#and just watching her collapse to the floor sobbing for so long after she almost died and just aughhhhhhhhhhh

[crunchycrystals]

side note i 100% called that evie was still alive after that first chapter in renegades

[webslingingslasher]

Hi Mm this is socks lmao, but could I request something with reader having a horrible day where everything goes wrong, nothing feels right, and she's tired of like carrying the world and everyone one else on her back and Peter is just the sweetest guy ever babying her and hold her while she cries? Yep that's me, but with no Peter

sowwy it took so long, i had a few requests for this and put them all in one giant pot. i also hope everyone here is feeling better ❤️

Totally broken, you just needed someone to hold you. 

It had been an awful day of an awful week of an awful month. Punch after punch, you couldn’t take anymore. Holding yourself the entire walk to the frat house, only allowing yourself to sniffle and keep a steady flow of tears, nothing too hysterical to pass in public. 

Almost tripping over a curb you choke back a sob, all you could do was manually breathe and think of the path to the house. You weren’t even sure why you wanted to go there anyways, you’d never gone to Peter before all upset and choked up. 

And knowing him, he’d hate it and send you away informing you that taking care of your crying mess wasn’t in his job description. 

Focusing on breathing, you knocked at the solid door and prayed Peter would answer, save for any of his brothers mid breakdown. But, like most of today and this week, things did not go in your favor. 

“Trouble?”

He wasn’t your boy. 

“Is Peter here?” shoddy breaths, you’re about to collapse in a sob, you shouldn’t be here. “Actually, nevermind, I’m,” you inhale sharply, tears skip down your cheeks, “I’m, um, gonna go home.” 

Spinning on your heel a warm hand closed around your wrist tugging you inside, “no, you’re not. Parker would fucking kill me if I let you leave like this.” Wiping your cheeks and trying to pull away, “he wouldn’t want to deal with me, I should…” shaking his arm off and trying to make a dash before he caught you by the hood of your jacket. 

Gagging you pull at the neckline, “what the fuck, Ethan?” 

“Parker!” He calls up the stairs, adrenaline killing your tears, trying to pull away but useless in his grip. Jerking the fabric, trying to release it from his hold, “let go, Ethan!” 

“Parker!” Wincing at the shriek in your ear, “see? He doesn’t care, I sho-” 

Your shoes squeak on the floor, holding your jacket as far as you could from your neck when Ethan dragged you across the landing of the house, fumbling into his chest to stop the tension. He was being anything but gentle, raising his fist to pound at the wall. 

“Parker! Get the fuck down here!” 

While trying your last attempt to break free, Ethan twists the hood in his hold, causing you to pause in an awkward position, if you moved you’d be choked. “Ethan, I swear to fucking god I’ll-” 

“Park-” 

Stomps on the stairs.

“Say my fucking name one more time, Keznek, I fucking dare you.” 

Like a deer in headlights, you freeze. The second Peter hits the landing his frustration was washed into concern, not even caring his brother and best friend was watching, pouting all soft. You weren't crying anymore but the evidence showed, written all over your face was a cry session.

“My baby,” feathersoft, his words scooped you up and held you. Ethan’s hand dropped the second Peter took a second step, abandoning post and taking the stairs two steps at a time. Standing in front of you, his thumbs run under your eyes, “why’s my girl so sad, hm?” 

Suddenly, that lump in your throat you’ve been swallowing won’t stay down. Blinking fast trying to stop tears, which fails useless as your bottom lip trembles and he’s being so soft and he’s never been this comforting before. A sob escapes, the dam breaks. 

Peter’s never seen you cry before, you’ve called him once before while upset and he thought that hurt him. Watching you cry and desperate for air makes him break, he’s never had a girl come to him so broken. He doesn’t even know what to do or say, “give me a cuddle, c’mon, I know how happy that makes you!” 

Instantly you’re wound around him, exhaling shaky breaths in his chest while he scratches slowly at your back. Tears bleed through his shirt but he doesn’t say a word, he thinks he might be making it worse because you’re getting worse. 

Racking breaths made him push you away, he was genuinely scared you’d pass out. 

“Okay, c’mon. Take a breath and follow me, okay?” Choking as you gasp, his hand holds yours tight until you reach a room off the kitchen, Peter sits on the edge of a couch and holds your hands. “Deep breath, baby.” You try to do it but fail, whimpering an apology. “I’m not asking you to stop crying, I just need you to breathe.” 

It’s weak but he takes it, “one more for me,” it’s smoother this time, rubbing at an eye to clear your vision. Gulping, you force yourself to take another deep breath, this one ceasing the tears for the moment. 

Peter pushes himself backwards to sit on the couch, patting the small spot next to him you follow the command. Your butt in the small space, legs thrown over his lap. “You almost knocked yourself out, trouble.” 

He’s trying to lighten the mood but you just feel vulnerable and sad, resting your cheek on his shoulder you sniff. Voice breaking at the words, “I’m really sad, petey.” And fuck, he hates that nickname, but the way you uttered it, like a child with a terrible confession, made him want to hold you and never let you leave. 

Hands tickle up and down your legs, “wanna tell me why?” 

Blowing a shaky breath you shug, a tear falls when you blink. 

“I mean, everything?” To Peter, it sounds like you’re holding back and he won’t stand for it, not until he knows what made his girl cry like that. 

“I’m here for you to unload, I’m trying to take that,” he gestures to your body, “and put it here,” crumpling the tension into a ball and forcing it into his heart. 

“I failed my math test, I was fired from the campus store, Zoe and Lana are fighting and they want me to pick a side but I know they’ll get over it and then I’ll always be the asshole that chose a side, and to top it all off my sister called me and I felt like it was my job to give relationship advice cause,” you give a dry laugh, “obviously, I’m in the right position to tell people about their shit boyfriend.” 

A shit sandwich, you were right. Everything was wrong. 

“What can I do for you?” 

Because he feels helpless, but he’s done more than enough already. 

“Just… hold me.” 

“I can do that.” 

And he does, even a little longer after you said you were finally okay. 

[delusionalbitchinthehouse]

Hurt/very, very little comfort. Like barely a hint, and I might be imaginating it by reading too much into my own work. Delta is doing bad, the ghouls are a mess.

If Alpha hadn't been distracted by his own thought, he would have noticed much sooner the tense silence smothering anyone stepping foot in the common room sooner.

As it is, it takes Mist loudly clearing her throat to snap him out of his own head. His shoulders immediately stiffen as the atmosphere finally registers.

Ifrit, crossed-legged on the rug, looks devastated, eyes red and puffy, elbows on the coffee table, gripping his hair with enough strenght to turn his knuckles white. Zephyr is sitting on the couch behind him, lips drawn in a thin line, frown knitting his eyebrows, shoulders slouching. Mist...she throws Alpha a look that almost has him stumbling in shock : helplessness is written all across her face as she paces nervously, whole body tense as a bowstring, ready to snap. Alpha never saw her like this. It makes his stomach roll uneasily.

Then his eyes land on Omega, and it's like being punched in the guts. The quint is unusually quiet, curled in on himself despite still standing, like he's trying to make himself as small as possible, ears flat against his skull, tail tucked between his legs. Before Alpha can reach him, smooth a hand along his back and enquire what's wrong, a shuffling draws his attention toward Pebble and Ivy.

And oh, Alpha is starting to understand the pattern. Pebble looks positively furious. Snarling silently, glaring at Omega like he believes looks can kill, the only reason he hasn't drawn blood yet seems to be Ivy's arms coiled tightly around him, refusing to let him go in spite of sharp elbows being thrown at his ribs or feet stomping on his.

There is only one reason Pebble could look so ready to maul Omega, someone he, despite what the past few years made transpire between them, respects very much ; something happened to Delta.

That certainty settles in Alpha's bones like ice, chilling him to his core, and not even his internal fire can thaw such a realisation.

Given the situation, Alpha turns to the person most likely to give him a straight answer.

"Zeph ?"

Zephyr lifts heavy, tired eyes toward him.

"Delta...something happened. He collapsed in the middle of the hallway...he's stable now, but very weak. Aether is watching over him."

So it's getting worse again. Alpha's stomach churn. Delta barely pulled through the last time he had such a crisis, not long after the Papas' murder. So now...

"I should go check on..."

"You won't get anywhere near him, you hear me ?!"

Omega's weak offer gets cut off by Pebble's venemous growl, straining against Ivy with renewed energy, fangs bared. Omega seems to shrivel under the earth ghoul's scalding anger.

"He needs-"

Pebble nearly manages to jostle himself free, sending both himself and Ivy sprawling onthe floor, from which he keeps spitting his rage at Omega's face.

"Aether's with him, he certainly doesn't need you. You're the one who fucked up his transition so bad-"

"I did my best, water and quint are such unstable elements-"

"-had him repatching himself on a molecular fucking level-"

"-was the first ever attempted, I didn't know that would happen, he begged me to-"

"-and now Delta's half dead on a hospital bed, and it's all because of you, are you proud, Omega-"

The room disolves in chaos, between Pebble's accusation becoming more and more frantic, Omega attempting to defend himself while slowly crumbling, Ivy begging them to stop, Ifrit breaking down again, sobs raking his whole body while Zephyr does their best comforting and shushing him, Mist seemingly hesitating between knocking someone out or banging her head against the wall.

Alpha's head is pounding, the image of Delta laying lifelessly on white sheets barely paler than him bounces inside of it, a spike of nausea-inducing panic nearly has him retching, and that's just it.

The second Pebble manages to wiggle his way out of Ivy's grasp, lunging claws first toward Omega, Alpha's instinct kicks up. He tackles the earth ghoul, one arm around his waist, the other around his middle, trapping Pebble's arms against his body. Uncaring of the thrashing, Alpha holds on tight.

"Let it all out. Come on, give me everything, give it to me, i can take it."

And Pebble does. Kicks, yells, spits curses, snaps his jaws, even sinks his fangs in Alpha's shoulder, but the fire ghoul doesn't budge, kneeling on the worn carpet, arms unyielding around him even as he calls him every names under the sun and then more.

After a while, the earth ghoul slumps, and Alpha knows he's crying silently of his shoulder, can feel the dampness through his shirt, the occasional twinge of salt on the fresh bite mark there. It speaks volume on Pebble's emotional state, that he let himself cry on Alpha of all people ; any other day, the fire ghoul would get disembowled if he had the unfortune of seeing Pebble with even the slightest hint of tears in his eyes.

"Alright. You're alright."

A shaky exhale, a shudder. Pebble doesn't look at anyone when Alpha releases him, making a beeline for the door, no doubt heading for the infirmary, but he pauses at the threshold. Hand lingering on the handle. He doesn't look back, but the hesitation is there. A heartbeat later, he's gone.

Alpha shares a look with Mist, who's helping Ivy get to the couch next to where Ifrit curled against Zephyr in distress. She jerks her chin toward Omega, then sticks her thumb in the direction of the huddled mass of ghouls on the couch.

You deal with him, I deal with them.

Smart girl.

Alpha glances at where Omega slid down against the wall, knees to his chest, eyes staring unseeingly. With a heavy heart, the fire ghoul reads the pain clear as day on the quint's pinched features.

There will be many more tears to drytonight.

[puhpandas]

Watch

(2,984 words)

Gregory dies saving the Pizzaplex from the virus. In return, Evan saves Gregory by giving him the gift of life. Evan is done with just watching. (warnings: major character (child) death (gregory), implied murder, implied stabbing, blood.

Evan had to go fight his Father on his own.

Vanessa had been too incapacitated. Too distraught to come along. She'd woken up not too long after Gregory had freed her, hair greasy and wirey and body weak, knees wobbly. It had only gotten worse after she'd seen the cost.

Theres nothing Evan could have helped with. All he could do is finish things.

His Father had gone down easily. Theres not much you can do as an animatronic on the brink of collapse, no matter how much of your virus is spread across the network. No matter how many brute machines you have at your command. Its hard to kill somebody whose already dead. To hurt somebody who isnt tangible.

All Evan had to do was call in a favor.

The amalgamation hadn't needed any more than a promise. It had thrown itself at his Father, giving itself up to secure that his Father is gone forever. For good.

Evan had promised to set the fire. He knows that Freddy has a lighter in his finger. He knows that his Father is stuck, and is at Evan's will.

Evan has the power to take the call, here. He can set the fire whenever he wants. He gets to choose when it all ends.

He hasn't, yet. He just needs to see Gregory again.

Vanessa has barely moved by the time Evan phases through floors, arriving back in Vannys old hideout. Shes sitting up, but unmoving. Before, her shoulders shook harshly with barely contained grief.

Now, it's like shes empty. Like there's nothing left of her.

After what was lost to free her, Evan understands why.

He can barely look, once he floats next to Vanessa. Gregory is right where Evan had left him, still laid flat on the linoleum tile under Vanessa's hunched form.

Shes almost curled around him, as if to protect him. He cant be protected much, anymore. But he deserves to have whats left of him taken care of.

It hurts so much more than the others when Evan forces himself to look. Nothings changed; Gregory is still unmoving, eyes open and unseeing. The knife is discarded to their left, tossed in some corner to rot.

The floor is a mess. Gregorys blood stains every crevice. His blue shirt is barely recognizable, violent rips and tears litter the area near his stomach, and blood stains the fabric a sickening black.

Evan stares at his face. It doesnt so much as twitch.

He knows better than to beg. He knows better than to hope, or plead, or wish.

He's dead. Evan knows. He's known this whole time. He knew when he'd gone off to fight his Father. To get revenge.

Gregory's dead.

It hurts so much more than the others.

Evan floats downwards, sitting by Gregory's body next to Vanessa as much as he can as a ghost. She doesn't seem to register that hes there, just staring blankly at Gregory. At the empty husk of the boy Evan had just begun to know.

Shes already expressed her grief. She'd yelled and screamed and sobbed when he'd still been alive, clinging to life by a thread, but despite Vanessa's attempts, he'd died in her arms.

They'd only shared little words before it was over.

They'd watched as the life left his eyes. Evan watched as Gregory went still in that way only dead people can. He'd watched as Vanessa fell apart.

It hurt so much more than the others.

He'd just been getting to know Gregory. He'd only scraped the surface. He'd only known Gregory for six hours, but he'd felt like he'd known him for a lifetime.

He'd just been getting to know him, and Evan had been planning to stick around. He'd been planning to follow Gregory. He'd been planning to take the one child who'd been brave enough, smart enough, to survive, and lead him to the source.

Hed been planning on finally doing something. He'd been planning on ending it all, and saving one child out of it. He'd been planning on being done with watching, and doing something about it. He'd tried to help the others, to guide them where it mattered, help them survive, but they'd been snuffed out before they could begin.

And all Evan could do is watch.

He's so tired of just watching.

"Gr-- Gree-- Gregory..." Freddys voice filters out of the watch, crackling and glitching. "Gregor-- ory-- Please tell me you are saf-- fe. I cannot re-- each you--"

Something snaps in Evan, at that. Freddy doesn't know. Freddy had tried so hard, like Evan had, to save someone. To save one person after so many were lost.

Evan has seen Freddy. Hes seen them all. Hes seen how they all wake up the next day horrified at the blood under their claws, and the memories of murdering burned into their code. Evan has seen how all Freddy's been able to do is watch as he's hijacked, unable to fight back, and forced to sit backseat in his own body.

This time had been different. Freddy had been spared. Freddy had fought for Gregory. Freddy didnt just watch this time.

Evan doesnt want to just watch anymore.

Evan's stomach burns, normally, his soul is cold, as lifeless ghosts are. Just a figment of who he used to be.

So unlike the chill hes used too, how unfeeling he usually is, warmth bursts in his stomach, at hot as fire, and it swirls. Unfurling and spreading.

It tingles, prickling and sharp, and to Evan, somehow, it feels like an invitation.

Evan had been the first. He'd been there for it all. He'd been there when Charlie had died. He'd been there when she had given life to the other children. He'd been there when they'd all lost their humanity. He'd been there for the first fire, the second, and soon, the third.

Evan had been the first.

His chest burns with intensity, hot and bubbling.

Gregory will be the last.

He welcomes it; the simmering feeling underneath the film of numbness. It claws to escape, and Evan let's it.

He curls inward, a burst of light shining from his body, and at its warmth, it's like Vanessa comes back to life. She jerks when a glow spreads across the room, twisting her neck to watch it with wide eyes.

He cups his hands gently, shutting his eyes and reaching inward.

The Remnant responds to him. It hears him. It hears his grief, his wishes, and his determination.

Like the others, Gregory never deserved to die. Like the others, he'd been lost to his Father. Like the others, he'd been lost to a long string of tragedy that began on the day Evan died.

His chest opens, a yellow, pinprick of light seeping out and into his hands.

Unlike the others, Gregory will be the last.

