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cheekygreenty · 3 years

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Little Witch - Part 14

The Darkling x Reader

You felt fine after dinner, the food quickly replenishing your dwindled physique, but you didn't go back to work. You took Aleksander's advice and took the rest of the day to rest and take your mind off the countless tasks you had. There was one thing you needed to do though and that was thank Zoya for today.

She didn't have to do any of it, in fact, you believed she hated you from the minute you interrupted Aleksander's meeting. You were told by a servant she was out training Inferni's and so you made your way down to the Etherialki training grounds. She stood there, the image of a goddess. Her dark hair fell down her blue kefta in defined curls, collecting small snowflakes.

There was no indication she'd been involved in a deadly attack a mere 4 hours ago. Saints, I think I have a crush on Zoya. Nevertheless, you walked over to her, calling out her name to grab her attention.

'Deputy, how are you feeling?' She looked worried yet relieved to see you standing in front of her on both of your legs.

'Y/N will do Zoya.'

'Alright then'

'Thank you for today. I don't know what came over me.'

'We all have our moments. Some of us just hide them better' You couldn't tell whether that was a dig at you or not.

'You're an amazing soldier Zoya. I'm very impressed'

'Well I didn't just sleep my way to the top if that's what you're implying.' She turned her addicting gaze away from you, studying the young Infernis.

'I beg your pardon?' You were taken aback.

'How's your leg?' She tried to change the topic but you weren't ready to.

'What do you mean Zoya, spit it out.'

'You know what I mean Y/N.' Why was she avoiding the conversation if she brought it up in the first place?

'Are you and Gener-' Is this another thing he had lied to me about? You vaguely remember thinking the two had been involved when you seen them in the same room but it passed quickly, surely he would have told you, especially if it was with one of his most trusted Grisha? The thought was another painful blow to your gut. They just kept on coming. You couldn't finish your sentence for she already answered it.

'No.'

'Zoya'

'Not anymore... Alina is here now' The strong feisty woman was gone now, in her place was a hurt and rejected woman. You were old enough to see it, you had been her before, hell you were her now. You looked at her striking beauty, thought about her incredible skills, and then stupidly compared yourself to her. If he rejected her, you're next. Your silence must have comforted her more than words could, for she shrugged her shoulders and said

'He keeps saying she's his equal, the day to his night' His equal. That's what Alina said.

'You don't need anyone Zoya. I can promise you you'll amount to great things on your own.' Despite the hurt you felt, you focused on her.

'Well as of right now I'm stuck to skiff trips and when you request me' You eyed her inquisitively 'Our dear General's doings.' she admitted.

'What gave you such an honor' you teased.

'I got into a riff with the precious Sun-Summoner after she vexed me.' She shut her eyes tightly as if trying to forget the memory.

'She doesn't strike me as the vexing type-' Your conversation was quickly interrupted when an Inferni accidentally set alight more than just the mannequin and Zoya scrambled to put it out, scolding the boy in the process.

'I'll leave you to it then'

You walked away, hurt and on the verge of tears. You needed to speak to Aleksander, you were sick of him lying to you but you were even more tired of feeling that severe urge to cry every time you thought about him. You came here to do your job and to show everyone you had your powers under control, yet all you've done so far is the opposite. Saints be damned you would walk away from your position because of a complicated relationship, you were better than that. But you also recognized that if you confronted Aleksander about all of this, he would either have to tell you about his plans for Alina or lie again, and you knew he would lie. It was a vicious cycle, one that wouldn't end. It was heartbreaking knowing that the man who claimed to never stop loving you could lie to you so easily.

You were right to question your trust in him, he never gave you a reason not to.

***

He was sitting at his desk, back turned towards you. You hesitated, the thought of running out the door and locking yourself in your room sounding pretty attractive. Maybe a good cry will fix this.

'Y/N I thought I told you to rest' He spoke calmly, his hand never dropping the pen. You shut the doors, not wanting the guards outside to hear what you were about to say. This made him turn around.

'We need to talk'

He dropped the pen and paper and stood up, indicating he was all ears. You glued your eyes to his knowing your vulnerability peeked through but you didn't care to hide it.

'What are your plans for me, Aleksander?'

He cocked his head to the side, confused. 'What?'

'Why keep me around when Alina is here?'

You were never the jealous kind, but you came to realize this wasn't jealousy. It was disappointment and aching after being away from him for almost a century. You had built up this life in your head, one where everything was perfect and Aleksander hadn't changed but you raised the bar too high. The bad parts of Aleksander faded away with each year and the best parts of him enhanced in your mind. You had forgotten what he was truly like, plus coming to terms with the fact that he lived a seemingly happy life while you were gone stung a bit too. With each day, the disappointment turned into hurt and anger.

'Y/N I already told you, I have a plan.'

'So you expect me to watch you and Alina fawn over each other while I stay in the shadows being a dutiful Second in Command? I may be loyal but I'm not going to blindly follow along Aleksander, not anymore.' It's making me miserable.

His hands reached out for you but you moved away. 'You know I love you Y/N' He said as if the foolish statement would make your worries and anger melt away.

'Then act like it'

'It's not that simple.'

'It never is, is it?' You bitterly laughed. What's the point of loving somebody if you're not willing to do everything to make them stop hurting?

'Why won't you tell me?' Your voice was a whisper he barely registered. 'Do you not trust me? Cause I'll admit it right now, I may love you, but I don't trust you Aleksander.'

Your admission hit him like a pile of bricks. He was brought back to when you first met, your shaking body radiating hostility as you rode in the carriage with him. He tried to assure you you were safe, you were one of his Grisha now, but you were having none of it. You didn't trust anybody for months after you arrived in the Little Palace, especially him and right now, it was all back to square one.

'Have I really given you that many reasons to not trust me?' It had been so long since he had somebody to care for and love that he forgot how to act around you. Perhaps he was back to square one too.

'Yes. Your sly comments about killing the King and finding the stag, your relationship with Alina, even with Zoya- Aleksander you're lying to me every day and you think I'll still be compliant. I'm not the same Y/N you remember.'

'You know what I want Y/N. You've always known'

'I do, but I need to know how you're going to do it all. How can I be supportive when I don't know what the hell is going on around me. A goodnight kiss every now and then won't fix this if you're doing the same to somebody else'

'Is this what this is? Your way of saying I'm fucking my Sun-Summoner on the side?'

'I never said that. All I wanted to know was why I'm not in on the plan that's supposed to give us more power. Is it because I'm a loose cannon, are you scared of what I'll do if I won't agree with you?'

You were sure of one thing; while you were gone nobody dared to disagree with the Darkling and he had grown to get used to it. Power corrupts, resistance humbles.

Somehow you still held your composure, albeit it was difficult. Aleksander however, was losing his temperate demeanor. He was pacing the lengths of the room and his hand had brushed through his hair countless times, the image of someone who was backed into a corner they couldn't get out of.

'I haven't told you because I don't want you to get burned. If it goes wrong it would be good to have some of us not hanged for treason would it not?' Bullshit. He must've forgotten you had the power of a heartrenderer. Aleksander was lying right through his teeth.

'You and I both know that's not true. If history is any indication then they'll turn on all Grisha.'

'And you'll be here to make sure they don't.' He tried to reason but you let out a loud laugh.

'Up until 2 weeks ago you didn't even consider giving me my old post back, do you really expect me to believe you changed your strategy in a matter of days?'

He stayed silent and settled against his desk. His crossed arms showed he was in no mood to discuss any further but you weren't done. He was going to tell you everything whether he liked it or not. You were sick of being kept in the dark. You had your title of Deputy back now, yet you still had no idea what truly went on and had no real sway against the top-ranking Grisha who no doubt were in on the plans. Power corrupts, resistance humbles, and you were done being humbled.

'Aleksander don't make me force it out of you' As soon as the words left your mouth you tried to find some part of you that regretted them but came up empty-handed.

His head whipped around with whiplash speed. You could see the internal battle going on behind his eyes of whether you would actually make do on your threat. You didn't know whether it was empty or whether you actually would do it but it was tempting.

'You said you changed, but I don't think you did' He retorted, eyeing you up and down with a look of displeasure. The situation was a shift from the usual, this time he was the one losing control and spiraling whereas you were the perfect example of a calm before the storm. The Little Witch he had grown to love and worship.

'I'm stronger, I can be stronger. I am limitless' You prided yourself on the restraint you'd shown thus far. You were in a palace full of Grisha, of Healers, a Tailor, a Sun-Summoner yet you didn't make any moves to take anything. The old Y/N wouldn't hesitate to take what wasn't hers. Maybe that's why you would burn out, lose as you gained. This time you knew how to do it properly, how to be an Elemental who yielded it all.

'Your quench for power is contending mine, Sweet Y/N.' For the second time in your life, you saw fear in Aleksander's eyes. He always had a feeling you yearned to have a stronger grasp of the Second-Army and for so long, even now, you tried to lie to yourself and deny it. But deep down some voices always whispered 'it's only right to have a leader who represents them all'.

'Wrong. I already have it, I just need to use it.' You raised your hands slowly, showing him you meant what you said. I'm really doing this. Your heart dropped when his raised too. He's willing to hurt me to protect his lies.

'There's no going back from this' You felt weirdly ready. Although you had never used your Grisha powers against Aleksander in a fight, you had a hefty slice of hope in you that you could overpower him. You had what he had and more.

'Y/N stop this.'

'Why? So that you'll lie to me again? Make me the other woman? It's inevitable that it comes to this' Your heart picked up in speed as your breathing became rapid. The influx of power at your fingertips itched to get out and make itself useful and containing it was painful.

Shadows pooled on the ground and around your feet yet you didn't know who they belonged to. Technically they're all his, I just know how to control them.

Panic shot through you as you felt a tendril of the black nothingness grasp around your wrist. No. You let yourself go, snapping the shackle and mirroring it on him. He had never experienced cruelty at the hands of his own power until now and was completely powerless as the black restraints rendered him useless. You concentrated on his pulse, soothing it to its normal rate then into a slow hum, relaxing his mind. This all felt so wrong yet so right.

'I'm feeling merciful today. When you feel up to it, tell me everything, or else I promise I won't hesitate Aleksander. We're the same in that manner.'

You watched as he gathered himself, anger rising onto his face. His moves were rigid and stiff despite your previous soothing.

