

"Well, about that," Malcolm spoke into his microphone while adjusting his bass strap.

"Now before you all start booing us off the stage," Chase spoke next from his spot above on his makeshift drum stage. "Noah has been fucking killing it not only with Bad Omens this tour but also helping us out a lot. But tonight, we wanted to do something a little different. We still have our guitar tech filling in for us!"

The crowd cheered for their guitar tech, which made him give an awkward wave.

"I know this may take getting used to, but we appreciate your support in doing what’s right for us and our band," Y/N said. "It means so fucking much to all of us you still showed up tonight even knowing Trey is no longer with us. For that, we're going to give you a kick ass show you deserved. Don't give up on Hollow Souls. We cut out the disease and are ready to fucking blossom."

Y/N peered over to me and with a small wave and wink, she sang the first few lyrics of Only Love.

NOAH

Darkness cascaded over my sleeping form, a brush of moonlight breaking through the curtains pulled tight in our hotel room, and I buried myself deeper into the cocoon of blankets. Sleep was within my grasp and after the last few weeks, the thought of finally being able to sleep in my own bed back at home made it that much easier to grasp it.

Until my phone buzzed from its place on the nightstand and my hand smacked around until it grabbed it. Through hazy vision, I blinked a few times for the words to clear.

Hey, are you awake?-Angel.

I sat up in bed and rubbed away the rest of the sleep from my eyes. It only meant one thing when someone texted you the typical you up text.

Yeah, couldn't sleep.

Bullshit, you were seconds away from waking up Nick with your snoring.

I stared at the bubbles that appeared on my screen and then disappeared, only to reappear right before her next text came through.

Would it be alright if I came by to hang out? Or is it too late?

The clock at the top of my screen showed it was just before midnight.

Not at all. I've got snacks, and we can finally finish watching Spirited Away. Room 392

Be there in five minutes. I'll bring some goodies too! :)

I chucked a pillow at Nick, who was fast asleep in his bed, but when he remained sleeping, I threw another. Eventually, he groaned, slowly waking up.

"You need to leave." I scrambled out of bed and pulled away the blankets from Nick. "Y/N's coming by to hang out."

Nick smoothed down his bedhead, a sly smirk on his lips. "You're kicking me out right now?"

"Fuck yes I am. Go bunk with Bryan or Matt," I said while changing out of my old gray sweats for a pair of black joggers, opting to put on a shirt.

He yawned before grabbing the things he would need and dragged his feet to the door, sending a text to whoever he bunked with.

"Be safe!" Nick called out before the door shut behind him.

With seconds to spare, I quickly tidied up the room then set up a variety of snacks and pulled up the movie on my laptop, setting it on the bed just in time for a soft knock to sound on the door. I let out a few deep calming breaths and did a quick once over of myself in the mirror.

"Hi," I smiled once I opened the door.

Y/N's eyes grazed over every inch of me as she shifted on her feet in the doorway, clutching a bag close to her chest. She was dressed in a pair of sleep shorts and an oversized shirt.

"Do you always sleep shirtless?" she asked with a raised brow.

I stepped to the side, allowing her to step inside the room. "Every hotel room I sleep in can't get any colder than seventy degrees. I need it to be at least sixty-eight. I run hot when I sleep and the guys know not to mess with the thermostat back home."

"Wow, good to know. I'll keep my hands to myself when I come over," she wiggled her fingers after setting her bag down on the couch.

Please don't.

I peeked a brow. "When you come over?"

"Oh, if you thought you saw the last of me because the tour is over, you're wrong," she fell onto the couch with a huff of breath. "I'm moving to Los Angeles."

My heart thumped loudly in my chest but I did my best to hide my excitement when I sat next to her.

"You are?" I questioned.

She nodded with that room-brightening smile. "I had a long talk with Chase and Malcolm tonight and we thought it is best. With us trying to reinvent Hollow Souls it'd be good if we were together for the writing process. Malcolm already found a place big enough for us and while he's going there to get things ready, Chase is flying back with me to Vegas to help me pack my things."

I shifted in my seat, resting my arm against the back of the couch, behind Y/N. "Do you think Trey will be there?"

"Probably but that's why Chase is coming with me; in case things go south."

"I could come too if you'd like," I stumbled over my words only slightly.

Y/N rested a hand on my knee and squeezed it. "You need to stop worrying so much about me, Noah. I can't ask you to change your plans for something I should do on my own."

"You're worth it, angel," I vowed while running a finger through the soft waves of her hair.

We stayed in that position for a minute longer, simply staring into each other's eyes, and when I ran my tongue over my bottom lip, Y/N let out a soft whine. The thick tension that always seemed to be around us intensified now, and it was almost hard to breathe, let alone keep my thoughts off the way her hand grazed a few inches higher on my thigh.

I cleared my throat while nodding to the bag next to her. "What did you bring?"

"Oh," she snapped out of her trance and set it on her lap. "Last tour, I started this tradition on the final night I celebrate by doing self-care."

She pulled out an array of masks and different colors of nail polish and then set them on the small coffee table in front of us.

"Sweet, hand me one," I nodded towards the masks.

"You do masks?" Y/N giggled.

"What, you think I get this perfect skin with just water?" I jeered with a smile.

For the next while, we sat with our face masks on and watched the movie on the small screen of my laptop. It took almost no convincing from her to paint my nails black; her choosing a burgundy color for her nails. But now, what she was trying to convince of me gave me a slight pause.

"I don't know, angel. I don't let just anyone touch my hair," I said while putting away my laptop, us finishing the movie.

Y/N moved to the chair that sat in the room's corner and had her legs spread wide. "It's a good thing I'm not anyone. Now, get your ass over here and let me braid your hair."

For added effect, she pouted her bottom lip out and gave me those big doe eyes.

"Fine," I sighed before sitting on the floor between her legs, my back to her.

I shivered under her touch as she raked her fingers through my hair to break apart the small knots that gathered while I slept earlier.

"So, which Greek God is your favorite?" I asked.

She hummed. "Without a doubt, Medusa. Her story is tragic and sometimes often told wrong but that's the thing with mythology; there are so many different versions, you just have to choose which one you believe more."

"Medusa is the one with the snake hair, right?"

"Yeah," she turned my head to the left as she began braiding that side. "Some stories said she was an original gorgon sister but recent tellings from Ovid say she was a beautiful maiden who worked in Athena's temple. Poseidon saw her from afar and just like Zeus always did, Poseidon decided he wanted Medusa. He had sex with her on the temple steps and Athena punished her by turning her into the gorgon with snake hair and cursed any man to turn to stone when they looked at her."

I whistled low. "Shit, Greek gods were assholes."

Y/N snorted. "You don't even know the half of it."

Once she finished the left side, she turned my head to the right so she could start on that side.

"How'd her story end?"

"In tragedy, like every other myth. Perseus was sent to behead her by King Polydectes of Seriphus because Polydectes wanted to marry Perseus's mother. The gods were well aware of this, and Perseus got help. He received a mirrored shield from Athena, sandals with gold wings from Hermes, a sword from Hephaestus, and Hades's helm of invisibility."

"Wait," I turned to look up at her, which made her chastise me because I messed up the braid. "Athena, who turned her into this monster, helped the guy who was sent to kill her?"

"Fucked up, I know."

With stern hands, she turned my head to the right again. "Since Medusa was the only one of the three Gorgons who was mortal, Perseus could slay her; he did so while looking at the reflection from the mirrored shield he received from Athena. During that time, Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon so when Perseus beheaded her, Pegasus, the winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant wielding a golden sword, sprang from her body."

"Oh Pegasus, from the Disney Hercules," I noted.

"That movie is so wrong but what do you expect for a kids' movie," Y/N chuckled then slapped her thighs. "All finished."

She showed me my reflection through her camera on her phone and I couldn't stop the smirk that pulled at my lips.

"I'll have to admit, angel. I look good with braids," I admitted while snatching her phone from her.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" She asked while reaching for it.

I leaned far back from her and posed for a few selfies. "I thought you'd like an updated selfie of me. I know you have the other two I sent you a few weeks ago."

With a red face, she snatched her phone back and held it close to her chest. "I do not."

Bullshit.

"Right, then let me see your pictures," I teased while kneeling in front of her, hands resting on her thighs, her skin ablaze with heat.

She swallowed thickly. "Fuck you, Sebastian."

READER

I swallowed thickly while clutching my phone to my chest, knowing that he was correct about saving those two selfies he sent me before.

"Are you going to look at the selfie I took?" Noah taunted.

With a breath, I peered down at the phone only to suck in a large breath, body shivering underneath his warm touch on my thighs.

"That's your new contact picture, mochi," I smirked while setting it and leaned deeper in the couch, not realizing that I pressed my core closer to Noah's face.

His eyes burned as his gaze darted from between my legs up to my face and his tongue darted out to wet his lips, almost imagining the taste.

"Angel," his voice was deep, it rumbling in his chest.

All the heat shot straight to my pussy as it clenched with desire, something that always happened when around Noah. Before, I took care of myself with this exact image in my mind but now that it was about to happen made me buzz with excitement.

"Can I?" He asked while breathing over my lap.

I raised my hips towards his face, all morals or thoughts if this was the best idea flew out of the window. We waited long enough for this moment ever since we shared that kiss so long ago. I wasn't a religious person at all but fuck, did I pray to Aphrodite about this moment countless times.

"Please," the word choked out on my lips.

With a low growl, Noah pulled me off of the chair and tossed me onto the bed before he crawled between my spread legs. His long fingers hooked the waistband of shorts and panties pulling them off in almost a quick snap and when blazed eyes stared down at my bare pussy, I tried to close my legs.

"Don't," Noah demanded while gripping my thighs tight to spread my legs again. "Don't hide a fucking thing from me, angel."

Shit.

"I've never actually-," The words died on my lips when I felt embarrassed about what I was about to say.

Noah leaned over me. "Wait, are you going to say what I think you're going to say?"

I turned my head away from him. "He never wanted to go down on me."

Noah cursed while cupping my chin so I could meet his gaze. "Don't think about him, angel. Just lay back and enjoy this."

I did my best to nod in his grasp. "Okay."

He suddenly crashed his lips to mine in a fiery, passionate kiss, as he forced his tongue past my lips to taste every inch of my mouth and I moaned into it, nails scratching against the bare skin of his chest. Noah's teeth dragged over my bottom lip as his hand dragged down my side to slide up underneath my shirt, fingers pinching at my nipples.

"Noah," I breathed while breaking apart from the kiss.

He buried his face into the crook of my neck to breathe me in. "Say it again."

I did, over and over like a mantra, as he left a mark on the skin of my neck while his hand switched to the other breast, mimicking his actions from before. The wetness that pooled between my legs was almost a new feeling, never being this turned one, and for a moment I wondered if it would be alright; no pain.

Noah helped me sit up so he could pull my shirt over my head and soon was laying bare in front of him, hair sprawled around my head.

"Fuck, angel. You're fucking beautiful."

For the longest time, I was told something different from how I looked. So hearing the truth and sincerity from Noah made me almost close my legs in front of him. But with his tight grip on my hips to keep me locked against the bed, I knew he could read my thoughts.

"Don't go there. Stay here with me," he said before his lips pressed over every inch of skin from my lips to my chest, down my stomach, and stopped right about my pussy.

I whined the smallest of sobs when Noah took his time, lips ghosting over me. By now I was almost begging and when I finally felt the wet flick of his tongue against my clit, I breathed out a shaky curse. Noah pressed the fullness of his tongue against my lips, licking me up from the bottom to the top, spreading my legs wider apart. I bit my hand to keep the noises at bay.

"I want to hear you," he left a gentle bit on the inside of my thigh.

"Fuck," I moaned when his tongue speared inside of me for a few strokes.

My hands now grasped at the blanket beneath me as I raised my hips farther into his mouth, his lips wrapping around my clit to bite and suck at the bundle of nerves. I always thought my Gspot was in my clit because it was hard to have an orgasm any other way than rubbing myself. Without even telling Noah this, it was as if he knew exactly what my body needed.

It happened so fast, before I knew it he was devouring me like a dying man. I’ve never felt euphoria until now; this must be how it feels to see the moon, the moon that changes its orbit. He had me spinning.

"I love the way you taste, angel." Noah broke away from my clit for a second before diving back it.

The familiar feeling of an orgasm built in my stomach, the tension pulling so fucking tight it was seconds away from snapping. My spine tingled with anticipation as my body tensed, knees shaking underneath Noah as he rubbed his tongue in faster but shorter circles, moaning with the taste that lingered on his lips.

"N-noah. 'M so close," I let my head fall back deeper into the mattress.

"Let go, I've got you."

With a strangled breath, I let the orgasm crash through me like a tsunami, a bright white light edging at the corners of my eyes while Noah licked me through the last few aftershocks. As my breathing calmed, I lifted my head in time to see him stand to his feet, stepping out of his joggers only to stand in front of me in his black briefs.

I licked my lips when I saw his cock straining against the confines of the material until he palmed himself in a few strokes.

"Do you want me to stop?" He asked.

I shook my head with desperation clear in my voice. "No, please. I need this-I need you, Noah."

He cursed before sliding off his briefs with desperation and urgency, his hard cock springing against his thigh, and I nearly died at that sight alone. All of my imagination did nothing compared to the real thing, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared for a few different reasons. Sex with Trey was uncomfortable but with Noah's size, I feared it would only hurt. The only saving grace was that he worked me open and the added wetness would make up for the slight pain.

"Are you on anything?" Noah asked while kneeling between my legs.

A lot of different shit.

"No," I said.

He leaned over to a bag that lay at the foot of the bed and rummaged around for a few seconds before retrieving a condom. I watched with anticipation as pre-cum seeped out of the slit when he ripped it open and slid it over his length then perched himself between my legs again, the head of his cock pressing gently against me. He wrapped one of my legs around his hip then slowly, sunk deep inside of me, and I bit my tongue hard to keep my strangled cry quiet. I knew there was going to be some pain; it was inevitable, but I didn't expect it to feel so good either.

"Fuck," Noah rested his forehead against my collarbone. "So tight."

He didn't move at first, relishing in the way I felt gripping his cock, and I couldn't take it anymore; I needed him to move.

"Noah," I begged while grinding against him.

One hand gripping my thigh, the other was placed next to my head to keep himself supported as he finally moved his hips in slow, deep strokes.

"Faster," I panted, almost pleading.

Slow was good but right now I needed fast.

Noah accepted my pleas and began slamming into me with such force, I cried out in name with a mixture of pleasure and pain. My hand slipped between our bodies to rub at my clit, hoping that the sensation would ease the pain a bit, but it could only do so much.

He noticed something was wrong with the way my face contorted in pain. "Angel, do you want to get on top?"

"Fuck yes, please."

Still buried deep inside of me, Noah rolled our bodies so now I was straddling him and almost immediately, the pain subsided; it was still there but not as strong. My hands sprawled over the tattoos that covered his chest as I leaned down to lick my way across the snake and apple on his neck. The noise he made, and his moans were so soft as my hot tongue went up and down his neck, I grazed over his Adam's apple with my teeth and bit down. Noah shook underneath me as he wrapped an arm around my back to hold me closer, burying his thick, aching cock, deeper inside of me.

We felt the rush, the aching, burning blush. We surrendered to the touch. I gave him a show. This is heaven in hiding.

"Angel," he begged as my teeth worked on leaving a mark against the hand on his neck. "I need-."

"What do you need?" I ground my hips against his pelvis and the sensation sent sparks to my clit and I clenched around him.

"Fuck," he cursed. "Don't stop what you're doing. It feels so good."

"Oh," I bit down on a new patch of skin on his throat. "This?"

"Yes," he dragged out the S for a few seconds.

My hands went to run through his hair but I almost forgot in our haste that I braided it a few minutes before this.

"Angel," Noah's voice was raw. "You have no idea how much I've wanted you."

I sat up slowly to stare down at him in awe as his words made me feel unspeakable things.

In one quick action, his hand snaked behind my head to pull my lips back down to him to kiss me feverishly.

"Noah," I tugged on his braids.

"Shit, give me a minute. I can take them out."

I didn't stop moving my hips against him. "Noah. I-."

"Just second, angel."

His hands left their vice grip on my hips to take out his hair but I quickly slapped his hands while sinking deeper on his cock. "Leave them."

The same sensation of a cresting orgasm filled every inch of me, ecstasy shooting through my veins like a drug, and when Noah's thumb pressed fast circles against my clit, I leaned my head up towards the ceiling, lips parting as my hands wrapped around his braids, pulling with such force he choked on my name. I rode Noah faster, needing that last little bit of friction to tip me over the edge and when I finally let the bliss plow through me in droves, I held my breath.