Evan holds the remnant gently as can be, and ignores the blatant emptiness inside of him. He ignores how much weaker he feels. He ignores how he essentially just halved his life force.

Instead, he offers the life to Gregory's body, like giving a gift.

It receives it.

The light seeps into Gregory's body, spreading across his injuries and soaking in. Light crawls across his skin, spiderwebbing and stitching skin and flesh together.

The light mends Gregory's body, fixing what had been broken.

Evan never thought that anything involved with his Father could be good. That it could help instead of hurt.

But when Vanessas lights up as Gregory's eyes ignite with life, all gifted by the warmth in Evan's soul, he thinks it's not the magic that's bad, but the man who wields it.

Its agonizing; waiting those few seconds for Gregory to wake up, but the shine that had re-entered his eyes only grows brighter when he gasps harshly, jerking to life.

With a cry of joy, Evan shoots forward, attempting a hug as much as he can as a ghost. At the same time, Vanessa sobs with barely contained relief and reaches out, pulling Gregory out of the puddle of his own blood and setting him gently against her chest.

Evan meets his eyes, and man, do they look exhausted, but they also look alive. Evan cant contain the grin on his face when Gregory's eyes dart to him, seeing but not. Hes still in that stage between floaty and aware, but Evan waits for him.

It only takes a moment for Gregory himself to understand, but then hes clutching back, breaths deep, life laced within every intake of air.

Vanessa is crying. Shoulder shaking sobs that leave tracks down the dirt and blood on her face, and snot smudged across her cheek.

He doesnt blame her. Evan feels more alive than he has in a long time.

"You--" Gregory rasps out before coughing, but despite the fact, it's the most beautiful sound Evan's heard in years. Compared to the last words Gregory spoke before now being goodbyes. "You saved me."

Evan knows that Gregory knows. He knows everything. When Evan shared a piece of himself with Gregory, it connected them. Their souls are entertwined, now.

Evan feels the remnants of true fear deep inside Gregory of truly dying. He feels the relief that its over. He feels the accomplishment that nobody else will be lost.

Evan knows Gregory knows his feelings, as well. Evan knows Gregory feels the grief for the others. He knows he feels the satisfaction of sending his Father back to Cassidy. He knows he feels the anger at being forced to observe for so long.

So Evan just nods, the permanent tears on his face growing thicker and inkier. "I did."

And it's as simple as that.

Gregorys tucked under Vanessa's chin, her stringy hair falling out of what used to be a ponytail. Shes still sobbing, and Evan doesnt think she'd be able to do much of anything right now.

That's okay. Evan knows Vanessa had cried for the others, too. He knows Vanessa had been horrified at the memories. He knows shed been lost for years.

"You're you?" Gregory asks, weak and thready. He brings up a shaky hand and sets it on Vanessa's arm. Shes still wearing the bunny suit; she hadn't had it in her to tear it off when the only thing shed been focused on was the kid who saved her dying in her arms.

All Vanessa does is nod, over and over, almost deliriously. "Yes--" She sobs. "Because-- Because of you."

And its right there that Evan let's himself relish in the fact that they're all here. After watching so much grief and tragedy take place, its finally over. Gregory saved them, and now Evan was able to save Gregory.

He laughs in delight, feeling more hope and warmth than he has in a long time.

Three victims sit in a circle, relieved and alive.

"Gr-r--" Gregory's watch sputters to life, staticky and warbling. "Gregory-- I'm so worried about yo-- you-- P-P-Please respo--"

Three sets of eyes blow open.

"Freddy!"

👻

Gregory and Evan had been alone together all night. Freddy wasnt able to follow them everywhere, and Gregory, with that determination that saved them that night, carried them far. Deep into the belly of the beast.

But its only when they finally haul themselves up when the clock gets a little too close to six, hop in Vanessa's car, and hightail it to her apartment that Gregory and Evan are alone again.

Vanessa, with a little more energy in her step, had followed through with her promise. Before they'd left, she said she would set the fire. All she wanted to do is take care of a few things. Freddy went along with her, wanting to collect his friends when they wake up free of the virus.

It's just the two of them, now. They're sitting (floating, in Evan's case) on Vanessa's couch, Gregory is eating some cereal, since its all Vanessa had on hand, and hes wearing one of Vanessa's too-big shirts when his had been too ruined to keep.

Theres some cartoon on the TV about a girl and a weird blue floating blob, but Evan isnt paying attention. Not when Gregory is staring at his bowl with furrowed brows, lost in thought.

Evan can tell he wants to say something, so he just sits patiently, and stays quiet when Gregory eventually starts opening and closing his mouth, trying to find the words.

"Evan--" Gregory begins eventually, and when Evan looks over, Gregory's looking at the carpet instead of him. "Um... can I ask you something?"

Evan nods. "Of course."

"Kay." Gregory responds, and then sighs, scratching the back of his neck and fiddling with the fold of fabric where his stomach is. "Uh... well..."

Evan stays silent, waiting for Gregory to gather his thoughts. Evan had hated it when people rushed him when he spoke while he was alive. He wasnt stupid, just nervous.

Eventually, Gregory throws his hands down and huffs, as if biting the bullet. He turns to Evan, looking him in the eyes as he asks, "Why did you save me?"

Evan blinks, and looks at Gregory, confused. They'd already communicated everything when Gregory woke up. "What do you mean?"

Gregory fidgets again, glancing to the side and looking frustrated. "Well-- I mean... just, why did you choose me?"

Evan furrows his brows. "Um... I dont understand."

Gregory growls, but Evan can sense it's not at him, just at Gregory's own scrambled thoughts. He rubs at his eyes, before, "I mean--!. eight other kids went missing before me."

Evan starts to get it. "Oh."

"Just... why did you save me?" Gregory asks again, a little more surely this time. "Like... you literally gave up half of your life force just so I wouldnt die. You met so many other kids that didnt make it... I... just want to know why you see me as so special to sacrifice for."

Evan shakes his head, twisting in place to better face Gregory. He tries to convey so much in one motion, his brain swirling with thoughts, and remnants of feeling from past memories.

"Gregory..." Evan glances downward, an old feeling of grief coming back. It's his old friend at this point. "...Nobody deserved to die. Nobody. But... in a way, some of us didnt. I'm still here, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I'm technically living, arent I?"

Gregory nods, but he looks confused. "Yeah, I would say so. But what does this have to do with what I said?"

Evan looks at the couch, watching as his fingers phase through the cushion. "I mean... the others, they died, but they didnt leave. They were still there, but... they weren't living. Bit by bit, they lost themselves, until they really were as good as dead."

Gregory is silent, so Evan continues. "I didnt feel like I was living for a long time, even though I technically wasnt dead. I had my friend. That's what we had that the others didnt. That's how we held on. But when she left... I had to stay for her to, as well, and I was stuck. I couldn't see my family. I was living, but I didnt want to be. I was living, but didnt have a life."

Evan glances up, and sees Gregory's own face looking back at him, eyes sad. Evan frowns, feeling decades of memories creep back up on him. He shoves them down. "All I did was watch tragedy and death occur for years, while I was alone. And I couldnt do a thing about it."

"You were done just watching." Gregory mumbles.

Evan nods. "...I was. So when you came along, and you survived, and dodged death, and saved everybody... you didnt deserve to die. More than the others. After all youd done, you deserved to live."

Theres a stretch of silence, after that. Evan has patience to spare, so when Gregory just stares, probably turning Evan's words over in his head, he waits.

After a while, Gregory tries to set a hand on Evan's shoulder, but it phases through. Gregory frowns, eyes downcast as he stares at his body dissipating at Gregory's touch, falling away like sand. "You havent felt alive in a long time, huh...?"

Theres that connection, again. Evan's gonna have to get used to this; he hasnt been connected to someone this way since Cassidy.

He nods, but in the melancholy, he smiles, and looks pointedly at Gregory. "Yeah," He agrees. "but that changed."

Gregory understands quickly. Evan pushed all of his feelings and earnesty towards that seemingly now permanent sense of Gregory presence, after all. He looks suprised, if his wide eyes are any indication, but then he finally sees the undeniable smile on Evans face, and Evan can sense that Gregory believes him.

Tears swim in Gregory's eyes, and he wipes at them half heartedly, grin on his face. He chuckles wetly. "Would you believe me if I said nobody has ever said something like that to me?"

Evan fractures, smiling. "Not really. I doubt you've met a lot of other dead people."

"Youd be right." Gregory replies. "Man, I wish I could hug you. It doesnt feel right just letting you sit there and be all... ghosty after saying something like that."

Evan chuckles at that, smile wide. "Put your arms around me."

Gregory raises a brow, but does it anyway.

It's funny. How Gregory, a boy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time saved the ones at the heart of the tragedy. He saved everyone without being involved himself, and Evan cant help but feel like Gregory saved him as well, in a way.

And Evan, who shuts his eyes and brings forth every ounce of power he has as a poltergeist, let's his body fall against another solid one, and sink into the hug.

ao3 link

[orangeaurora]

Scarlet | Chapter 5

Pairing: Steve Harrington x reader

Summary: after a falling out with her childhood best friend Nancy Wheeler due to her hatred for Steve Harrington, Y/N goes on a journey of discovering she has powers and that the goosebumps she gets around Steve Harrington aren’t actually from hatred. Though these new found powers are difficult to deal with, nothing is harder than dealing with the creatures of the upside down.

SLOW BURN AF

warnings: cursing, angst, use of powers, mentions of a panic attack, I think that’s it :)

word count: 1894

A/N: hi!! I’m so so sorry this took so long to get out. I was on a lil vacay for thanksgiving. I hope you all love this chapter, I know I do. If you enjoy, please let me know if you would like to be tagged in future chapters. happy reading <3

————————————————————————

I had no idea where I was going. After what Steve and I saw in the mirror, I ran to my car, and left school. I had never ditched school before, but I had to get out of there. What if it happened again? And if it does happen again, when? Whatever it is. What the fuck was happening to me. I started to sob uncontrollably as I drove into the woods. I parked my car in the middle of nowhere, and flung the door open as I ran out of the car. My lungs craved fresh air as I started to hyperventilate from the panic attack that I had induced myself into. I dropped to my knees, and as I did, I felt the prickly feeling of the needles from earlier, but it was everywhere. My nerves were on fire. I leaned forward to place my hands on the ground to gain some balance, my arms felt weak and I almost collapsed to the floor, and when my hands hit the ground, all the dirt and leaves from underneath my palms were pulsed away as a glowing ripple of vivid red energy expelled from underneath my hands. I froze in place just staring at my hands on the ground. Did I do that? I slowly leaned back up as I turned my hands over to stare at my palms. I started shaking. My eyes were peeled open with shock and tears were still streaming down my face, “Powers,” I heard from behind me. I turned around so fast I could’ve given myself whiplash.

There stood a girl, around the age of the youngest Byer and his friends staring at me. “W-What?” Was all I was able to stutter out. “Like me,” I was so confused. Who is this? The little girl walked towards me, held her hand out for me to grab, and I took it as I stood up. “You…You’re not scared?” I asked. This small gesture made me feel at peace. I was finally able to take a deep breath, It felt like she was my guardian angel. “No,” she shook her head. I cracked a smile at her. “School,” she said and I titled my head to the side “School? Are you looking for the school?” She nodded. I don’t even know how long I had been driving, we could be miles away from the school. “I, uh- I don’t know how far we are but the school is in that direction,” I pointed to where I came from as she let go of my hand, she smiled and said “Bye,” and she started walking in the direction that I pointed. I watched as the curly-headed girl made her way to the school. I felt a strong breeze against the back of my neck, and in only a moment my whole body was covered in goosebumps. A feeling I had grown used to this past year. I sat back down in front of the uncovered earth spot I had made moments ago, listening to the sounds of the woods. It was the first time I had felt calm all day. I looked back down at my palms and my gaze blurred. I zoned out looking at the hands I didn’t recognize only a few minutes before. I heard a twig snap next to me and when I looked to see what it was, of course, it was my favorite person in the whole world looking back at me.

“God, what do you want, Steve? Haven’t you done enough?” I started getting teary again. Steve shook his hands and his head at me “No, no, no don’t cry, please”. He got down to my level and sat with me, but I scooted away. “Okay, I deserve that,” I looked at him, “What’d you do, follow me here? Wanted to make fun of the freak some more? How about you call me scar face one more time?” Steve was shocked. “What, NO, no. I mean yes, I followed you here, but no not to make fun of you,” I looked away from him in fear that my eyes were going to look different again, and crossed my arms so I could tuck my hands away. We sat in silence as I waited to see what he was going to say. I wanted to be mean and tell him to fuck off, but there was a voice in the back of my head reminding me of all the nice things he said to me when he was drunk, and that he was nice enough to come check on me at this very moment. And then, my thought-filled brain decided to blurt out, “Please just tell me why you hate me so much, Steve. Why would you rather have me bleed out on that terrible night last year than put me in your car? Why do you make fun of my scar every chance you get? I-I just want an answer,” I still wasn’t looking at him, but I could still sense that Steve’s body tensed up. “Y/N, I don’t hate you. You just, God, now that I am saying it out loud, it isn’t even you,” I finally looked up at him, “Not…me? What does that even mean Steve?” I said it with more annoyance than was intended, but I always seem to have this tone with Steve, so I guess it’s a habit. “Look, when Nancy and I first started dating, it was like you were always the topic of the conversation. It was Y/N this, and Y/N that. I could never just have a conversation with my girlfriend. And, before Barb went missing, Nancy always canceled on me for you. No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, it seemed like you were always in the background of our relationship, and I never was able to get close to Nancy because of you. I never meant to start being mean to you, but I could tell you didn’t like me and that made me even madder. Like I should be the one that hates you, not the other way around,” I probably looked like a deer in headlights, all I could do was stare at him. I was too in shock to respond. And then, I laughed, and I couldn’t stop. Steve frowned,

“Why the fuck are you laughing, I just poured my heart out to you,”

“Oh, Stevie, that is the same reason that I don’t like you,” I watched as his frown turned into a smile, and he was trying to fight his laughter from escaping, but he let the laughter win. We both were just sitting on the ground, laughing with one another.

“That is so stupid,” we both said. And, it was. We both were just jealous of one another’s relationship with Nancy Wheeler. Comical, was all I could think because of where Nancy and I’s relationship stood now. Steve and I’s laughter faded as Steve looked me in the eyes and I could see the seriousness behind his eyes. “Okay, I am not trying to be mean, I seriously just want to know, what…what happened back there in the locker room?” I could tell he was choosing his words very carefully to not make me upset. I sighed and stood up off the ground, after dusting the back of my pants off I looked at him, “Your guess is as good as mine, Harrington. One minute I’m feeling these, I don’t know, tingles? Throughout my body and then…you tell me there is something wrong with my eyes,” I could feel myself growing anxious thinking about what had just happened and could feel those very tingles start to flow through my body.

My voice starts to rise, “And then, suddenly looking in that mirror-” I pointed towards the direction of the school but as I did, a bright orb of red left my hands and hit a tree next to me, I took a step back and I could hear Steve scurrying on the ground behind me, “Holy shit,” he says and he starts to walk towards me. I hugged my hands into my chest trying to hold myself together after seeing what just came out of me. Steve looked so…concerned. Why doesn’t he look scared? He should be terrified of me right now. I am terrified of myself. His eyes softened as he approached me with caution and grabbed my shoulders. He could feel how tense my body was as tears started streaming down my face.

“Hey, hey, hey, you’re okay! I got you, you’re fine,” I wasn’t fine, I was terrified of my own body, “Steve, I am NOT OKAY” I uncrossed my arms as I flung them open and the scarlet-colored energy that left the bottom of my palms earlier left my whole body, and flung Steve to the ground. He started groaning from the pain of falling on his back and then…nothing. Steve was just lying on the ground, limp. I killed him.