'Time is ticking' Before he could say another word, you left the defeated Darkling, instilled with a sudden sense of pride.

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Part 15

Here's my masterlist where you can find previous parts of this series!

Taglist (Tell me if u want to be added to the Little Witch taglist!)

@theonelittleone @searching-for-gallifrey @0-artemis @lostysworld @xceafh @fire-in-her-veinz @patdsinner33 @cleverzonkwombatsludge @wizardwheezes @aleksanderwh0r3 @tomhollandisabae @hotleaf-juice @justmesadgirl @exo-1204 @houseofdupree @oberonpascal @eireduchess

#shadow and bone #the darkling #grisha #imagine #the darkling x reader #ben barnes #alexander #alexander morozova #fanfic #alina starkov #general kirigan x reader #zoya nazyanelsky

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cryingoverafictionalcharacter · 4 years

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Request from @iwannagotospaceforever: Could u do a Fred Weasley x reader maybe with prompt 12 and 13???

12: “I’m Fine!” “Y/n, there's blood coming out of your head!”

13: “You’re cute when you want to stab me”

A/N: I love this!!! I hope you guys enjoy, feel free to leave me any feedback or requests you might have <3

Prompt: You and Fred have been friends for a while, you’ll hang out together on school grounds, pull pranks with Fred, and just seem to get along well, unless its on the quidditch pitch, where your competitive natures can get a bit out of hand.

Warnings: Reader is not in the same house as Fred (Gryffindor), Swearing, mentions of blood, Frenemies type shit, Fluff, terrible quidditch writing

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You walked onto the quidditch pitch, resting your broom against your shoulder as you swung your other arm, excited for game day. You were determined to win this round, Gryffindor having won the last couple games, and you were not going to let your house fall into the same fate. You had been getting up early the past two weeks, trying out new flying techniques, working on your stamina, and practicing chaser moves with Fred.

You and Fred have been friends since fourth year, having met in Snape's potions class when your concoction may have blown up in Snape’s face. After that you were constantly hanging out. Fred joined in of course, pulling pranks and just talking about random things in general, but for some reason, you and the older twin just had a connection. It might have had something to do with your competitive natures constantly keeping each other on your toes.

You spotted him on the other side of the field with George, each carrying their beaters gear and walking to the Gryffindor rest area. His eyes met yours and a smile spread across his face as he waved.

“You’re going down” He mouthed, his hand that was once waving now having a thumb pointing downwards. You smiled back.

“Fuck off” You mouthed back, going to give him the bird before you suddenly remembered Dumbledore was watching, and he probably wouldn’t appreciate the gesture.

Fred made a fake sad face, making you laugh a bit before returning the gesture. Suddenly Lee Jordan's voice rang through the bleachers.

“Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the third game of the season, today we have Gryffindor against (Y/H). Lets have a good game, and may the best team win.

This signaled for you and the rest of your team to get on your brooms and fly up to the starting point, forming a circle with the other chasers on your team as well as the chasers on Gryffindor.

There was a bit of silence, before madam Hooch opened the trunk, releasing the bludgers and the golden snitch, before finally throwing the Quaffle into the air, officially starting the game.

After a few minutes you had finally gotten your hand on the quaffle, headed to the goal, and towards Fred and George. You saw George moving to block your left, and moved right, now having to face Fred. You had been practicing with him for the past few weeks, so you knew his weak spots, but he also knew yours. You faked going for the far right goal before quickly turning and going through the middle, scoring your team a point.

“That's ten points to (Y/H)!” Lee’s voice rang out, causing cheers and boos to ring through the crowd. You flew up beside Fred, having a moment before the next play started.

“You need to up your game Weasley” You said jokingly

“Please I saw you from a mile away” He joked back, suddenly making you think that he might have let you score.

“I swear to God Weasley, if you are going easy on me im going to kill you” You said, giving him a look, before starting to fly off, but not before Fred got in the last word.

“You look so cute when you want to stab me!” He said, causing you to look back at him and giving him a pose, causing the both of you to laugh, but secretly you had butterflies going insane in your stomach.

Did Fred Weasley just call you cute? You weren’t blind, you thought the twin were quite attractive, but every once in a while, you couldn’t help but think about Fred specifically, about how the sun caught his hair, or how his eyes crinkled when he smiled, or how he was able to laugh every day, but also made sure that you felt heard.

You were quickly snapped out of your thoughts however when you made it back to the starting circle, putting your focus back into the game.

A few rounds later and you were 20-20 with Gryffindor. You had just gotten the ball again and was headed towards the goal, Fred facing you, a smirk on his face which only motivated you more. You were only a few seconds to scoring the goal, when Fred's face changed from irritating smugness, to worry. You didn’t have time to make out what he was saying before the right side of your head suddenly erupted with a sharp pain, and you were spiraling towards the ground.

The fact that you were still on your broom didn’t make the fall to bad, but before you knew what had happened, you were laying on your back looking at the sky.

“Looks like one of (Y/H) chasers got a good knock by one of the bludgers, that gotta hurt” Lee Jordan said

Madam Hooch was knelt beside you, asking you about the pain when Fred suddenly landed next you, running over and kneeling by your side.

“I know you said to not go easy on you but I swear it wasn’t me” He said, quickly, causing you to laugh a little.

“Fucking coward” You mumbled suddenly realizing that the game was still going on.

“Fred what are you doing go play I’m fine!” you said, finally sitting all the way up, your head spinning a bit.

“Y/n, there is blood coming out of your head!” Fred said, making you lift your hand to poke the side of your head, only to pull it back to see blood. Before you could say anything else to get Fred back to the game, Lee Jordan's voice rang through the crowd.

“Harry Potter has captured the Golden snitch! Gryffindor wins!” Lee said, causing the crowd to cheer.

“Well that sucks” You groaned. All the practice, only for the golden boy to catch the snitch AGAIN. You reached out your hand to Fred, motioning for him to help you up, which he took. However as soon as you were on your feet your head started to spin, but Fred saw you sway and caught you.

“I want you to go straight to the medical wing to make sure you don't have a concussion, Weasley can you take them?” Madam hooch said, making you roll your eyes.

“I don’t need to-” You started, not thinking your injury was such a big deal

“I would be happy to” Fred said before smiling at you, you glaring at him in return.

A few minutes later and you were sitting cross legged on on of the bed in the hospital wing, Fred making it his job to annoy you while Madam Pomfry to checked on you.

“Be honest doc, how long do they have” Fred said, causing you to roll your eyes and swat his arm, which caused him to laugh.

“Y/N will be living for a long while, but you do have a very mild concussion, so I don’t want you to do anything labor intensive for the next week.

“What? But quidditch!” you practically yelled, horrified at the news.

“I don’t want to hear it, now at the end of the week, I want you to come back in so we can see how you’re healing, as for the rest of the day I want you to relax” Madam Pomfry said, giving you a sympathetic look before leaving to check up on someone who had a bad encounter with the wrong Polyjuice potion.

“It could be worse” Fred said, trying to lighten the mood, causing you to glare at him.

“How could it be worse?” You asked

“Well you could not have me to keep you company!” Fred said, causing you to groan.

“Death would have been a kinder fate” You said, before quickly laughing at Fred’s shocked expression. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding” You said, moving to get up, which Fred helped you do without fully realizing it.

“Are you sure you want to stick around? I can’t do any strenuous activities so I’m basically the most boring person in the world right now” You said, causing Fred to shake his head.

“Impossible, you could never be boring, but I have an idea if you’re up to it?” Fred asked, quirking a brow which made you suspicious, but you agreed non the less, nodding your head.

“Excellent, adventure awaits!” He said, before walking off while still having his arm around you.

A while later and you were sitting outside by the black lake, underneath a tree. You had been spending the last few minutes throwing rocks in the water, just watching the ripples.

“You think the squid is mad that we keep throwing rocks in his house?” You asked, causing Fred to laugh a bit.

“Why do you think I brought you along? If he suddenly wants to kill us I know you're going to be way slower than me.” Fred laughed, laughing even louder when you shoved his shoulder.

“Typical, you only bring me places to benefit your secret agenda” You joked, leaning your back against the tree.

“Nah, you're to pretty to sacrifice” He said, suddenly tensing up realizing he just said that.

You were feeling something similar, your face heating up as you shook your head, trying to dismiss the comment as something platonic. He just felt bad because you got hit.

“Fred, I am in dirty quidditch clothes, with crazy hair and a bruise on the side of my head, I wouldn’t describe myself as pretty right now” You said, thinking he would make a joke and that would be the end of it.

“Well I disagree” He said, the sincerity in his voice surprising you, you turned to look at him to see he was already looking at you, before looking down at his hands.

“You really scared me today” He started “When I saw you get hit, and saw you falling, I was so scared. I kept thinking of how it happened, how I could have stopped it, how you were probably out cold, but then I got down there, and you were the same you always were, calling me lame for not intentionally trying to kill my friend at quidditch” He finished, his joking tone returning a bit.

“I think the term I used was coward” You said, smiling a bit.

“Yeah, that I am, not because of quidditch though” Fred said, smiling a bit, but you weren’t, stuck trying to think about what he could be talking about.

“Fred, you pull pranks on professors for fun. You stole your parents car, for fun. I don’t need to say all the crazy things you’ve done to know you’re not a coward. Why do you think that?” You asked.

“Because I never told you about how I really felt” Fred said. Suddenly the butterflies in your stomach returned, causing your face to heat up.

“What?” You asked, not quite believing what you were hearing.

“I like you Y/n, I have for a while, but I haven't said anything because I was afraid you wouldn’t feel the same way, and I didn’t want to ruin our friendship” He said, still not looking in your eye and instead looking out on the lake.

“Well then I guess where both cowards” You said, causing Fred’s head to suddenly snap to look at you, which made you laugh a bit.

“What?” It was now Fred’s turn to look shocked. Instead of answering, you just shake your head and put a hand on his cheek, closing the space between you two and connecting your lips. Fred took no time to respond, moving his hand to gently cup the side of your face that wasn’t bruised. We stayed like that for a moment, before finally pulling away for air.

“Well, that was unexpected” Fred said, making you laugh.

“What that I like you back or that I’m such an amazing kisser even with a head injury” You said, making him laugh in return.