"Angel," Noah cupped my cheek so I could look down at him. "Breathe through it with me."

I did as he said, both of us breathing out my orgasm as our eyes locked intently with each other. I writhed against him, my arousal soaking the condom and parts of his hips. It was such a simple action but the way it set my body on fire intensified the aftershocks to something I'd never experienced. Noah stared down to the place where we met and with a noisy moan, he wrapped an arm tighter around me to pull me flush against his chest as his hips stilled for a second before he emptied himself inside the condom.

NOAH

I pressed light kisses all along Y/N's shoulder blades, in shock and almost slight jealousy as I took in every inch of the large tattoo that covered her back. It was of a large snake that wrapped along every groove of her spine with an array of different Japanese flowers.

Afterward, I let her fall onto the mattress with a happy sigh, immediately grasping the pillow closer to her chest and that's when I noticed the tattoo.

"I can't believe I've never noticed this before," I mused while running a finger over the ink.

"It's taken like two years to complete. It's my second favorite after the one on my leg of the Gods," she rested her chin on her palm. "You know what I just realized? We have similar tattoo themes; copy cat."

Her finger grazed over the snake and apple along my neck.

"Yeah," I chuckled. "All you need is an apple right here."

I smacked right above her ass and she shrieked while falling into the pillow once again, a long but content sigh falling from her lips. I kissed from between her shoulder blades down her back, my nails grazing beyond the wake of my lips.

"Are you okay?" I wondered while gently squeezing her hips.

“Yeah, I think so. I feel content, just basking in it. You?”

I nodded and kissed the side of her head as I lay next to her. "I feel great."

"Do you know what you want in 10 years?" Y/N blurted out.

“That’s a random question” I chuckled while kissing her lips.

She sighed and looked up at me through her lashes. “I know but think about it, like really think about it?”

I thought deeply about her question, fingers still grazing her spine. “Alright I’ll bite, I don’t know, I’ve always been trying to make it with whatever bullshit has been going on in my fucking life- just wanting to mean something to somebody, make music- for anybody out there to listen. To be the fucking king you know?”

She laughs. "And?"

"Way down the road maybe one day in the future- to live in the middle of nowhere with a dog, cats, and a family of my own. In my wooden home that I built."

Y/N's body went rigid with my words.

"But right now, no dog, no family just…just Bad Omens," I finished with a hopeful breath.

She hummed in response but turned her head to face the wall opposite of us, something bothering her. Not wanting to push it, I left another kiss on her spine before I slipped out of bed to discard of the condom in the bathroom trash, a light red color catching my attention.

Once back in the room, I slipped back underneath the covers.

"Angel?"

Another hum vibrated from her throat, sleep weighing heavy on her shoulders.

"Did you get your period?"

I swore I saw all the breath leave her body with my question and my mind panicked, thinking she was embarrassed.

"It's fine," I rubbed her back soothingly. "I just saw some blood on the condom, that's all."

When she still said nothing, I nudged her face with my nose. "Are you alright?"

"Yep," she said quietly.

"Stay till morning?" I asked, hopefully.

Finally, she turned to face me and left a kiss on my nose. "I have to go."

My heart fell into the dark pits of my stomach as I watched her slip out from underneath the sheet to gather her clothes. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Noah." She slipped back into her clothes rather quickly. "I just have an early flight to catch and I know you have one too."

I shook my head and stood to my feet while slipping my briefs and joggers back on. "I don't buy that. We were great, where did you go just now?"

She doesn't want to leave, I can see that in the way her movements slowed once she was dressed, almost as if she was buying time for me to say something that would change her mind. But she refused to meet my gaze.

"Angel, look at me. What's the matter?" I asked again.

"Nothing-," she began with a sigh.

"Then why won't you stay?"

The fear of her slipping between my fingers was debilitating.

"Noah, you know I can’t; we can’t," Y/N stumbled over her words.

I stretched my arms out wide at my sides. "Why? Why can’t you?"

With her gaze still cast down to her feet, she shook her head. "You don’t want me Noah, trust me, you don’t want any part of this."

"Bullshit," I spat as my anger got the best of me.

Y/N's head snapped up towards me, finally looking me in my eyes and all I saw in hers were the wetness of tears. "I have this condition that already makes my life harder every fucking month. I don't need to bring you into it and ruin our future, alright?"

My heart stopped for a few seconds. "Condition? What the fuck, are you dying or something? I don't know what the hell this means."

"No," she rushed out. "I'm not dying. I-I don't want to get into this right now. All I know is that I would need you a lot more than you'd need me. And you deserve better than me, anyway."

"Don't-" I started while pointing a finger at her.

She ran a distressed hand through her hair. "You know it’s true Noah, please. This is hard enough as it is. Walking out right now."

The bed stood between us and I hated feeling so far from her even though we were still in the same room so I walked around it, standing a few inches in front of her now.

"I’ve been through a lot of shit in my life too, Y/N. Don’t sit there and tell me what I can and can’t handle. Don’t sit there and tell me what I want or don’t want. You’re just so afraid of us," I pointed between us.

She grasped her elbows to hug herself and I could see the way her mind was running, gears turning hastily. Y/N was shutting down in front of me and I fucking hated it.

"Don’t fucking do that. I’m not him," I assured her with a gentler tone.

All of this was a trauma response, something so embedded deep into her brain that it was the only way she knew how to act. I know she felt the same way that I did; it was clear with what happened not even an hour ago. If she didn't feel the way I did, she wouldn't have shown up tonight. Y/N wants to stay, I can see it in the way her eyes keep darting to the bed but the pain and trauma were too deep.

"I’m sorry angel, I just- you’re wrong. I know how I feel about you, and I know what you feel about me."

I went to reach for her hands but she took a step back, a few tears falling to the ground below.

"I know what I feel. It’s not you, it’s me, Noah."

Not that fucking line.

"No. Fuck, angel! Stop! The future hasn't even happened yet. Please, don't-what do you need to happen?"

Her bottom lip trembled as a broken sob clawed its wait through her throat. "I-I think we need to remain friends right now. I can't-I can't get lost in you, Noah. It's so fucking easy to. I think we need space."

"I-I don't fucking want that, Y/N. I just want you."

"Noah, please understand where I'm coming from," she begged.

I paced the room, hands shaking in anger. Defeat? I wasn't sure.

"Angel-I. Please, just-," I eventually sighed in defeat.

"I'm going to head out."

Y/N nodded towards the door after gathering her things and stepped past me to leave.

The fear of losing her completely is what made me give in to her wishes. As much as I wanted to fight her choice, I needed her as a friend more than something more. I'll take what I can get for right now until she realizes she feels the same; I know she does.

As she opened the door, my feet closed the distance between us in two large steps and I grasped her chin, forcing her to look at me. The tears burned with the need to fall but she held fast and strong, refusing to show me how badly walking away was affecting her.

I brushed my lips across hers in a soft kiss. "I can wait for you."

She tried to disagree but my grip was too strong. "Noah- I can’t ask you to do that. That’s not fair. You deserve-"

“Don’t tell me what you think I deserve." I let out a shaky breath. "Look, heaven knows I’m not getting over you, I can wait”

“Besides. I’m known for having a lot of fuckin patience. I will wait." I finished with a shrug.

If I wasn't already staring intently at her, I almost would have missed the small nod she gave me; but I didn't. I saw it.

“Goodnight Noah.”

With one final kiss, not enough to remember the way she tastes, Y/N let the door shut behind her as I burned my hateful gaze through it. She left? How the fuck could she just leave after the night we had together?

No, fuck that.

I barreled through the door in time to notice she was only two doors down, frozen in her spot.

"Angel," I called after her.

Slowly, she turned, and I sucked in a breath when I saw the redness in her eyes, puffy with teh tears she let out as soon as the door closed. Mine mirrored hers.

"Please," I begged. "Just come back to me. I'll wait for you."

Y/N hesitated but within that hesitation, something stood out clear as day; she took a small step towards me until that doubt filled the back of her mind yet again. I stayed in the hallway watching as she turned the corner, disappearing from my vision and life; my words not being enough to make her stay.

Back inside the room, I let the door slam shut and made a beeline toward the minibar. I screwed off the cap of the Hennessy, downing half of it in one go.

"Bitter ends to the night. I'm along for the ride," I raised the bottle in the air before taking another long, slow gulp with my eyes screwed shut.

Suddenly, they snapped open, and I rummaged around the mess of my room for my phone, quickly typing out a text to Jolly.

I need to write a song, now.

Only a few minutes passed before he responded, just enough time for me to pop open another bottle.

Now? It's three in the morning and we have nothing here.

Doesn't fucking matter. I'll figure it out. Come to my room.

Letting the bottle slip from my fingers, I stalked over to the wall and slid down until my ass hit the floor with a thud; the image of Y/N crying and walking away burned into my brain. I was out of breath, out of time trying to stop her but, in the end, everything has a price. And I was paying for it. 

[lovemebutleavemewild]

Leave it to the land - Chapter 7

The world has ended, it's over—except some people can't seem to accept that. Those same people think the cure lies in people like you and your little sister. And they're willing to do anything to find it.

The road to safety is a long one, and you're about to learn that it isn't one you can walk alone.

Read it on ao3

Tag list: @elentiyaiswriting @sxnshinebxcky

"This wasn't part of the plan, Gaz."

Kyle rubs his hands over his face for the hundredth time but Ghost doesn't relent.

"You were meant to get on the inside and see if they were making any strides with research, not invite them all back to one of our fuckin' safe houses."

"Yeah, well things went a bit tits up, didn't they? It took them a while to warm up to me and then the place got overrun. But Ghost, listen-"

Kyle lowers his voice and takes a step to close the distance between them, which isn't hard— he’s got them crammed into what looks like a linen cupboard and it’s cramped enough as it is.

"They are making progress, alright? More than we were managing-"

"Easy to do when you don't care if the people you test on live or die," Ghost gripes.

"You don't think I know that?" Kyle shouts,then stops, taking a breath and visibly calming himself.

"I know how they do things isn't right, but our lot weren't getting anywhere, alright? Not for months." Kyle looks wild-eyed now and Ghost reaches out a hand, shaking his shoulder roughly. That seems to help, seems to ground him slightly. He takes a deep breath and looks steadily at Ghost

"He's not going to test on humans, Si. We were able to take enough of his samples and equipment and he's going to finish his work without all that. He's going to find a cure."

He looks at Ghost fiercely, as if daring him to disagree. Simon, looking down at him, feels pity for his friend. But he also feels ... something else.

"So … that's not why you told her and the kid to come here?"

The pain on Kyle's face is answer enough.

"I'd never do that, never. Fuck, Ghost."

He turns away, running his hands through his hair again. After a few minutes, he looks up, looking even more desperate than he did before.

"You believe me, don't you, mate?"

And he does. But then he looks up at the ceiling. You'd been convinced to hang around, at least for the night, and you'd silently accepted Kyle's offer that you and Dot take his room, while he slept on a sofa downstairs.

"I believe you, mate. I’m just not sure she's going to believe it, mate."

And Gaz' silence is evidence enough that he agrees.

“Everyone pitches in here. That's how it works, no exceptions.”

It's the guy from the roof, Jeremy. He speaks flatly, with dislike in every syllable. Ghost doesn't mind, he's well used to people not liking him.

Except, strangely enough, you don't seem to dislike him as much now. You'd sat next to him this morning, at breakfast,which had been served in one of the other barns, squeezing Dot between you and the wall. Neither of you spoke but it was still the most civil meal you'd had in your time together.

After breakfast, when the room had emptied, you'd been approached by Jeremy. He'd felt you tense up as soon as the man sat across from you, which made sense, considering his eye was still swollen from where you'd hit him. Ghost smirked under his mask—you really had got him good.

“If you're staying, we'll assign you a job, based on your skills. We're trying to get set up to be totally self-sufficient here—running water, vegetable gardens, livestock. And, of course, we need round the clock security.”

He glances at Ghost, then quickly away.

“Kyle's already told us about you—you've been assigned to help there. But you,”

He looks at you and his mouth twitches up at the sides cruelly.

“What can you do?”

You tense up even more, then tilt your chin up.

“You don't think I'm up for doing security? I'm pretty good at holding my own.”

You look at him pointedly and Ghost huffs out a laugh. Jeremy flushes.

“That was a fluke,” he hisses. “You came at me from the side, I wasn't even looking in your direction.”

“Good thing the tier fives always announce themselves before they attack, then,” you say sarcastically.

Jeremy stands up, slamming his hands down on the table. To your credit, you don't flinch, just crane your neck back to keep eye contact.

“You're on security.” He jabs a finger in Ghost's direction, without looking away from you.

“You're on kitchen duty. Food prep.”

He leans in close, face a few inches from yours.

“And don't forget that you're working to feed two.” His eyes flicker to Dot for a second, then back to you. You're rigid now. He taps his hands on the table again, lighter this time.

“No slacking. Kitchen in 10 minutes. You find Kyle.” He points at Ghost and walks off.

“Dick,” you mutter and when Ghost laughs again, you almost smile. Almost.

You don't find another opportunity to smile all day.

The woman in charge of running the kitchen, Maureen, informs you that, with their “new arrivals”, their numbers are at over 50, with meals for all of them being cooked in the kitchen in the main house. That means there’s a lot of work. For both of you.

She's nice enough, gives Dot a brownie and sits her at the table with some sheets of paper to draw.

“This is just for today, y’hear? There’s a bunch of other kids running around here for you to play with. Some folks run classes for them during the day too, to keep them outta my kitchen. But just today you can stay close to your mom.”

“She's not my mom.” That shouldn't hurt, when Dot says that but for some reason, it does. You laugh it off.

“I'm not that old, even if I feel it sometimes. And I think I am here to stay so put me to work!”

You're doing your best to have a can-do attitude and Maureen is nice enough not to laugh at you.

She’s a big talker, jabbering away as you work, you cutting vegetables while she hacks apart a chicken at the table behind you. As it goes, it takes a while for you to get a word in edgeways.

“So, what was this place? Before the visitors came, I mean.”

“Safehouse. For members of the wider 141.”

“141?” you ask.

“You know, your man's unit. Old unit now, I suppose.”

“My m-, you mean Ghost?”

She nods.

“He was an original member, of course. Causing quite the stir, having two members here, I don't mind tellin’ ya’. Plus, Kyle spoke very highly of you at the meeting this morning, from what I’ve heard.”

Your head is spinning.

“Okay, I’m going to need you to explain this to me like I'm five years old. Please.”

You hear her put her knife down and turn around to find her watching you carefully.

“You really don't know?”

You don't know what it is you're supposed to know, which amounts to the same thing, so you shake your head.

“Neither of them told you? Huh.” She appraises you again, pursing her lips, then strolls around the table to lean against it, arms folded.

“The 141 were a military unit before all this happened. They were called in to help control the situation, back when the outbreak happened, but by the time they got back from overseas, that was impossible.”

You nod, following so far.

“They travelled to the main testing centre, I'm assuming to get some idea of what was going on, and when they got there, they were asked to help secure the testing centres, which they did for a while.”

She stresses this last sentence, seeing your lip curl.

“After a while, they started to disagree with how things were bein’ run. What they were doing to the people there-”

You don't know if you imagine her glancing at your wrist, where your tattoo is just visible. You fold your own arms.

“Anyway, they cleared out and started a new programme, still focused on finding a cure, just with different … different methods, I guess you could say. Some a’ the doctors there went with ‘em and this original crowd weren't very happy about that. Don't reckon they'll be happy that we've got a few more on our side now too.”

She glances out the window suddenly.

“Probably for the best your man got here. I got a feelin’ people here are gearing up for a fight—somethin’s brewin’ alright.”

“Argyle isn't on our side. Your side,” you correct. “He's evil, pure and simple and if he's pretending otherwise, it's only because he thinks there's something in it for him.”

Maureen raises an eyebrow.

“People do change, y’know.”

“Not that much,” your retort.

She looks at you for another second, then nods.

“Well, you're entitled to your opinion. Lord knows, I won't try and change it. And if Kyle says you're a good’un, I'll take that to the bank. Good boy, he is. Good head on his shoulders.”

She looks sideways at you, suddenly shrewd.

“He, uh, he know about you and Ghost? Is that why y’all argued?”

You feel your face heating.

“There is no me and Ghost,” you splutter. “We met Ghost and he wanted to find Kyle—I was just … just showing him the way.”

It sounds pathetic even to your ears, but Maureen just hums.