“Oh…oh my god,” I ran to Steve’s side as I sat down beside him, “Steve, STEVE,” I was shaking his whole body as hard as I could, What am I gonna do? I can’t tell anyone what happened here. But that girl saw me here. She is gonna tell the police she saw me at the scene of a murder. “please…please be okay,” I whispered underneath my breath between weeps. After a few seconds of no movement, I became desperate and yelled, “STEVE HARRINGTON, PLEASE, wake up!” and the boy beneath me started laughing. I just stared at him with a blank expression on my face. No way this boy was making a sick joke at a time like this. “Fuck you, you jerk!”A chuckle escaped at the end of my sentence as I shoved his shoulder. “Oh my god, I got you so good, Y/N! You were actually worried about me,” Steve continued to laugh as I wiped the tears off of my face. He stood up off of the ground and held a hand out for me. “Shut up,” I said with a smirk as he picked me up from the dirt. Thank god the boy wasn’t actually dead, the last thing I needed was to become a murderer. “I thought I actually killed you, Steve,” he chuckled, “you can’t get rid of me that easily Y/L/N,”

I enjoyed this moment with him, but once our laughter died down, I realized that maybe I could have killed him just then. I don’t know how to control what’s happening to me, my smile faded as I spoke, “Steve, I’m scared,” I crossed my arms over my chest again as I looked at him. This caused his smile to fade too, “you don’t need to be scared, look I think I have some kids that you need to talk to,” I tilted my head, confused why he is mentioning kids, “You know Jonathon’s little brother and his friends?” I nodded, “Well, they have a lot more to do with what happened last year than what Nancy and I led on, I think they could really help you,” Honestly, at this point, I could take any help that I could get, even if it is from twelve-year-old boys. “Okay, yeah, lead the way”.

tags; (thank you for supporting) @mochminnie @smellanieeee @pinkangelskies @alexa4040

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[star-going-supernova]

Prompt: Gregory saves Vanessa by complete accident, he just wanted to get the highscores on all the arcade games while trying to escape. so when Vanessa glomps him in thanks he's just confused by the sob filled gibberish vanessa's spouting

This was just too funny! Bit on the shorter side, and definitely lacking in angst. Enjoy!

Freedom is Found in the High Scores

“Yes! High score!” Gregory fist-pumped as the arcade game played a little victory tune. He waited just long enough to enter his name—GRMLN, so, close enough—for the leaderboard before hightailing it out of the storage room. 

“And that makes all of them,” he crowed to his watch, dodging STAFF bots as he made his way through the west arcade. 

Freddy, who’d been cheering him on during his quest to get the high score on at least one of every game in the pizzaplex, exclaimed, “Way to go, Superstar! This must be a new record of high scores!” 

It wasn’t a bad way to salvage the night, Gregory decided. Not as great as befriending Freddy, but at least his high scores were something he could show his friends.

Gregory trotted around one of the last corners separating him from Freddy, only to nearly come face to face with the stabby bunny lady. The costume head was laying on its side on the floor, and she was kneeling, staring down at her gloved hands. He wasn’t surprised to find the security guard behind the mask, but he was surprised when her head shot up at his arrival. 

She was crying.

That was about all he had time to notice before she lunged at him with a weird choking sound. Gregory frantically spammed the Freddy-come-save-me button on his watch as he stumbled back. Her arms wrapped around him, and she nearly collapsed against him, still on her knees. 

Instead of stabbing him or trying to strangle him, Vanessa shook with unconcealed sobs, her face pressed against Gregory’s shoulder. 

“Uh,” he said. “Hi?” 

He looked around, half expecting this to be a trap of some sort. But the hallway was otherwise empty, and he couldn’t see any weapons. 

After a few long seconds of baffled stiffness, he gingerly patted her shoulder. It didn’t sound like she’d stop crying any time soon. Instead, the sobbing got worse and was suddenly interspersed with barely comprehensible babbling. 

Gregory was in the middle of trying to figure out why she kept repeating “thank you” when Freddy charged around the far corner at full speed. He slowed as he got closer, a confused head tilt speaking volumes. 

“You’re seeing this too, right?” Gregory asked. 

“Yes,” Freddy said slowly. “Gregory… what did you do to Officer Vanessa?” 

He shrugged helplessly. “Nothing?”

“You saved me,” Vanessa blubbered. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. It’s gone, he’s gone, I’m free, I’m free.” 

“Congratulations,” Freddy said with the air of someone with many questions.

“You’re welcome?” Gregory said at the same time. 

Vanessa didn’t appear to hear either of them, or if she did, she didn’t care to respond. She just slumped further down as she cried, nearly knocking Gregory over. 

Freddy, seeing him stagger beneath her weight, circled around behind Gregory and, almost gracefully, bore all three of them fully to the floor. 

“Okay,” Gregory said, squished between an animatronic and a sobbing security guard. “Cool. This is fine. This is… the weirdest thing that’s happened to me tonight.” 

Which was saying something, all things considered. Maybe he shouldn’t be surprised, considering he’d started the night by hiding in a robot’s stomach. 

He patted Vanessa’s head with a sigh. Even though he was the one she’d been chasing with a knife, she definitely needed the comfort more than he did. 

[yzafre]

hole in my parachute (big as your heart) | Ch 4

AO3

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Axel left something behind in his ashes.  Sora touched it, reaching out as if in a trance, and almost immediately slumped over, only avoiding face-planting into the floor because Kairi lurched forward, catching him first.

“Sora?  Sora!”

No response.  The rustle of feathers announced others’ presence, and she looked up to see Donald and Goofy approaching.  The duck dropped down, poking at Sora with the green light of magic surrounding him.

“Is he okay?” she asked.

“He’s not injured,” Donald muttered, “But he won’t wake up!”

Kairi tugged Sora closer, resting his head in her lap, “Then, we’ll just have to wait.”

She had experience with that.

After a while, Sora finally began to stir, his breath hitching as his eyes fluttered open.

“Sora?” Goofy called, Donald leaning into his space with another spell.  Sora waved them away as he sat up.

“Sora?” she called warily, trying to get a full look at his face, “Is it… really you, now?”

He froze, turning slowly, slowly, slowly, until his eyes met hers – blue as the sky, warm as his heart.

“Kairi.”

She surged forward, wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.  They hit the ground hard, laying there for several long minutes before his arms came up, wrapping around her, pulling her close.

“You’re here,” he breathed as they trembled together, “You’re safe – I found you.”

She laughed just so that she didn’t sob, squeezing him tightly, “I found you.”

“I guess you did,” he huffed, giggling into her hair.

There was a shuffling – Donald and Goofy giving them space – then a third, heavier set of footsteps.  Sora pulled back, peering over his shoulder, and she followed his gaze.  Her heart stopped in her chest at the tall, cloaked figure – the same one she’d seen fighting Axel at Hollow Bastion.

The one Naminé had called Riku.

She squirmed free of Sora, scrambling desperately to her feet, “Wait!  You’re – you’re Riku, right?”

He stopped.  She took another step, reaching out, as Sora came up next to her.

“Riku?” he asked, “Kairi, no, that’s Ansem.  You know, the guy that possessed Riku.”

“But,” she paused, watching the man – the way he stayed still, too still, as if he’d run if he moved at all, “When Naminé and I were running from Axel, we saw him.  She called him Riku.”

“I’m no one,” the man said, jerking away, “Just a castaway from the Darkness.”

His shoulders were tense – so awkward, so familiar – and he wouldn’t look at them.  Well, she’d just have to get the answers herself.  She drew closer – he didn’t move away, even if he flinched, even if he obviously wanted to, letting her stop within arm’s distance, reach up, remove his hood.

It certainly was Ansem’s face, yes, but – those eyes.  She twisted her head, reaching down to pick up his hand, cradle it in her own until he finally looked at her, and oh.  She would know it anywhere, that burning gaze.  She pulled him closer, trying not to cry at the shame in his gaze because I’m here, you’re here, did you think I wouldn’t know you?  That I could ever not want you?

“I see you,” she said, “Hello.”

“Kairi?” Sora called, and she turned, smiling at him, beckoning him closer until she could tangle their fingers together, her whole world in the palm of her hands.  Warmth sparked, memories of better days, her heart gathering them close.

Sora collapsed, breaking into a sobbing mess on the floor.

“Riku.  It’s Riku.  I looked for you.”

“C’mon, Sora.  You’ve got to pull it together.”

“I looked everywhere for you.”

“I didn’t want you to find me,” Riku admitted, soft as a midnight confession.

“But you’ve been helping us,” Kairi cut in, “You saved me, and you’ve helped Sora, too, haven’t you.”

“The box,” Sora sniffed, scrubbing his face as he pushed to his feet, “With the photo, and the ice cream.”

Riku huffed, smiling almost reluctantly, “I was starting to worry you weren’t going to catch on.  Then, you never were the – “

“Why didn’t you let me know you were okay?!” Sora broke in.  It cut through Kairi, an echo of her past year – why, why, why – and she stepped closer to Sora, linking their hands.

“I told you – I didn’t want to be found,” Rik said, “I… couldn’t.  I fought with Ansem – Xehanort’s heartless – when it invaded my heart, I won, but.  To use the power of Darkness, I had to become Ansem myself.”

It burned; she didn’t like that answer.  She squeezed a deep breath, squeezing Sora’s hand to release some of the tension, “Does that mean you can’t change back?”

“The battle isn’t over,” he said, “And until it is, I still need the power of Darkness.”

She looked away.  She understood – she did, really.  It wasn’t like she cared that much, like she couldn’t accept this form.  And yet, and yet –

Her stomach turned.  Her chest burned.

“Then let’s finish it,” Sora said, squeezing her hand, “You’re still Riku, no matter what, so – “

An explosion split the sky, and the three of them staggered, holding on to each other as the world shook.

The heart-shaped light in the sky began to splinter.

They headed up the tower as a group.  Sora took the lead, the rest of them trailing behind.   Along the way they came across nobodies, but the monsters all ignored the group, trailing down into the darkness below.  She kept pace with Riku, when she could, but he wouldn’t look at her.  Halfway up the tower, he lengthened his stride, advancing until he stood shoulder to shoulder with Sora.

Something heavy settled in her chest.  Her boys leaned into each other, voices low.  Donald and Goofy too, muttered quietly between themselves.  She walked behind them all, eyes on their backs, until they turned a corner and the path opened up.

She was rather lost through the following reunions and explanations, standing awkwardly on the side, feeling out of place.  Sora, at least, seemed to share some of her confusion, but…

Well, it ended quickly enough, and they continued on.

The Organization’s leader, of course, would not go down without a fight.

When they confronted him, he pulled down power from the giant heart in the sky, splitting the world to leave a gleaming bridge and a towering door in his place.

Riku stepped up next to Sora, “Xemnas must be inside.  Once we go through, there’s no turning back.  It’s victory… or oblivion.  So, Sora – are you ready?”

“Of course, he is!” Kairi declared, forcing her way between the two of them, linking their arms together.

“Kairi?” Riku sputtered, turning to her, “Uh – maybe you should stay behind.”

She cast a long look over the Castle, the chittering nobodies crawling over the walls, and the nobodies screaming down below, “What, are you going to leave me alone out here?”

He shifted uncomfortably, his gaze so nervous, so unsure – and why did he look so scared?  Like she would break at the lightest touch?

“…Alright, but be careful.  Just… stay out of the way, alright?”

She hummed skeptically, “Whatever you say.”

They plunged through the door into a warped world, a kaleidoscope of a city, the ground and buildings and sky all twisted around each other.  The only spot of calm could be seen in the distance, at the very center of it all.

Donald, Goofy, and their third spread their wings, taking to the sky.  Sora started after them before pausing, looking back.

“Go,” Riku said, “We’ll catch up.”

She didn’t understand, opened her mouth to ask, but then those two sets of wings burst from him again, two Keys falling into his hand, and he took to the sky.

She and Riku watched him go for a moment, before turning to the chaos.

“Okay, let’s go.  Stay close,” Riku said before rushing forward, Kairi following right on his heels.

They followed the others from the ground, dodging the debris that fell from the sky.  Riku kept her well defended, mostly, sticking close, deflecting the chunks of stone and metal away from her.  But he couldn’t predict everything.  Eventually, they got separated.  Inevitably, he lost track of her.

He cleaved through another skyscraper, intent on keeping them from being crushed, but when the pieces went flying, one flew in a path directly towards her.

“Kairi!”

Her heart leapt in her throat, but she firmed her stance, refusing to be cowed.  She might not be as strong as him, as Sora, but she was not powerless.  Running would accomplish nothing.  She pulled at the light inside her and it came easily, eagerly, forming in her hand between one breath and the next.

Please work, she begged – she wanted to look away, she couldn’t look away, had to keep her eyes open and locked on her target – and her key hummed happily in her hand, burning brightly.

She struck, and the debris split around her.

Breathing heavily, she straightened, her proud grin only widening at the shock on Riku’s face.

“Kairi, you… you have a Keyblade.”

She straightened, brandishing her Key with a toss of her hair.

“Of course!  Did you think I’d let you to be the only ones fighting?” she asked, “You know you two are hopeless without me.”

“Yeah.  We are,” Riku breathed, drifting closer, and some tightness she hadn’t even recognized uncoiled in her chest, burning at the back of her throat, “Still, this isn’t the best place to learn.”

“Maybe.  But I’ve got you looking out for me, right?”

He looked down at her with burning, liquid eyes.  She thought he might not be breathing.

“Always,” he said.

“Then I’ll be fine.”

He sighed, resigned and fond and disbelieving, “You’re right.  Let’s go.”

“Mm!”

They climbed their way upwards – the city took a new shape, coming together as something like a spaceship, all metal and machinery.  They took out the engines, first, batting the nobodies into the glowing mass of energy inside until it sparked, over-loaded, Riku helping Kairi as she spread spectral wings in a quick beat to jump from one to the other.  By the time they reached the energy core, Kairi was panting heavily, limbs aching, but she refused to falter.

“There’s a barrier,” Riku muttered, and Kairi looked closer.  If she tilted her head just right, she could see it, the shimmer in the air surrounding the thrumming pillar.  There was something – a pressure in the air, a sense, she couldn’t describe it, but she found her gaze drawn to the nobodies peeling themselves from the wall, the floor, and Riku’s next words confirmed her instincts, “The nobodies are powering it.  We’ll need to get rid of them, first.”

His gaze swept over the room again, those clever eyes flashing, planning, and as he straightened, she knew he had a plan.

“Riku?”

“We don’t know how long our window of opportunity will be.  Stay close to the core, take out any that get near while I clear the room – and as soon as the barrier comes down, take it down.”

“Got it!”

After the core, there was only a tight spiral stair, leading up, up, up.  They sprinted up, using their spectral wings liberally to take flying leaps.  At the top, they reunited with the others who were already busy fighting an armored figure enthroned against the wall, a twisted figure that could only be Xemnas.

Riku leapt forward immediately, easily taking a place in the dance happening in front of her.  Kairi watched for several moments but couldn’t quite keep up.  Instead, she turned her attention to the nobodies watching from the walls, trying to creep in and interfere.  She wasn’t strong enough, fast enough, to match this display of mastery – but she could make sure that nothing interrupted them.

She focused on that, ignoring the yelling behind her, the screeching of metal on metal, the yelps of pain.  She couldn’t do anything, she couldn’t let it distract her – she looked away, just one moment, and Axel was –

The best way she could help them was just this, just keeping the floor clear, letting nothing get between them and the biggest threat.  So, she focused.

Until –

Darkness rose behind her – like the smell of a storm before the lightning hit, only thick, choking, underscored by bitter poison sliding down her throat, smoke clogging her lungs – until it broke with a crack.  A silver and black blur flew past her, hitting the floor, rolling.  Another crack, aborted, a yell of rage from Sora.  The body on the floor came to a stop – Riku! – gasping, shaking.

Kairi rushed over, dropping her knees beside him.  The Darkness clung to him, glowing, spreading greedily like fire.  Beneath it all, Riku panted and writhed.

“Riku!”

He turned his head towards her voice, but it was like he couldn’t see her, those yellow eyes unfocused, a terrible storm brewing within.  The light she saw within him, the one she recognized – would always recognize – the Darkness was eating away at it.

“Riku, Riku hold on – look at me, focus on me,” she begged, clutching at his hand.

“K- Kai – “ his call cut off with another gasp, head thrown back as the Darkness surged again, spreading across his limbs.  It dripped to the floor where it pooled, growing larger and rising like smoke until it enveloped him.

Riku began to sink.

She reached out, clutching to his shoulders, trying to pull him back, “No no no.  Riku, listen to me – you have to fight it, please.  Riku!”

“Kairi,” he gasped, squeezing weakly, so weakly at his hand, “I’m… sorry.”

“No!” she screamed, lunging forward, wrapping her arms around him.  She choked on a dry sob, but despite how her eyes stung, she couldn’t cry. “No, you don’t get me to leave me again!  I refuse!”

She ignited, flash-fire explosion, light burning out from her heart, searing her limbs, pouring out her desperation and brilliant light-mineminemine-won’t touch you won’t lose you-I see you I recognize you I’ll always know you-don’t leave me-I love you I love you I love you.

When the light faded, Riku remained, and the dark was banished.  She trembled holding him closer, burying her fingers in his silver hair – soft, feathery, a different texture than only moments before.

“Kairi,” he breathed, voice and raspy, and oh –

Oh.

She pulled back, and familiar teal eyes stared at her with overwhelming awe.  For a heartbeat’s time, they stayed like that, linked together and passing warmth between them, gratitude and relief and adoration.  Then there was a clash of metal, a dozen weapons hitting the floor, and Riku was moving.