“Speaking of which, maybe we should stop, Pomfry said no strenuous activity and I wouldn’t want to-” Fred started but you knew he was joking.

“Just shut it and kiss me dumb ass” You said, smiling as he reconnected your lips again, this time the kiss going a bit further, his tongue sweeping your bottom lip. You opened your mouth, your hands moving to his hair and-

“Oi no snogging with a concussion!” George suddenly yelled from a bit a ways, Oliver and some of your team mates following.

“Mind your own business” Fred said, making you laugh.

“And here we are, trying to be good friends and make sure you haven't died or something” George said, shaking his head in feign disappointment. “This couldn’t have waited a week?”

“No!” You and Fred said in unison, causing the group to laugh before making their way back to the school, wanting to give you two some privacy, but not before George gave Fred a quick thumbs up, glad that he finally made his move.

“Well I’m glad you didn’t wait to tell me” You said once everyone was out of earshot.

“Me neither, except we still have to wait a week to-” Fred started, a suggestive smirk on his face.

“Fred Weasley I swear to God!” You yelled swatting his chest, causing him to fall into a fit of laughter which you quickly followed. Maybe getting hit by a bludger isn’t the worst thing that could happen.

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Ah, to be hit in the head by a giant ball and be comforted by Fred Weasley. The Dream. TBH I know this ending is trash! But still I hope you enjoyed it, let me know if you have any recommendations or feedback! Also @iwannagotospaceforever I hope you liked it!

#fred weasley #fred weasley fanfiction #fred weasley fanfic #fred weasley headcannon #fred weasley imagine #fred weasley x reader #fred weasley x y/n #george weasley #Harry Potter

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eryiss · 3 years

Text

Ship: Freed x Laxus

Rating: Teen

Prompt: Demon in Disguise x Angel Undercover

Summary: Being a demon was boring, particularly in peacetime. For Freed, passing the time consisted of sneaking into nightclubs and forcing men off the moral path. Thankfully, the angel with beautiful wings and almost rigid set of morals was always there to make things interesting.

Notes: This is Day Two of Fraxus Week, hosted by @fuckyeahfraxus. Be sure to look at their blog, I'm sure there's lot of other great Fraxus content on there for the event already.

Links: Event Masterlist ||| Archive of Our Own, Fanfiction

Off The Moral Path

Year: 2025

Location: Paris, France

"Come now, Darling," Freed purred, gently stroking the raven-haired beauty on the cheek. "You know you want to."

To think he'd come to this. Freed Justine – Albion the Slayer, Absolute Shadow, The Nightmares of Angels – resorted to flirting with men in a bar. It was humiliating. He was a soldier, a demonic mage whose power was the stuff of legends, and by rights everyone in the damned club should be bowing for him, on their knees and begging for his mercy. He would have been kind to them, were they giving him the respect he was owed, and perhaps he would have made their night more interesting with a display of his power.

But he couldn't. The war between demons and angels had long since ended, humans had forgotten about the battles and all the people who had been part of it, and as such they didn't know him. To them, Freed was nothing but another human. Better looking of course, but otherwise no different.

Frankly, it was boring.

War between unkillable forces was fun. You didn't have to worry about being hurt, because you couldn't be, and a demon didn't care for guilt. It was simply posturing, and it had allowed Freed to show off the magic that he'd been slowly building from his creation. He was explosively powerful, and he'd sent many of the enemy forces back to heaven time and time again. It was fun seeing them disintegrate as they screamed, but now that was gone.

Technically speaking, he shouldn't have even been in the nightclub at all. Earth was off limits, but he was hardly doing anything too bad. He wasn't poisoning a water system, or luring a man to his death. He was just having a little fun. Nobody could begrudge him a little magically fuelled flirting.

Well, one angel might. But he hadn't arrived yet.

"I dunno," The raven-haired man shrugged, swirling his drink absently.

"I do. You want to do it and you know it," Freed smirked, and his eyes glowed red for a moment. He placed his hand on the mans exposed forearm, and magic flared in his next words. "I'll do it if you will. And you've got nothing to be ashamed of."

A lie, but a fun one.

"You know what," The man said, confidence in his words now. "You're right."

The man was standing up a moment later, walking towards the raised stage with a pole attached to it, removing his shirt. Hm, if the sounds of the cheering at the sight were reflective of the mood, Freed had been right about him having nothing to be ashamed of. It was good guess; Freed really had no idea what a human saw as attractive anymore.

Freed watched from the bar, drinking his wine with a smirk as the man began to gyrate over the pole. Men and women alike cheered, and Freed liked to think that he had done his good deed for the day. Of course, the dancing man might disagree when the spell wore off, but that was hardly a problem.

He'd dispel his magic as the man was dancing. It would be fun to see him crumple.

"The hell are you doing?" A loud rumbling voice came from behind, and Freed smirked.

Right on time.

"What does it look like, my dear," Freed said, not looking towards the angel looming over him. "Exercising my Devil given right to annoy you. Is it working?"

"Take the spell off him," The angel demanded. "Now."

"During his dance. Imagine the embarrassment, it would be debilitatingly humiliating," Freed laughed quietly. "Would he be able to look himself in the mirror? Would he be allowed back out of his home? Would he cry? Rather cruel, aren't you angel?"

"Shut it, devil," The angel growled.

"So rude," Freed tutted while grinning. When a hand planted itself firmly on his shoulder, Freed turned to look to the man. "Good evening, Laxus."

It was always disheartening to see Laxus disguised as a human. He was good looking in their terms, with broad shoulders, a thin waist, handsomely rugged features, and a damn cocky smirk when he used it. But Freed always missed seeing his wings. They were long stretching, tinged and scarred by lightning, with feathers so soft that Freed couldn't decide whether he wanted to stroke them or to pluck them out to see the man scream. He was a magnificent beast of an angel – the counterpart to Freed's demon – and very fun to annoy.

"Hypnosis on humans is fucking illegal," Laxus growled.

"Then it's good that I didn't use it," Freed dismissed, placing the wine on the bartop. "I only lowered his inhibitions. He's lost all doubt and regret, and he's simply doing what he wants to do. Hardly a war crime."

"Tell him that when the police come," Laxus murmured, and Freed laughed. Would the man be arrested before he was naked? Freed hoped not; human anatomy always made him chuckle. "You ain't supposed to be on earth. The hell is wrong with you?"

"You're here," Freed retorted, ignoring the question. "Won't you get in trouble too, angel?"

"I'm only here because I knew you were pulling this shit," Laxus whispered harshly, hand on Freed's shoulder tightening. "And I wanted to get you to cut it the hell out before," he jutted his chin up, "they figure out what you're doing."

"But the danger is half the fun," Freed smirked.

Laxus said nothing else, instead surrounding them both with a wave of angelic magic. As was natural for a demon, the overall holiness of the gesture sent a shooting of pain over Freed, but he grit his teeth and allowed the spell to take effect. A moment later, he was teleported to a blank, bland, nothing room nestled in the middle of limbo.

This was always how his little dance with Laxus went. Freed would sneak down to earth, annoy, and torment a human in a way with very few long-lasting consequences so that he could get a fill of fun, Laxus would somehow be informed of what Freed had done and would stop him before any other heavenly figures realised what he was doing, and he would be teleported away. It had happened hundreds of times, and always ended with Laxus yelling at him for his stupidity but never actually doing anything to stop him.

His face would soon be angry, and his wings would be spasming and flickering. Anger was a good look on the man.

But, truly, this dance was getting boring. They were all-powerful beings, opponents by very nature, who had met in the middle of battel and had underwent fights that would be studied for history in years to come. They shouldn't have gotten stuck in a rut. It was almost insulting.

"Why don't you leave me alone?" Freed asked before Laxus could begin shouting.

"What?" The angel asked, taken unaware.

"Well, I understand that your side likes to preach forgiveness and repentance and so on, so perhaps I can understand you trying to stop me the first ten or so times, but we've been doing this for years now," Freed smirked, leaning forward and leaning against a white table. He looked up at Laxus from under his lashes, flirtatious and smirking. "I'm not changing my ways, and you know it. So why not leave me to get killed by your darling overlords?"

Laxus tensed his jaw, grit his teeth, and let his wings shoot out from his back. What a lovely sight. Freed quickly removed his own human disguise, horns cracking from his skull and eyes turning a red and purple swirl.

"Everyone can improve," Laxus retorted. "I think that, given-"

"I've known you for centuries, Laxus, I know when you're parroting that ridiculous heavenly mantra," Freed cut off the argument before it could be made. "I want to know why you, angel supreme Laxus Dreyar, is being ever so kind to me so often."

He said nothing, and Freed grinned.

"May I offer my thoughts, since you don't seem to want to answer," Freed continued. "I think we're more alike than you think. You and I, you see, we're fighters. You can claim pacifism all you want, but I know you loved every moment of engagement. Showing off your power, proving yourself to be an overwhelming force of nature, it was everything you ever wanted. And then it was taken away from you, and you were at a loss of what you could do. Everything was peaceful and there was nobody to do battle with. Nobody to impress. Nobody but me."

"That ain't what happened," Laxus grunted. He walked towards a door Freed assumed would take him back to heaven, and Freed quickly intercepted.

"It's exactly what happened. I'm your opponent, in this little game we've created for ourselves," Freed smirked, took a single step forward so he was in Laxus' space and yet not quite touching him. "It was fun, as games go, but I think we should move past it. Flip the board and do something a little more," he smirked, and raked his claws over Laxus chest before hissing, "tactile."

Laxus' face held an expression Freed was familiar with. He was on the brink of doing something he wanted to do more than anything, but knew it was wrong. A look that, on humans, brought Freed a giddy thrill.

Seeing it on Laxus was euphoria.

The angel swallowed slightly, looking over Freed's face, his claws, his horns and then back to his face again. His eyes were dilated just a little, body tensing and muscles hardening as if he was trying to steel his resolve. He was so close to breaking, and making both of their lives both more pleasurable and much more interesting. He just needed a nudge. Freed was happy to oblige.

"That was the problem with the war, I feel," He purred, voice like silk and seductive. "Place men of unsurmountable power together and make them fight. It fuels passion. We were purpose built to feel strongly about one another. To obsess over one another. To rely on one another," He raised his hand and dug his claws into Laxus' jaw. "What did they think would happen when we could no longer fight? Falling for each other was inevitable."