“Whatever you say, darlin’. I sure as hell won't try and change your mind on that neither.”

Dinner is served in the same room as breakfast and you and Maureen are expected to serve it.

“We’d usually have more help but the other girl is sick today,” Maureen tells you in an undertone. “Once we're done here, you're done for the day. There's another crew that does cleanup.”

The last hour of your shift passes in a blur. You dole out bowls of food, keeping one eye on Dot. Maureen had parked her at a table of kids around her age but the whole time you watch her she doesn't say a word. You're not sure what’s worse: the idea of her becoming comfortable around people her own age, with all the risks that come with trusting strangers, or the idea of her not being comfortable with anyone, ever.

When you're done, you hover, not sure whether to pull her away so the two of you can sit alone or not. While you're deciding, you accidentally catch Kyle's eye. He's looking at you from across the room and when you meet his eyes, he makes a gesture, like he wants you to come over. You recognise the back of Ghost's head from where he sits across from him.

You turn your head away, just in time to see that Dot has started talking to a girl sitting next to her. You haven't seen her speak to a kid her own age in years.

You stare for a second more, then plop yourself down at the closest table to eat your dinner alone.

[radioisntdead]

Hihihi

I read the request you wrote for lucifer, and it made me so happy!!!!

And, I do have one more request, could you maybe generally write for the hazbin group finding out the readers cause of death being from a roller coaster, and them not knowing who they are? (Could it maybe be a song fic using the ballad of Jane doe?)

Or

A platonic angel dust fic with the reader talking(singing) about their previous family and / or life? Along with them breaking down at the end, with a small bit of comfort from angel dust? (Dead mom from beetle juice)

You can choose either or, it doesn't really matter to me :)

With love,

-Xin 💙

Good evening my dear! So glad to have you sending in another request,

I AM A MAJOR RIDE THE CYCLONE FAN, I FORCED MY BEST FRIEND TO WATCH IT WITH ME AND GOT EM' HOOKED ON IT, I WATCHED IT AS I WROTE RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I CRIED IT IS A GREAT MUSICAL, I GREATLY RECOMMEND IT, IT'S ALLEGEDLY ON YOUTUBE

Reader much like Jane Doe is going to be a doll, I like to call this, reader having a lil existential crisis during a trust exercise turned life stories sharing time.

Also I'll tag you like I did last time! @fuck-this-shit-xin

The fallen saint

People who live in the hazbin hotel x gn reader

Warnings!

Death, decapitation, dolls, I am still terrified of dolls why did I add them? I don't know, accidentally implied underage drinking but the reader isn't underage, reader and Angel are very loosely implied to be besties because yes

Ballad of Jane doe

You came to the hotel confused and scared, you found a flyer that advertised and you thought that it'd be better then the chaos in the other parts of hell.

You didn't remember much about your life, just that you died from a rollercoaster accident with your friends? Classmates? Family? You didn't remember,

The last thing you remember was someone clutching your hand saying something that was muffled over the screams before a sharp piece of metal sliced your throat and you saw the sky.

Sometimes you get glimpses of life before, school uniforms, arcades, lights, someone saying a muffled name, holding you, smiling at you.

Who were they? A friend? Family?

You wish you knew.

Charlie was the most sympathetic to your situation, embracing you with open arms into the hotel, imagine not knowing who you were? Well you didn't have to imagine.

You were practically a clean slate, perfect for redemption no matter what you did in the past, because you weren't that person anymore.

Charlie had organized a trust exercise that had pinwheeled into mild drunken shenanigans venting about life and how they lived before they died, Husk had revealed that he apparently had a child somewhere that caused a small commotion of "YOU HAD A WHAT-" and that turned into Sir Pentious saying he missed his son,

Niffty brought up some guy she was obsessed with while alive that may or may not have died it wasn't clear, Vaggie revealed small, very small parts about her life in heaven and being an exorcist, Angel dust brought up his family that was in hell and his twin sister Molly who was the only one to go above, and even Alastor was in the conversation talking about his mother and what a wonderful mother she was.

And then it came to you, cradling a alcoholic beverage.

"I wish I knew what my life was like, like What did I do end up down here? I mean I know I died because of a rollercoaster but I don't think that was a sin." You said your fingers circling your glass, Angel dust patting your shoulder in support.

"I'm sure it wasn't anything that bad"

"You probably set orphanages on fire, I can see you doing that" Niffty chimed in staring into your soul

"Niffty what the hell."

You took a breath as music began to play, one of the things you don't expect in death is that everything becomes a musical.

"Some might say we're release, pushing daisies, deceased,"

You place the glass you were holding onto the table in front of you before standing up from the couch you wrapped your arms around yourself.

"But we all know the worms must be fed,"

"And They're singing." Husk muttered taking a swig of his drink as he was told to hush.

"There's just one lingering fear, Oh my soul, is it here?"

It was a silly question but was it? Most Hellborn supposedly didn't have souls but they were still alive in someway, was it the same case with you? Is that why you couldn't remember? Was your soul back on earth where you perished?

You let one of your hands drift up to your neck, feeling the thread stitching that kept your head attached to your neck, it was slightly lighter then the rest of your body, reminiscent of a dolls.

"Or is it rotting somewhere with my head?"

The people you mostly considered friends [Alastor was on a thin line of friend or weird smiley guy that lived in the hotel] watched you pace around.

"Oh my soul"

Who were you?

"Oh my soul"

What did you do? What didn't you do?

''Oh my soul''

What regrets did you have? Did you live life to the fullest? Who did you love, who did you cherish? Did you have friends? Family? Who were they?

"Oh my soul''

"Ooh...Ooh...Ahh...Ahh... ah''

You missed people you didn't even remember,

Were you loved? Hated?

Did someone miss you? Who did you die with? What did you do to end up here? Did you kill someone? Did you set an orphanage on fire like Niffty suggested?

The people that appeared in your dreams, who's faces were blurred, that would disappear when you tried to reach out to them, were they real or were they just from your dreaming state?

"Oh no soul, and no name"

Everyone had come up with their own nickname for you, typically something related to dolls like doll, Dollface, Dolly, Raggedy Ann, Raggedy Andy or Chucky etc

That last one was from Husk.

you didn't mind it but you desperately wanted to know what your name was, did you get to choose it? Or was it given to you? Did you like it? Did you want to change it? Did you go by a nickname instead? Was it long? Was it short? Was it fancy or simple? Were you named after someone? Oh how you desperately wished to know.

"And no story, what a shame.."

Was your life exciting? Dull? Did you wish for something more?

"Cruel existence was only a sham?"

Dying in a rollercoaster accident was odd, insane and tragic, you showed up in hell with a uniform, were you a student? Did you attend some weird uniform requiring college? You died with others you knew them didn't you? Did you die with strangers or did you die with people you knew?

Tears swelled in your glassy, shiny doll-like eyes

"Oh Saint Peter, let me in!"

Charlie and Vaggie shared a look, recalling the whole welcome to heaven thing and him straight up moaning in song.

"You must know where I've been, Won't you tell me at last who I am?"

You could bare it, being in hell, it was horrible because it was hell but everyone else knew who they were, somewhat, they had a name that they chose or got, they had some semblemblance of an identity,

So why didn't you?

"Who I am,"

It wasn't fair, it really wasn't

"Who I am"

Everyone in the room knew who they were, they remembered their lives or in Charlie's case her life so far.

"Who I am"

You didn't ask for much, you helped out at the hotel, you gleefully participated in the exercises, you were a decent person, at least now you were if you weren't before.

"Who I am"

Would you get your memories back if you went to heaven?

"Ooh...Ooh...Ahh...Ahh... ah"

Or would you completely lose your memories again, would you have to start all over again?

You didn't want to forget the folks in the hazbin hotel, they were your friends right?

Right?

It'd be one thing if you lost your memories here but it'd be just cruel if you lost them again, you didn't want to lose them again you desperately clung to the glimpses you got of the past, you needed to keep the memories of the present.

"And from the ground, beneath my feet, I hear the anguish of the street"

You glanced outside the window, people were doing whatever they did, someone was actively getting stabbed they probably remembered who they were.

"A choir never complete"

Something flashed in your head

You died in a choir, you were apart of a choir,

You were apart of something, you sung with them, were you all close? Were you like family?

Where were they? Would they recognize you if they saw you now?

Would they? Would you recognize them? Would all your memories come rushing back in an instant like in the movies?

"And like an old forgotten tune, a song that no one knows..."

A appeared in your arms, a doll that had been gifted to you by Angel dust for a day they had dubbed your birthday, they threw you a party and everything, confetti, balloons, cake, you got a few gifts that you treasured, from Charlie, sir Pentious, hell even Alastor gave you a weird doodle of you that laid with the other gifts.

You held it close to you.

"Forgot how it goes, just John, Jane and me"

You didn't name the doll John or Jane, you didn't know a John or a Jane, or maybe you did? Anyways you carried it around with you, finding it as a source of comfort for when your friends weren't nearby

"Forever eternally, Doll Doe"

You hugged the doll tighter as a tear slipped slid down your doll-like face,

You were angry, what had you done to deserve this? You should at least know what condemned you here? What sin was so bad to warrant this?

"And I'm askin' why lord,"

The effects kicked in as the room went darker as your voice raised, desperation, confusion.

"If this is how I die, lord"

Why couldn't you have a normal death at least! Did anyone even find your head? Was it eaten by animals? Did it hit some poor person trying to have a fun day at the amusement park?

"Why be left with no family"

The hotel residents began to develop a found family relationship, and you were apart of it, you loved it but, what was your family from before like? Did you even have one?

"And no friends?"

Assuming no one you knew had fallen down below, you didn't die alone but you came alone while the others had ascended to above.

"Ooh."

Background vocals came in out of nowhere lowkey freaking out some of your friends, Vaggie had already gotten her spear ready to Incase, of something maybe if the voices decided to attack

"I've got no celebration, just this consolation,"

Did you even have a funeral? Was it closed casket? Who attended?

"Time eats all his children, In the end"

You had questions and you wanted answers.

"Ahhh..."

Freaky disembodied background vocals

"A melody floats through the air, when silence falls, does no one care?"

You were human once, you didn't care what genre your life fell into, comedy, horror, tragedy, thriller, if you played the role of a villain or a hero, a funny side character, you just wanted to know

"Does anyone care?"

Where were the background vocals coming from, they were freaky.

"Another sad, forgotten tune"

Your story laid forgotten, abandoned on some bookshelf like a book a teenager brought thinking they'd like it but they couldn't even make it past the first page so it lays, rotting away.

"Another song that no one knows"

You wanted to go back, you wanted to live your life again, you didn't know what it entailed but you would do anything, make a deal, throw whatever afterlife you had away.

"So that's how it goes!''

No, you would keep the afterlife you were given, you cherished the memories you've made here.

"Just John, Jane and me"

Your life was cut short wasn't it? What didn't you get to experience, what didn't your choir experience?

Why did you all have to die that day? Why did the rollercoaster have to derail, why didn't they check it?

"Forever eternally, Dollface Doe"

"And she's asking why, lord?"

The disembodied voices were in all honesty a nice touch to the song, still freaky though especially since was now dolls scattered around the area, is that where the voices were coming from?

"Why, oh why, oh why, oh why...?"

Why?

You were the one who convinced your choir to go on the rollercoaster, you begged them offering to buy them snacks after,

They agreed, you didn't know.

Was that the thing that condemned you here??

"This is no way to die, lord!"

At least getting decapitated by a rollercoaster made for a good conversation starter, probably.

"No one to sing, no one to sigh"

You only got glimpses, sometimes a nostalgic feeling for something you couldn't remember no matter how desperately you wanted too.

"Now that all is said and done"

Life had ended, afterlife had only begun,

You couldn't go back, no matter what you did, even if you sold your soul, a soul you weren't sure you even had anymore.

"Isn't there anyone to tell me who I am?"

You were turned away from your friends, you didn't want to see the pitying face some of them probably had.

"No singing songs of celebration''

Were you someone who liked to party? A homebody? Were you a sweetheart? Did people say you had a heart of stone,

"Just this sorry speculation"

You could try and force yourself to remember but in the best case scenario you could get a glimpse and a headache, and the worse case you'd be left clutching your doll trying to comfort yourself with a horrible headache.

"Like John and Jane I'll be eternally"

Maybe you should give up on trying to figure out who you were, try to forget that you ever lived before this.

"A forgotten name, some lost refrain"

If anything, you didn't have to have your memories back completely, if you could just remember your name.

"Just 'Doll' "

You closed your eyes, clutching the doll.

"Dolly..."

The freaky dolls that appeared sneaked close, Vaggie stabbed one like a doll kabob

"Doe!"

You twirled and landed back in your seat, you leaned to the table to grab your drink again, intending to down it as the dolls finished your lament.

"A melody floats through the air, when silence falls, does no one care?"

The room began to lighten back up again as the creepy little dolls poofed away one by one, including the kabobbed one.

"Doll Doe."

You got a hug from a tearful Charlie and a two handed headpat from Angel since he couldn't really do anything else since you were trapped in Charlie's hug.

Charlie would later note that it was a successful trust exercise since everyone including you had opened up a little bit, you felt relieved to get that lament of yours off your chest, it didn't change much but breaking out in song was oddly therapeutic, you guessed that's why others did it so often!

Would you ever regain your memories? You didn't know, but for now you would try to remember anything from your past while making new memories with your friends at the Hazbin hotel.

Good evening folks! thank you for tuning on in, this has gotta be one of my favorite songfics to write to date, AGAIN I REALLY RECOMMEND RIDE THE CYCLONE, thank you for tuning in I hope you enjoyed! Goodnight folks!

[thepurplewombat]

For the violence ask game, can I request your answers to numbers 3, 10, 14, 21 and 22?

ooooh lovely choices here!

3: screenshot or description of the worst take you’ve seen on tumblr

Oh, god, there are so many. But I think the worst and most frustrating ones are related to Jin Guangyao and Mo Xuanyu. I've seen a number of people say things about the whole thing being a lie from JGY's end to discredit MXY, and I've even seen some that called JGY a groomer, and tbh, it makes me sick on multiple levels. Allow me to explain:

So first of all, denying that MXY really did what he was kicked out of JLT for completely ignores some of the only things that we know about him from his own words (filtered through WWX of course, but isn't everything?). On Page 19 of Volume 1, WWX is reading MXY's demented scribblings and comes across the part where he is talking about having been kicked out of JLT. It is never mentioned that he feels resentment for this, or that it was all a lie - and if there is anywhere that it would say outright that MXY was angry because he was falsely accused, wouldn't it be in the private ramblings hidden in his own room?

Second of all, if JGY had really fabricated rumors that MXY had harassed him in order to get him kicked out, he would have had his own wound on WWX's arm. Which, let me be clear, he does not. We're talking novel canon here, and in the novel, all the wounds close once the Mo family are dead.

Third of all, I find it sickening because it is part of a pattern of placing JGY at fault for sexual and other violence committed against him. He was harassed by his own brother to the point of forcing him to expel him from the clan, he ended up married to his own sister - neither of those were his fault, but people tend to look at these situations and have just the most absolutely dumpster-fire rancid takes, like JGY committing sexual assault against Qin Su (he didn't - once he knew about their relationship he never slept with her again, and while yes, he should have told her the truth about why, his reasoning is completely understandable), or being into incest etc.

Actually also a lot of takes wrt JGY and sex are pretty rancid, but I think the MXY thing is the worst, and it keeps coming up and make me want to set the whole tag on fucking fire.

10 - worst part of fanon

There are a lot of fanon takes that annoy me - WWX is good at diplomacy, NMJ is a fluffy cuddlebear, LXC is a himbo, but none of them quite make me want to Hulk Out as bad as fanon JGY, who is essentially just JGS in a funny hat.

You want an uncomplicatedly and unrepentantly evil villain to pin your hate on? JGS is right there.

You want a rapist who never shows an ounce of regret? JGS is right there.

You want a monster who ordered human experimentation with resentful energy to be done? JGS is right there.

You want the author of all of WWX's post-Sunshot misery? Jin Guangshan is RIGHT FUCKING THERE!

But no, we're gonna go ahead and pin all of JGY's father's crimes on him.

ugh.

14 -that one thing you see in fics all the time

oh god, if I could have a penny for every time I have seen surprise villainYao in a fic tagged with xiyao I would be so rich. It's especially frustrating when it's in a modern AU, when a lot of the pressures that caused JGY to do the shit he did just didn't exist. With a lot of modern AUs you can't even say 'cool motive, still murder' (a valid take on JGY tbh) because 90% of the time he doesn't even have a motive? He's just out there killing people for shits and giggles and I'm like, 'You're thinking of Xue Yang. This isn't JGY, this is Xue Yang in a funny goddamn hat.'