The world around them shattered.

“Riku,” Sora gasped in the aftermath, “You look like – you!”

Riku smiled, tentative, “Yeah.  When we were fighting, Xemnas’s magic got a hold of me.  It tried to drag me into the Darkness, but Kairi, she wouldn’t let go.”

“I couldn’t,” Kairi said, wrapping her arms around herself, stomach turning at the thought, “I couldn’t lose you.  Not when I just…”

Just got him back, just realized he was alive, just discovered he was safe.

Riku continued, lingering awe echoing through his quite voice, “There was this light, and when I could see again, I was me.  Like I’d never been lost.”

“Yeah; I think I know what you mean,” Sora said, and they both turned to look at her, eyes warm and soft and wanting.  It shivered through her, thawing the cold in her bones, drawing her in, and she smiled back, helpless in the face of them.

“You’re coming back with us, right?” Sora asked, turning to Riku.

“I,” Riku tensed, “I gave in to the Darkness.”

The warmth faded, a heavy weight settling in Kairi’s stomach, “What, so you’re just going to disappear?  Again?”

“How am I going to face everyone?” he snapped, and she grit her teeth, looking away.

“Like this!” Sora declared, leaping into their midst as he contorted his face, snapping the tension like a knife.  Riku collapsed into laughter as the pressure in Kairi’s chest seized, collapsed, leaving her deflated and tired as she buried her face in her hands.

That, of course, was when the world began to fall apart.  The others scrambled together – Riku tried to open a path – but there was no way out.  A heavy, tired weight stretched in her chest, heralding a flicker of movement from the corner of her eyes – she turned, and met the eyes of a ghost.

Naminé.

The other girl smiled, opening a corridor with a wave of her hand.  Donald, Goofy, and Mickey ran through quickly, but Kairi couldn’t help but linger.

She’d never seen the girl healthy, she realized.  The sickly transparency, the purple tinge that had always stained her skin, making her look frail and weak beneath her hood, it was all gone.  Her blonde hair was bright and shiny, her eyes glimmering.

And still, she was a ghost.

“Thank you, Naminé.”

“Sure,” she shrugged, a wan smile across her face, “It’s the least I could do.”

“No,” Kairi insisted, “You did more than that.  You – “

You gave up everything, she wanted to say, but the words were too heavy to give voice to.  Sora approached, and Naminé’s gaze diverted, the sadness in her smile deepening.

“Good to see you again, Roxas.”

With a soft glow, another ghost appeared, stepping out of Sora’s body, all blonde spikes and bittersweet blue eyes.  Kairi watched quietly, solemnly, as they said their goodbyes.  These two – everything she’d gained, getting Sora back, Riku’s safety, her own power – it had all come at their expense.

As the two shared one last smile, Naminé turned to Kairi, holding out her hand.

“Don’t forget.  You promised.”

“I won’t,” Kairi vowed, watching the other girl disappear once more, “Whoever it is, we’ll save them.  So, rest well, and when you’re ready, tell me what to do.”

Kairi pressed her hand over her heart, breathing deeply, as Roxas faded away as well.  One breath, two, and she shook herself, turning to place a hand on Sora’s arm.

“Hey.  Let’s go home.”

But when she stepped through the portal, it closed behind her, and Kairi was alone once more.

Kairi stood on the shoreline, staring out at the horizon.  She could feel it, that grief, waiting at the edges of her mind, wanting to drown her.

This time, however, there was a star in her chest; she refused.

“What are you going to do?”

The voice should have startled her, she thought.  It didn’t.  Naminé hovered in her peripheral vision, a smudge of pale skin and blonde hair.  She didn’t look; she knew the moment she did the girl would disappear.  Instead, she stared at the sparkling of the sun on the water, listened to the low murmur of the Flight huddled on the beach behind her.

“I’ll wait for them,” she said, “However long it takes.  I know, now – no matter what happens, they’ll always come back to me.”

“And if they can’t?  If they’re trapped?”

“Then I’ll find a way,” she declared, strength sparking in her heart,  I’ll make sure they have a path home.”

Naminé hummed, softly pleased, “Good.  Remember that.  But… I don’t think you need to worry, this time.”

“What?” Kairi turned her head to her, instinctually, and the girl vanished into mist, presence going quiet in her heart.

A long, warbling whistle cut split the air, higher the sound of the gulls.  She turned her face to the sky.

An albatross?

A shooting star shot through the sky, bright even against the sunset.

It fell, faster and faster, till it struck the water in a violent plume.  Her heart leapt in joy, and even before the two precious heads appeared above the waves, she knew they were home.

“Sora!  Riku!”

They both turned, faces lighting up, before diving into the waves, swimming towards her.  She waded into the water, stumbling as the waves pulled at her ankles, wanting to get closer, nearer, faster.  They both stumbled to their feet, shaky and fumbling, inelegant in their rush, but so, so, beautiful.

She pressed a hand to her mouth, covering a grin, a sob, as Donald and Goofy burst past her to tackle Sora into the water, babbling over each other in worry.  Mickey flew past just after, climbing up Riku until he could perch on his shoulders, tug back his hair.

Riku recovered first, pulling up next to Sora, only to get pulled down into the water with him, the older Flight pulling back as the two boys devolved into mock fighting.

Kairi laughed, painfully, desperately relieved.

They turned to her, both of them, faces damp and smiles bright and oh, she loved them, it was all worth it – the waiting and the wondering and the wishing, she’d do it a thousand times over for them.

“You’re home,” she said, reaching out, two open palms for her heart and her soul.

They both reached out, hands slipping in hers, fingers curling around her, choosing her, and warmth spread, big and impossible and wonderful, and her breath left her in a rush as she realized this was forever.

Wings burst from Sora, from her, from Riku.

“I’m home.”

Of course, that was not the end.  There was still Darkness in the world.  There were still tragedies to be mended, and the weight of the past hung heavy on her boys’ shoulders.

They got one blissful month of peace together, but when a letter arrived from King Mickey, saying they needed to speak of what came next, she knew they would answer.

In one world, Kairi would hesitate.  Despite her Keyblade, despite her desire to protect her precious people, she would remain unsure of her welcome to the warriors of light. 

Here, she had just bonded with her Flight.  When her boys were called away, she refused to be left behind. 

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy all came to pick them up, filling the cockpit with their soft chatter.  That left the three of them to sit in the back.

Kairi collapsed next to Sora immediately, hands tangling together like they did on a long-ago night fleeing from Hollow Bastion, wondering if they’d ever see their third again.  Riku, instead, sat a bit away from them, staring inscrutably out into the distance.

A strange tension settled into the quiet.

After an hour of it, she sighed, turning to push at Sora’s shoulder.

“Hey, turn around.”

“Huh?” Sora blinked up at her with wide blue eyes, utterly confused, and she smiled.

“Let me see your wings.”

“My wings?  Oh – oh!” He straightened, a wide, bashful smile crossing his face as he turned, eagerly presenting her with his back.�� The tips of his ears were red in a delightful blush.  When she dragged a knuckle down his spine he arched into it, wings blooming into existence, flapping twice before going still.

It took some trial and error to figure out how this whole thing worked – which feathers to do first, how much pressure to exert – but by the time she finished with one wing, she thought she had it figured out.  It probably helped that Sora was clearly in a good emotional state, most of his feathers falling in-line on their own.  The second wing went much easier, even when Sora began fidgeting with something.

When she finished, stroking over each wing with the palm of her hand, Sora gave a little sigh of happiness.  She crawled around to sit beside him, leaning against his shoulder to see what he was playing with.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Oh, this?” he held it up, showing her the small star made of amber glass, “I’m not sure.  Mickey gave it to me, a while back.  I’ve never seen it before, but when I held it… it feels like home.”

“Well,” she said, reaching back into her pocket, “It looks kind of like my charm.  See?”

She held her lucky charm up beside it, and they were a perfect match for shape.  Though, the one in Sora’s hand was of noticeably higher quality – glass and silver, instead of seashells and twine.

“I thought so, too,” Sora said, amusement in his voice, “But…”

He frowned, but nothing else seemed to be coming.

“But that’s not what’s getting to you?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah.”

“Well,” she said, leaning back and smoothing out the feathers that had been ruffled by their discussion, “Whatever it is, you’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah!” he said, smiling brightly at her, “You’re right.  Thanks, Kairi.”

“Of course,” she said, before turning to look across the room at their third.  He was still staring blankly out the window, hunched in on himself.  It hurt to look at.

“Riku, your turn!” she called.  He startled and flinched, hand curling in the air as if reaching for a weapon before his eyes caught sight of them and he relaxed.

“What?”

“Get over here,” she said, nudging Sora to the side as she patted the ground in front of her, “We’re doing wings.”

He hesitated, strangely unsure, but obeyed, slowly crawling over to sit with his back to her, the broad span of his wings unfurling.

They were a mess.

“Huh,” she said, taking in the disarray, “You’re really nervous about this meeting, aren’t you?”

Riku shrugged, but she saw the way the line of feathers ruffled even more, shifting out of place.  Humming skeptically, she dug in, starting at the tip of his right wing and beginning to work her way across.

“Nervous, really?  What for?” Sora asked, reaching absently to his other wing, brushing feathers back into place at random.

Riku sighed, “I guess I just… don’t like not knowing what’s next.  Mickey wouldn’t summon us if it wasn’t important.  I know there’s something he wasn’t telling me, but I don’t know why, or what I need to do.  What if I can’t….”

Kairi paused in her preening to run the backs of her fingers over the wing in a caress, and Riku leaned into it with a little sigh.

“We’ll be okay,” Sora said, “We’re both strong, and now we’ve got Kairi with us, too.  Besides, didn’t you hold everything down for a full year?”

“Maybe.  To be honest, I barely held it together.  And, the things I did, I think I  – “ Riku cut himself off, curling in on himself.  Several feathers sprung back out of place, and Kairi sighed, back-tracking to re-do her work.

“It will be fine.  Like Sora said, you’ve got us, this time,” she said, “You’re not alone.”

“Yeah,” he said, “Of course, you’re right.”

Sora snorted, “That’s what I just said!  What, you’ll believe her but not me?”

“Well.  She is a bit more reliable.”

“Hey,” Sora whined, and Riku laughed, his whole body shaking with it as he turned to face her, reaching out to push at her shoulder.

“Alright, Kairi.  Your turn.”

Sora and Riku were being put to the test, in an attempt to gain the power to save hearts that had been lost.  She watched as her boys’ sleeping forms faded into another realm before turning a burning gaze onto Yen Sid.

“Teach me how to use my Keyblade,” she demanded.

“Oh?” he questioned, “And what makes you think I can do that?”

“You set up this test, you obviously know what you’re doing, and I-“ she stumbled for a moment, here, looked down and pressed on, “Twice now I’ve been left behind, because I would just get in the way.  But this isn’t the end, is it?  You wouldn’t be calling them here, making them take this test, if there wasn’t something coming.”

She met his eyes, again, searching for answers.  His gaze remained inscrutable, so she had no choice but to continue on, “I refuse to get left behind again.  This time, I’m going to protect them. I have a Keyblade; I can do it.  So, teach me.”

Silence stretched between them.  Yen Sid stared down at her, stroking his beard in quiet contemplation.  Kairi determinedly kept his gaze despite the growing tremble in her hands.  Finally, the old man sighed and strode over to take a seat in his chair.

“It is true.  I believe another battle is coming, greater than the ones before.  We will need more warriors on the side of light.  A princess of heart would certainly be a powerful ally.”  He paused for a moment, stroking his beard.

“I cannot help you, but-“ he cut off her protest, anticipating her reaction, “I know who can.  Indeed, if you want to catch up with your Flight, his particular abilities will be of much use to you.  I look forward to seeing your progress.”

Kairi is born into a world where your heart has wings. 

She is done waiting to fly.

[rantofdespair]

My dog died two weeks ago on a Friday at 12:02 in the morning.

We knew it was coming soon. She was fourteen years old as of February ninth. I baked her dog friendly cookies and got us both matching hats. She was a pitbull/lab mix named Darla, as her entire litter had been named after the Little Rascals.

Darla has been around since I was a bit over a year old. The first dog I remember having. She was my dad's dog, but towards the end Dad had to admit she would save me before him.

Darla used to sleep on my bed before her legs got so bad she couldn't walk on the tile. When I had nightmares, she would lick my leg or hand until I woke up. She always stole my fluffiest blanket, and I let her have it. I typically ended up with just a corner of bed and blanket by the time she was comfy. I let her take it. She mattered more to me than I did myself.

She loved playing fetch. Especially with tennis balls. She wouldn't chase them unless they bounced and she could jump super high to catch it in the air. And when we were tired, she would bounce them herself and play catch with herself.

Oh, and she was stubborn. She almost always got her way. Butternut squash on the counter? Not for long. Grandma's thanksgiving roast? I looked away for ONE SECOND.

But we loved her. I loved her. More than anything in the entire world.

It was at 9 o'clock that dreadful night when I noticed how dangerously bloated she was. I brought it up to my mom. "She gets bloated a lot. Just let her sleep it off." It was true. If she got into something, she would get all big.

But this was different. God help me, I KNEW it was different. She was waddling. She didn't lift up her head. She practically collapsed on her dog bed in my parent's room in the corner by their own bed. Dad was working overnights, so he wasn't there. Mom let me make myself a bed beside my dog so I could make sure she got better since everyone else was going to sleep. I put my fluffy blanket she loved so much on top of her so she wasn't cold.

For four hours, I laid there. Quiet as can be. Petting her. Making sure she knew I was there. Her eyes...I'll never forget how milky they looked. How they kept darting around the room, terrified and sad, until they landed on me, only a silhouette, and she calmed down for a few seconds before it started again.

Then she started panting. Fast. Shallow. Her head on her paws and her eyes milky and scared. Around 11-11:30, she insisted on standing up, because she was just so stubborn she would lay back down. She walked to my dad's side of the bed, sniffed his clothes on the floor, and walked back. The second time this happened, her back legs gave out on the way back. I carried her back to her bed. I put the blanket on her. I cried and pet her and told her she was okay.

My fries woke up my mom. "It'll be okay." She told me. "It's probably just a seizure. It'll be okay. Let her sleep."

I believed her. But I knew it wasn't just a seizure.

And I laid there beside my dog. She seemed thirsty, but I didn't get her any water. I didn't want to leave her side for a moment. I should've gotten her water. I could've at least made her a bit more comfy. Maybe she would've been okay.

I laid there. And then I leaned against her and started watching a show on my computer, I guess for her to focus on.

Five minutes and 49 seconds into the show, at 12:02 in the morning of a Friday, my dog stopped breathing.

I cried for three, maybe four hours after that. I begged her to wake up. "You're supposed to wake up. Wake up, Dee. C'mon, Darla Roo, you're supposed to wake up and lick my face cuz it's all a joke it's all a joke wake up wake up wake up please please please"

We buried her the next morning with her bed, and planted a dogwood tree over her head. I've never seen my dad so upset he fell to the ground sobbing like that.

I put the first scoop of dirt on her.

It's been two, almost three weeks. I still cry every day. I don't think there are words to describe the physical pain losing your best friend gives you.

I'll be turning fifteen in five days. It'll be a pretty sucky birthday, because I don't have my best friend there to celebrate with me.

I still can't bring myself to take off marching sweaters for me and her on my birthday list. I haven't touched our matching hats. I can't say her name. I can hardly talk about her. I lied to my dad and told her she was sleeping and that she knew he wanted to be there. She was awake. She was scared. And I wasn't hugging her, I was watching a show. But I know that'll break him, so I lied. And I had to wash my fluffy blanket. I can't use it anymore because it doesn't smell like her.

And she wasn't just a dog.

"just a dog" doesn't wake you from nightmares

She doesn't block you from leaving the house just because she wants one more pat

She doesn't put her head on your shoulder when you give her a hug

She doesn't lick your tears away or jump over six foot tall fences just to play catch with you and your dad.

Darla wasn't just a dog. She was family.

[fitzells]

back bombarding the inbox !!! how about “Breathe. Hi, we found you, just breathe for me, okay?” with mitch 🤍

coming home, mitch rapp

notes: hi! i did not expect so many requests so please be patient! i will get through all of them at some stage :) i’m picking random requests that stick out to me to try and spark some motivation so hopefully i’ll start to write more!

due to my huge, monstrous reading and writing slump i feel very dumb so this is very poorly written i apologise

word count: 870+ (kind of short sorry)

warnings: mentions of kidnapping, slight cursing (not proof read)

Your lungs felt like they were collapsing within the confines of your chest as a groan of pure despair felt past cracked lips. Your head fell against the filthy concrete wall once more, body crumpling into itself.