"I ain't fallen, not for you," Laxus murmured as he leant close to Freed, tenseness giving way. He was even smiling, ever so slightly, and that was all the encouragement that he needed.

"Aren't you?" Freed grinned, stroking Laxus' cheek and loving the restrained mewling that bubbled in the angel's throat.

"No," Laxus murmured, bringing his lips closer to Freed, and his grin was just as unhindered as Freed's.

"Well," Freed purred, pressing into Laxus' chest. "Put your money where your mouth is then."

He closed the gap between them, and two millenniums of tension exploded to life in a slow, tender kiss. The mixture of magics gave their kiss a burning, fizzing sensation that spurred them both on. The contrast of their bodies stung and felt fantastic, addictively peculiar and driving them to kiss harder.

Laxus' wings outstretched behind him, then wrapped around them both. The comforting feathers tingled at Freed's back, and he leant against the man with a smirk as they pulled apart. Laxus was smiling at him, not a lingering sense of doubt in sight, and Freed grinned.

As fun as it would have been to taint an angel, bring him to his knees and make him turn his back on his culture, Freed had truly believed his words. They were fated to be together; it only made sense. Freed had broken countless rules set after the war, and he should have been struck down by lightning or burned at the stake for his crimes. Even with Laxus looking over him, the powers of fate were more powerful, and breaking of the rules came with immediate punishment. He hadn't been killed, despite his flagrant disregard of the rules. There was a reason for that, and he liked to think he'd been saved for Laxus. The fact Laxus had showed no regret, nor no fear about what he had done, seemed to suggest Laxus agreed with the sentiment.

Now, Freed was in a new game, a much more fun one. A game where it wasn't simply a demon fighting against an angel. No, this game had only one side. A flirtatious demon with an abhorrence for boredom, and his darling, virtuous fallen angel. Who would dare oppose them?

Le Parisien – 02.11.2025

Une Célébrité Populaire Prise Dans Le Scandale De La Nudité En Public.

Hier soir, le chanteur et danseur populaire Grey Fullbuster a été arrêté à Paris. Les rapports ont affirmé que, dans une démonstration de confiance ivre, il est monté au sommet d'une scène dans la discothèque Devil's Door, et a commencé à enlever tous ses vêtements et à danser contre un poteau. Les réactions à la situation vont du dégoût moral au plaisir divertissant. Dans une déclaration faite par le manager du chanteur, Fullbuster a affirmé que "Le diable m'a fait le faire".

#Fraxus Week #Fraxus #Freed Justine #Laxus Dreyar #Fairy Tail #Fanfic #Writing #One Shot #Modern AU #Angels and Demons AU #Word Count: 2.2k

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rayne-storm · 3 years

Text

AUgust 14 - Chefs

Title: WENN LIEBE IN DIR IST… UND GUTES ESSEN

Fandom: Tanz Der Vampyr

Alfred/Herbert, Graf/Sarah

This is my favourite musical. Straight up. You cannot get better than this. Maybe "Master and Margarita" but I haven't found a good bootleg of it.

I really hope you guys like this one!!!

Oh, there they were again. That damned truck with it's bombastic orchestral music, the catchy paintings, and the obnoxious sign boy. Alfred knew they were doing this on purpose, parking there because they knew how much it pissed off the staff of his own restaurant. Sure, it wasn't really "his" restaurant. It really belonged to Abronsius, the eclectic perfectionist who taught him everything.

And there the sign boy went, platinum hair flowing ever so delicately on the wind. He chatted up anyone that came by, and of course the mesh shirt mixed with the weird cape thing only made the spectacle that much more intriguing.

Alfred must have been glaring for too long because the blond eventually turned and winked straight at him through the window.

Damnit!

His face must have turned red because Abronsius asked him what was wrong, and he quickly made up some excuse about the heat before going back into the kitchen.

"You know," Sarah - the newest pastry chef - whispered, "their food's really good, and the sign dancer guy is single~" she teased.

Alfred felt his face pucker like he'd eaten a lemon.

Yes, the man was attractive, but from what Abronsius had said, they were all bad sorts there. But… well… whatever. Whatever. He had soups to make.

---

Three nights later. They were back. He had the evening off. Fuck. He was pissed. Abronsius had denied him a raise again. He shouldn't have been surprised, but if always stung when he was educated on exactly why he wasn't worth an extra two dollars an hour.

He knew he was young, sure, but he wasn't stupid or incompetent, he didn't have wrong priorities. He wasn't any of the things that stodgy old bastard said. And all he had wanted was two (2) more dollars. It wouldn't have even made him the highest paid (even discounting the profits he knew the old asshole was keeping).

So he wanted to make the man upset. As the sounds of Tchaikovsky drifted towards him, he couldn't help smirking. He hoped Abronsius was watching. Hoped Abronsius saw him ordering off the competition's menu, and he fully planned on eating right outside the restaurant, in full view from the large glass windows.

"Well hello there, finally come to see what all the fuss is about?"

Alfred nearly jumped out of his skin. He hadn't heard anyone approaching, but there he was: the sign guy. Blond haired, pale skinned, and just, umf, fucking beautiful.

Alfred felt his heart rate increase just from the sheer proximity.

"I-I-I, uhm, yeah. Uh, m-mostly, well, I, uh, wanted to p-piss off my boss."

Real smooth, dipshit!

Sarah was right. He was hopeless.

The guy grinned and, of all things, kissed his hand.

"Well, I'm glad you did. I thought I might have to venture into that tacky place to properly say hello."

Alfred honestly didn't disagree. The restaurant was called Knoblauch, which just meant "garlic" and the interior was kind of gaudy. Not that he would have ever dared say so.

"I, uh- wait. You wanted to see me?"

"Every day since I first spotted your adorable pout, yes."

It was effortless the way this guy flirted and Alfred was just getting more and more shy.

"I'm… um… that's sweet. Thanks."

"So did Sarah get you to take a look? She's been very chatty about you, you know."

Ah fuck.

"I, uh, I mean, maybe I guess, but, uh-"

"She says you're a single hopeless romantic, and I really hope she's right," the man interrupted, and whoops, there went Alfred's ability to speak anything but flustered gibberish entirely.

The man leaned down and grinned.

"My name's Herbert von Krolock. What's yours?"

Oh, Alfred knew this man knew, but he couldn't help answering anyway, stuttering it out.

Herbert grinned. "You're so cute! Do you wanna have dinner with me? Now?"

"U-u-uh, um, I mean, uh, I…. Yes…?"

Herbert took his hands (both of them, like this was some kinda romcom), and led him over to the side of the food truck, music playing louder there, and the magnificent frescoes truly visible. They were gothic scenes, dark balls. Alfred couldn't help liking them, for whatever reason.

Then another beautiful man appeared, pale and salt-and-pepper tied in a neat bun.

"Oh, the boy finally came. What shall we have tonight?"

Herbert smiled and nudged Alfred, who realized in a panic he had no idea what kind of food they even sold. The man seemed to take pity on him, luckily.

"Let's start you with a sampler, then. I know it's a wide variety… I'm glad you stopped by. Sarah speaks highly of you," he added with a small smile.

If he survived this Sarah was getting the bougiest fucking brunch ever.

Hebert led him to a small table over to the side to wait.

"You know, Graf is head over heels for her, but he's afraid his age will put her off," the blond murmured conspiratorially.

Alfred couldn't help snorting softly.

"She has a thing for older guys, actually. He should go for it."

Herbert grinned brightly. "I'll try to let him know that…"

Alfred couldn't help smiling. Was it something in the air? Who knew? He just… was having the best night he'd had in a long time.

The food was ready and Herbert got it, stopping only briefly to greet visitors. Alfred was a little surprised, since he always seemed so sociable before, inviting people in.

"What's the look for, hmm?"

Alfred was startled again by the quietness of Herbert's steps.

"O-oh! Nothing, really. Just… you always seem so chatty when…"

"When you spy on me from your little restaurant? I am. But tonight I'm on a date with a very cute guy, and he gets all my attention."

Alfred once again lost all coherence, nibbling at a strawberry to hide his sheepishness.

Herbert just chuckled, and began telling him about the food truck.

Graf (the owner, Mr. Sexy Older Guy) had taught himself to cook after dealing with a very hard childhood, and one day he decided he would take his knowledge out and feed others. He quickly became popular as a caterer at parties, the rich-people kind, like masquerade balls and that kinda thing.

He still did them sometimes. But his true love lay in cooking for the masses, it seemed, out on the street, in parks, at games. He decided to take the Balls and Parties with him.

"That's… really cool," Alfred admitted.

"Yeah? I think so. But we might have to give it up… he's thinking of doing a world tour in his golden years," Herbert began with a wry smirk, "as though he ever plans on retiring… but he wants an apprentice. I'm no good at anything except cold foods and people-pleasing…"

Alfred sighed and shook his head. Just his luck. He found a new favourite place and they were closing.

"I mean, you seem pretty good at what you do…" Herbert added suggestively.

"Wait, wait, what? Me?"

"Yeah. You. You're not the only one that spies from time to time. You seem really passionate about food. And fast. And competent in general."

Everything that Abronsius berated him for not being.

"I… is this all just a ploy? To poach from the competition?" He asked, stiffening. It was one thing to be all flirty and friendly, an entirely other thing to-

"What? No. Of course not! I'm not so shallow I'd do that."

Herbert looked genuinely hurt and offended. Fuck.

"I… I… I'm sorry it's just… I'm pretty often reminded that I'm a young, stupid know-nothing that'll never make it on my own and all…" Alfred muttered bitterly.

"That old hack doesn't know what he's talking about."

Graf's voice came from nowhere, and you know what? Alfred could live in a state of permanent heart-attacks. That was fine.

"What? You know him?"

"That pompous blowhard is the reason I never went to culinary school. Way back when, he made everyone's life hell because it had to be his way or nothing, because he knew how to cook 'properly' and we knew nothing."

"....so I take it he hasn't changed much."

"Nope. Almost ruined food for me. I decided I'd never go through anything that would turn me into a rude monster like that."

"Well, I'm quitting tomorrow, so I don't blame you."

Graf chuckled. "Why bother with that courtesy? Just come work for me. Rub it in his face. Bring the girl too. Take his two best kids from him."