21 - part of canon you think is overhyped

I've been sitting here for ten minutes trying to think of a specific part of canon that's overhyped and not just annoying to me personally, and I can't really think of anything? Like, there's this perception in fandom that LWJ is a loving and caring brother who did a lot for LXC, and that pisses me off because he is the worst didi in a work full of bad didis - JGY killed his elder brother, and still managed to not be as terrible a little brother as Lan 'abandon my brother who's just killed his best friend of twenty years with his own two hands to go fuck Wei Wuxian under a bush' Wangji. But that's annoying because it's wrong, not because it's overhyped, so I'm just gonna go with a big old 🤷‍♀️here.

22 - your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

I mean, I don't think it's ignored necessarily, but I would love for more people to pay attention to the fact that WWX literally made Wen Chao eat his own flesh, and that was really gross and horrible but also very sexy of him.

Because like, a part of the appeal of WWX is that he is legitimately monstrous. He does absolutely monstrous things during the Sunshot campaign, and people are right to be afraid of this extremely powerful and unpredictable person who commands the goddamn dead. But WWX is like an example of how you can be a monster but also try to be a good person, and a lot of people strip a lot of the complexity out of him by making him a Manic Pixie Dream Necromancer who's like, a little quirky but ultimately cool, and no, fuck that noise.

Wei Wuxian was a monster. He became a monster in response to the pressures of the war and his massive pile of untreated PTSD, but he was so terrifying that for a moment while I was reading the rescue of the Wen, I wasn't sure that they were going to go with him. And I wouldn't have blamed them for a second because this is the man who nearly single-handedly destroyed their clan, slaughtered their friends and families, and then commanded their corpses to slaughter even more. That's fucked up and villain behaviour, and nobody would have blamed the Wen for preferring the ordinary human torture and death and murder over whatever Wei Wuxian might choose to do to them. At least once the guards killed you the torment was over.

But a monster isn't all he is. He tries to do the right thing, he tries to be good, and while it doesn't solve the situation, it does mean something. Wei Wuxian's story is the story of a man who covered himself in blood to save his own life and the lives of others, and then found out that sometimes you don't get to go home. Sometimes the blood doesn't wash off and you spend the rest of your days with the shadows of your past hanging over you.

But he still tried! He still tried, and in the very end of the story, he is free, and happy, and loved.

But removing his darkest moments takes so much away from the light at the end, renders it so much less meaningful without the contrast of his darkest times.

Thank you for playing, sorry that my answers are so damn long, but apparently I get wordy sometimes!

[therealgchu]

Snippet Sunday - Seven Days style

giving everyone a sneak peek into Day 6 for Snippet Sunday.

we're almost to the end. chapter 6 is 75% done; chapter 7 is finished.

read Seven Days from the beginning here on ao3.

my other fics live here on ao3.

tagging the coemancer crew, and anyone that has any fics they'd like to share.

sneaky peeky

“Funny thing about relationships. People assume the dominant one always has the power. But, that’s frequently not true. It’s the submissive one that usually does. I mean, so long as the relationship isn’t abusive.” He scratched his beard, realizing he hadn’t seen a mirror in six days, and wondered what a sight he must look. “With me and Lillian, people always thought that I was the one in control, I was a Coe, after all. But I wasn’t. It was Lillian calling all the shots. I’m generally an easy-going guy. I mostly didn’t care. But she cared about everything. All. The. Time. So, it was easier to just let her have her way. Then Cora came along. And I started caring.

“I’m assuming your Sam had a similar past as mine? Met Lillian while smuggling? She came in and saved his ass?” The woman nodded. “Yeah. I was pretty self-destructive at that age. Really, really fucked up. If you’re not a total idiot, you can actually learn a lot about yourself when you hit rock bottom, though it took awhile to figure it out. Like, I got really into some kinky sex. Just kinda let myself get used by whoever, however, when we partied. Realized later that it was me trying to punish myself. It was all of that self-hatred and loathing that got instilled by Jacob coming out. I was so outta control. But at the time, it felt like I was in control, that I had the power. It was a lie, though.

“Then Lillian came along, helped clean me up, set me right. But, I still didn’t have any power. I felt like I was always trailing in someone’s footsteps, Solomon, Jacob, and then Lillian.

“But Cora changed everything. She made me want to be a better person, a better man. Lillian…well, to be honest, Lillian didn’t have that much interest in being a mother. I mean, she loves Cora, but she ain’t exactly the maternal type. A lot of the time it was just me and Cora. I had taken more of a desk job so I could be closer to her. Lillian, though, never slowed down, at least once she went back to rangering.

“You learn a lot about power when you have a baby. With Cora I learned to take control. I had never felt like I was in control before, but I had to be with her. Had to be the parent. That was one of those things all the parenting books said: be the parent; take control. Honestly, it was really hard at first. But, I gradually learned how. It was also what led me to quit the Rangers and leave Lillian.”

Sam heaved a sigh, and then laid down on the cell’s floor, with his hands behind his head. “I’ve had a lot of time to think in here,” he said, “about where I came from, and where I’m going. All the choices I’ve made, good and bad. So often, you think you’re the victim, when you’re actually the one victimizing yourself.”

[palestickyprinces]

on my hands and knees begging for a family tree (or multiple ones!!) for your original hotd/asoiaf characters...

anon your hand in marriage immediately. how did you know about my one true passion. reveal yourself in my dms within three days else you'll start to cough

some of these are way more in depth because i. well. i only just made some (cough the tullys and martells cough) while others i worked for a day or two on. the targaryen ones look weird bc this site doesnt like incest (or even when two siblings marry another set of siblings). i will put it under a read more lest it take 5 days to scroll past

me looking at anon

we're just gonna go in order of how i have them saved el oh el. also i was gonna link the trees but then realized anyone can edit them and i dont trust people not to fuck up my hard work so now you have to suffer my shitty screenshots. sorry

Maryce Redwyne

(ignore the fact it links to aemond, its just how the site works) now this one is a little weird bc i never fully committed to when it takes place in her canon so some people are dead who shouldnt be some people arent dead who should be etc... also daeron doesn't exist here cuz uhhh. well. i just never put him in.

this verse is also the ones my ocs vaerra targaryen and alyssa targaryen (of pentos), but i ended up removing them since its really maryce's story and i didnt want to include them for like two appearances worth of time

you may notice she has a child who's formerly gone entirely unmentioned...

Lorea Baratheon

this one is straightforward its just the canon family tree plus lorea. i have various other ocs and possible cousins in mind for her story but i dont think any are included in this. however i did go insane adding practically the entire lannister and baratheon/targaryen family trees theres like 60+ people in this one

House Errol

never mentioned these guys (because i forgot they existed) but theyre fairly important players in lorea's story, she runs into the kingswood after (spoiler!) her mom tries to 🗡 her and ends up at haystack hall. sebastion ends up agreeing to let her stay, then as the war continues is the one to push her to claim the throne. totally not because he wants to be her hand and marry his son to her. who would ever do that.

House Mallister

theres a couple more piper cousins/siblings in law on the other side lyman but thats fine. lyman has a wife named lynette swann and i never decided if his name would remain lyman. also i forgot to ever name one of elinor's brothers in law oops

after the hashtag scandal of elinor having a bastard baby her mom gets her brother lucas to marry his son to elinor and elinor is shipped off to pinkmaiden forever. sad!

Ellyn Hightower + Daemion & Alyssa

considering daemion didnt even have his own tag until like yesterday i dont think i ever shared that he's criston's son so. spoiler! theres nothing like giving your affair baby nearly the same name as your husband ❤️ also daeron is again not here. sorry. would be funny to include him just for the sake of the recent headcanons about criston being his daddy tho. when ur cousin is also ur brother and its not even from the incest side of the family

(im not actually doing that. daeron will probably just not be included. unless i really like him when s3 comes out in a decade)

all the stuff to the side is just canon targ bullshit i added

House Tully

these crop weird on tumblr oops. click on em to see it better. i made alys larys's sister bc i just thought being tortured by ur sister in law is funnier than aunt etc. i considered naming zoe and elmo's dad ernie

House Martell

alia and aelyx are twins <3 i did not add all of daeron's various descendants or ancestors because frankly theres kind of a lot of them and again this site hates incest and it starts looking funny real quick. given more time i mightve added them and the great bastards and all but this is what you get for now

maron said their first kid could have a targy name since they'd be a martell either way so daenerys insisted he give the second one a dornish name and then with the twins they just followed their previous pattern of girl gets dornish boy gets targy. these guys are arguably the happiest family of ocs i got

maron had a paramour before wedding daenerys and he sent her away before the marriage because he knew daenerys would take offense to it, and he didn't want to risk the still fairly new targ-martell alliance, or risk angering daeron, which could theoretically pose a risk to maron's own sister. the family's one real conflict is that the paramour has a son who later shows up claiming he's maron's REAL oldest child and that aeron is actually a blackfyre. thankfully the dornish are not stupid and basically just go ????? before kicking the kid out. well actually a lot more happens than just that but yk how it is. that plotline is also only barely existant. i havent even read a knight of the seven kingdoms yet

if you actually read all this then YAYYYYY come be my friend pls. or just send me more asks about my ocs. i love answering questions and talking for way too long i NEED more asks

[piningpercussionist]

(Not an rp ask)

What is your opinion on chau x kim? I'm not a shipper of it myself but I heard it was a proship since knives is 17 but also I saw she was 18 in the comic so I'm not sure where to stand on it honestly. But I'd like to hear your opinion about it !! Sorry if this is a bit of a random ask (ーー;

You're completely fine!! Do not even worry about it.

So, yeah- When Scott first meets Knives, and I'm not entirely sure how much time passes between then and when they start dating, it was *literally* her seventeenth birthday, as I am reminding myself reading back over these panels presently. And then at the start of book six, the first time we see (real, non-dream,) Knives, she has apparently been eighteen for a week!

Now, I'm going to preface with a little something before I go further into this: I am totally fine answering this ask and others like it I think! but, I will note, I do get like a (not fun) physical sensation in my chest- partly anxiety (lol) but also something else I think- thinking about them like 95% of the time- it's gotta be like. Handled The Right Way, if that makes sense. Let's get into it.

So, first off, I'm just gonna re: some of the stuff relative to this I've posted here before- both nonrp and rp, since I use RP to develop my read on Kim and shed some light on how I see things I guess!

These clips come from this ask (and reblog) here!

This rp ask here, which is simply too difficult for me to get in a good screenshot I feel, so I recommend just checking it and the tags for it out- I will share my Bonus Commentary reply though:

This ask as well! Tags less pressing, but still provide a little insight.

And this is probably a dumb inclusion if I really want to make a pseudonym to post fics under, but. I have posted my (very early) thoughts on the SPTO sparks scene to AO3 before, so- (and before going into this- I did remember that Julie and Gideon have that sparks scene after the fact!)

And here's the Barely Anything Lines hinting at the ship that I had in that fic that I used to justify that blurb, while we're here:

I think I've gone over my feelings a little bit in the discord as well, and there might even be more rp stuff relative to it, but I'm not going to go back and get any of that honestly- at least, not right now, or unless requested, since I don't really feel like it's necessary, if it does exist. This gives a pretty good glimpse in I'd say- especially that second to last one there.

So. Yeah.

Used to ship it; have expanded my horizons since then. I don't really want to knock it because like... for some people this is a legitimate life experience for them- one that might have even turned out well, miraculously. And there also a lot of minors in this fandom evidently, so like, any other baby gays out there just wanting to Project for a minute? I feel that. Sincerely I do. It's not the wisest choice but better to read fanfiction about it than go out and actually make out with a 23 year old, Gods forbid. (Genuinely felt sick thinking about that; fucking gross. Any minors out there: Please Make Good Choices. Look out for yourselves. Begging you. There are too many freaks in this world- I promise you whoever you're thinking of probably isn't the magical exception.)

But there are definitely things to consider about them that are very interesting to me, still, so like. I'm in this weird state of conflict; I don't know if it's just me being like "it happened, you can't escape it" or having been desensitized/some sort of Brainwashed by how many times I had to use Knives in the game to quick heal- maybe something else but I just don't feel like flaying myself open like that unprompted for just anyone- but like. Oh man.

Sorry, gathering/writing this that feeling like went away but came circling back for this last bit, it seems. Which makes sense I guess. I feel like I'm setting myself up for a Pyre right now eugh shfsgkjfhjg

I dunno. I'm not gonna lie and pretend like I know it to be some big formative ship for me in my early teen years, but it was kind of important in finally coming around to realizing how queer I was, I think. My memories of the time are fuzzy, but it would have been one of the things- there were likely larger ones, my current obsession could be recoloring my past here so I'm trying to acknowledge that.

But there is like. A dynamic that is posited by them that is also one I'm a really big sucker for. More so now than I was then, so I find myself grinding my teeth about that a fair bit at times.

I definitely still really like it as something unrequited no matter what I think; I like the idea of Knives having a really big crush on Kim, genuinely. I think it's cute and funny as hell for how uncomfortable it would make Kim, who's just trying so hard not to be a fucking creep while this ray of sunshine hangs off her- something she absolutely does not deserve (in her eyes.)

I'm obviously more partial to Kim resisting any advances made at her, but I can understand so, so badly why someone might be attracted to the idea of Knives managing to thaw some of Kim's frigidity with that. Ugh.

If they work for me, I think they'd have to work for me after Knives is gone at college for a bit. Kim would need to know Knives for longer than she knew her as a minor- and they'd have to be FRIENDS in that time, quite strictly. Kim would need to not feel (intensely, because frankly, she would unavoidably feel this way at least a little no matter what,) like she was a fucking groomer going into it, basically. I don't know what I think past that.

You know, I'll put my feelings like this: with the exception of a fic I saw recommended to someone that intrigued me, I have managed to resist reading any/many fics featuring them, despite it being a large majority of the wlw Kim fics that exist, and also kinda just Kim fics generally. It's kind of Insane, especially considering how much Kimona SCREAM at you from the pages of the comic itself- but I digress....

I've been working on this for like over an hour now I think so I really should cut myself off. I am like,, too hungry and mildly stoned to be rambling off about this maybe. If you want more concise/specific thoughts, I recommend prompting! I can try and channel the responses easier with a bit more direction, maybe?

...

actually another thing real quick- I like. Do not know that I could ever feel comfortable, truly, consuming content for them, not knowing if the OP has good intentions. I just Do Not trust people, largely, so that's just like. A little thing. Idk. "Death to the author" or whatever but I am still allowed to feel personally uncomfortable ya know! I don't want them taking my silent observation as like,, passive acceptance in the event that they were. Idk if that makes sense, I need to go eat already, I'm hitting post before i drag this out to TWO hours

[w0lp3rtinger]

Making Mischief Ch 4

aaahahaha I've been so fucking depressed BUT WE'RE GETTING THERE!

This has largely BEEN done save for me actually doing edits. Once again, I thank @Shadowsfascination and @shadamyheadcanons, who are a huge help and very tallented<3

Ch 3 Can Be Found Here!

(You can also read it on DeviantArt if you would like by following this link. I may… actually go back to uploading on A03 however. Remains to be seen.)

---

The sun had sunk below the water now; the only lights to be seen were the stars and the bonfires. Amy sighed as she peeled another apple from her bag, her small, silver knife glinting in the firelight. Glancing up, she watched as Cream, Charmy, and Tails played tag out on the sands. 

“They look like they’re having fun.” 

Amy gasped, hands instinctively clenching around her work. She turned to see Big just a little ways away, his feet outstretched towards the fire while his eyes were on the throngs of people. Amy chuckled. “Yeah, they are.” 

“Normally you are, too,” he scratched his chin, “but this year, not so much.” 

She shook her head, “No.” 

“Why?” 

Amy opened her mouth, then closed it. Her tongue poked out from between her lips as she looked back down at the apple in her hands. This was rough work, keeping the peel all in one piece. She adjusted the apple in her hands to reduce the tension on it. 

“Well, I’m just- I’m focused on something.” 

“You’ve been focused on it for a long time.” 

“Yeah.” 

“How many apples have you peeled?” 

Her nose twitched. “I don’t know.” 

“Do you think maybe you should work on it later? It’s getting late. They’re gonna-” 

“I know what time it is, Big. I’m fine.” 

She could hear him sigh, groaning as he stood up. Big dusted the sand from his legs with one hand as he picked up his rod with the other. 

“Your choice, I guess.” 