You weren’t sure how long you’d been trapped in here, but every second that passed had wilted your faith in being found; it wasn’t the first time you’d been held hostage, you did work in the CIA, after all. Usually, you’d be prepared, however this attack was unprovoked; a relative of some criminal you’d killed had wanted to get his revenge, and boy did he do a good job.

You were weak, completely withered and beaten; your clothes were tattered and your body was aching, and all you could think about was Mitch. You’d expected him to have found you by now, he and Hurley should’ve burst through those doors days — maybe even weeks — ago. So, where the hell were they?

Your fatigued brain was cleared of all its thoughts as the piercing shrill of gunshots rang through the air, muffled sounds of gruff shouting following almost immediately after; you would scream, if it weren’t for the cloth wrapped around your mouth— you were probably too weak to do much anyways.

You winced at the sound of things, presumably furniture, crashing around; hitting the floor loudly. A door was kicked open, and the muffles became the slightest bit clearer.

“Where the hell is she?”

It was Mitch, of course it was Mitch. He was so close, he was in the hallway; all he had to do was open the damn door. You could hear him, shouting something else; kicking in the doors to the various rooms dotted around the house, until finally, you could hear a banging on the door to the room you’d been stowed in.

You watched with weak eyes as the rotting wood of the door began to crack, the weak material giving out finally as it swung open, and Mitch could finally let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.

“Oh thank God.” He muttered to himself, his gun hidden back in the waistband of his jeans once he’d cleared the room.

“I got her, Hurley!” He shouted into the hallway, before striding over to you. He’d never seen you look so exhausted. You looked frail, totally and completely drained as your body slumped against the wall, eyes red and wet as tears spilled from them. He grabbed a pocket knife from his back pocket, slicing open the ties binding your arms together; before placing a gentle hand at the back of your head and undoing the knot holding the gag around your mouth closed. Ugly, dry sobs fell from your mouth, his trembling hands cupping your face as his whiskey hued eyes pierced holes into your dull ones.

“Breathe. Hi, we found you, just breathe for me, okay?”

You shook your head, breathing uneven as the sound of various agents rooting around the house could be heard from the room you occupied. “I can’t— I can’t breathe.”

His thumbs stroked the apples of your cheeks as he tried to guide your breathing. “You’re safe, we’re gonna take you home, okay? You’re coming home.”

“Get me out of here, please; I need to get of here.” Your breathing only quickened as your eyes darted around the room, and he helped you to your feet; your back against his chest as he fully supported your weak figure, leading you out of the house and into one of the many vans parked outside of the house, holding his badge up to the agents that surrounded it.

Your head fell against the cold wall of the vehicle once he’d gotten you inside, whilst he quickly moved to grab the first aid kit, cleaning all of the visible cuts that painted your body; wincing at some of the bigger, angrier ones. “We gotta get you to the hospital.”

You let out a whine of protest, even though you knew you needed medical treatment … and fast; but still, you held onto his forearm as he moved it away from your body. He stared at you, concern flooding into his features as he took in your appearance.

“Are you cold— I’ll get you a hoodie. You’re probably hungry, why didn’t I bring food? I have water, I’ll get you some w—“ You mustered up all the strength you had left in your bones, pushing yourself up enough that you’d be able to knot your fingers in his hair, and crash your lips against his.

The kiss was desperate, full of emotion, conveying all the words you couldn’t manage to say to each other throughout the years you’d spent working together. His hand held the back of your head gently, the other one latched around the wrist that cupped his face.

You pulled away, just enough to be able to speak as his lips chased yours eagerly.

“I love you.” You muttered weakly, your lips just barely ghosting his. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” He breathed, before pressing his lips against yours firmly, your body melding into his once more. “God, I fucking adore you.”

[searidings]

this is what happens when @ekingston and i get our hands on the prompt “that's my wife!” and agree that she'll draw my idea for it and i'll write hers (aka hearing kara call it out as she watches lena being wheeled down a hospital corridor)

“Excuse me, you can't go through there!”

Kara growls. The woman blocking her path is short and gently rounded, the kind lines of her face drooping in disapproval above her nurse's scrubs. “No visitor access beyond this point, dear. Immediate family only.”

“Immediate— you're joking, right?” Kara cranes her head, peering through the closing doors to catch a last glimpse of Lena's gurney as it rounds the corner at the end of the hall. “That's my wife!”

The nurse gapes at her. “Your—?”

Kara growls again, louder. It's a good thing she'd blown out her powers twenty minutes ago, or she would not be held responsible for the Kryptonian-shaped hole in NC Memorial Hospital's expensive surgery doors. “Yes, my wi—”

Her snarl is cut off by a hand clamping down firmly over her mouth from behind. Kara's first instinct is to bite it. She resists, narrowly, as the familiar scent of shea butter moisturiser registers in her adrenaline-fogged brain.

“You sure about that?” Alex squeaks around a nervous laugh, voice pitched a half-octave too high. She removes her hand from Kara's mouth, wiping her damp palm on her pants with a wrinkled nose. “Get hit on the head during that fight, did you?”

Kara whirls on her sister, eyes blazing. “Am I sure?” she parrots incredulously. Alex cowers a little beneath the force of her stare. “Unless you're trying to tell me I hallucinated my entire wedding—”

“Supergirl isn't married,” Alex stage-whispers loud enough to be heard in Florida, glancing pointedly down at Kara's ash-caked body and oh yeah, she's still wearing her supersuit.

Right, right.

The nurse – Rosemary, her badge reads – finally picks her jaw up off the floor long enough to speak. Her eyes are wide, sparkling with sudden glee. “So Lena Luthor and Su—”

Kara's hackles rise at the suggestion in her tone. “Lena Luthor and Kara Danvers are happily married,” she interrupts sternly. “You might have seen the wedding photos in last month's Vogue.”

The nurse smirks. At her elbow, Alex drops her head into her hands.

“Kara Danvers, hm? Amazing what a pair of glasses do for you, dear.” Rosemary's brow quirks with impish satisfaction and, oh. Whoops. It would appear that in her haste to quash any potential rumours of Lena's infidelity behind the back of her very recent, very publicly human wife, she'd forgotten about the other delicate matter at hand.

Alex sighs so long and so heavy Kara legitimately marvels that she doesn't pass out from the strain. “I knew keeping a spare NDA in my back pocket would pay off,” her sister groans, thrusting an official-looking, if crumpled, contract beneath the nurse's nose.

“Sorry,” Kara murmurs sheepishly as Rosemary signs away page after page of her right to ever disclose Supergirl's identity in any capacity. “I wasn't thinking, I can't— Alex, it's Lena.”  

“I know, I know,” her sister soothes, frustration dissipating as she reaches out to pull Kara into her side, ignoring the soot and grit that smear across her jacket at the contact. “She's gonna be okay.”

“But what if she's not?” Kara asks and the sobs arrive then, the last remnants of the fight or flight response that had propelled her this far dissipating beneath the weight of her terror. “She stepped right in front of that bullet, Alex! Of all the stupid, reckless—”

“If I recall, she was pushing you back after you shoved her out of the way in the first place,” Alex hums thoughtfully. Kara's tear-filled eyes snap to her face, incredulous, and her sister grimaces. “Right, right. Not the time.”

“She has to be okay,” she gasps, clutching hard at her sister's jacket as her knees threaten to give out beneath her. “She has to, I can't— I feel like I can't breathe. Like my heart's been ripped out.”

Alex clicks her tongue in sympathy, wrapping a firm arm round Kara's waist and guiding her to a nearby row of chairs. Rosemary deposits the signed NDA wordlessly on the hard plastic beside them, reaching into her scrubs to produce a pack of tissues.

Alex accepts, extracting one to dab at Kara's snotty, tear-stained face with her free hand. “Welcome to married life, kid,” she chuckles, pressing a kiss to Kara's matted hair. “It can be a real bitch.”

-

It's a long night.  

It's a long night, a night of anxious waiting and barely-restrained nausea and vending machine coffee so bad even Nia won't drink it. Her family, their family, crowd the waiting room, dozing across the rows of seats as the hours drag on and on.

Alex tries her best, at varying intervals, to force her back to the Tower for a stint under the sun lamps. Every time without fail, Kara sets her jaw, then sets her feet in the middle of the surgical wing waiting room and refuses to budge.

This leads to several arguments, and a lot of impassioned shoving.  

“What if she needs me?” Kara laments tearily, pout activated and puppy dog eyes firmly in place. Alex, mid-football tackle with her arms and right shoulder braced against Kara's torso as she attempts to use her entire bodyweight to force her sister toward the exit, only grunts with exertion. Behind them, J’onn dozes in the corner. Brainy and Kelly and Nia continue their conversation without batting an eyelid.

“No, scratch that, she does need me,” Kara corrects, unaffected by her sister's NFL-worthy body slam. “She's been shot. I'm not going anywhere.”

Alex, perhaps finally sensing defeat after her fourth unsuccessful attempt, gives one final shove with all her strength. Kara doesn't so much as wobble, and her sister releases her with a huff. “Fine. But for the love of God, change your clothes before you start shouting about your wife again,” she pants, red-faced and sweating as she collapses into a nearby chair. “That was my last NDA.”

That's a compromise she can make. Kara accepts the bundle of clothes Nia presents her with, stripping out of her dirt-caked suit and re-donning her glasses. Thankfully, the only person around to witness Kara entering the bathroom as a superhero and re-emerging as a Catco reporter is Rosemary.  

The updates on Lena's condition are sporadic at best. By the time the first surgeon emerges to say the bullet has been removed from Lena's chest cavity Kara's accidentally cracked three plastic chairs, advanced all the way to Lollipop Land on Alex's Candy Crush, and worn a groove into the waiting room linoleum with her nervous pacing.

When another doctor emerges three hours later to tell them Lena had developed a tension pneumothorax and needs additional treatment, Kara's made it to Rainbow Reef and chewed her bottom lip bloody.

When, at five in the morning, yet another doctor appears to inform them that Lena is being placed on anti-radiation medication to counter the Kryptonite that had coated the bullet, Kara's finished all nine thousand nine hundred and thirty-five levels of the damn game. The doctor leaves, promising to be back with more news soon, and Kara squeezes her sister's hand so hard poor Nurse Rosemary has to be called to administer an ice pack for the bruising, solar flare be damned.

Dawn breaks to find Kara scratchy-eyed and grumpy, worn ragged with worry. The waiting room begins to fill up around them, new patients and their relatives coming and going, and still there's nothing new on Lena. Every time another scrub-clad surgeon pushes through the doors Kara's heart skips a beat, all of them sitting up straighter in their seats, but every time the doctor passes them by.

Kara's just wolfed down six cold breakfast sandwiches procured by Brainy on his sojourn to the hospital cafeteria and is debating the relative merits of starting Candy Crush over from scratch when another young doctor appears. Her scrub cap has avocados on it. Kara likes her already.

“Family of Ms Luthor?” she calls, looking around, and Kara pushes up hard from her chair to the resounding snap of cracking plastic. Whoops.

“It's Luthor-Danvers,” she gabbles as she bounds over to the surgeon, palms sweating. No matter how many times she hears it, it never loses its thrill. “I'm, I'm her wife.”

The young doctor's features soften. “Of course. I've come to let you know that it looks like Ms Luthor-Danvers is out of the woods. She's sedated and still on an anti-radiation drip, but she's through the worst of it.” She appraises Kara, gaze lingering on her chewed-raw lips and clenching fingers, then leans closer conspiratorially. “It's not general visiting hours yet, but you can see her, if you'd like.”

“Yes!” Kara's shouting almost before the surgeon has finished speaking. “Yes, please, yes.”

She hugs them all, Alex and Brainy and Nia and Kelly and J’onn, and leaves them in the waiting room as she follows the doctor's sunshine-yellow crocs down the hall.

They round corner after corner, an interminable maze. Powerless as she is, she can't hear Lena’s heartbeat, and the absence of the steady beat that has become the soundtrack to her existence sets her even more on edge.  

But at last they turn a corner, and there she is. She's pale and bandaged and her eyes are closed, creamy skin streaked with dirt and bruises, but she's there, she's alive, she's Lena.  

The surgeon holds the door open for her with a smile and Kara's across the room in a heartbeat, smoothing a hand over Lena's warm cheek and pressing kiss after kiss to her forehead and hair.  

“I love you, I love you,” she whisper-cries against Lena's temple, tucking her matted curls behind her ears. The smell of blood and dirt and antiseptic is almost overwhelming, but beneath the dust and debris caught up in her hair Lena's scalp smells the same as always. Kara presses her face to the crown of her head and inhales deeply, soaking it in.  

“Why'd you have to be so damn brave?” she whispers, nuzzling her cheek against silky softness. “I love you so much. Please don't step in front of any more bullets. Please learn to be a coward, occasionally.”

The singular relief of having Lena living and breathing and in her arms again is so complete, so compounded by the fear and the adrenaline and the sleepless night and the solar flare, that she feels suddenly that she may crumple to the ground from the force of it all.

Unwilling to relinquish her hold for even a second she appraises the bandages covering Lena's right side, then crawls onto the hospital bed on her left, careful to avoid her many wires and monitors. She tucks herself in beside her on the wide mattress, chin hooked over Lena's shoulder and face pressed to the side of her neck, and lets the tears that haven't really stopped falling since that bullet had left its chamber fall for just a little longer.

Nothing matters outside of the two of them, outside of the warmth of Lena's body and the softness of her skin beneath Kara's lips and the steady thud of her heart beneath Kara's palm. Nothing else in the world exists, so when an unfamiliar male voice sounds from the doorway it takes her a moment to register the intrusion.

“Excuse me, ma’am, you really can't be on the bed with her,” the strange, disembodied voice calls from behind her and Kara frowns tiredly, unable and unwilling to acknowledge anything outside of the woman in her arms.

But before she's even managed to raise her head another voice sounds, the soft tones of a young surgeon in an avocado scrub cap.  

“Oh, honestly, Peter,” the kindly doctor says with gentle reproach, a quiet calm washing over the room as the door is pulled closed and she and Lena are left alone. “Leave them be. That's her wife.”

[zbeez-outlet]

could i request an armin x reader where its like a hurt/comfort after what happened to sasha, but maybe mc got injured too? stray bullet maybe but she survives? and just armin having to deal with losing a friend and also almost losing his s/o

Red

Armin x Reader

Spoilers for Season 4 Below

Canon Universe

Established Relationship

Concept: see request above!

Summary: Sasha has collapsed at your feet, red pooling around her trembling body, shock startling the fading light in her eyes, and your chest hurts. Your heart is pulsing, disbelief clouding the ache you feel at watching your friend bleed out in front of you. It doesn't occur to you that the pain may be something else, that you'd been standing right behind her, that there was an exit wound leaking red onto the floor, but no other indication of where the bullet has gone. None of that occurs to you, not until you meet Armin's devastated stare.

Warnings: angst, description of injuries, blood, canonical character death, dissociation, panic (If I missed anything, please let me know)

A/N: Sorry this one took so long! I still have a list of requests to get to (mostly Levi), but I loved working with Armin for the first time. If you're interested in making a request, check out my submission guidelines for more info!

Losing comrades is hardly a foreign concept at this point in your career. Now with years of experience in the Survey Corps, you've watched the untimely ends of dozens of friends and fighters in this war. Devastating and violent deaths that haunt you at night and leak into the corners of an idle mind on slower days when you're left to think. You're disturbingly used to picking up the severed limbs of your fellow soldiers, to the heartbreaking cries of a widow or tragedy stricken parents or an orphaned child, to the empty caskets at funerals. Pools of blood hardly require a second glance anymore.

But this...this is different. Wrong and impossible in a way those other losses hadn't been.

Sasha is at your feet. Kind, smiling, always craving a snack Sasha with her wild hair and wilder attitude, is spilling red across your boots.

Nothing makes sense. She'd been standing, just a second ago, she'd been standing right in front of you, grinning and asking about dinner. There'd been a commotion at the back of the airship, a loud popping sound you know was a gunshot, and then your world fell apart.

Death by bullet is a strange concept to you. Something so small, so opposite of the larger than life cannibals you're used to, ripping through the plush of Sasha's abdomen and exploding in a mist of red out her back. Agony erupts between your ribs at the sight, lungs filling with anguish. You don't quite understand bullets, without motives or morals or orders to follow, just tiny metal beads at the mercy of their maker.

There's screaming all around you, and in some far off corner of your mind you register the battalion of soldiers stomping on the child that pulled the trigger. You can't bring yourself to look away from the blood speckling your hands, just as sticky and wet and warm on your cheeks like tears. Jean and Connie are screaming too, calling for bandages, putting pressure on the bubbling wound you know is spilling far too much red to be any kind of okay. Your chest aches as you look down at Sasha, your friend for nearly a decade now, your sister in every way that counts. Heart stuttering in your chest, you think you might be choking on a sob or an apology or your own lungs, and there's metal stinging on your tongue. All you can do is stand there and watch as your brothers in arms try to save one of the only people that can still make you laugh on even your hardest days.