Yeah. That… that sounded good.

"You know what? I think I will. If you'll excuse me, I have a call to make."

He walked over to the other side of the truck, a little ways away, where he could look in and see the kitchen. And there was Sarah, flinching at something the old bastard was saying.

He called her number.

He almost couldn't believe it when she picked up.

"Look outside," he directed. She did, and gave him a wave and a bright smile.

"How do you like it?!”

"So much I'm gonna work here. I quit. You should too. They asked for you by name."

"Say no more."

She hung up, and without further ado completely stripped off her uniform, leaving her in a sports bra and leggings (cause let's be real it got fucking hot in that kitchen sometimes), and she just sauntered on out.

Herbert started laughing, and Alfred turned just in time to see the look on Graf's face as his dulcet darling was strutting over.

"So, you want to give a recently unemployed girl a job?" She asked with a bright smile.

Alfred was glad he wasn't the only one who sometimes forgot how to speak.

Herbert took over, and the pair quickly bantered a deal, and Alfred just took a minute to watch.

They looked good, all together like that. Almost like a family.

Of course, then Herbert glanced up at him, and gave him another of those heart-stopping winks.

Well.

Carpe noctem and all that.

#my writing #rayne writes #au-gust #au gust 2021 #fanfic #tanz der vampire

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medeafive · 4 years

Text

Blood and Stone - 22

Masterpost

"Where'd your friend go?" Tony asks, grabbing the chips. "Turned around and he was gone."

"I don't know, I'm not his babysitter," Natasha returns, nibbling on a carrot. "Can I ask you something?"

"You mean, whether it's bad when your boyfriend finds out you're pregnant and disappears without a word?" Tony specifies, licking his fingers. "Yeah, it is."

Natasha snorts. "Fuck off, that's not what happened. Who's Lara Croft?"

Tony snorts, dropping onto the couch. "Oh, great, so you just pretend to be asleep the whole time. Do you actually eat or is that also some magic trick?"

"Answer my question, you coward," she returns, picking up cucumber slices.

Tony sighs. "Well, that's not exactly up your alley but- it was one of the last video games that came out, couple of years ago. Nobody really cared, because of vampires and all, but I think it would have fared much better otherwise. She's an archaeologist, but the cool kind, looking for hidden treasures, fighting mummies and tomb raiders- actually, that was the name of the game. Yeah, and she's animated but- she was always wearing tank tops and shorts and all."

"Oh God," Natasha remarks with amusement. "That is horrible ."

"Was just a joke," Tony defends. "Yeah, and the lady from Resident Evil fights vampires, in similar garments. You get the picture."

"Have you ever seen me in shorts ?" Natasha questions. "That's ridiculous. So you were just hitting on me while I was asleep."

"Not that asleep, apparently," Tony points out wistfully. "Nah, just pointing out the archetype, extra tough sexy badass and all. And, well, looks really cool from a distance, not sure it's as cool when you get closer."

"You were totally attracted to me when I got here," Natasha recalls. "But then you tried to set me up with your best friend and- I don't know, I never took it seriously. Also, you were with Pepper and I'm really not a homewrecker."

"So vampires are cool but taken guys aren't?" Tony prompts. "Also, if you'd let yourself be set up, you wouldn't be in this mess."

"Yep, and I'd also be either dead or a vampire right now," Natasha returns. "Doesn't that sound great."

"I think you're well on your way to being dead but Bobbi seems to disagree, so what do I know." Tony rubs his forehead. "But- Barton ?"

Natasha snorts. "You're really blowing this way out of proportion. And don't give me that shit that he's older than me, you're all older than me except for Sharon, and I already got that from the vampire."

"The fuck does he think he can tell you," Tony remarks. "When he's basically a hundred years old."

"Eh, don't worry about it," Natasha returns, picking up another carrot. "I mean, he went pretty hard to our side. A traitor of all vampirekind or whatever."

"You just enjoy making people do radical stuff, don't you?" Tony grins. "Manipulating people, having that power. Don't think Lara Croft was like that."

"Yeah, maybe stop comparing me to pixel women in shorts," she counters. "Just trying not to get killed, thank you very much."

"Hey guys." Bobbi turns the corner, yawning. "How are you? Don't listen to Tony."

"What'd I do to you?" Tony complains.

Bobbi snorts, crossing her arms. "Is he telling you you can't be a hunter? Cause that's what he used to tell me."

"Not true," Tony objects. "I said you weren't ready to be a hunter. And then you went out anyway and promptly got hurt."

Bobbi shrugs. "Learning by doing. Honestly, Pepper would have started going out much earlier if you hadn't told her it's too dangerous."

Natasha follows the exchange with amusement, nibbling on her carrot. "It is dangerous!" Tony defends. "And I built her the suit, don't act like I wasn't supporting her."

"Y'all can't deal with loss, is what I'm saying," Bobbi returns. "You only built her the suit because she was about ready to break up with you. Different kind of loss."

Tony snorts. "You know what, I really didn't miss that argument."

"You guys seem fun," Natasha throws in. "I'm good, by the way."

"Yeah, I actually came down so we could do some prenatal prep," Bobbi replies. "Because you only got two weeks."

"What the fuck is that?" Natasha asks.

Bobbi grins, gliding her hands into the pockets of her sweatpants. "Pushing and breathing. Not much more. Certain muscles you need. It's pretty awkward, though, so let's better do it downstairs or somewhere else private."

"I thought you'd just do a C-section," Tony suggests.

"Not if I can avoid it," Bobbi replies. "Not sure we have the equipment for that. Risk of infection, risk of strong bleeding, I'd rather try the vaginal route if it's possible."

"...I'm just gonna keep that joke to myself," Tony suggests.

"Thanks," Bobbi replies. "Very generous of you."

"Tony said you were doing lady stuff," Pepper remarks, putting her helmet down. "And we want in on that."

"What, you also want prenatal prep?" Bobbi asks, spinning in her chair like she was born in it. "How was patrol? Quiet night?"

"Quite the opposite," Sharon replies, hopping onto a table. "Saw three vampires. One got away. All fledglings, they must have come in from outside town."

"Three?" Natasha repeats with worry. "We haven't seen a single one in weeks ."

"Maybe that was your friend's doing," Pepper suggests, pulling off the shoulder plates. "You should ask him. Where is he, by the way?"

"I don't know, guess he left," Natasha admits. "He'll come back sometime."

She hates how vague that sounds, but she really doesn't know. "He ran into Steve, didn't he?" Sharon suggests. "That probably scared him."

Right. Completely harmless explanation. "Oh, but this is great," Pepper remarks, brushing through her hair. "I haven't met so many friends in a long time."

"Yeah, tell me everything!" Bobbi encourages, giggling. "How are things with Tony?"

"Pretty good," Pepper replies, also leaning against the table. "Really good actually. I still have to kick him once in a while but not as often. So I'm pretty happy."

"Kicking him sounds kind of fun, though," Sharon remarks. "Am I wrong?"

Pepper snorts, crossing her legs. "Sometimes. Mostly, it's annoying."

"Still sounds better than when I left," Bobbi insists, crossing her arms. "Honestly, I wouldn't have bet on you two making it. You know, Tony being Tony. Reason enough to dump him."

"He's really improved!" Pepper returns. "Anyway. What about your new guy?"

Bobbi sighs. "Eh, he's fine. Drives me nuts. In the good ways and the bad ways. But it doesn't have to be perfect and it doesn't have to be forever, so it's fine."

Sharon shrugs. "I don't know. Dating someone you hunt with sounds like a hassle."

"Oh yeah, why not date someone you hunt?" Bobbi interrupts. "Like a vampire?"

Sharon giggles. "Oh, come on! No offense, Natasha."

"No problem," Natasha replies, even though this whole situation freaks her out. Like, what is she supposed to say? She's sitting there, stone-faced, just listening and waiting-

"That has to be really weird, though," Pepper states. "Physically weird. Just their body temperature, and everything they smell… and the fangs!"

Bobbi chuckles. "Why not ask? Hey Nat, come on, we want to hear something."

Shit. "Oh, we won't tell," Sharon promises. "Ladies' room promise."

Natasha groans, rubbing her face. "Fine. The… what was it?"

"Body temperature, fangs, weird dick, anything," Bobbi repeats. "The juicier, the better."

Natasha snorts. "His dick's perfectly normal. Though- nah, I'm not sure I wanna tell you that."

Bobbi groans. "You motherfucking tease."

"That bad?" Sharon encourages, smiling way too nicely.

Urgh, fine, she's gonna die sooner rather than later anyway. "Not bad. Just, he always has two orgasms. One with just a little bit of stimulation and then he's still hard, you know, second orgasm a while later, everything normal. But it's always two."

"Oh my God, tell me more." Bobbi swirls in her chair, crunching up her face. "But he ejaculates both times?"

What an ugly word. "Yeah, but not very much. Anyway, I think that's all the vampire stuff."

"But he's cold, isn't he?" Pepper questions.

Natasha sighs, letting her head drop back against the pillow. "Sometimes. Just, when you touch him, he gets warmer? In the beginning, it took a while but now, he's basically always warm around me, even before I touch him. And softer, too, just more human, you know? And it worked on the other black cloak, too, not just on James. I don't know."

"The fuck," Bobbi remarks. "Just around you? No one else? That's creepy."

"I don't think anyone else really touched him," Sharon throws in. "So we don't know. Maybe it's psychological, you know, because he's only attracted to her."

"Yeah, we should test that," Bobbi suggests. "Just hold his hand for a while, see what happens."

Natasha snorts. "Well, ask him. When he comes back."

There's a knock on the door and it takes them all a moment to realize it's not the door to upstairs but the one in the back. Sharon hops off the table. "Is that the room with the ice block?" Bobbi asks. "Is that where you put him?"

"Steve," Sharon replies tensely. Pepper walks to the door. "Yes."

Pepper pulls the door open. It's indeed Steve, steadied against the wall. He doesn't look good but he never really does. "Hello," Pepper starts in her professional secretary voice. "I think Sam is still asleep but maybe we can help you?"

Steve blinks at them slowly. Sharon's knuckles are white against the edge of the table. "Oh, no, I really don't want to bother you, I don't need anything, just- do you mind if I join you?"