“Exactly.” Amy put her nose in the air, shoulders back. “And I suppose you’re gonna go off fishing. So we’re both doing what we feel like.” 

Big pointed toward the pier, “Well, I like fishing way out there so I can see the lanterns better. It’s darker. Plus, the walleyes will be biting.”

Amy looked towards where he was gesturing. On the shoreline, she could see people setting up their paper lanterns, decorating them. It wouldn’t be long now before the low-tide would start, and they would be released into the withdrawing waves. The long trail of burning lights would guide the spirits of loved ones home. 

Amy hummed quietly, settling gently into the lovingly somber image. She hadn’t made her lantern yet, but she wouldn’t need that much longer. 

“That does sound nice, Big.” Amy said, nodding. “You know, I may come out and join you.” 

Big nodded as he walked away, his fishing rod bobbing on his shoulder. Amy smiled for a moment, enjoying the sounds of music and the crackle of fire, the taste of salt water, the gentle breeze, but it was only for a moment. Once again, she hunched over the apple peel. She was so close to being done, and she had to finish this time.

“Surprised you’re not joining them.” 

Amy gasped, dropping the apple. Her knife clattered to the side as the apple fell on top of its own peel, splitting the long strand in two. 

She gritted her teeth, clenching her fists in her lap. “Hello, Rouge.” 

Rouge sat down next to her, adjusting her own witch’s hat as she did so. Blaze sat down on the other side of her, nodding as she did so.

“Oh,” Amy smoothed her skirts, focusing hard on trying to look relaxed. “And Blaze! I should have guessed you would be coming with Silver.”  

“Did we catch you in the middle of something?” Blaze cocked her head, brow furrowed.  

“Just a little, yeah.” 

Rouge grinned. “Oh, shame.” 

Amy grumbled as she scooped the knife off the ground as she tried to fish another apple out of the bag next to her. “Do you want something or-?” 

“Not really,” Rouge sighed. “Shadow ditched me to go help Silver with something, and Omega went with. Blaze and I have just been playing the carnival games, but then we got bored and cold.” 

“You got bored because you cheated all of the carnival games out of their best prizes,” Blaze said shaking her head, “and all I said was I wanted to take a moment to sit with Amy by the fire.” 

Rouge clicked her tongue as she gently waved a hand. “Semantics.” 

Amy hissed quietly through her teeth. Every apple in her bag had already been peeled, each a failure. Each and every single one, their broken skins already burning in the fire before her. With a growl, she threw in the last of them, leaning back as she bit into the failure of her labors. 

Rouge chuckled, leaning on her knee as she settled her chin into her hand. “Rough day?” 

“Maybe,” Amy muttered around a mouthful. 

“Aw, why?” 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” 

Rouge hummed, shaking her head. “You know that apple peel trick is an old wives tale, right?” 

Amy’s head snapped towards her. Rouge laughed. 

“What, you thought I wouldn’t notice?” 

“Notice what?” said Blaze.

Amy sighed, her head drooping. Rouge’s laugh turned into a cackle.

“Oo, it’s a funny little thing. The story goes that if you can peel a whole apple skin in one piece, and then throw it over your shoulder, you can see the first letter of the name of the person you are destined to be with.” 

Blaze’s brow furrowed, ear twitching as she looked between Amy and Rouge. “I don’t understand. Why?” 

“Why what?” Rouge’s grin was wide and glinting. 

“Why is that a belief?” 

Rouge waved a hand, “Well, people like romance, and mystery, and thinking they can tell the future, so people invent fun little things so that they might feel a bit, oh I don’t know… magic.”

“Shut up, Rouge!” Amy whipped her apple at her friend, “Magic is real, and you better learn that fast!”   

Rouge ducked, dogging the projectile. “Aw, come on Amy. I’m just teasing.” 

Blaze shook her head. “I still don’t quite understand. So you were hoping for-.”

“Shut up, shut up, shut uuuuup!” Amy whined as she covered her ears, “Don’t say it, or he might hear!” 

“Who?”

Amy froze, whipping around to look up at Shadow. He had on the same cloak as Sonic and Silver, but the white costume makeup Rouge always put around his eyes was still there. 

“Who do you think?” said Rouge. 

Shadow rolled his eyes, and Amy felt her face burn with embarrassment. She shot a glare at Rouge, who only smirked.  

Blaze gestured to the open space around the fire. “Are you here to join us?” 

He shook his head. “I just wanted to make Rouge aware of the fact that Omega has gone home.” 

“What?” Rouge pouted, “Already?” 

“His battery was getting low, and he was tired of carrying around all of your junk.” 

Blaze chuckled, and Rouge shot her a dirty look. 

“Well boo to him, I guess.” Rouge crossed her arms, slouching as she did so. 

“I saw you helping Silver with the lanterns, by the way,” Blaze said. “Thank you for that.” 

“It was no problem. He’s not quite done yet, but he said he could do the rest on his own.” 

“What are you up to then, if you’re not joining us and you’re not helping him?” Rouge gestured loosely. “You gonna be a party pooper too and head on home with Omega?”  

Shadow shrugged. With a huff, he pulled an apple from his quills, brushing a smudge off of it with his thumb. 

Amy’s breath caught in her throat. 

She was on her feet in an instant, hands wrapping around his and the apple he held. “Can I have that?” The words tumbled in a rush, “Please? Would you mind?” 

Shadow stared, wide-eyed and frozen. Amy tugged on the apple with a huff. “You can have one from my bag. I don’t care, they’re already peeled. But I- I need this one. Please?” 

He let go, pulling back as if he had been burned. Amy stumbled for a moment before grinning triumphantly. Throwing her arms wide, she hugged him tightly. 

“Thank you!” she said, grinning ear to ear. 

Shadow stayed silent as she sat back down, grabbing one of the apples from her bag and tossing it to him before she picked up her silver knife again. Amy didn’t have to look up to know Rouge was making a face. “Since when do you just give in like that?”

Shadow muttered something Amy couldn’t quite make out, but she heard the crunch of an apple being eaten as Blaze chuckled. 

“Wish you’d just do whatever I told you, but nooo, you always argue with me.” 

“Not true.” Shadow snapped. 

Amy swallowed, focusing on her work. She had gotten the top of the apple, right around its stem, peeled away. 

“Very true! I ask for your help and you always give me a hard time!” 

“Yeah, with stealing the Master Emerald, or secured documents, or some other thing you should not have.” “I can see why you might say no to that,” Blaze said. 

Rouge huffed, “Oh, who’s side are you on?” 

“His, I guess.” 

Amy’s tongue was sticking out of her mouth now. She had carved past the rounded portion of the apple and was now working through the easy part, but she couldn’t let her guard down. Even so, she heard Shadow snicker as Rouge whined. 

“No fair! I got you that cute little chao plush, and this is how you thank me?” 

“What you did was you stole a chao plush from a carnie, then shoved it at me when he realized it was missing and ran. He was very angry, you know.” 

“Yeah, well maybe he shouldn’t rig his games.” 

“You’re lucky he was mollified once I gave it back to him.” 

“If you didn’t want it, you should have just given it back to me.” 

“Let me repeat myself: you shoved it at me and then ran.” 

Amy had reached the bottom of the apple now, just before its nubbly little feet. So close. She was so close. 

“What are you even doing?” Shadow said around a bite of his apple. 

Amy opened her mouth to answer, but Rouge was faster. 

“She’s trying to see if Sonic will marry her.” 

Amy took a measured breath in through her nose, then out through her mouth, careful not to crush the apple in her hands. She pulled the knife away from the fragile skin as her hands shook. 

“Rouge,” Blaze muttered, “don’t be mean. Just let her finish.” 

Shadow, thankfully, said nothing. After a pause, all she heard was him take another bite. Amy let her eyes close, sighing.

Without the audience she wanted, Rouge huffed. “I’m not being mean, I’m just answering his question.” 

“You’re being a little mean.” 

“She just said she didn’t want Sonic to hear, she doesn’t care about Shadow.” 

“Shut up!” 

The edge in Shadow’s voice startled Amy into looking up. He was glaring at Rouge, and Rouge, for her part, seemed startled. One hand was on her chest, her head and gaze held at an angle that threatened retort. Blaze herself stared on with wide eyes and pursed lips, looking between everyone and very clearly unsure of what to do. When Shadow turned to face Amy though, his voice was low and gentle. 

“Don’t worry about her. You do… whatever it is you’re doing.” 

Amy smiled, “Thanks, Shadow.”

He looked away then, taking another bite as he did so. Amy worked the knife around the little nubbed feet of her apple, breathing in slowly as she did so until, at last, the very last bit of the peel came away under her knife and fell to her feet. 

She let out a sigh, head lolling back, shoulders relaxing. “Oh my god, that took forever.” 

“How many apples did you even go through?” Blaze said, leaning forward to look.

Amy groaned, shaking her head. “Twenty-five.” 

“Twenty-five?!” Rouge practically squawked, eyes wide. “Girl, what?” 

Amy laughed, almost breathless as she scooped up the peel gently. “Well, I knew I wasn’t gonna get it the first time.”  

“What do you do now?” 

Amy turned to Blaze as she lifted the peel by the end, letting the rest of it dangle. “Well… I throw it over my shoulder, and…” She closed her eyes, tossing it as she did so. “...When I turn around…”

She took a deep breath, then whirled about in her seat, eyes wide. Amy screamed, jumping to her feet as she threw her hands into the air. Oh, she knew she scared the people around her, but it didn’t matter. Amy twirled, laughing. “And there it is! There’s the S!” 

“S for what?” Shadow said as he leaned away from her, wincing at the volume. 

Blaze sighed. “For Sonic.” 

“What?” 

“The apple peel is supposed to show you the first letter of your true love.” Rouge shook her head. “I just got done explaining this to Blaze.” 

Amy sat down, red-face and jubilant. She dropped her knife into her bag as she scooped the apple peel off of the ground, keeping it in her lap. With a triumphant laugh, she bit deeply into her winning apple. “Told you it would work,” she said, mouth full as she thumbed her nose at Rouge.

“Wait.” 

Amy turned to look at Blaze, humming as she did so. “Yeah? You wanna learn more about the tradition too? I can tell you. I know the whole history, and I won’t be rude about it, unlike someone.” 

Blaze looked at the apple skin in Amy’s lap, brow furrowed. Amy could see her running her tongue along her teeth under her lips, looking between it and her. 

“How many people have a name that starts with, ‘S’?” 

Amy froze. 

“We do know at least three of them,” Rouge added, doing little to hide the smirk that grew across her face. “In fact, you’re sitting next to one of them.” 

Amy took one deep breath, then two, then three, but nothing stopped the pounding of blood in her ears. 

“Oh Amy, come on,” Rouge said, reaching out towards her. “Like, this thought had to have crossed your mind.” 

Amy stood up. 

“Amy!” 

She threw the apple peel into the fire with the rest of them, snatching her bag off the ground.

“Amy, no.” Blaze shook her head. “Please, just stay.” 

Amy shook her head, blinking away tears as she walked back to her car. 

[austinsgirl]

Rather Die | Chapter 6

word count: 2023

rating: pg13 for language

————————————————————————

Today is the first day of production for "The Last Time", the movie Victoria and Austin will be

As soon as she stepped into the building where some of the sets are, she spotted Austin & Eliana all over each other. Victoria rolled her eyes.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she says quietly to Mila, who's at the craft service table.

"I know. I've only been here ten minutes and they can't keep their hands off each other." Mila responds. "I heard what happened at the party. I'm sorry. It's really shitty Eliana would do that to you."

"Thanks. I'm mad at him too, but I think her more so. Like, just the fact that she was actively going after him while having a boyfriend & knowing her best friend since elementary school was crushing hard on him, just makes so mad. She really just didn't seem to care about our friendship at all, coming to think of it."

"How so? If you don't mind me asking. Like there's more than just breaking the girl code?"

"Oh, yeah. The entire time I've known her, she's always put boyfriends first. All though most of our friendship was long distance, she'd constantly blow off our video chats to be with her boyfriend, she'd make her boyfriend tag along when we'd visit each other so I was always third wheel. I don't know how many times she forgot my birthday and I'd just shrug it off. Living together, she was always so inconsiderate. Having guys over super late, fucking til the sun came up, giving absolutely no care that her "best friend" is trying to sleep in the next room. She's just so selfish. And I really let myself put up with it. Also a huge spoiled brat. Gets everything she wants."

"Oh, shit. I'm so sorry. Do you still live with her?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. I've been staying at my friends house, who's actually her ex that she cheated on."

"Well, Im looking for a roommate if you want to live with me. I promise I won't be having sex at all hours of the night. If I ever do, I promise I'll keep it quiet."

Both girls giggled, "Honestly, that would be great. Anything to not live with Eliana & I'm sure Ashton wants his guest room back."

"Oh, of course! I need a roommate, you need a new place. It's perfect. We can go to work everyday together too."

"That is perfect."

Sarah, the producer that Victoria had met during her audition, comes in & gets everyone's attention.

"Welcome to the first day of production, everyone! Today we'll start getting everyone's measurements & fittings for your costumes & do a table read."

As Sarah goes on to talk about the process of the day, Eliana makes eye contact with Victoria, giving her a bitchy smirk, with the vibe of "Haha I'm dating Austin & you're not."

"And of course, congratulations to our stars, Austin Butler & newcomer, Victoria Williams!" Sarah says.

Hearing her name, Victoria broke eye contact with Eliana. She thanked everyone for clapping & cheering her on.

"With that, Victoria & Mila, you can head off to the costume department for your fittings. Everyone else can head to their trailers so we know where to find you when we're ready for you."

Vic & Mila start making their way to the costume department.

"Did you see that bitchy smirk Eliana gave me?" Victoria whispers into Mila's ear.

"Yeah. What the fuck was that?"

"To me it was a "Haha Im dating Austin & you're not" smirk."

"Ugh. Probably."

As they continue to walk, someone bumps into Victoria.

"Oops, my bad." Eliana says in a sarcastic tone.

Victoria straight out asks, "What the hell are you doing here, Eliana?"

"Oh, you know. Just here to show my love & support for my new boyfriend."

"Oh really? You never did that for Ashton."

"What do you mean? I always showed my love & support for him."

"I wouldn't call flirting with men at bars all time showing your love & support. You never went to any of his shows if they weren't in California."

"You know I couldn't leave Cali & go on tour with him. I have a modeling career here that I can't just up & leave."

"Oh like you did with our friendship? And you're just going to deny that you were flirting with other guys while with Ash? You know that's cheating, right?"

"No, I didn't just up & leave our friendship."

"No? Well, it sure feels like it. But are you sure you're here to show your support for Austin or are you just here to make me mad & jealous?"

"No, I'm legit here for Austin, not to make your bitch ass mad."

"Hey! Vic! We should get to the costume department. I'm sure they're looking for us." Mila says, grabbing Victoria's arm, leading her away from Eliana.

"Thanks. I was about to fight a bitch." Vic says.

"Exactly why I pulled you away."

"Oh, hey, Victoria. Hey Mila." Austin says, walking by, being civil.

"Hey." Vic says back very bluntly as they pass him. "Oh, the way I wanted to say something like "Tell your slut of a girlfriend to check herself"" she says to Mila once they've fully walked past Austin.

"Good job holding back."

"Thanks."

After their fittings, they went to grab a bite to eat before going to the table read. Of course Victoria was seated right next to Austin.

"Victoria." Austin greets her as she sits down.

"Austin."

"Heard you and Eliana got into it earlier."

"A little bit."

"Can you try to be like, civil, with her too? She's my girlfriend now, and she'll be around."

"Austin, she started-

Anna, the director, interrupts what you were about to say. "Before we start reading, let's go around & introduce ourselves. State your name, past work, anything about yourself. Let's start with our leading lady, Victoria!"

"Oh, okay, alright. Um, hi. I'm Victoria Williams, I'm 25 years old from New Zealand. I moved here when I was 23 to further my career in acting. I'm pretty well known back home, and I wanted to really make it big, so I came here. I guests starred on a few shows on Freeform & The CW. I'm excited to finally have my own lead role in a movie. I'm forever grateful for to Anna & the producers for this opportunity." Victoria says.

Anna hugs her from the side as she sits next to Vic. "I'm so glad to have you with us, Victoria. Austin, why don't you go next, then we'll keep going around that way."

"Hey, I'm Austin Butler. You might've recently seen me in Baz Luhrman's production of Elvis, as The King himself. Im from Anaheim, been acting since I was about 12. Uh, yeah. Not really sure what else to say. Im just excited to be here." Austin says.

Everyone continues to go around, introducing themselves. Austin sneakily pulls his phone out to text Victoria.