You're only vaguely aware of Jean's panicked sprint down the airship behind you after the medic replaces his hands with her own, Connie's whimpering pleas falling on nearly deaf ears. It's like water is rushing behind your eyes, drowning any thoughts beyond the echoing sound of Sasha's body thudding against the ground.

There's a burning sensation in your chest, as if your grief has already settled camp behind your ribs and all you can do is grasp at your sides with sticky red hands in some vein attempt at holding yourself together. You drop to your knees when Connie's pleas stop, when the medic's compressing hands stop, when Sasha's breathing stops. Your ears are ringing, knees aching, and there's a scream lodged in the recesses of your throat, eyes locked on the puddle of red still growing even though Sasha's already dead...

Dead. She's dead.

Connie trundles passed your frozen kneeling form, shoulders hunched and tears flowing, following the same path as Jean towards the front of the airship to tell the others. To tell Commander Hange they've just lost their best sniper. To tell Captain Levi he's lost another member of his squad. To tell Eren that his little disappearing act cost them all more than it should have.

To tell Jean and Mikasa and Armin they lost another friend.

Armin. Walls, you need him next to you. His fingers tracing your cheek, his whispers assuring you everything will be okay even though you know it never will be again. His too blue eyes swimming with love and grief and hope you don't remember how to feel. Air is suddenly too thick, clogging the path to your singed lungs like oil.

You flinch when Mikasa slides to the floor in front of you, sobs and denial spilling from her lips as she grips Sasha's far too still shoulders, shaking her as if she's simply stuck in a dream. You've never seen Mikasa like this, rippled with loss and anguish, but all you can think about is the red soaking into her knees. Part of you wants to reach out to her, to console the desolation in her eyes and the shaking in her hands, but the idea of moving feels like you'll risk spilling what composure you still have in your chest across the floor.

There are hands grasping your shoulders. You feel them and you don't at the same time, as if your sense of touch as become as blurry with sorrow and pain as your vision. But you know these hands.

Armin says your name, you think, but it's broken in your ears. Stuttering between grief stricken teeth, and you don't remember how to speak without sobbing first.

"You need to breathe," you think he pleads, somewhere close to your ear, and it's funny because you never stopped breathing. Sasha did, she stopped breathing. Maybe you can give her some of the air in your lungs. Somehow you manage to swallow a breath or too, but the taste is bitter and sticky down your throat.

"Sh-she's dead, Armin," you whimper, reaching out for him, for anything to keep you from plummeting into despair. "It hurts, Armin, it hurts so bad." And it does. It burns along your skin like fire, settling deep in the marrow of your bones that no matter what becomes of this war, you've already lost. Your soul bleeds for the shattered pieces left behind by Sasha's last booming breath. You meet shimmering ocean blue with a trembling gaze. "How do we make it stop?"

Armin swallows, tear tracks shinning and dripping off the soft curve of his jaw. "I don't know," he trembles. Eyes flicking between you and Sasha's body - her body because she's not in there anymore, gone and without breath or heart or dinner - you know Armin is just as shattered as you, as Mikasa and her withering wails.

You slump, forehead pressing into the curve of his neck, suddenly feeling far too tired. "There's so much blood." Armin stiffens beneath you, fingers suddenly roving over you in a panic you don't understand.

"You're right," he murmurs under his breath, "there's too much blood." He chokes on the sound of your name again, though less devastated and far more hysterical this time. "Wh-where were you standing? Were you hit?! Mikasa, get a medic!"

Dizziness wavers in your foggy mind, trying to remember, trying to tell him. "I was...I was right behind her - behind Sasha. Everything went r-red," you stammer, trying to take a breath through the sharp pain between your ribs you thought was grief but may now also be a bullet.

"No no no, not you, please not you." His voice is disconcertingly frightened as he lowers you onto the floor of the airship, pulling your arms away from where they protectively wrap your middle. You resist with what small amount of strength you still have, scared to see, scared to know, scared of the wayward thought that you may see Sasha again. "You're going to be okay. You - you have to...just breathe, keep breathing. Please sweetheart, just keep breathing."

And you do, because he asked and because you're scared to stop. More hands join his as they search through the stains of red across your abdomen, searing pain igniting under your skin. Someone is hold you down by your shoulders, another at your hips when you arch to escape the agony.

"What the hell?! Was there another shot fired?!" Jean, that's Jean. You know because he's loud and angry and a brother to you in every way that matters.

"The - the bullet...she was standing right behind..." Armin offers between aggravated sobs and sniffles and kind little reassurances as if you could hear them. But you feel them in the whisper of his breath and gentle touch of his fingers, eyes still locked on the blue of his own. "It went through Sasha and into her, no exit wound."

Someone presses down a wad of gauze onto your left side to staunch the flow of blood, and you gasp, trying to curl away from the offensive pressure to no avail. "Stop, it hurts, it hurts - please make it stop." Your face is wet with fear, chest pulsing erratically through the onslaught of pain.

Armin's palm warms your cheek, his thumb brushing under your eye in a loving caress that only makes you cry harder. "I know, sweetheart, I know." His voice is shaking, mouth bent all wrong in a devastated frown. It makes him look older, war-beaten and tired without the hope you know him to have. You mirror him, managing to place your own palm against his cheek, trying to smooth away the harsh lines you know don't belong on his so often kind face. You offer what you hope is a reassuring smile despite the thunders of of jilting pain you feel, and it must have come across just enough as his own lips curve up the tiniest beautiful bit.

They're wrapping you up now, white cloths only speckled with a few dots of red instead of the weeping mess Sasha's bandages had been only minutes ago.

"We've stemmed the flow, she shouldn't bleed out before we get back to Paradis. The bullet's still in there," the medic explains moreso to Armin than you, but you try to listen through the warped rushing sound in your ears. "It's probably the only thing keeping her alive right now. She'll need surgery the second we land, but we've done all we can for now."

You feel Armin's lips on your forehead, warm and familiar. "You're going to be okay," he whispers, and you actually believe him despite everything. "I love you," he says, and you know it won't be the last time you hear it. You refuse to let it be the last.

"I love you too." You can't actually say the words between the ache of your throat and the stickiness pasting your tongue to your lips, but you know he hears them by the loving slope of his smile.

[mca-attack21]

Semi-Flayed

Steve Harrington x Reader. Season 3 finale spoilers.

The floor was cold, the atmosphere chaotic. The screams of your friends were drowned out by the fireworks and snarls of the mindflayer. Despite the noise, you clearly heard Billy, or the Mindflayer rather, whisper, “Stay still, it will all be over soon," his words sent ice through your veins. You struggled against his grasp, but it was no use. Realizing the imminence of your demise, you felt an overwhelming sadness, not even for yourself, but for Steve Harrington, the first and apparently last love of your life. As the “flaying” began, he was the only thing on your mind. You hoped that he would survive this, that he would get out of Hawkins, that he would be happy. You hoped-

“Y/N!” Steve screamed as he blew his cover to run to your side.

This caught the attention of Eleven, who managed to use her powers to throw Billy away from you. She fell back against Mike. The rest of the kids were still blasting the mind flayer with fireworks. Steve used the opportunity to pick you up and carry you away from the action.

“Y/n? Can you hear me? You gotta wake up okay? I did not survive being tortured by Russians only to have you be flayed before I could even-” his voice broke, and before he could continue, he was rounding the corner to where Dustin was.

“Shit. Is she okay?”

“I don’t know. Billy - the mind flayer- how do we know if she? What if she was?” Steve tried, but his heart couldn’t even handle the idea of you being lost to him.

“She wasn’t flayed.”

“How do you know?” Steve asked reluctant to be relieved.

“The hive mind is activated, she would be awake and trying to kill us if she was,” Dustin explained.

“Then why isn’t she waking up?”

“I don’t know Steve, but we have bigger problems right now,” he said gesturing to the fact that they were almost out of Fireworks.

Steve hesitantly left your side to help the others and watched in absolute shock as Billy sacrificed himself. It was only moments later that the mind flayer collapsed. It was over. Jonathan hugged Nancy, Mike went to Eleven, Lucas held Max as she cried, and both Steve and Dustin turned towards you.

“Y/n wake up!” Steve tried shaking your shoulders. He lowered his head to your chest to hear your heart beating and feel your breathing, “Y/n, c’mon, I need you to wake up,” he tried again, sounding more desperate.

Before he could continue, the FBI came running in and they were all escorted out. Steve barely managed to convince the EMT to let him ride with you. He was stuck in the waiting room for what seemed like forever, shrugging off the nurses who offered to check out his injuries. Dustin, Mike, Nancy, and Jonathon came in, gathering in silence waiting for any news. The worst part for Steve was when your mother showed up, he had never felt more guilty than when he lied to her about what happened.

Eventually, the doctor came out with a flustered look on his face. He asked for your mom, and Steve quickly stood to join them. The doctor protested, but your mom assured him that Steve should come with her.

“So, I don’t know how to tell you this, but as far as we can tell there is nothing physically wrong with your daughter. She is seemingly in a coma with no cause. As such, there is nothing medically we can do other than sustain her condition if you choose to do so,” he then turned to Steve, “Can you run me through what happened again?” Steve managed to recount his story, trying to ignore your mother's sobs. As soon as he finished, he exited the room in shock, he sunk down to the floor, struggling to breathe, replaying the doctor's words over and over again in his head. His chest was filled with immense pain at the thought of losing you.

He sat there a while trying to calm himself down before forcing himself off the wall and back to the waiting room, where Will, Mrs. Byers, and Eleven had joined the others. All eyes went to him expectantly, but with one look at him Dustin said what they were all thinking, “Shit..."

Steve repeated what the doctor had said, Nancy pulled him into a comforting hug. While the others started brainstorming. There was an hour of outrageous theories until finally, Will realized something, “She wasn’t completely flayed, but the process was definitely initiated.”

“Obviously,” Dustin chimed in.

“But what is flaying? It’s like your identity being ripped away from you and replaced with the host mentality,” Will continued.

“So maybe Y/n’s soul or whatever was separated. Nothing medically wrong with her, because that’s not a physical connection” Mike added.

“So in other words, we have to jumpstart the connection again,” Lucas agreed, and then all eyes shifted to El.

“Do you think you could try to find her? Like you did Billy or Heather?” Mike asked.

“I can try,” El nodded.

Dustin walked over to where Steve was laying with his head in Mrs. Byers' lap. She ran her fingers through his hair like she had for her sons so many times, mind wandering to Hopper. Steve looked so broke, like he had given up any hope.

“We need to get into Y/n’s room, we think we know how to fix her,” Dustin announced.

It was like that swiped a switch in Steve, and he popped up at once, “What do you mean?”

Dustin explained everything to Steve and Mrs. Byers, and then again in layman's terms. From there the whole group formed a plan. Mrs. Byers and Nancy would go distract your mom. Dustin, Mike, and Will would distract the nurses. Steve and El would sneak into your room, while Jonathon kept watch. For once, everything went smoothly.

El was searching the cabinets for something to cover her eyes with, and Steve handed her the red ascot from his Scoops uniform. She went to your side and took your hand, instantly being transported into your consciousness.

It was dark, unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Every step she took was echoing, the entire reality was glitching in and out, but there was no sign of you.

“Y/n?” she called out.

The blackness would flash to a scene of you and then back to the nothingness, “Y/n, can you hear me?” El tried again, “I need you to focus on my voice, and I can bring you back. I’ll bring you back home, back to Steve.”

At the mention of Steve, the glitching stopped and El could see you know for the first time, you laid on the ground folded into yourself. You were pale and shaking, looking only a moment away from death. As she got closer she could hear you softly repeating, “Please don't, I'm sorry.” There was no indication that you knew she was there. She touched you lightly on the shoulder, but it didn’t phase you.

“Y/n? We need to get out of here, I need your help,” she tried, again receiving no response. The glitching started again, each time putting more and more distance between the two of you. El knew that you wouldn’t survive it much longer.

In the hospital room, Steve watched as blood trickled down Eleven’s face. He didn’t know why it was taking so long. He tried to get an idea of what was happening through the one-sided conversation that he was hearing, but even that was being drowned out by his fear of losing you, What if this didn’t work? The lights started flickering, the machines in the room going nuts, and then suddenly Eleven called his name, “I need you to talk to her, to bring her back.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Steve, we don't have time, just talk to her!”

“Okay….Uhm...Y/n? It’s Steve. Your boyfriend,” he started, feeling extremely uncomfortable, before his emotions took over. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to protect you. I’m here now though, and I need you to come back to me. I need you to wake up, cause you are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I don’t want to lose you. Not now, not ever. Please Y/n. I love you so much, please wake up." As he finished, everything went black, the entire hospital lost power.

In your head, every nightmare you had ever had was playing through your mind. You were cold and afraid, feeling lost beyond anything you have ever felt. Whatever was happening to you it was killing you, you could feel it draining you. A strange numbness started to overtake you. You weren’t giving up, you were running out of fight. Just as you were trying to prepare yourself for whatever would come next, you heard a familiar voice, “Okay….Uhm...Y/n? It’s Steve. Your boyfriend.” Hearing his voice made everything stop. A warmth filled you, and you forced your eyes open, seeing Eleven.

"El?" you asked weakly.

“You’re going to be fine, I’m here,” she reassured, moving towards you and taking your hand.

The next thing you remember was hearing Steve’s voice, “Are you okay?” he asked, you forced your eyes open to see who he was talking to.

“I’ll be fine,” Eleven reassured him, wiping her nose.

“Everything was going crazy in here and then the power went out...Is she okay now?"

Suddenly Eleven’s face lit up, “Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

You had never seen Steve turn around so quickly in his life, a wide smile on his face as he practically dove onto your bed holding you like his life depended on it. “Nice to see you too,” you laughed. God did he love that laugh, and that smile, and you.

“I am so glad that you are okay,” he sighed, allowing himself to relax a little for the first time since he had found out about the Russian code from Dustin.

“Are you okay?” you asked running your finger lightly across his cheek. His eye was swollen and undoubtedly painful. His lip was busted and his nose was also bruised and swollen. In other words, he looked like he got into a fight with his hands tied behind his back.

He put his hand over yours and pulled it down to his chest over his heart as he had done so many times before, “It’s worse than it looks, I promise. I’m just glad you're okay.”

You were going to ask him what happened but were interrupted by the kids coming in excitedly. They were vividly telling you everything that happened after you were “Semi-flayed” as Will had coined it. You listened to every word, happy to know that it was all over. Their commotion gained the attention of the nurse, who proceeded to kick everyone out. Well, everyone but Steve who was practically glued to your side.

She went back to find the doctor and notify your mother, promising to bring back the ice that you requested for Steve’s eye. There were more happy reunions, followed by another round of tests, and finally, you were discharged. Joyce took Will, Jonathan, Dustin, and Lucas home. Nancy took Mike and Eleven back to her house. Your mom went back to your house and you went with Steve to his.

You both were exhausted but found it hard to sleep.

“What happens now?” you asked innocently.

“What do you mean?”

“How do we move forward from this? I mean nothing can ever really be the same can it?”

Steve thought for a moment, “I think we grieve and heal, then we start looking for the little victories again until this is nothing more than a memory.”

You nodded, “I love you, Steve Harrington,” you spoke softly.

You missed the grin that spread across his face before he kissed your forehead, “I love you too.”

You laid like that for a while, it didn’t take Steve long to fall asleep. You thought about what he said. Tomorrow would be hard, and the day after that too, but eventually your life would become some type of normal again. You shifted to look at his face, careful not to wake him. You felt a sense of relief, knowing that as long as the two of you had each other, you could work through the rest.

[tiny-prince-alef]

The Gift

(I decided to write this for you all before I head off to my vacation to Hawaii!  I’ll write part 2 after I get home on the 29th!)  HEAVY SPOILERS FOR THE FINAL MEMORY OF SHATTERING.  IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED PLEASE DO NOT READ.)