"Oh, sure thing." Bobbi gets up and pushes her chair towards him. "Here, sit down. No need to exhaust yourself."

Steve drops heavily into the chair. "Thank you. Uh, you're… you're not Sharon, are you?"

"Nope," Bobbi replies cheerfully, pointing to her right. "That's Sharon. That's Natasha, that's Pepper and I'm Bobbi. You're Steve."

Steve smiles as soon as he sees Sharon. "Oh, hey. I saw you- I don't know how long ago that was. Maybe a few days?"

Yeah, and he talked to Natasha yesterday but maybe he already forgot that. "Hey," Sharon blurts out. "I'm- Grandma is- I'm Peggy's granddaughter. She's my grandma."

Steve just blinks for a while. "I'm sorry, I'm still- oh, the- Peggy? Peggy Carter? From Britain?"

"Yes!" Sharon exclaims. "Sorry. Well, after the war, she got married and had my mom and- well, my mom had me and here we are, I guess."

Steve smiles again. "Oh, I see the- the resemblance now. Is she- How is she?"

Sharon giggles. "Oh, good. I mean, she's getting old but still holding on as always, you know her. I haven't seen her in a while, though, travel is very difficult."

"Oh, I absolutely remember that," Steve replies. "She was so determined and disciplined and smart, of course- oh, but she has to be very old now, the- what year is it again?"

"She's 78," Sharon says. "It's 1999. December 1999."

"Wow." Steve rubs his swollen red face. "That- I won't get used to that anytime soon."

Bobbi chuckles. "Uh, should we let y'all work that out alone or…?"

Steve turns. "Sorry, Ma'am. Are- You sound Southern."

"Georgia," Bobbi confirms. "But I'm not related to anyone. And I don't live here anymore, normally. Transferred to Florence, Italy."

"Oh, and I talked to you- was that yesterday?" Steve turns to her lying on the bed. "Was- It was Natasha, wasn't it?"

"Yep," Natasha replies. "Still very visibly pregnant, so I guess you won't confuse me."

Steve blushes, remembering. "Right. Is- is Bucky here?"

"No, he left," Natasha tells him. "Guess he needed some space, after running into you."

Steve groans. "Right, sorry. Does- wait, he would remember Peggy, too, wouldn't he?"

"James doesn't remember shit," Natasha returns. "Sorry. Not Peggy, not you, not anything before he turned into a vampire. Maybe it'll come back slowly but not right now."

"That's- unfortunate." Steve sighs. "That's probably why he- well, I guess he doesn't want to see me then."

"Natasha is a little harsh," Sharon admonishes. "I'm sure he'll remember eventually and it'll all work out."

"Yeah, after the vampire baby bullshit, nothing surprises me anymore," Bobbi remarks.

Steve blushes again. "Uh, so- what are you guys doing here? You're not from here, are you?"

"Oh, I'm Czech," Pepper replies. "Little village in Southern Bohemia, near the Austrian border. Came to Prague to get a job, ended up at this American company that was just getting started over here- with a really, let's say, eccentric boss- yes, and then the vampires. Let's say it really didn't go the way I planned."

"I'm Russian," Natasha adds. "Or I was."

"British American," Sharon states.

"But-" Steve coughs. "Pepper?"

"Oh, that's not my actual name," Pepper replies. "It's Jindřiška. But none of you can say that, so Tony called me Pepper and that stuck."

"And Tony is the-" Steve prompts.

"You saw him already, he was working on James' arm yesterday," Natasha remarks.

"He used to be my boss," Pepper explains. "He's sort of an engineer, an inventor. His company, the one he inherited from his father, used to produce weapons but he's moved it to energy production, reactors and the like, all of it renewable. Though it feels like he really worked on everything at some point, just like Bruce."

Steve rubs his temples. "Oh man. Who is Bruce again?"

"Our resident doctor," Bobbi replies. "He's brilliant, really. Fury recruited him. He used to study biochemistry somewhere in Sweden but when you break your arm, he'll fix that, too."

"Bobbi is a doctor, too," Pepper points out.

"Yeah, different kind, though." Bobbi shakes her head. "I got a medical degree, too, but I specialize in women's health. That's actually how I got here, because I volunteered in the early nineties when they didn't have enough experts in that around here, a lot of them had emigrated. Well, the thing is, babies tend to get born in the middle of the night, so I had to make spontaneous visits while the vampires are out in the streets. Clint started to accompany me, to convoy me so I could do my job without getting killed and… yeah, I wanted to be a hunter, too. So now I'm both."

"People really have a lot less babies now," Sharon remarks. "Not the world you want your child to grow up in."

Steve coughs, swallows. "Right. Uh, so… what did you do, before, Sharon?"

"Nothing," Sharon replies, smiling. "Just finished school. I've always been a hunter."

"Oh yeah," Natasha agrees. "Me too."

"Oh, but Natasha is probably the best tracker in the world," Sharon points out. "Really. She's been doing this longer than any of us."

How she wishes she hadn't. Maybe then she wouldn't be so tired from it. Steve looks confused once more. "What's a tracker?"

"That's a kind of hunter, someone who's very good at finding vampires," Sharon explains. "In the early days, they traveled, following specific vampires and hunting them down, but these days, there are just too bloody many. It's still useful, though, on patrols. I'm a tracker, too."

"Well, I think now we've got everyone," Pepper remarks. "Except for Clint, he's the one with the bow-"

"The- sorry for interrupting," Steve interjects. "With the bow ?"

Bobbi snorts. "Yeah, the bow. Gotta say, it's efficient because you only need to make the tip of the arrow out of silver, instead of the whole knife. But mostly, he just likes to be special or he'd use a gun. Oh, we used to date, if you didn't notice already."

"And Fury, of course," Pepper adds. "Fury is- well, Fury. You'll know when you see him. Rumor is he was a CIA agent stationed somewhere in the Eastern Bloc, and he just stayed around after. And this is not the first station he's run. But really, we don't know, he's not one to share."

"Could you- tell me about Sam, too?" Steve asks.

"His parents were from Angola," Bobbi tells him. "He came here very young. His dad was- was it agriculture? I don't know, he was some technical expert. They came here as refugees, from the civil war, and his father went through East Berlin to West Berlin to the US, trying to get a green card there. Of course, that took years, so Sam mostly grew up here. Yeah, and then he moved to the US, joined the Airforce, all that. Came back when vampires were starting to become a thing here."

"Oh yes, he said it- there are more here?" Steve states tentatively. "Vampires, I mean."

"Yeah, it started in Russia," Natasha remarks. "And you can thank your buddy for that."

Bobbi snaps around. "Wait, what?!"

"He told me," Natasha admits. "Schmidt sent him and he bit four people in Moscow, four in Saint Petersburg. Eight in total. There were others sent to other countries but those were the first ones."

"That motherfucker. " Bobbi snorts, crossing her arms. "I'm definitely not holding his hand anymore."

Steve blushes. "Uh, were you going to…?"

"Oh, we thought about doing an experiment," Sharon explains. "We were talking about that, actually, before- Well, vampires are usually cold, you know? But Natasha said her friend's not cold when she touches him, so… we just wanted to find out how that works."

Steve blushes even more, probably every time he's reminded his old buddy-new vampire knocked her up. "Oh. Didn't think about that."

"Only eight people?" Pepper repeats. "Really?"

"He thought that was enough," Natasha replies. "And boy it was."

"Wait, just so I get that right," Steve interjects. "Bucky caused a global vampire epidemic?"

Well, calling him Bucky really doesn't help. "Pretty much. He didn't know much about the others. I should mention there's some form of mind control involved, from a vampire to the vampire that bit them, though not in every case. Schmidt bit all of the black cloaks, so…"

"Mind control, too?" Bobbi snorts. "Oh, fuck that. That's bullshit."

All that cursing doesn't appear to be good for Steve, blushing and coughing. "But we don't really know how that works either, do we?" Sharon adds.

Natasha shakes her head. "Well, that's going to be an issue if Schmidt shows up."

"Uh, why would Schmidt- he's the Nazi vampire, right?" Steve asks. "Why would he show up? And what are black cloaks?"

Bobbi groans, rolling her head. "Oh man, we're going to be here for a long time, aren't we?"

They don't get a lot further until Steve is so overwhelmed and tired he goes straight back to bed. Natasha eats a huge amount of pasta and then falls asleep quickly. She's always so hungry and so tired now, though it got better with the vampire blood. She wakes when someone sits down on her bed. It's dark. She blinks. Oh, right. The warm stone touches her shoulder. She yawns. "Oh, you're back."

He sighs. "Yeah. Sorry I ran. It wasn't about you."

"He was here," she remarks. "Earlier today. And man, you really have to explain that guy everything ."

He chuckles, rubbing his ear. "Yeah. I don't know, I'll figure it out. I mean, I'll have to, whether I want it or not."

"You'll figure it out," she agrees. "And you don't have to become best friends with him at all, just clear the air a little."

He shrugs. "Somehow, yeah. And… I'm sorry, I'm sure you didn't want that reaction from me, about the pregnancy. You must have hoped I would be happier about it."

She sighs. "I don't know. There's no right way to feel about this. I didn't expect you to cheer for something that was really bad for my health."

He takes her hand and rubs it. "You smell better, by the way. Less dead, more vampire. I- I can't smell the baby, I think."

"Maybe that's part of the vampire smell," she suggests. "Look, I thought about what you said, that you can't really do this, and- it's okay. I still want to have it. You're enough as you are. Just love me, and support me. That's all I need."

He smiles, golden streaks flashing in the dark. "Always. I will try to look forward to it, then."

She snorts, placing his hand on her rounded belly. "Oh, yes. I also look forward to when this is over."

#blood and stone #buckynat #vampire au #natasha romanoff #bucky barnes #black widow #winter soldier #my writing #fanfic

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forkanna · 6 years

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NOTE: Alright, so based on quite a few reviews we have read, Fruipit and I would like to clear up a few things real quick! No one is "in trouble" and we aren't upset or anything like that; it just seems like it might be wise to cover this in one go rather than reply individually to loads of people.

Time travel works in a very specific way in Back To The Future, and that's how it works in this fic. If you change the past, it "ripples" into the future over time; eventually, it will be too late to change it back or course-recorrect. That's why Anna is still alive despite having damaged her own past. However, the future wasn't "always like that" for the person time-travelling. Anna's future is going to be different when she gets there: HOW it's going to be different won't be revealed until she gets the DeLorean nyooming into 2015, but it will not be how she remembers it. To everyone else, they will notice nothing because they have not seen the previous timeline with their own eyes before time-travelling.