"What we're you saying about Eliana?" he texts her.

Victoria felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulls her phone out & looks over to Austin giving him a seriously? look. "She's the one who started our little fight." she responded.

"Oh really? How so?"

"She purposely bumped into me & went "Oops, my bad" all sarcastically. I wouldn't have said a damn word to her if she didn't bump into me like that."

"Eliana told me that you just flat out asked her why she's here without her even saying or doing anything, and saying she wasn't actually here to support me, just to make you jealous."

"Okay, yes, I did flat out ask her that, but like I said, I wouldn't have said anything to her if she hadn't made any kind of interaction with me. And yeah, I was saying that because she's not. She was never there for Ashton unless it was convenient for her. She's selfish & only cares about herself. This is purely for her enjoyment. And I won't put it past me if she cheats on you like she cheated on Ash who know how many times, even if it was just flirting."

"Whatever you say, Vic. Eliana seems to really like me & has been supportive."

"Supportive of your dick because that's all she wants."

"I doubt that."

"You'll find out eventually, trust me. Oh, and she called me a bitch. I didn't use any kind of name calling, just an FYI."

"I mean, she's not wrong though."

"You're lucky we're in front of people right now."

"Or what?"

They both get pulled out of their thoughts when Anna starts the reading of the script.

A couple hours flew by & it was a wrap for the day.

"Hey Vic, wanna go grab dinner?" Mila asks.

"Yeah, that'd be great!"

"Want to meet at Toki's Sushi?"

"Yes, I love that place."

"Sweet. Was Austin texting you during the intros?"

"Yeah." Victoria rolled her eyes.

"About what?"

"Before Anna started doing her little spiel, he mentioned the little fight Eliana & I had earlier, and was asking if I could get and be cilvil with her too. We got interrupted when I was about to tell him what happened. So, he texted me about it."

"What'd he say?"

"Well, I told him she started it. He said she said that I just asked her why she's here with no prompt, and I told him I wouldn't have said a word to her if she didn't say anything to me. I could care less about her. I also told him that she's not here to support him because he mentioned that I said that as well. Like yeah, she's fucking not. She just wants to fuck with me, she's only with you for your dick, & she's probably going to cheat on you too. He's just in denial & too caught in her trap."

"He'll find out her ways soon enough."

"Oh, definitely. It's only a matter of days until she's off with an excuse as to why she can't spend time with him so she can go flirt & have more hookups."

"You think she'll make up excuses to be out of state now that she has a boyfriend who lives in California?"

"Probably. Which honestly is fine with me if she does. The less I have to see of her the better."

Victoria & Mila walk out to their cars, and meet each other at the restaurant.

"There's no fucking way." Victoria says to Mila.

"What?"

"Austin & Eliana are here. I'm wondering if he overheard us talking and decided to come here. God, even now they're all over each other."

"For real. Get a damn room. Wanna go somewhere else?"

"Nah, it's fine. I'll just ignore them."

They walk past the horny couple on their way to their table, pretending that they don't even exist.

"I'll be so mad if I can't escape them." Vic says.

"At least if you're at home, youll be able too."

"I just don't want them following me around just to piss me off, ya know?"

"I get that."

Eliana walks by their table going to the bathroom, giving that bitchy smirk again.

"Can I please fight her?" Vic asks Mila.

"No, no, no. I know you may want too, but like you said, we're just gonna ignore them."

"You're right."

Eliana stops at the table on her way back, "What? Not gonna say hello?"

"Why would I?" Victoria asks.

"Well, Austin is your co-star after all."

"Yeah? So? Doesn't mean I have to acknowledge him or you every time I see you."

"Well, maybe you should incase there's paparazzi. "Austin Butler's new co-star completely ignores him while passing him in public. Is there drama on set?" I can see the headlines now."

"Whatever, dude. There's none right now. No one even really knows who I am. The movie hasn't even been announced to the public yet. I think Im okay this one time."

"Suit yourself." and with that, Eliana walks off.

"I truly don't know how Im going to get through this movie."

"I'll do my best to keep you sane." Mila says.

"Oh, what would I do without you?"

—————————————————————

Chapter 7

[derschwarzeengel]

Finished Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton a few days ago, checked the second book in the duology (Hunting Adeline) out while I was back at the library.

Currently rolling my eyes over all the pearl-clutching in the tag and people saying it's a "bad book by a bad author".

Girlies.

There is an author's note at the very beginning of the book stating it has extremely dark content including but not limited to stalking, human trafficking, child trafficking, child sacrifices, and specific kinks such as gunplay, dubcon/noncon, degradation, etc. And conspiracy theories linked to the Satanic Ritual Abuse hysteria of the 1980s. (By the way, zero child trafficking & blood sacrifice pedophilic Satanic rings were found by the FBI in real life after an extensive investigation; the whole thing was moral Christian panic bullshit.)

You were warned that this was a very dark book and given all sorts of pretty explicit descriptors of what exactly the dark content was. (It also primarily takes place in autumn, so personally, I was here for the spooky atmosphere and throwback to Gothic horror/romance with the main setting being an abandoned manor by the sea outside of Seattle, Washington.)

Adeline herself, in-universe, notes that her whole situation is fucked up and she's an idiot for dealing with Zade the way she did, including berating herself for developing feelings for him. Zade outright says he is not a hero or a good guy and doesn't try to be one, not even when he deals with Addie.

Not to be all "Don't Like, Don't Read" and "Dead Dove: Do Not Eat", but jesus fucking christ on a cracker, if you're not into dark romance or hate the non-con aspects of it, then either don't read it or write a dark romance that doesn't have CNC between its leads yourself.

You were given a page-long warning before the book even started, printed right there in white-on-black, with the author herself saying "Your mental health matters" and if someone has issues with the content within to contact her about it.

Sorry, but you don't have the right to clutch your pearls to your chest over it and complain about "the decline of BookTok" where all the dark romance BookTok girlies are primarily interested in erotica (we're really back to shaming women for their interest in reading in general and romance in particular, huh? fuck me. I don't go to BookTok but good for them being so open about liking lemons).

Learn to decide when a book isn't for you and stay in your lane. Otherwise y'all sound exactly like conservative fundie sex-hating Christians and radfems. Hell, for all I know, some of you actually are.

Y'all are only saying it's "a bad book by a bad author" because it contains extremely dark, fucked-up content y'all personally don't like even though you were warned about it.

[boltlightning]

saw your long fourth wing post and am sending you a long ask(s) joining you in this space. i so wish violet had kept the poisoner angle! she rides her dragons differently than everyone and gets through the gauntlet in a different way but she can't fight in a different way? can't coat her knives in poison/paralytics? it's been a while since i read the book so can't remember where her poison knowledge comes from but i feel like it could easily tie back into stuff she read in books as a scribe

Also agree that shadow powers fit violet better, like violet’s first instinct to win a fight is sneak around and poison ppl. her idea for that one event is to break into and steal stuff from her mom’s office! And how would her mom feel about having three kids who are all dragon riders but they all have powers that are like defensive/supportive instead of offensive and don’t have anything to do with the kind of strength the dragon school emphasizes!! xaden having lightning def furthers his whole dark and brooding thing. Like what if the only other person who had similar powers as you was the person who killed your dad? Every time you use the power you gained you were reminded of everything all the rebellion kids lost? Augh. Not to mention the optics of it all. Navarre violently quells a rebellion and don’t want to happen again,son of dead rebellion leader manifests powers visually similar to powers of general who killed rebellion leader uhoh last ask i swear. as someone who's also acespec your tags on that second post were also how i felt lmao

god. you just get it.

the poison thing was a perfect opportunity to paint her as an atypical hero!! plus, the way we're introduced to the culture, there is really no reason for violet to be reluctant about killing...but maybe seeing the effects of her poison up close in combat, and how horrific that is, might let her in on how fucked up it can be, yknow?

and you raise a REALLY good point about the siblings all having non-combatant abilities that i'm kind of obsessed with?? in general i think having the mean general mom be a one-dimensional villain was a misstep, and the suggestions here would force violet's remaining family to be in the story more. and, as you said, show some flaws in the military system that are could actually be acknowledged diegetically.

one of the (perhaps unintentional) themes is that your past does not define you, and you are not obliged to meet expectations set for you, but...violet...stays in the dragon quadrant like her mother wants, gets a badass dragon like her mother wants, even gets powers like her mother's and the most resolution we get for her relationship with her mother is violet mentally saying "Fuck. Her." and continuing to serve until a man convinces her that maybe war crimes are bad, actually. lmao.

i would LOVE if xaden's character actually had depth. his way of mourning his people is serving them, and serving them through wielding the very powers that could have killed his family is so good!! this uh...this does bring into sharp relief the problem of "why the hell did navarre give the children of the people who revolted LITERAL DRAGONS and the power that comes with wielding them even if you're not on dragonback?" but. yknow. whatever. if we're ignoring that: violet switching powers with xaden really, actually, truly leans into that theme in a way that has teeth and meaning.

also no one has suffered as much as acespec girlies who picked up modern romance/fantasy books. why are they all Like That. i'm with you anon <3

[musecaravan-info]

Gail Addams

"The short answer to that is 'no.' The long answer is 'fuck no.'" ~ Stephen Fry ~

Basic Information

FACE/BODY CLAIM: Janeane Garofalo

NAME: Abigail 'Gail' Addams

AGE: This depends on the time period we're writing in. For reference, Gail was born in 1967.

EYES: Dark Brown

HAIR: Dark Brown; Long and wavy, but it's usually pulled up into a high bun on her head

PRIMARY OUTFIT: Jeans, combat boots, and usually a retro rock band t-shirt. Depending on the weather, she might also be wearing a dark flannel or hoodie, too.

Personality

Gail is a pretty straightforward and laid back person as an adult. She speaks her mind and doesn't really care all that much what other people think of her. However, she's not cruel, and doesn't go out of her way to say things that will upset people.

Powers & Weaknesses

Gail has all of the typical abilities a graduate of Hogwarts should have. Her magical strengths have always been in Potions and Herbology, while her biggest weakness has always been Transfiguration. Her patronus is a rhinoceros and you can read more about it here. Her animagus is a grizzly bear, which you can read more about here and here.

Romance

Gail is demiromantic and demisexual, so although a romantic/sexual relationship is possible, she’s not actively interested in either one. If someone she considered a friend were to show interest, she might be willing to see where things go, but she’s not likely to be the one to instigate things.

Where to Find Her

At her bookstore - Her store, Uniquely Portable Magic, is located in Muggle London. And for the people who know the right way to ask (and are willing to pay the price) she can find just about any book you might need.

Forest/swamp/beach/mountain - Just because Gail isn’t fond of the Wizarding World doesn’t mean she doesn’t like to experiment with magic. She is fascinated by potions and the things they can do, and she’s always on the look-out for rare bobs and bits to test in her concoctions.

Hogwarts - Gail’s time at Hogwarts doesn’t fit into any of the canon ‘generations’, and from what I can tell, the only canon student she might possibly have interacted with was Regulus because they were in the same House. However he would’ve been a 7th year while she was a 1st year. With that in mind, I would be willing to adjust her timeline for an RP set at school. I’m also open to RPs with a professor set during this timeline.

Verses

Just because a verse isn't listed here doesn't mean I'm not interested in writing it. I adore all kinds of AUs, and welcome the chance to get creative with my muses. If you've seen a verse that another of my muses has, and you'd like to see this muse in something similar, let me know. You can also check out my 'Plot Ideas' tag, too. ^_^

Main Verse:

To avoid repetition, Gail's main verse can be read about here and here.

Current/Ongoing Threads

If your thread with Gail isn't listed here it's probably because it's been long enough since your last reply that I thought you'd dropped it. Message me to let me know you're still interested, and I'll happily add you to the list (with no pressure for a reply.) ♡

Elizabeth/William/et al.:

Time Would Tell (Main Verse)

Stuff That's Good to Know Before Starting a Thread

Depending on the timeframe of the thread, Gail can sometimes be wary around other witches/wizards, especially if she doesn't know them. However, she's usually more friendly around muggles. (This is typically only the case in her post-Hogwarts years.)

Links

Please keep in mind, this blog is an ongoing work in progress. Not all of these links may lead somewhere, but they're here because they link to potential tags for this muse.

All Things Gail

Headcanons

Drabbles

All Threads

Ask Replies

Meme Replies

Aesthetics

Face

Special Links

Original Blog

Gail's Appearance

Gail's Home

Gail's Magic

Gail's Pets

Gail's Relationships

Gail's Shop

Hogwarts House

Return To Full Muse List

[camaro-and-smokes]

Dream a Little Dream of Me

Chapter 16: À La Tour Eiffel

Chapter tags: No warnings, well what do you think might happen in Paris?

Summary: The city of lovers was supposed to be a good experience. But to Billy it didn't exactly feel like it. Well, not until…

Links to all chapters on tumblr on Chapter 1 post >>

Read on AO3 >>

::::::::::

Billy refused to call Steve and also answer his calls. He was so embarrassed and heartbroken that he didn't want to listen even to Eddie trying to tell him what Steve had told him. He was torn into pieces all the way to his gut, blaming himself of it all.

He had just slept in his hotel room ever since the crew arrived at Paris. Whenever he woke up he wallowed in his heartache. Because he felt that it was exactly what he deserved. He felt that it was him who had messed everything up and caused Steve to cheat. Him not being open about him and Eddie to Steve, kissing with Eddie and not walking away right away - doing that to Chrissy too - and then wanting to have revenge sex with Eddie after seeing the photos – and finally Eddie annoyingly doing the right thing by telling him that there was no way going back for them that way.

He was convinced that all he had left of Steve was a memory of the glorious months with him.

In the late evening there was a knock on his door. Rob opened the door, and Eddie was soon next to Billy's bed. ”Hey, Billy, now you have to get up. I need you to come with me!” Billy didn't turn to look at Eddie, he just pulled the pillow from under his head and over it. ”Leave me the fuck alone," he muttered. Eddie sat on the bed. ”Nah, c'mon! I need you with me.” ”There's nowhere you need me to be,” Billy mumbled under the pillow. Eddie was quiet for a moment. "You know, I think what happened was what we both needed so that we could to move on into things that are actually relevant right now." "I don't need you to tell me what I need or..." "I didn't come here to argue. I'm doing it tonight. Moving on." Billy opened his eyes and stared at the wall for a moment. He pulled the pillow away and looked at Eddie over his shoulder silent for a while. ”You're proposing to her?” he asked quietly Eddie smiled a faint smile and nodded. “I'd really like you to be there. I mean, not to rub it in, but you know, for being my best friend and all." He paused and chewed his cheek. "If we're still that. Best friends." Billy looked back at the wall. "If you still want that." "Hell yes I want that," Eddie replied instantly. "No one knows me as well as you do. And you know things of me no one else does. And I don't mean the other day. I mean embarrassing stuff. You know what I mean." Billy couldn't help smiling. "Yeah. The things I could do by spilling the beans on that..." Eddie punched Billy on the thigh. "If you ever do that I swear..." Billy chuckled. "I'll take it to my grave, Munson, don't worry." He turned to look back at Eddie. "And I'll never use it against you. You can trust that." Eddie smiled a lopsided grin. "C'mon, come with me. Chrissy will appreciate you being there as well. I know it. You're her friend too. Please?" Billy sighed. ”Fine. Give me fifteen minutes to prepare."

When Billy got to the hotel lobby where Eddie was waiting, he looked around. "Where's Chrissy? I thought she was with you." Eddie smiled. "I've set it so that she comes directly from the airport to the tower." "You know, if I was in her shoes I'd be pissed that you didn't meet her already at the airport." "In this case I didn't think it was necessary. You'll see." Billy squinted. "There's something you're not telling me." "I'm going to propose to her for fuck's sake! I want to keep it a surprise until the last moment and you know how I start blabbering when I get nervous. It's better this way." "It's your funeral. Just saying."