This is a memory that I never wanted to see again.  The first time I had witnessed it, I had been obliterated into star dust. It had been the night I had met my end. The Void of Shattering... It’s a cold, silent place.  A place where the past could be seen, but never changed.  Reality would never be so kind. As I gaze up at the massive Darkstone, I feel myself falling to my knees.  I’m vaguely aware that there are tears in my eyes, my vision becoming a blurry watercolor portrait of hellish red. Surrounding the Darkstone are the Elders, all frozen in time as they are blasted away by the exploding Darkstone. When my eyes fall upon Lamed’s form, I can no longer hold back the wail of anguish that had been building up in my chest.  I am fully aware of the tears rolling down my cheeks, burning the scars on my left cheek, the raw in in my throat as I wail to anybody who could hear me.  I cry so hard that I collapse onto the watery floor. “Your fault!  It’s all your fault, Papa!  You did this!” I wailed, my words tasting like poison, burning my tongue.  A small part of me is grateful that Papa isn’t here to hear my anger.  But another part of me wishes he were here, so that he can feel the pain and suffering that we’ve all had to endure because of him. He cost us everything. Our lives.  Our home.  Our friends and family. My Light.   I feel myself curl up into a ball.  The Void of Shattering is my home now.  A being without Light belongs here.   I couldn’t stop him.  I should have tried harder.  Found a way.  But I wasn’t strong enough. I continue to sob, feeling pain, sorrow and guilt wracking my entire being.  I won’t be surprised if I break and turn into star dust again.   It takes me several moments to realize that I’ve been pulled into an upright position.  There are warm arms wrapped around my body, and somebody is rocking me back and forth gently.   “It’s okay... It’s alright... You’ve been hurting for so long, Alef...”  A familiar voice...  I look up, and through my watery vision, I realize that it’s Kohel.  She has a soft, warm glow around her, and I can feel it. Another pair of arms wrap around me, and then another, and another.  I can see Kani, Kohar, Kari... They have me in a group hug, and that’s when I see it. Hundreds, no... Thousands of Sky Children, all surrounding me, hugging me in a massive group hug.  Why are they doing this?  Why are they here in this sad, horrible lonely place?  They should be where the sun shines in the kingdom... The warmth is getting more intense.  And... the vision in my left eye is clearing up?  How can that be?  It’s been so long since the vision in my eye hasn’t been cloudy that I can’t even remember what the world looks like from that side. Above and all around me... Tiny, glittering golden light, looking almost like dust.  It settles onto me, and I watch as it seems to vanish when it lands onto my skin. The hollow, empty feeling that I’ve grown so accustomed to is... it is... It’s vanishing? But how?  Why?   “Please, fallen prince... Just a tiny piece...” “Alef, stand up... First Child of Light...” What are they doing? “A tiny bit of our Light, added to yours...” I now know what what this golden glitter is.   Tears roll down my cheeks and onto Kohel’s shoulder.  These children... So selfless and generous...  I don’t deserve this gift that they are giving to me. This warmth, this love... I haven’t felt it since the last time Lamed and I saw each other before the Darkstone exploded. “We all love you, Prince Alef...” “You deserve to be happy...” “Please take this gift...” The warmth and golden glow of the Light they are bestowing upon me is too much... Too much... I drift off to sleep.

[thenightmareismyreality]

Comforting You

Original GIF by @beckylynch

Rhea Ripley x Reader

Pure hecking comfort

It had been a long day at work and you had officially hit your breaking point- something that didn’t happen often, but when it did, it was almost debilitating. As a personal assistant to a high-ranking CEO, you were used to, and thrived in a high-stress environment, but lately with the after effects of the pandemic, combined with overworking and general depression, you just couldn’t take it.

You had barely kept your composure on the commute home from work, not wanting to collapse in public, but the second the door to your apartment closed behind you, you had fallen to the floor, sobbing.

You took both comfort and pain in the knowledge that your girlfriend was at work, and would be til late. As a WWE Superstar, she trained long hours every day, but tonight was a show night. Usually you threw the TV on in the background as you cooked dinner so that you could watch her every match, you were so proud of her and everything she had accomplished. You didn’t want her to see you in your current state, because you knew she’d take care of you and rearrange her work schedule as much as she could to spend more time with you- something you couldn’t let her do. But on the flip side, god did you ever want to be held and reassured, the bare thought of which only deepened your wracking sobs.

The post-pandemic return to life had been hard on both of you, with Rhea returning to travelling for matches, and you returning to an actual office and commute. Not being able to spend every night together anymore was something that was hurting you more than you expected. Every night that the two of you didn’t share a bed you struggled to fall asleep, using one of her shirts as a pillowcase cover in an effort to feel less lonely. Even with her back home this week, the two of you were both so exhausted that you had only really seen each other in passing, something that only left the hole in your heart bigger.

You struggled down the hall to the bedroom, finding just enough energy to change into an oversized sweater of Rhea’s, and your fuzziest sweatpants before exhaustion crashed over you once again like a tidal wave.

*Maybe just a little nap, that’s what I need and I’ll feel better* you thought to yourself as you grabbed your childhood teddy bear from the foot of bed and curled up, sleep taking over before your head hit the pillow.

You woke up hours later, feeling disoriented, not knowing the time. Grabbing your phone from where you had ditched it in your haze, you unlocked it to see the screen half-full with missed texts and a call from Rhea, panic rising in your throat.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck” you cursed, instantly awake, but still feeling weak.

“looks like I have an early match tonight, so I’ll be home earlier than expected, maybe we could watch TV together if you’re not working late”

“Guess you’re busier than usual, any chance you could let me know when boss lady is going to let you free? I can grab dinner for once, give you a break if I’m going to beat you home”

“???? Princess?, call me, text me, please? I’m getting slightly worried, normally you can at least send an emoji or something”

You felt the tears prick your eyes reading all of the texts, the overwhelming panic returning to every fibre of your body, paralyzing you.

The phone dropped from your hands as you curled back into a ball, still holding your teddy bear, with the tears rolling freely once again.

Suddenly you heard a key turn in the front door, and still unable to move, you heard your girlfriend walk in and drop what you assumed was her work bag to the floor before calling out “Mate, are you home?”

Your voice had unfrozen, with you being able to respond “In our room” as you tried to pull yourself together, wanting to hide the worst of your pain so as not to worry her.

You heard Rhea bolt down the hall towards your room, and were able to pull yourself up into a sitting position before she entered the doorway, a look of concern on her face.

“Are you okay? Why weren’t you able to answer?” she asked gently as she walked towards you.

You forced a half smile onto your face before replying with “Sorry, I fell asleep the second I got home, and just woke before you walked in the door. Stupid exhaustion” , and managed to also bark out half a laugh for good measure, hoping that you wouldn’t concern her.

She raised her right eyebrow as she sat down in front of you and pushed the hair that had escaped from your work bun behind your ear.

“So if that’s all it is, then why are you clutching your teddy bear? You and I both know that’s more than exhaustion speaking, sweetheart” she asked, kindly but firmly.

Those words caused the damn inside of you to break once again, with words tumbling out faster than you could stop them.

Rhea held you the entire time, running a soothing hand through your hair as all of the pent up words and emotions flooded out of you so quickly that you were almost hyperventilating.

“- and just I really miss you, but I didn’t want to worry you because I know how much your work means to you” you ended, your entire body shuddering in sobs.

Still holding you, Rhea used her left hand to lift your chin up so the two of you were facing eye to eye.

“Hey, hey hun. Don’t ever keep that from me again, please. I’d rather have you call me instead of crying yourself to sleep. I miss you so much while I’m away, I automatically cuddle pillows because I’m so used to holding you in my arms. Shayna called me out for it last week actually” she said, chuckling at the last sentence.

You felt a small grin pull at the corners of your mouth.

“Really?” you asked.

She shook her head, still chuckling somewhat. “Of course, you dummy. Pretty sure she got it on video as well”.

“That’s one video I’d like to see” you responded, feeling your breathing start to return to normal. You leaned in and grabbed Rhea in a hug, feeling better holding her. She returned the embrace, the two of you staying in that position for quite some time before she broke it.

“So I have some news- no more travelling for two weeks. And before you start freaking out, it’s just because of a popped eardrum. I’ll still be working the tapings and training, I just can’t fly and the decision was made.” she said, smiling the entire time.

You felt tears run down your face, albeit happy tears this time.

“So that means I get to come home from work to you for two weeks?” you asked, with hope in your voice.

“Heck yeah! Whenever I’m not working out that is, gotta stay sharp” she said, winking.

You pulled her back into a hug, squeezing her as tight as you could before letting go, the smile covering your entire face now.

“So mate, any chance you’re hungry? I may have picked up some takeout on the way home, probably a good idea to eat it before it goes cold.” Rhea said.

“Race you to the food then” you said, leaping out of bed and running towards the kitchen.

The two of you opted to curl up on the couch and watch Buffy while eating dinner, which afterwards turned into cuddling until you let out the biggest yawn.

“Alrighty, looks like it’s time for sleep for you” Rhea said while slowly getting off the couch.

You made a face, not wanting to move. “Help me up?” you asked, with puppy dog eyes.

She shook her head while smiling before doing so. “Goodness, what ever do you do without me around?”

“Lie in bed” you answered, the two of you walking towards your bedroom.

After both of you had finished your evening routines, you curled up in bed, feeling safe in Rhea’s arms as she played with your hair.

Before sleep took over you, you heard her whisper “I love you so much ”, to which you whispered back “Love you more”, and smiled.

[darkenedreaper]

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader, Avengers x Reader

Featuring: GoTG, Peggy Carter

Warnings: Angst, sad I suppose

Summary: 2 years after her death, your struggling even more. And it’s killing the team to keep their secret. (I changed Endgame because I can. Come at me. I might make it into chapters.)

Masterlist

‘It can’t be undone’ she said

*2 years ago*

You had gone through years with her. Years with the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy. You had gone through love with her. You had gone through the 5 years with her. You had gone to Vormir with her. Yet you had won the final fight without her.

When you all came back from the time travel success you had to try and keep yourself from collapsing. You saw the others standing with smiles on their faces but all you saw was her. Her lips and eyes pleading you to let her go. Her body descending forever. And her sprawled out onto the floor, a pool of blood surrounding her head confirming Natasha Romanoff no longer wondered the earth.

“Are you telling me this actually worked?” Rhodey questioned, followed by Thor’s wheezy laugh. Their faces became confused when they heard a long bang. You have dropped down onto your knees, stone in hand and body wet from wherever you had been teleported to after she had sacrificed herself.

“Y/n where’s Nat?” The big green guy said. Your eyes were stuck in front of you. A sorrowful look on your face. You couldn’t even move. You couldn’t speak. You could’ve all been there for hours or seconds. But Steve lifted you up by your arms and tried to read your expression. With the help of Nebula you were taken to your bedroom you shared with Natasha. The both of them tried to gently take you to the bed but instead you walked shakily to the bathroom and shut the door. Of course Steve was upset. He had a lost a part of his family. He had shed tears while he walked with you. He could only imagine what the scene must’ve been for yourself. The unspoken news of his friends death was indescribable, but having to be there in an unimaginable situation would’ve been even harder. And he understood that. Nebula grieved, she barely knew the woman. But she grieved. She saw the distraught and pain on your face and in your eyes. She placed her hand on Steve’s shoulder and took him out of your room.

In the bathroom you had caged yourself into. You had your hand gripped to the sink. Your eyes trained to the sink bowl. Your eyes drifted to the left for you where her makeup and hairbrush had been layed out this morning. You took a step back, nervously clasping your hands together. You tried to calm down before someone got hurt. You looked down at your hands and you were maintaining some level of sanity before you remembered that your hand had let her go. If anyone would walk past your bedroom door, they were bound to hear glass smashing and screams and words of anguish.

You didn’t speak to anyone. You completely shut yourself down. The only reason you spoke to someone was to communicate over the earpiece when you were fighting. There was a short debate over the coms as to who was going to steal the stones from Thanos. You nearly went into a fit of rage and upset before Carol ordered you to look into her eyes. Your excuse to use the stones was so you could be with her again. When Tony clicked his fingers the enemy became dust, and the world became a little more louder and a bit more lighter. The battlefield was filled with new and old faces. Tony’s snap had been so powerful he was able to bring back the people that mattered the most to those around him. Steve had Peggy in his tired arms. Clint had Laura and his children. Wanda had Vision. Quill had Gamora. Thor had his mother and brother back. Tony had Pepper. He was unharmed and Bruce’s arm had healed. Everyone had someone. You had someone. You had your whole family. But your special someone was Natasha. You had never felt so lost. Natasha would be holding you, you holding her. She would tuck your head into her shoulder while letting your arms envelope around her. But all you got were sad looks.

Some of the ‘newbies’ had questioned their closest. After a lot of loud whispering, there was silence. The battlefield was silent in memory of Natasha. The only noises were the hundreds of sniffles and sobs of those who had the news broken to them. The dying fires crackling. The next minute footsteps were approaching you. You had internally begged for it to be Natasha. But you looked up to see a short boy. His suit red and blue with a spider on it. His brown curly hair was tinted with grey. His teary eyes gave you the saddest smile before and steadily put his arms around your shoulders. You accepted the young boys embrace. You were thankful for it.

The news were around the place as quick as they could’ve been. Pictures were taken. Statements were took. The public had tried to surround the heroes but were pushed away by the helping police. It has been released to the enormous crowd that one of the most heroic heroes had died. The crowds became distraught. They sounded like how you felt inside. They tried to surround you and shout out their condolences but you kept walking. Where to? Who knows.

*2 years later/present time*

You spoke to no one. You spoke out in bursts of anger. Anger if someone tried to tell you to come away from your desk and to stop working and trying to find a way. Peggy, Steve’s wife, had became close to you. She understood how it felt to lose a loved one. She understood she wasn’t Natasha. She understood why you were working yourself so hard. She would never judge you, if you looked all disheveled or smelt from not taking a shower. She encouraged you to do your best, but she never pushed you. 2 years ago, you found a solution to stop Thanos. 2 years ago you lost her. 2 years ago Steve returned the stones. You haven’t been able to go through any videos or voice messages of her. Just a photo that you have framed. There were and still are memorials for her, but you would never attend any.

You had only cried to yourself. But right now you were on the edge of having a definite breakdown. Tony and the whole team of Avengers, Wakanda, GotG and Carol had wanted to check in as you had been back to Vormir. Which you greatly regret. Scott had made an extra time travel refill for you. All you were told by red skull was a ‘soul for a soul’. You argued with a ghost. You lashed out a ghost. You didn’t dare look to the edge. Knowing you would either throw yourself of or cry so much you wouldn’t be able to move.

They all met you at the Compound. At the platform that sat on top on the lake.

Steve and Peggy. Tony and Pepper. Rhodes. Bucky and Sam. Clint and Laura. Thor and Loki. Bruce. The Guardians were there. Rocket was by your side. Peter was there with Happy. Carol was at the edge of the platform. Wanda and Vision. And the rest were all there. You had your back turned to them. You were silent trying to understand why they all had such guilty faces, except Thor. They all had a secret. One they had agreed to not tell you, for fear it may completely break you. But they decided enough was enough. They had to tell you.

“Look we need to get her back to stop this shit with the Avengers get it together.” Thor spat at Steve, as he still saw him as the Captain.

“Can’t get her back.” You spoke up, causing everyone’s attention on the two of you.

“Wh..wha..what are you..?” Thor mumbled out.

“It can’t be undone. It can’t.” You said quietly looking at him from over your shoulder.

He laughed at your words before saying, “Look.. I, I’m sorry but your a very earthly being okay, we’re talking about space magic and can’t seems very definitive. Don’t you think?”

“Yeah look I know that I’m way outside my.. my paid rate here. But she still isn’t here is she?” You said. Tony took of his sunglasses, getting upset.

“Yeah well that’s my point.” Thor said in a hushed manner.

“It can’t.. be undone.” Your voice cracking, your tears had crawled their way down your face now. “Or that’s at least what the red floating guy had to say. Maybe you wanna go talk to him. Ok, go grab your hammer and you go find him you talk to him!” You yelled at him. He looked down to the floor. You shouldn’t be angry with him. He missed Natasha. But you couldn’t help it.

“It was supposed to be me.” You admitted with a breaking voice. Bucky let a tear fall freely from his eye. “She sacrificed her life for that goddamn stone, she bet her life on it.” You started to breakdown in the middle of everyone. Angry at how she could’ve died for nothing. How it wasn’t supposed to be like this. Even Wanda began to breakdown. She felt your pain from far away. Your longing. And your grieving. Rockets fur was wet as he was upset just like everyone else.

He couldn’t take it anymore. The lies. Not the acting. But the lies. Clint stood up and said, “Y/n we’ve been lying to you. Natasha is here. She’s perfectly fine. She’s alive. You just can’t see her.” No one else bothered to look up as he said what was needed to be said. You slowly turned around to him. “What?” Was all you could choke out. Steve stood up and walked towards you before keeping a distance. “When I returned the stone. He told me that we could all get her back, after all it was a soul for a soul. But the one who travelled there has been cursed. You can’t see or hear her and I don’t know if you ever will. But she’s alive.”

You took time to observe his words.