To that end… no, Elsa was not an alcoholic because of what Anna did in 1985. In that original timeline, Anna had never changed the past, so she had nothing to do with it. This is precisely like Lorraine being an alcoholic purely because she started drinking as a teen in the original movie.

Yes, we know you all have a lot of little things you want to point out about how the original movies worked. They were beloved movies for a reason! But we have actually seen them ourselves and understand more than you might presume. Chances are, if you've thought of some tiny discrepancy to comment on, we have already thought of said discrepancy and either disagree on whether or not it's an issue, or have disregarded it for the sake of our fic (or you might be incorrect). While it might be interesting for you to notice these details, that kind of falls under the category of "nitpicking". And just… it's a fun little story, so lay off, will you?

That's it! Thanks for taking the time to read if you did, and I hope you enjoy the chap!

As Anna wandered around Dell Valley, doing as Doc said and trying not to look too conspicuous or influence anything else, she thought about her situation. And there was so much to think about.

Elsa was her MOM. How could she be attracted to her?! Sure, she was doing nothing on purpose to make her interested but it was still happening. The whole idea made her feel gross.

On the other hand, it also didn't. Sure, the weird flirty component was confusing, but seeing her mother so happy and hopeful, saying sweet things, looking shy… it fulfilled a need in her of which she had only been partly aware. Of course she knew she wanted more love from her mother! But she hadn't realised just how badly she wanted to see her happy until she did, and it was so striking compared with how she normally saw her – miserable, alone, unfulfilled, depressed. Empty. This Elsa was so full of life and love and hope for the future, and at some point, she had lost that.

And it might have been her father's fault. Not on purpose, he clearly also had dreams; he liked to write. Was it really only that they were so mismatched for each other that killed their happiness? It broke her heart.

At last, the time came for school to let out. Deciding to keep up her pretense that she was a student, she made her way back to the campus and hung around by Elsa's locker.

"Hey!" she almost shouted when she saw Anna leaning against it, hands in her pockets and thoughts swirling around in her skull. "How's it hanging?"

"Not bad, just, uh, chillaxing." Elsa cocked her head. "Chilling and relaxing," she added as explanation.

At that, Elsa grinned and snorted. "People talk funny where you're from. What was it that you called Hans earlier? A duck?"

"Douche," Anna corrected. And then winced because this wasn't the point. "Nevermind him! You ready to hit the road?"

"Sure, sure, just lemme put my crud away. We're gonna meet up at the mall about 4-ish?"

Anna found herself nodding. "Cool, cool, cool," she said, She wasn't looking at Elsa, which was possibly why the other girl ultimately leaned forward, grasping her hand. Most of the students had already left, getting out of school as fast as they possibly could.

"Hey, everything okay?" When Anna didn't answer immediately, she took another step closer. "Tori, you know you can talk to me about anything, right? I won't judge you, I swear."

There was nothing Anna wanted more than to open her mouth and spill everything. How was the 17-year-old version of her mother so much better than the adult version? It wasn't fair! But she couldn't. As much as she had already changed in the past, if Elsa knew she would stop being her friend, and being friends seemed key to getting her family back together.

So instead she just wound up saying, "Can- can I have a hug?"

"Ooh, look who's making all the right moves now, Tom Cruise." But when Anna didn't respond to the light teasing, Elsa's smile slipped a notch. "Um… you're serious? You want me to hug you?"

"Yeah. Just…" What could she say that would make sense to Elsa? "Just feeling kinda homesick, I guess. Sorry, it's dumb."

"Ohhh. Awww, come here. It's okay."

Elsa's arms were warm and firm, having readily accepted her new friend's reasoning for needing a quick fix of creature comfort. Anna leaned into the sensation, knowing this was weird, and wrong somehow, but also that it was the most natural thing in the world. Why shouldn't she stop and take a moment to just hug her own mother?

Because it didn't feel like hugging her mother. This Elsa was hugging her like Anna would hug Merida, or Jane. Or… Punz. Especially the latter, with the slightly shaky sound of her exhalation. They were both a little nervous, since they had barely done this once when sitting next to each other in the diner. And against her will…

"You smell nice," she found herself breathing. Stupid. It was a STUPID thing to say! Wasn't she trying to convince her mom not to flirt with her?!

"Oh, you like it?" Elsa chuckled, self-conscious again. "Um… it's just Love's Baby Soft. I really want to try 'Obsession', that Calvin Klein fragrance? But my mom saw the X-rated ads, so… yeah, I'm gonna have to buy that on my own."

But Anna hadn't been talking about the perfume. Of course she could smell it, but it was one of the more subtle scents and had mostly worn off by this point in the day. It was only now that her head was buried in Elsa's neck that she could detect it at all.

No, what Anna had been complimenting was the smell of Elsa. Between now and the 2000s, it hadn't changed much – the only difference was that it was, more often than not, covered by the smell of rum or vodka. This scent, the smell of a person, was familiar, from way back when she was a tiny child. Before her mother started drinking and her family stopped caring about each other.

But there was another layer to it, too – one Anna was not very familiar with. The skin between Elsa's neck and shoulder felt warm against her face, and Anna let herself relax further. Her arms slipped from below Elsa's armpits to somewhere closer to her waist, squeezing softly. Her eyelids mimicked the action.

Her mother felt so good in her arms. The very thought made her want to cry.

"…Tori?"

Finally, Elsa's tentative voice broke through. Anna had no idea how long they'd been standing there, and she didn't care, either. She threw herself backwards, rubbing at her eyes. This was too much.

"Hey, sorry," she said, obstinately not looking at Elsa. Her eyes burned, and she was blinking too much to be natural. "How- how about I meet you at the mall? Got- gotta make sure Kristoff knows when and where."

"Oh… Kristoff?" But Elsa didn't seem to be thinking much about that at the moment; she was watching Anna's face intently, clearly worried. Anna couldn't hold her gaze, and her eyes fell to the floor. "Hey… like, sorry if this is way out of line, but am I doing something wrong? You keep wigging out on me."

Anna dragged her eyes back up, widening them minutely. "No! N-not at all. Like I said, I'm just going through withdrawals. You're… fine."

"Fine as in 'fine bod', or just fine?" Elsa pressed. When Anna only raised both eyebrows, she laughed; it was a laugh meant to protect both of them, to shrug off the deeper questions and try to push through. "Sorry, I know, I need a chill pill. See you at the mall?"

Only able to nod, Anna swallowed hard and tried to turn toward the exit. When she realised Elsa was following her, she nearly stumbled.

"I'm also leaving school, you know," she giggled.

"Oh, right." Slapping her head, she grumbled, "Brain fart."

"What?" Her laughter only got louder. "Did you just say that… your BRAIN had a FART?!"

"Y-yeah! I meant, um… 'no duh'?!" But it was too late: her mother was already losing it, cackling so hard that she was actually snorting with laughter. She had never heard her find anything that funny! And it was the phrase "brain fart", of all things!

So Anna started laughing with her, and they were both clutching their sides by the time they jogged down the front steps of the high school. Only then did she see Doc's car idling at the curb.

"That's me. I, um, I gotta go."

She had just turned to leave when she felt something stopping her. Looking back at Elsa, at the hand that had reached out to hold hers, she found herself completely mute. And then Elsa's arms wrapped around her once more, with such strength that Anna stumbled back a few steps.

"Els…" she murmured, hands coming to rest on slim, denim-covered hips. She heard her mother swallow hard, the little gasp afterward. But she didn't linger – it wasn't like before. Within a few seconds she'd released Anna, a small smile on her face.

"For the ride home. So you don't feel as homesick."

And then she was skipping away, turning back only once to offer a wave and a smile. Anna lifted a hand to say goodbye, but she couldn't quite force that word out. A different one spilled from her lips instead.

"Fuck."

So of course, the moment she slid into the seat next to Doc, he was staring at her with wide eyes.

"Dare I ask how things went?"

"You dare," she sighed while flopping back, hitting the headrest and closing her eyes. "They went bad. You were right, and I was right, and we were right. She's too into me to care about my dad."

"This is, indeed, heavy." Putting the car into gear, he started to pull away from the school and off toward home. "Well, I presume that you have begun to construct a further plan of attack?"

"We're meeting up at the mall later. I, um… I invited Kristoff along, and made it clear he's coming. Maybe if I nudge them enough, I can get them to stop thinking each other is a space alien."

Nodding as he focused his eyes on the road, Doc redoubled his grip on the wheel. Thinking. Then he said, "I know this isn't easy for you, Future Girl. Can't even begin to imagine what you must be feeling. Though can I say, as a casual observer, that you could probably be putting a little more effort into discouraging her advances?"

"The hug? I…" Swallowing hard, she whispered, "It's my mom, Doc. How am I supposed to tell her not to hug me when…"

The rest of the thought wouldn't come out. How could she tell Elsa not to hug her when the feeling was so foreign to begin with? When she never wanted, never tried, to listen to her youngest daughter, or comfort her? On some level, it was probably a little sick that she could – and willingly chose to – accept this form of affection in place of another, but she couldn't help it. The craving was so desperate that any and all ways it could be sated were welcomed by her heart.

"Alright, alright. My words aren't intended to pass any judgment. Just keep that in mind; if you want your father to seem more appealing to her, then you yourself must seem less appealing. That part is simple mathematics."

He was right, of course. She privately thought that Kristoff McFly was about the lamest candidate for a husband, period, let alone for the incredible creature that was Elsa Baines… but if she didn't want to destroy the universe, or at least herself, she had to send them down the aisle to the altar.

"Guess I got my work cut out for me, huh?"

Doc didn't bother to grace that question with an answer. After having seen Kristoff, he was probably thinking something along those very same lines.

~ o ~

But his words did give her an idea. Obviously Elsa was pretty much infatuated with Anna, completely insane as that was, so there had to be something to make her seem less… awesome. Less captivating compared to Kristoff. She briefly went through a list in her head as Doc drove them back to his place. She didn't want to do anything drastic to change her personality – and really, Elsa would probably see right through that. But Doc was right. She had to put her foot down. No more moments of weakness.