”Can I see the ring?” Billy asked when the band's car took off from the hotel and into the busy Paris traffic. ”Nope,” Eddie said. "She's gonna be the first one to see it. If you ask nicely she might show it to you." They rode in silence for a while. "Listen, Eddie,” Billy said, “don't ever tell her what happened between us. And I mean the other day. Telling would maybe clear your conscience but knowing would just hurt her, and then you'd be sorry for the rest of your life for doing it and telling her. Yeah, you did hurt her already, but you know what I mean. It sucks but telling the truth isn't always the right thing to do. As long as you don't do it again." He looked at Eddie. "Let's just forget it ever happened. Ok?" Eddie looked back at Billy and nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right." Billy returned to watch the scenery pass by. "I should've let go of you earlier. To take agency of my own well-being. But I was...afraid. Dreaming of something that might happen one day was easier than actually seriously to go and look for someone." "Well, you had dates..." "None of them were anything else but a band aid. They all even looked like you. It was so pathetic," Billy said shaking his head, embarrassed. "What about that one guy, what was his name? The short one." "Oh, that guy. Didn't I tell you? He decided that he was straight when it started to look like that we might've had something serious. Man, did he have issues with his height. He was well equipped though, one of the few things I never complained about." They both burst into laughter. "What about Harrington?" Eddie asked after the laughter had settled. Billy sighed. "A dreamboat. Too good to be true. Could've been the love of my life." "Could've been? Isn't that a bit dramatic? I mean, you could just talk to him or..." "I messed everything up and he cheated on me. There is no going back," Billy snapped. "You've refused to talk to him!" Eddie groaned frustrated. "Give the guy at least a chance to explain himself before you call it quits." Billy said nothing. Eddie sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's all about you thinking that every time shit hits the fan you deserve that shit. You wallow in the pit of your own despair, alone, because you think that nothing good can ever happen to you, that you don't deserve anything good. As if the shit is somehow a proof that you're worthless. And I get it because..." Eddie sighed. "Because even I've treated you like shit. And I'm sorry about that. I truly am." He looked at Billy. "But you out of everyone deserve all the good that comes your way. You haven't lost him. Trust me." Billy looked back out. He wished he could believe Eddie's words. He wanted to treat them as a gospel because there was nothing he wanted more than to have Steve. "We'll see about that when I get back home."

After a while he started to feel a bit better. Hell, they were in Paris. He had always wanted to visit there but never had the time or will to travel there, even after he would've had the money to do it. Paris, the most romantic city in the world, and looking at the architecture, the small cafés, people going about their lives on the softly lit pavements - it truly felt like it.

It felt right for him to be there. It would've been better if Steve was there with him. No, not just better - perfect. He had to swallow hard to keep the tightness in his chest from bursting out.

Finally the car pulled off. Eiffel tower was standing in front of them lit up and glittering in the Paris night. Billy had to smile a little. ”This is a pretty unforgettable setting.” ”Well, yeah. Only best for my girl!” ”I hope there's an elevator.” Eddie laughed. ”Yeah, there's an elevator.”

"So, you already got jitters?" Billy asked as they walked towards the monument. "Nah. I know I want to marry her. If she'll have me, that is." Billy stared at the ground ahead. "We'll see if I'll ever get married. If anyone ever wants me." "Hey. There's someone who wants your stubborn ass," Eddie smiled. "Yeah, in the next life. Maybe." Eddie shook his head. "They'll have their hands full with you, I'll say that."

When they got to the tower entrance, Billy noticed that there was no one else around but the staff. They got into the elevator and the windows that usually were open and showed the scenery around the tower as it raised up, were covered with thick black curtains. "Trying to keep something big as a secret to her until the very last moment?" Billy asked. "Of course! What would be the fun otherwise?" Eddie grinned. "So, uh, when we get to the platform... Could you take her to the other side? I want to come in a bit later." Billy smiled. "Sure, as long as you don't make me propose to her for you."

When the elevator got to the top and the doors opened Billy walked to the platform and saw Chrissy. He had to bite his lip not to burst into tears right there and then. "It's so good to see you," he whispered to her as they hugged. "You too," she whispered back. “Where's Eddie? He said he'll come with you." ”He'll come soon. Let's take a look at the city.”

They walked to the edge of the platform and looked at the scenery. “It’s beautiful!” Chrissy gasped. “Yeah,” Billy replied absentmindedly. Chrissy glanced at him. “Is everything ok?” Billy took a deep breath. Then he forced a smile on his face and looked at her nodding. “Yeah, nothing you need to worry about.” She took his hand in hers. “You know you can talk to me about anything.” Billy tilted his head and grimaced. “Maybe one day.” She smiled at him assuredly. “Ok. One day.” They looked at the view again. "I wonder what that is," Chrissy said when she spotted a large black rectangle structure down on the ground in front of the tower. Billy looked down as well, and the structure lit up, revealing itself as a large led-screen. It filled with animations of starbursts. The stars started to form shapes that turned into letters. Finally a text 'Will you marry me, Chrissy?' was formed. "Oh my god!" Chrissy gasped. Eddie walked to her from her side of the platform and knelt in front of her with an open jewelry box. Billy looked at Chrissy breaking into happy tears and accepting the proposal. But at the same time he felt more miserable than he'd ever felt, and he had to look away, at the city of lovers that spread around as far as he could see, bathing in orange light.

After a while a bright light blinked on the ground, and Billy glanced back down. More shapes made of stars were forming on the screen, and when the text was visible, he had put his hand over his mouth as he felt his heart swell a thousand times.

The text 'Marry me, Gorgeous' was glowing on the screen.

Billy let out a sob and could no longer hold back the tears. Steve hugged him from behind, and Billy leaned to his warm embrace closing his eyes, setting his hand on Steve's arm that was over his chest. "So, what's it gonna be?” Steve whispered to Billy's ear, and held an open jewelry box in front of Billy. It held a thick platinum ring with deep slanted carvings, each filled with small diamonds. "You really want me?" Billy asked quietly. "I've wanted to marry you from day one," Steve whispered, and set a kiss on Billy's cheek, "I want you to be mine until the end of time." "I'm sorry, about everything." "No need to be." "Is it true what Eddie said? About that woman?" "Yes. If you want, I have the driving logs from the Merc to prove I was there less than five minutes. You know how much I love foreplay..." "There’s no way you could've had anything done in that time," Billy chuckled. "Say yes," Steve whispered and set his chin on Billy's shoulder. Billy leaned his head on Steve's. He bit his lower lip, and grinned. "Yes." Steve took the ring from the box, and held it with his fingers in front of Billy. “Give me your hand.” Billy couldn't stop smiling stupidly wide grin as he held his left hand up and Steve put the ring on his ring finger. Billy examined the ring, and couldn't help sniffling. “Do you like it?” Steve asked. “I love it. I love you.” “I love you, too.” Steve turned Billy around and kissed him. "You just made me the happiest man on Earth," he said after he broke the kiss. “Well, I'm pretty happy too,” Billy replied, smiling.

“You're willing to take Mr. Big after all?” Eddie, who had been watching the proposal with Chrissy, asked with a grin. Billy turned to look at him and raised his left hand up. “Well, how can I say no to this?” “Still sorry you came?” “No,” Billy said smiling. “Maybe we need to have a double wedding,” Chrissy said, showing her own ring. Billy and Chrissy went to admire each other's rings immediately.

“I suppose congratulations are in order,” Steve said to Eddie, and reached out his hand. Eddie took it and shook it. “Yeah, thanks. And same to you. You're a lucky man. Oh, and thanks for bringing her here.” “Don't mention it, it was my pleasure.” Eddie leaned closed to Steve. “We're good?” he asked quietly. Steve looked at Eddie with a hard expression. “You’re his best friend. I’ll tolerate it.” He clenched his teeth. “But if ever again...” Eddie shook his head. “No need to worry. He wants just you, no one else. And I have a duty of my own now.”

[osmiabee]

The day this website realises that labels should simply be a way to describe an overarching theme of a persons lived reality rather than shoehorning every microscopic detail of a persons life into a different pseudoscientific term as a way to seek ~validity~ from strangers online is the day I'll know peace

[tinyboxxtink]

"...So I Married A Monster" *Chapter 1*

[Yes I know it's absolutely inappropriate/irrelevant but this gif was too priceless not to use it, okay?]

Chapter 2 is HERE!

So, I gotta shout out the anon who asked me to explore this idea from a one-shot I wrote. Which actually was a request from @word-scribbless, so really this was a team effort. LoL.

Alright so here's the sitch:

You're dating Rafael Barba, and you finally decide to introduce him to your kids. Everything's going fine, until he figures out your ex-husband "Billy Loomis" is actually William Lewis!

Chaos ensues.

RIGHT?

Alright so I just decided to elaborate on the one shot, so I hope you enjoy this introduction.

Yes, I don't know why we're going back into the dark dark depths of angsty, dark storylines, but here we go. It's William Lewis once again, so you already know it's not going to be some fun fluff piece.

Plan your expectations accordingly.

Also, @storiesofsvu said they might read this one, so there's that. Eeep.

Obviously my lovelies are the best as well.

Tag List

@madamsnape921

@lolliepopsicle

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@milkshqke

@wanniiieeee

@gibbs274

@sassyada

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@bookishfanfic

@stars-in-the-skies-world

@stars-trash-18

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@objection-argumentative

@thatesqcrush

@shittanyy

@mrsrafaelbarba

—————

You twirled your hair nervously, pacing back and forth in your living room. Rafael Barba, the man you were seeing, was on his way over, it was just a normal day. Except that it wasn’t. Today was the day you were going to introduce him to your kids. Something he wasn’t even aware you had.

You had your reservations about dating guys without kids, as it never really worked out. Men without kids didn’t tend to understand the problems that came along with it, like having to cancel plans at a moment’s notice if one of your kids got sick or something. But Rafael seemed like a really good man, and though he didn’t seem like the “I love kids” type, you had gotten to know him enough to know he came from a good family, and that he might be open to at least meeting yours. You hoped you were right.

Soon your doorbell was ringing, your toddler Kylie came bounding towards the door.

“I’ll get it!!!!” She squealed.

“Uh– No no, Kylie!” You intercepted her on her way to the door, snatching her up in your arms.

“Maggie!” You tried to call her softly, not wanting Rafael to hear you. Your eleven year old came strolling out of the living room while on her phone.

“What?” She barely looked up at you.

“Can you take her? Please?” You asked her sweetly, causing her to move her phone down from her face.

“Why? Who’s at the door?” She raised a skeptical eyebrow at you.

“Just…a friend,” You looked towards the front door nervously. Maggie noticed your hesitance, it finally made her forget about whatever she was doing on her phone.

“Who is it, mom?” She pressed.

“I’ll explain everything, okay?” You gave her a pleading look. “Just take her in the living room and I’ll be there in a minute,”

“…It’s a guy, isn’t it?” She crossed her arms in a sassy manner.

“Maggie!” You pleaded.

“Ok fine…” She rolled her eyes and took Kylie from your arms. “Come on Ky, let’s go find a snack,”

“Thank you,” You kissed her head and ruffled Kylie’s hair as they walked towards the kitchen. You fixed your hair once more and swung the door open, revealing Rafael standing there holding flowers for you.

“Hey baby,” He kissed you softly while handing you the flowers. “I can’t believe I’ve never been to your house, it’s gorgeous,”

“Probably because we’re in New Jersey,” You teased him. You knew how much he hated Jersey, so the fact that he came all the way out here on his day off, really meant something.

“Probably,” He nodded with a teasing smile.

“So…there’s also another reason, I’ve never asked you here,” You ran your fingers through your hair as he entered your foyer.

“Oh?” He asked, curiously.

“I um, so– remember when I told you about my ex husband…?” Your voice trailed off.

“Yeah, that he was a real douche,” Rafael rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, but there’s a good thing about him,” Your eyes glanced over to where the girls had run off to.

“…Oh?” Rafael had a hint of worry in his voice.

“He’s a…” You looked down. “He’s a good dad,”

“….A good dad?” You heard Rafael’s voice shift an octave higher.

“Yes…” You forced yourself to look up at him. “In fact, he’s been keeping the girls all summer,”

“The girls?” He blinked, trying to wrap his head around it. “As in, multiple?”

“…Yes,” You bit your lip. “….You can run screaming now, it’s okay,”

“Ay, carino…” He put both hands on either of your face. “…Where are they?”

“Really?” You bit your lip with a relieved smile.

“Of course!” He kissed you and wiped a few tears that started dropping down your face as he spoke.

“…Okay, come with me,” You took his hand and let him into the kitchen. Maggie was handing Kylie a pudding cup and a juice box when you walked hand in hand with Rafael. Maggie gave him a side eye, while Kylie instantly bounded over with her snacks and a huge smile.

“Hi!!!!” She beamed at Rafael, sticking out her left hand which of course made the snacks fall out of her hand onto the floor. Maggie groaned in frustration as she ran over and picked up the snacks, now eyeing Rafael up and down.

“…Who’s this, mom?” She asked you, not taking an eye off Rafael. He didn’t seem phased at all, he just stuck out his hand to Kylie, since she addressed him first.

“Hi, I’m Rafael. And what’s your name?” He smiled warmly at her, making her eyes sparkle.

“I’m Kylie!” She shook Rafael’s hand furiously with a huge grin. Maggie snatched her up quickly, breaking their handshake.

“I’m Maggie,” She said curtly.

“Maggie,” You said through gritted teeth. “Be nice,”

“Oh it’s fine, carino,” He chuckled, smiling at Maggie. “I was protective of my mami when she’d bring strange men home too,”

“So you’re saying you’re a strange man?” Maggie smirked.

“Maggie!” You hissed.

“I guess you’ll have to figure that out yourself, chica,” He smirked back.

“…Guess we shall, amigo,” She narrowed her eyes, but quickly smiled. She liked this guy.

“Wow…I’m impressed,” you whispered to Rafael as the girls got more snacks for you and him.

“Thank you, mi amor,” He smiled before kissing you on the cheek. “And thank you, for trusting me enough with your kids,”

“Anytime,” You smiled warmly as you pulled him into a real kiss.

“Gross!!!!!” Kylie made a gagging sound before collapsing into giggles. This had gone better than you could have imagined.

-----------

After you and the kids all had snacks, you set up a movie for them to watch while you and Rafael went to your kitchen table to have coffee and talk more about the situation.

“So...I guess this is a stupid question, but why haven’t mentioned you had kids before this, carino?” Rafael ask while he sipped his coffee.

“Well..” You nervously stirred your coffee with your spoon. “I guess I was selfish,”

“Explain,” He pressed.

“Well I don’t typically start a first date with ‘hey by the way I have kids, so you might wanna run now’,” Your explanation caused him to chuckle in amusement.

“Yes I can see that,”

“And honestly by the second or third date, I don’t even like the guy anymore so it’s just pointless,” Your voice lowered even more as you started to allude to your feelings for him.

“...I see,” His chuckle turned into an amused smile. “And with me…?”

“With you...I wanted to introduce you,” You looked up to meet his eyes, hoping that would be enough explanation. His growing smile made it obvious it was.

“Well, I’m glad you did,” He put a hand over yours. “So I guess you want to keep me around, huh?”

“For now,” You teased him with a small giggle. He leaned over to give you a kiss, but your phone began going off. You looked down to see the screen:

BILLY CALLING

“Oooh, one sec baby,” You grabbed the phone. “It’s my ex,”

Rafael nodded in understanding as you turned from him to have the conversation.

"Hey Billy, what’s up?” The mention of their father’s name caught Maggie’s attention.

“Is that daddy?!” She called across the room. “Tell him WICKED was so fun!!!!”

“Wicked?” You repeated into the phone with a sharp tone. “Billy...did you take them into the City?”

“Daddy lives in the City now,” Kylie added to the conversation.

“He WHAT?!” You stood up and moved away from Rafael as your voice raised. “Billy, when were you going to tell me you moved to New York City?”

“No, I think it is a pretty big fucking deal,” You growled into the phone.

“Swear jar!!” Kylie giggled.

“You know how I feel about the City,” You ignored her as you lectured your ex.

“...And how is that?” Rafael raised an eyebrow.

“Shut up, you know I love it,” You rolled your eyes at him. “I just don’t want my children--” You were cut off by Billy’s questioning.

“What? It’s nobody, Billy,” You saw the hurt in Rafael’s eyes when you called him a “nobody”. You walked back over and squeezed his hand.

“I don’t want to get into ‘the talk’ with my ex on the phone, baby,” You explained softly.

“Well I was pretty sure you introducing me to the kiddos was ‘the talk’, but clearly I was wrong,” He shook his head and stood up to go, but you squeezed his hand tighter preventing him from walking away.

“I’m sorry Billy, that was my boyfriend,” You gave Rafael a small smile, hoping for his approval. His grin back gave you all the approval you needed.

“...What?” Your brows furrowed. “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t know I needed your permission to have a boyfriend, Billy,”

“No, he just met the girls today. In fact it wasn’t even like fifteen minutes ago--” Billy’s voice was rising, Rafael could hear obscenities through the phone.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business--” You bit your lip in nervousness.

You hated it when he got like this, he had quite the temper on him. It was one of the reasons you got divorced. That, and the fact that he was constantly absent from your lives for work. It was like raising the girls on your own anyway, so you figured you’d make it official.