She was standing in front of you. Her arms crossed but her eyes were stuck on your face that was wet from the tears you had cried. Your eyes brows moving in a sorrowful way. She wasn’t crying for herself no. She cried for you. For your pain. She had never seen you so upset. And because she had been with you ever since she got back, she’s had to watch you cry almost every day.

Natasha wishes you could see her. She has been next to you this whole time. She was gone a few hours and then she was back. She couldn’t find you and instead ran into Sam who held her tightly. Instead she sped off to Tony’s cabin where she found Bucky and Steve, who explained everything.

She wishes you could hear how proud she is of you. She wishes you didn’t have to see you break yourself and live in your mental anguish. It hurt her. Every night you fell asleep at your desk, she would drape a blanket over you, and almost cry at your confused state in the morning of who had been to your office and covered you.

She wishes you hadn’t been traumatised by her silly yet heroic actions. She wishes she could tell you how much she loves you and how she wants to be held by you and she wants you to be able to hear her words, “I love you.” The others heard it. But they didn’t dare tell you.

She was determined to get her words to you. If not by speaking to you then by page. Determined to prove that she was with you all of this time. She wants to tell you how much she loves you.

She wishes there was a way.

If you would like a part 2, let me know.

[fweasleyswhore]

Let Me Take Care Of You - G.W.

a/n: this popped up in my brain and I wanted to get it out, this is with George because I felt like he fit the idea a bit more also i deadass haven’t written smut before like not as a joke haha funny so im so sorry if this is ass

Pairing: George Weasley x fem!Reader

summary: Reader confesses her feelings for George after the disaster of Bill and Fleur's wedding and spend a night together for the first time, which they can only wished would have happened earlier.

word count: 3.5k

warnings: Slight dom!George, slight sub!reader, mostly passionate smut, 18+ themes

The night was winding down. It was a beautiful ceremony, candles were floating around in the tent giving off a soft glow. A few straggling couples slow dancing. I was sat admiring the tent and the company when I felt a presence behind me. I looked up and my heart skipped a beat. George stood behind me, his hands placed in his pockets and the goofy grin he adorned everywhere was plastered on his face despite the bandage wrapped around his ear. 

I turned in my chair so I could see him better. “Hey, George.” I beamed up to him. 

“Hello, darling, would you want to dance?” He pulled his hand out of his pocket and held it out to me. My breath hitched in my throat as I nodded and he pulled me out to the dance floor. I had liked George since I met him, he always seemed to bring light in my life that I lacked, but I had never acted on my feelings. I didn’t want to lose him. 

“You look beautiful tonight.” He whispered in my ear as we slowly spun around the room. His hand was placed on the small of my back, the other interlaced with mine. My free hand rested on his shoulder, our fronts were pressed flush together. I felt my face heat up at his words and our proximity. 

I put my head on his chest and locked my arm behind his neck. “George?” I said softly. I decided now was a good time to tell him how I felt. I needed to. I wanted to say this, look back up at him and kiss him. He hummed and I felt the way his chest rumbled as he did so. “George I think I lo-” 

My words were cut off by a loud crashing noise. I whipped around to see the cause of the crash. In the middle of the dance floor was a blue light. 

“The Ministry has fallen. They are coming.” As soon as it had spoken it was gone. The tent went quiet for a moment until flashes of black smoke started appearing. I watched as Ron, Hermione, and Harry apparated away. I grabbed my wand I had placed in my dress pocket and held tightly onto George’s hand. 

Bill grabbed Fleur and started dragging her away. I watched a death eater begin on them. 

“Stupify,” I yelled and he shot back into a table and collapsed. 

“Y/N, we need to leave, there are too many.” At George’s words, I looked around, wizards and witches were fighting or apparating away. I looked up to him and nodded seeing as there wasn’t much we could do other than get hurt. He grabbed my hand tighter and started bounding towards the Burrow. We started a protection spell on the house once we got there, it finished with enough time for everyone to get in. 

Bellatrix Lestrange stood outside, I saw her from the kitchen window pacing outside. “Where did Potter go?!” She screamed. I wasn’t sure if it was aimed at us or her henchmen. Soon enough all the death eaters disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. 

Molly was sobbing at the kitchen table, Arthur was consoling her. Fred was having Ginny clean a cut on his leg. Bill and Fleur weren’t around, I assume they apparated somewhere. Lupin and Tonks were arguing about if it was worth it to apparate home. 

I couldn’t find George. My eyes scanned the area once more but I couldn’t find him. I felt my eyes tear up as I turned back to look out the kitchen window. I tried to remember if he had left the house after we cast our spell. Deep in my thoughts, I didn’t hear him walk up behind me. 

“Y/N?” His voice was soft and gentle. I whipped around and immediately jumped on him. He returned the gesture, his arms wrapped around me and pulled me up so my feet were off the floor. I wrapped my legs around him to pull him closer afraid that if I didn’t he would disappear. 

“Where were you?” I whispered harshly into his neck. 

“Making sure my ear wasn’t bleeding. Y/N are you alright?” His grip on me tightened. I felt him move away so I pulled my head up to look him in his eyes. His eyes were scanning my face looking for a sign of injury. 

Then I felt like it was the right moment. I unwrapped my arms from around him and cupped his face. His eyes stopped scanning my face as they looked directly into mine. I let my eyes flicker to his lips and then back to his, he repeated my action almost like he was communicating the same words. 

I closed the gap and pushed my lips onto his. He kisses me back with no hesitance. His grip on me tightened, one of his arms traveled down to hold my thigh and support me. Our lips moved a few times, finding a rhythm with each other. Once we did it was a new experience. George sucked and bit on my lips as we kissed causing me to let out a soft moan. I ran my hands through his hair and tugged lightly earning a soft groan from him. 

We pulled away to breathe and he set me on the kitchen counter. Suddenly remembering his family was there I looked around making sure no one was watching our moment before I put my eyes back onto him. 

“Do you know how long I wanted to do that?” He asked with a slight chuckle. His hand found my thigh and he pushed up the skirt of my dress to draw small patters above my knee. 

“Why did it take you so long?” I panted out. He was making it harder to catch my breath. 

“Tonight I watched my family fight to stay alive, and I realized that there is so much happening right now,” He gulped as he showed his vulnerability. “Y/N, I want you. I’ve wanted you for as long as I can remember and I don’t want to fight this without having you beside me.” His eyes moved from the floor to my eyes and I saw him, the real him. He wanted to be loved, he wanted to share his love, and with the war building up he was afraid he was never going to be able to do that. 

“George I can’t imagine fighting this without you. I can’t imagine my future without you.” I grabbed his hand that was on my thigh as I said this. With each word I said I watched as his scared expression molded into a smile. 

“Really?” He whispered. 

“Definitely.” I replied. His lips were back onto mine and we shared a short but passionate kiss. 

The rest of the night we helped clean up. I helped Arthur get Molly to bed where he stayed with her then I helped Ginny clean up Fred’s leg and set him up a temporary bed on the couch, not wanting to climb the steps to his room. Once everyone was taken care of I found myself in George’s room. I wasn’t staying in here but I wanted nothing more for him to hold me while I fell asleep. 

The door creaked open to a very disheveled George. His purple and white speckled shirt had been rolled up his arms, the vest piece completely gone, his tie hung loosely around his neck. 

“Hey.” He spoke gently once he noticed me. I was sitting on the edge of his bed. 

“Hey,” I replied taking him in. “I’m sorry, I know you're tired I just don’t want to be alone tonight.” I began to wring my hands in my lap, waiting for him to tell me to leave. 

“I was hoping I would see you again tonight.” He made a few strides and sat next to me on the bed. I leaning into him immediately, resting my head on his shoulder. He snaked an arm around my waist and we sat like that for a few minutes. I turned my head so I could look at him. 

“George, I don’t know what this war is going to take from us.”

“Hopefully not my other ear.” He butted in. I couldn’t help but laugh, he pulled me closer as I did. 

“I was trying to say that from here on out I want to be with you, I-I want to be there when you go to sleep and be there when you wake up. I want us to have little moments with each other when we can, I have spent the past few years wanting something with you and I won’t continue without letting you know. I don’t know what that kiss meant to you downstairs but that was everything to me.” I spoke slowly and I stared at my hands. I was too afraid to look at him in such a vulnerable moment. 

“That’s all I want. That kiss downstairs was my future Y/N.” I picked my head up to look at him grinning wildly. 

“I’m your future?” I asked sheepishly. 

“You’ve been my future for the past couple of years, the plan at least. Y/N I’m in love with you.” I threw my arms around his neck and tossed myself into his lap. I peppered kisses on his cheeks while smiling. Pulling back I looked at him, he was smiling back at me, his eyes were looking into the darkest parts of me but he was smiling. I knew I would always be safe with him around. 

His hands began to rub into my sides gently. He leaned up, closing the gap between us. Our kiss was slow, methodical, and passionate. It quickly escalated into more hungry and fast as we continued. Without thinking I rolled my hips into his earning a groan from him. We broke apart. His face was flush, lips parted and slightly swollen as I bet mine was too.

We stared at each other for a moment trying to gauge each other and plan what to do next. Keeping eye contact I rolled my hips again. His jaw clenched and his hands tightened on my hips. 

“Do you want this?” He asked. His voice was deep and husky. His eyes were dark and it sent shockwaves through my body, straight to my core. 

“I need you, George,” I whispered back. That was all it took for him to tighten his grip on my hips and kiss me again. The kiss was hot and fiery. I began to grind into his lap again causing us both to groan. I could feel him harden beneath me as I rolled my hips into him. I continued to roll my hips, throwing my head back as he nipped and sucked at my neck. 

“George...” I moaned out his name, I could feel him smirk against my neck. 

Before I could prepare he flipped us over, I was laying on my back and he hovered over me. 

“You’re so beautiful Y/N.” My face began to flush as he looked at me with pure adoration in his eyes. He began to pepper kisses onto my face and the butterflies in my stomach dispersed as I began to laugh. 

“Are you sure?” He asked pulling back to look at me in my eyes. 

“Yes George, please,” I whined, I could feel the familiar feeling in my core that felt both like butterflies and sinking. I desperately needed his attention on my body. 

“Tell me if you need me to stop.” I nodded and he attached his lips back to mine. His hands traveled down my body, he pushed up my skirt up my thighs and it pooled around my hips. I broke the kiss and pulled it up above my head. Looking back up to George he took me in, trailing his fingers around the lace of my bra my breath hitched much like his own. My heart rate sped up as his fingers trailed down from my breasts and to the waistband of my matching lace panties. 

He pulled on the waistband of them, letting it bounce back onto my hips. Leaning back he pulled his shirt and tie over his head. I took him in, his toned chest and stomach eyeing the ginger trail of hair that could be seen down both. 

He undid his belt, pushing down down his trousers while maintaining eye contact. I watched him until my eyes flickered down to the tent in his underwear. I could hear him chuckle as I eyed his length, my eyes widening as he grew under my gaze. 

He moved again to sit in front of me on the bed. His hands moved up my legs and rested on my things, lightly kneading them, his lips soon followed. He repeated his assault on my neck on my thighs, nipping and sucking until he reached my covered core. 

His eyes flickered up to mine as he halted his actions. I nodded permitting him to continue. His hands came up and they traced my lips causing my breathing getting heavier. He pushed my panties to the side and reached out to delicately lick my clit. I dropped my head back and let out a loud moan. 

“My family is in the house you know.” He laughed against my core, his breath fawned over me sending shivers through my body. 

“Sorry.” I whipped my head up to see him smiling at me. 

“It’s ok, I want to hear you.” He said and summoned his wand. He placed a quick silencing spell on the room. “Don’t hold back darling.” My face heated up at the nickname and I quickly nodded. 

He turned his head back to my core and started to aggressively lick and suck at my clit. I couldn’t hold back the moans that spilled from my mouth as he continued his attack. His fingers came up, tracing the entrance to my core adding to the pleasure I was feeling. I reached behind myself and unclipped my bra to massage at my tits. 

He inserted a finger into me making me exclaim as he pumped it slowly while curling it. He pulled his face back to watch me as twisted and pulled on my nipples, adding to the overwhelming feeling crashing around me. 

“So pretty.” He fawned. I didn’t have time to have to be flushed at his comment as he inserted another finger into me making me scream out his name. He gently licked at my clit now and again as his fingers mercilessly pumped into me. Curling his fingers to hit that one spot over and over again his attention picked up on my clit. 

“George, I, f-fuck! I’m gonna...” I breathed out. The ability to make words passed me as my legs began to shake, the familiar feeling of a knot filled my stomach and my eyes clenched shut. 

He hummed onto my clit, acknowledging my plead and that was enough to send me over the edge. I came hard and saw stars as he continued his attack, milking my orgasm for all it could give him. He pulled his mouth away, soon after pulling out his fingers, massaging my shaking legs as I caught my breath. 

“Do you want to keep going?” He asked. I looked up at him, propping myself up on my elbows as I looked down at him. The tent in his underwear looked bigger as ever and his chin was glistening with my arousal. 

“Please.” I nodded. I grabbed him and pulled him on top of me. One of his hands propped him up while the other cupped my face as we kissed. Our tongues fought each other for dominance, I moved my hand down and palmed him through his boxers. He let out a groan which I used to my advantage to explore his mouth. 

He moved his hand from my face to grab my wrist. I halted all my actions and watched as he pulled his cock free of his underwear. My eyes widened at the sight of him, I felt myself grow wetter and rubbed my thighs together at the sight. He pumped himself a few times as his eyes raked over me, chuckling lightly to himself.

“Needy, are we?”  He taunted. He started to move his hand slower around himself, his eyes were dark as they looked into mine. I wiggled under his stare again letting out a whine. 

“George, I need you.” I managed to breathe out I heard him groan at my words. 

“As you wish.” He crawled on top of me, I linked my legs around his waist. My breathing intensified as he trailed his lips up my torso until he was trailing his lips along my jaw. He nipped and sucked behind my ear causing me to let out a breathy moan. I could feel him pressing against my entrance so I shifted my hips needily trying to take him in. He lifted his head and looked at my face as though he was committing it to memory. 

“Please…” I whined. He smiled down at me and reattached our lips. One of his hands found mine and he pulled it above my head, interlocking our fingers and leaning against it. His other hand trailed down my body until he found my hip, holding it steady. Our lips were still pressing against each other when he pushed into me. I moaned into his mouth causing him to pull away and smile at me. He continued to push into me, filling me up to the hilt. Being quite large, I involuntarily clenched around him trying to adjust to his size. He groaned and placed his head in the crook of my neck. He peppered kisses to my neck and didn’t move, letting me adjust. I felt quite full, in a good way, the stinging sensation I felt at first passed quickly. I ran my free fingers through his hair, beckoning him back to me. I kissed hard signaling for him to start moving. 

Slowly he pulled out halfway then pushed back in with more force. I moaned out his name as he repeated these actions, each time thrusting into me with more force than before. Hoisting my leg around his shoulder he continued his pace, this time hitting that spot deep inside of me that made my toes curl and my lungs lose the air they once retained. I was a moaning mess, saying George’s name like a mantra. Each feeling was both too much to handle and not enough. The familiar feeling of a knot was building up in my lower stomach. My legs began to shake and my breathing sped up as I felt myself tighten around him making each thrust leaving me feeling more full. 

“George, p-please, I need…” His hips snapped into me cutting off my sentence and turning it into a moan. He trailed his hand up and cupped my face. He picked up his pace causing my whole body shake begging for release. 

“What do you need baby?” His voice was husk and sent shockwaves through my body. As he continued his brutal pace and didn’t grant me my release I felt tears prick my eyes as it all became too much to handle. 

“F-Fuck, please George. Please.” A few tears fell as I tried my absolute hardest to hold back from falling apart. 

He leaned his head down and nipped at my ear. “Go on darling, cum for me.” He whispered into my ear. At his words I let myself fall apart, shaking and clenching around him. He continued to thrust, slowing down and stuttering until he filled me up, thrusting a few times as the aftershock of my orgasm made me spasm and let out a few small moans. 

He slowly pulled out of me and laid on top of my chest. Picking up our intertwined hands he placed a kiss on the back of mine. Brushing my fingers through his hair I tried to catch my breath. 

He rolled over and pulled me with him, now resting on his chest I could hear his heartbeat go back to a normal rhythm. 

“Y/N?” I hummed as a response, waves of fatigue fell over me and I traced small patterns onto his pale chest. “I don’t ever want to be apart from you, not anymore.”

I smiled at his words, shifting slightly so I could look up at him I beamed. “That took too long to happen,” He nodded eagerly and I laughed at him lightly. “I just mean I’m ready to fight for us.” 

He grabbed my hand resting on his chest and interlocked our fingers yet again. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

We fell asleep, tangled together breathing in each other and I never felt more complete than I did at that moment.