Rafael noticed the fear in your voice, and he went into a protective mode. He grabbed the phone from you and spoke to Billy with an eerily calm voice.

“Listen Billy, I don’t know who you are, but I don’t appreciate you calling here and intimidating my girlfriend when we were having a perfectly nice day,”

“.....Barba?” A very familiar, terrifying voice came through the ear piece.

“E-Excuse me?” His voice wavered.

“Rafael Barba, is that you?” The voice half laughed; all of the color drained from Rafael’s face.

“...Lewis?” Rafael barely whispered, causing your eyebrows to furrow again.

“Loomis,” You told him, causing him to furrow his own eyebrows. “His last name is Loomis,” You clarified.

“You have some balls, detective,” His evil chuckle made Rafael’s blood run cold. “First you and the red headed bitch try and put me away, and now you’re fucking my wife?”

“She is NOT--” Rafael clenched his fists.

“You know what, as much as I enjoyed this trip down memory lane, I think I’d like to talk to my wife,” William quickly tried to avoid any more detection.

“Like hell you will--” Rafael started to growl, causing you to snap the phone out of his grasp.

“Um, Billy,” You gave Rafael an accusatory look as you spoke to your ex. “Can I call you back?”

“I don’t want that man near my kids,” Billy stated angrily.

“What?” You blinked in surprise. “Why?”

“He’s a bad man, Y/N,” William lied.

“W-What are you talking about?” You looked at Rafael cautiously.

“What is he saying?” Rafael questioned angrily. “Whatever he says, he’s lying,”

“No I’m not, he’s the one who’s lying to you sweetheart,” William quickly shut Rafael down as he heard his accusations through the phone.

“I-I have to go,” Your voice quivered as you hung up on Billy.

Your mind was racing. Who could you trust?

-----------

After you hung up, you just sat there for a second trying to process what had just happened. You didn’t have much time, as Rafael started throwing a million questions at you almost immediately.

“You were married to William Lewis?” He hissed. “Do you have any idea what that man did to me? My squad? My best friend?!”

You suddenly snapped to attention as the familiar feeling of being interrogated kicked in. “Dining room, NOW,” You grabbed his arm and pulled him into the other room, away from your children’s ear shot.

“What the FUCK are you talking about, Rafael?” You now raised your voice a bit. “I don’t know who the hell you’re talking about, but I married Billy Loomis, not this-- William Lewis,”

“Oh please,” Rafael scoffed with a dry laugh. “That’s barely an alias!”

“I’m sorry, are you insinuating I’m a moron?” You crossed your arms. “You think I’m that stupid not to know my husband is a...whatever you think he is?”

“He’s a MONSTER, Y/N!”

“What are you talking about?!” You tried keeping your voice below a roar, but this was getting to be a lot. “You just heard his voice, you don’t even know if it’s the same--”

“He knew my name,” Rafael simply said. “He knew who I was, and he taunted me about it,”

“He taunted you?” You laughed sarcastically. “How did he ‘taunt you’?”

“He’s rubbing in the fact that he escaped NYPD, and now he’s upset I’m fucking--” He paused at the offended look on your face. “...Dating, his ex wife,”

“Wow,” You exhaled exasperatedly. “Wow,”

“Look I’m sorry to be crass, but those are the words he used,” He put a hand to your face, but you stepped back. “Except he used wife,” He added.

“What are you talking about?”

“He still thinks you're his,” Rafael explained. “He thinks of women as things, as property. And he clearly thinks he still ‘owns’ you,”

“Look I-- I don’t know who you think Billy is,” You shook your head as you walked towards a cabinet full of family photos on display. You picked one up and handed it to Rafael: A family photo at the beach.

Billy’s arms were around you, his gorgeous smile at it’s full power. That smile was heart melting, you fell in love with it as soon as he had flashed it your way in a coffee shop. Maggie’s arms were around his neck, and Kylie was in your lap with her hands raised in glee. It was a few years ago, Kylie was a baby and Maggie was nine.

“But this man isn’t a monster,” You finished your thought. “He’s a kind, generous man. He’s a wonderful father, even if he wasn’t that great of a husband--”

Rafael’s eyes were wide and horrified as he saw Lewis’s arms around you, that sick evil grin looking at him as if he was taunting him through the frame. He snapped his head up when you mentioned him not being a great husband.

“Why do you say that?” He cut you off. “Did he hurt you?”

“What?” You laughed, as if thinking that Billy could ever be violent was the funniest thing in the world. “No, he never hurt me Rafael. That’s why I don’t understand--”

“Look, I don’t want to scare you Y/N,” Rafael put the photo down and put his hands on your shoulders. “But this…’Billy’, he isn’t who you think he is,”

“And who is he?” You gave him a curious look.

“He’s a…” He looked into the other room, making sure the girls weren’t listening. “He’s a serial killer and a rapist,”

“What?!” You yelled rather loudly, stepping out of his grip. “Alright, that’s it--” You started leading him to the door.

“W-What are you doing?” Rafael began to panic as you showed him out. “Y/N please, you have to listen to me--”

“No, I’m not going to sit here and listen to you say such vile things about the father of my children,” You narrowed your eyes.

“Why would I make this up?!” He cried, trying to stop you from shutting the door on his face.

“I-I don’t know,” You looked down, thinking about it. Why would he make up such terrible things about Billy? Then you thought about what Billy had said: Rafael was the bad man.

“Maybe because YOU’RE the monster,” You suddenly glared.

“W-What?” Rafael’s voice fell to a whisper, hurt tears came to his eyes.

“Billy said you were a bad man, maybe you’re trying to flip all of this on him. Maybe Billy was trying to warn me, and you’re trying to get to me first,” The more you said it out loud, the more it made sense to you.

“NO!!!!” He almost screamed, tears now dripping down his cheek. He tried desperately getting back into the house, causing you to put more pressure on the door to keep him out. You had never seen him this...unhinged, before.

“No, Y/N please,” He pleaded with you. “You have to listen to me. Please, for the love of God baby you HAVE to listen to me--”

“No, I don’t have to do anything Rafael,” Tears stung your own eyes.

“I-- I thought we had something,” Your heart was breaking as you spoke.

You had thought you were really falling for this man. This kind, sweet, amazing man. And now it was all unravelling, his true colors were coming out. You almost let this psychopath into your children’s lives.

“We did-- we DO!” He was shaking; he was so upset. “Why do you think I’m being so adamant about this? I-- I love you!”

“Shut up!” You barked at him. How dare he say that to you for the first time, at this of all times?

“You-- You need to leave, Rafael,” You pointed to the driveway. “And don’t come back. Don’t call me, don’t text me,” Your voice was stern but filled with tears.

“No,” Rafael barely whispered, his eyes filled to the brim with fresh tears. “Don’t do this, Y/N. Please don’t do this--”

“NOW,”

“Look-- I’ll go,” He put his hands up in defeat and started to walk backwards off your porch. “But for the love of God-- PLEASE, just--- Just google the name ‘William Lewis’,”

“...Why?”

“You’ll see I’m telling the truth, I swear you will,” He looked at you with serious eyes. He was really convinced of what he was saying to you. Your heart started winning over your head, but just for a moment. You had to think about your children’s safety, you couldn’t listen to the ramblings of a crazy man.

“I don’t need to do that Rafael, you’re clearly the psycho,” You snapped before slamming the door in his face. As soon as it was closed, you sank to the floor and pulled your knees to your chest as you silently sobbed, trying to not alert the girls about the chaos that had just erupted.

Why did this have to happen?

[rogue-durin-16]

AN UNUSUAL YEAR (Part I/V)

Summary: After having little to no interest on girls for five years, Fred suddenly feels the need to nag the shit out of a certain witch, completely oblivious to the reason behind it.

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Slytherin!Reader

Genre: fluff (+ enemies to lovers)

Tags:

Permanent taglist: @elia-the-bibliophile @randomparanoid @karlthecat15722 @thebutchersdaughtersblog

Warnings: none

A/N: I'm currently going through a Harry Potter fever ('tis the damn season), so I thought I'll write something. I might write more of this story, (maybe turn it into a multipart) we'll see. If you'd like to be tagged in this, let me know.

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Rogue-durin-16 masterlist

I had always supposed that reaching the sixth year at Hogwarts meant subjects would get way more demanding and complex, and I to be proven right, only two weeks in were needed.

Added to the usual difficulties, we would be hosting The Triwizard Tournament. Having the castle be almost twice as crowded as the other years, when all you crave is a quiet spot to study, wasn't ideal.

As I said, the first two weeks were already hard enough.

During the third week though, believe it or not, things got even worse —and our guests hadn't even arrived yet.

The Slytherin common room was quieter than the library these days, that's the sole reason why, at 3:35 pm, my best friend and I were already making our way there.

To our luck, we arrived just in time to see the two redheaded troublemakers par excellence high-fiving each other besides my common room's entrance.

"What on Merlin's beard are you two doing here?!" Both of them jumped at the sight of two Slytherins.

"The question is what are YOU doing here?" One of them questioned back, probably attempting to distract us. "You two should be in the library."

"What did you do?" I squinted my eyes at them and, while one raised his hands in surrender, the other just shrugged.

"Nothing." He motioned at our door nonchalantly. "If you don't believe me, check it yourself."

My friend and I shared a reluctant look, and before I could say anything, she was heading to the door.

"Mathilda wait—" I gasped when she sunk into what appeared to be the stone floor.

"Okay now, I wasn't expecting her to actually do it." When I attempted to step forward, a hand on my forearm prevented me from it.

"Don't step further." He warned. "Just in case."

"I'm not stupid." I hissed before grabbing my wand, which made the tall redhead back off. "Revelio." Slowly, a swamp was revealed to be where the entrance hall to the Slytherin common room was supposed to.

Now that it was visible, both twins hurried to get my friend out of their giant prank.

"Get rid of this." I ordered as they pulled her up, her bottom half covered in mud.

"Pffft... no?" One of them scoffed, walking away from Mathilda and stepping closer to me. "It's a masterpiece. It stays."

"If it stays, I will throw you into your masterpiece." I threatened, putting my wand back in my pocket.

"Oh, I'd love to see you try."

I glared at him, partially because I hated that cocky attitude these two —specially him— always exhibited, but also because I had to look up in order to make eye contact.

"Listen Weasley,"

"It's Fred." Oh what would I give to wipe that stupid grin off his face.

"I don't care." Refusing to step back as he clearly wanted to achieve by towering me, I stepped forward, lightly pushing him back with one hand. "You will remove this from here or I will walk right now to the Potions Classroom and split on you."

The twins seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes only. After a moment of silence, the one with my friend spoke. "We'll get rid of it right now and you won't say anything." I nodded, my eyes still fixed on Fred's. "Just so we're clear, this was not set up for you."

"The next one will be, though." Fred assured me with an almost wicked smile. "I'll make sure you can't use the revelio on it."

"Is that a promise, Weasley?" I asked in an unconsciously defying tone.

"You can be sure of it, Y/l/n."

"It's Y/n." I retorted, mocking him.

"I don't care." I rolled my eyes when he did the same, finally breaking eye contact with him.

"C'mon Thilda," I held out my hand to her "let's see if someone can sneak us into the Ravenclaw common room."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You think Fred meant it?" Mathilda inquired, the worry slipping through her words as she played with her breakfast.

"I doubt so." Angelina, who was sitting in front of us, replied without even looking up from her quidditch history book. "They seem more trouble than they are, really." I scoffed; it was easier for her to say that; she was a Griffindor after all. "Deep down they're nice sort, Y/n. They won't pick up on you for ruining a prank."

"I don't trust them."

"I'm not saying you have to—" Angelina jumped slightly when a wad of paper hit my face.

"You were saying?" I grunted, making eye contact with the red haired boy waving at me from the Griffindor table.

When I opened the wad, it read:

'miss me? —Fred ;)'.

"Look at his smug face." I hissed. "I'm gonna-"

"Ignore him. You're gonna ignore him." Angelina finished, fairly unconcerned. "I assure you he'll get bored in less then two days if he can't get a reaction out of you."

For the sake of having breakfast in peace, I only dedicated him a fake smile and did as my friend said. It seemed to work, until it was time to leave for class.

"We should get moving." Mathilda spoke, putting her plate aside and picking up her things as I did the same.

"I have a free period now." Angelina informed us. "Or as free as it can be. You?"

"Divination. Y/n?"

"Charms— Fuck." I whined as something dawned on me. "Those gits are in my class." I spared them a glare. "If they ruin my favorite subject I'm gonna—" a sudden splash of water on my face left my shirt soaked for at least the next hour. "You got the nerve—!" I yelled at the guy who was already making eye contact with me.

"I do, indeed!" He cut me off, winking at me from across the table, his chin resting on the palm of his hand with a teasing grin dancing on his lips as he asked, "what are you gonna do now, Y/l/n?" His twin brother, though I could only see his back, was clearly not enjoying this behavior.

Mathilda checked my gaze, dreading the worst. "Y/n, don't. You're gonna make Slytherin lose points." She knew the warning wouldn't do much, but at least she had tried.

Angelina, instead of backing our friend and try to calm me down, got up and walked to the table where the Weasleys sat.

FRED'S P.O.V.

"I hope you know you're dead." Angie stood in front of me, before using her book to tap my brother's arm. "George, move."

"What?"

The three of us spared a look at Y/n, who had, ignoring McGonagall yells, stepped over her table to get to us.

"Move. Now."

"Ssshit." My brother moved just in time for Y/n to repeat the same forward move on our table.

It's not as if I didn't have the time to move and run away, she hadn't rushed; on the contrary, she walked calmed and composed, and still I did not move an inch.

I guess a part of me wanted to know what she'd do to me.

"Look at you." I began to wind her up again when she climbed off the table on my side, sitting down on its surface with her shoes over the bench. "Doing the impossible to be near me, how romant—"

My sentence died off abruptly as a handful of scrambled eggs was mashed against my face.

I heard a burst of laughs around me. "Blimey! I'm sorry, Fred," she feigned worry, smearing what I assumed were the remaining rests of my breakfast all over my chest. "I hope you're not late to Charms because of this." She whispered near my ear, making a shiver go down my spine when her breath hit my neck. "See you there, yeah?"

Her hand squeezed my shoulder and her fingers ran over my shoulder blades as she walked away.

I felt a napkin placed in my hand and I was quick to remove as much scrambled eggs as possible from my face, just in time to see Y/n exiting the Great Hall with McGonagall jogging after her.

"You know?" Lee asked, drawing my attention. "Picking up on the girl you fancy is kind of a toddler strategy."

"Yeah, Fred," my brother agreed. "you're not an eighth year-old anymore."

"And you chose the wrong girl to nag" Angie added," if you keep it up, she will surely kill you." She held back a teasing smile. "And you should be careful" she nudged George. "I don't think she can tell you both apart, you can end up as collateral damage."

"But you wouldn't let that happen, would you?" I rolled my eyes when George scooted closer to our quidditch chaser.

"Depends on how annoying you are." She faked indifference as my brother searched for her eyes.

"I don't fancy her." I not-so-randomly stated. "But I can't stop pranking her now that she ruined my breakfast."

"You can and you will, Weasley." I jolted at McGonagall's voice behind me. "Twenty points from Gryffindor." At least I'm not grounded, I thought. "And you're grounded for the rest of the week."

"But Y/n— Ouch!" my brother kicked me under the table so I would shut it.

"Y/l/n has received her fair share of punishment, too, Weasley." The professor gave me a poorly masked, disgusted look. "Go and..." She waved her hand "Clean yourself up, Y/l/n will inform professor Flitwick about this incident. And Weasley," She stared at my brother. "Aren't you supposed to be heading to Charms too?"

"Yes ma'am." He replied, throwing everything into his bag, getting up and rushing out of there, not before grabbing his robe.

"The day's promising." I groaned, handing my things over to Angelina so I could go to the bathroom.

"You made the day promising by messing with a Slytherin, you twit." She pointed out, putting my things over hers. "Now go clean those eggs from your shirt."

"Aye, mother!" I headed off before Angie could add anything else to the conversation, loosening my tie as I moved forward.

As I cleaned off everything I could in the nearest bathroom, a random thought slipped into my mind.

Had Y/n been punished too? And if so, would we fullfil the punishment together? It seemed logical that if one of us got grounded, the other one would get grounded too; consequently, it would only make sense for us to—

Shut it. I mumbled to my own mind.

I didn't care. I did not care if she was punished or not. It was none of my business.

I don't fancy her, I thought to myself once again.