They weren't meeting up until after four, which gave Anna some extra time to prepare. She had to start with improving Kristoff's look – probably beginning with his oily hair. No matter the decade, it didn't look good. The only consolation was that at least he didn't have a mullet.

Making sure to don her era-appropriate clothing, Anna got Doc to drop her off. Seeing as her license wouldn't be valid for another thirty years, she didn't want to risk it.

Kristoff must have come straight from school because he hadn't even bothered to change. Good grief. Glancing at her wallet, she had a sneaky fifty hidden there that Doc had given her for emergencies. Well, this was life and death – hers, if she couldn't get her parents swapping DNA. Without even greeting him, she leaned up and flicked him in the forehead.

"Do you really think Elsa's gonna be impressed when you're still wearing your shirt from lunch?"

He looked down at his chest. "There's only one stain on it!" he protested – and at least he said it with some conviction.

"Beside. The point. Kris." She pointed in the direction of the JCPenney's – still exactly where she remembered it from 2015. "I have fifty bucks to waste on you. Don't make me regret it."

Luckily, JCPenney seemed to be where Elsa and her friends were not, so they could do this part without them hanging around and chiding his choices too much. Anna took a good, long look around the clothing department, getting a feel for what was in fashion… even though some of it made her want to laugh. She had to adapt to the environment.

"Start with this," she said, pushing a T-shirt at him.

"With wh-" When he got a good look at the front of it, he gasped and whispered, "I can't wear that! It has profanity on it!"

Glancing down at the white words on the black fabric that asked, 'What Are You Looking At Dicknose', she shrugged. "I mean, you do want Elsa to notice you, right? She doesn't like guys who act like they own her, but she doesn't want some wimp with a stained shirt, either. This is, like…" What was the word that would mean it was an acceptable middle-road? She went for it: "Rad."

"Rad, huh?" Taking up the shirt, he shrugged. "Alright. Um… I'll try it on, but no promises about buying it."

"Good. That's all I ask."

When he exited the dressing room, still wearing the same jeans and shoes, Anna couldn't believe it. Maybe it was no Cinderella transformation, but he looked leagues better with such a small change.

"We're taking it. Plus, um… this one." Her hand snatched up a Purple Rain t-shirt; she knew Prince was huge back then, he couldn't go wrong there. "And…" Another light pink one with a cartoonish outline of a person on it, lines of interest radiating outward from the little dude.

"All these? Why? I have my own clothes."

"Your own clothes suck. Trust me on this, broseph."

"That's not my name."

Right – the slang thing. She needed some kind of dictionary. For the time being, she just shook her head and steered him toward the front. Anna was pleasantly surprised that the total came to just over twenty-five dollars. Kristoff looked aghast.

"I can't afford that!" he hissed. Anna just scrunched her nose up.

"Dude, I said I got this," she replied. Even better, she had enough money left over for food. "But this is the only time. You don't want your first impression – well, second first impression – to tell her you're some pig who can't even keep himself tidy. What woman is going to respect you if you can't even respect normal rituals of hygiene?"

The words seemed to be enough, and he shut his mouth. So they went to the checkout, Kristoff still slouching. Anna hoped it was because he was embarrassed about the stain on his shirt. They'd almost made it through when something else caught her eye. It was a CD, advertised as being on sale for $15. The name, a day of the week, was somehow familiar…

Suddenly, it connected in her brain. "This, too," she said. grabbing one and giving it to the cashier. They finally looked a little more interested, and gave a grin.

"Gnarly, man," he chuckled. "'Til Tuesday is really pumping out the hits lately!"

Anna smiled at him. "Oh yeah. Real uh, sick." Kristoff gave her a funny look, but she ignored him until they had paid for the stuff and were threading their way back through the crowd.

"What was that?" he asked. Anna ignored him for a second, looking for a sign for the public toilets. She kept walking as she answered, relying on him to follow her.

"It's a CD, dude," she said. "And you're gonna give it to Elsa."

"What? No! It's- you paid for it, you should give it to her. I don't have that kind of cash."

"Do you like this girl or not?" she demanded, turning around to face him. He stopped immediately, wilting under her stern gaze. When he didn't answer, she softened. "Trust me when I say that I don't mind. That I want to help."

Biting his lip, he looked at her. "Are you sure?" Anna nodded, giving him a smile. He still didn't seem particularly happy about it, but Anna had figured that he'd let it go. He didn't seem keen on arguing with her – at least, not about that.

He had plenty more to say when Anna was shepherding him into the bathroom to get redressed – and once more, it was to splutter at her, "You can't be in here!"

Frowning, Anna looked around. The men's room was undeniably empty. Ignoring him, she locked the door.

"Take your shirt off," she said. He didn't. If anything, he clutched it tighter to his skin.

"Why can't I just go into a stall and change?"

"Because we gotta wash that crap outta your hair first," Anna sighed. "And a wet shirt is not a good look. C'mon, work with me, man."

Still hesitant, he finally lowered his hand. Placing the shopping bag on the counter, he ripped his shirt off. 'Like a bandaid,' Anna thought; getting it over and done with. When the stained shirt joined the new ones, Anna couldn't help but glance.

Her father wasn't bad looking. Not at all. Strong jaw and soft eyes, for starters, but once the shirt was removed, it was plain to see that his physique was actually rather decent; a little pudgy, but that wasn't a bad thing. Apparently he kept in shape to some degree. If he could stand up for himself, he probably could get noticed – in the good way. If she had any remote interest in boys… 'Nope, still wouldn't,' she thought as she shook her head.

"Okay, wet your hair and uh, wash it. No offense but I don't really wanna touch that grease trap." She pulled a face, and Kristoff actually looked quite offended. Shrugging, she didn't take it back. "Sorry, dude, but it's true. Now, hurry up. Elsa's probably already waiting."

"But- how am I gonna dry it?" he asked. "Wet hair is probably just as bad as oily!"

"Wet hair dries," Anna pointed out. "Anyway, why do you think the hand dryer swivels?"

More bickering, more back-and-forth, and she finally got him to lather a little soap into his hair and rinse out some of the grease. It did the trick, more or less. As it turned out, he actually did have a comb with him… which she also made him wash thoroughly before he used it again. After that…

"Oh my God," she muttered, smiling very slightly. "Not half bad, McFly."

He was staring at himself in the mirror, at the slicked-back damp hair and the Purple Rain tee, the less-shiny face. It was an improvement, but he didn't seem to see that; he only saw the bad posture, the person that he didn't want to be. Anna knew how that could be, even if she had better luck than him in refocusing on the positives.

"You really think this is gonna make any difference?" he sighed, brushing up and down his chest and stomach.

"Only one way to find out. Let's go." Out they went, angling toward the food court and trying to find Elsa and her hangers-on.

They needn't have worried. Seated around a table were the mini-clique, just starting to dig into huge floppy slices of Sbarro's. Anna had to smile a little; at least some things were relative constants.

"We made it!" she said with a smile as she sank into a seat. Her head nodded toward Kristoff's bag. "Caught him picking up some new threads." She felt no reason to explain that the shirt in the very bottom of the bag was the stained one from school. She gave him a meaningful stare, and he jerked.

"Oh, I-" he faltered for a moment, glancing at Elsa's two friends. "I got you something…" His voice became progressively smaller as he continued, until he came to the last word and it was barely more than a whisper. At least it seemed to pique Elsa's interest, and she cocked her head. Plunging a hand into the bag, he brought out the CD. He didn't say anything as Elsa took it. She glanced at him, briefly, before her gaze found Anna.

"I love it," she said, words directed at him but not looking at him at all. Her eyes fell to the cover. "'Til Tuesday is my favourite band."

'Shit. Swing and a miss.' Upon reflection, it was painfully obvious that the CD had come from Anna; Elsa had never told Kristoff of her love of the band, nor were they really at the point of buying presents; he would have no way to know about it at all. Hopefully she thought that perhaps Anna had only helped him pick it out. Still, she felt a little dumb for mishandling this idea of hers.

As if suddenly realising that she was surrounded by people, half of whom were almost complete strangers, Elsa jerked her head up as a light blush coated her cheeks. "W-well, uh, the pizza's nice and fresh. Go on, eat a slice!"

"Oh, it's okay. I'll grab my own." Elsa deflated a little at that, but Anna had to remain strong. "Why don't you share with Kristoff? And next time, he can owe you a slice? Yeah, cool, sounds like a plan. Be right back!"

And then she was gone, not giving Elsa or Kristoff a chance to back out of her hasty arrangement. Hopefully.

She returned five minutes later, a slice of supreme pizza and a root beer in her hands. Everyone else had mostly finished, but Anna was pleased that the girls seemed to at least by trying to engage Kristoff. He was gnawing on a pizza crust, so at least Elsa had shared with him.

"Man, Sbarro's is good, but I do miss Papa John's. Jonesing for their Hawaiian right about now," she said as she sat down. Taking a bite of her pizza, she didn't notice anything was amiss until no one responded. "What?"

"Uh," Elsa began. "I mean. I understood all those words… sort of…"

"Who's Papa John?" one of Elsa's friends asked. Oh god, was was her name? And again, a dictionary would be a really good thing right about now.

However, her savior this time came from an unexpected place. "Is that like, a pizza parlor near your home?" Kristoff asked. "And um, jonesing. That means like… you really want it, right?"

Mouth still full of food, all Anna could do was nod. With great difficulty, she swallowed. "Uh, yeah. The pizza's not the greatest, but it's pretty cheap. They use fresh pineapple, and it makes a difference."

"Your home sounds weird," Elsa's friend spoke again, dabbing her mouth with a napkin.

"Jazz!" Elsa hissed. Oh, so that was her name. Then she turned back with an earnest smile back in place. "It sounds pretty wicked. I don't know why you came to boring ol' Dell Valley."

"Just… y'know, family stuff." Her eyes flicked back to Elsa and Kristoff; she couldn't help it. Then she had to feed into the lie. "Visiting my uncle. But hey, great to meet new people, right?"

"For sure, I guess." Clearly trying to be diplomatic, Elsa turned to Kristoff. "I mean, it's not like I don't know Kris here. We just… never spoke much."

At that, he hunched his shoulders, but Anna managed to reach around behind him and poke him gently in the small of the back to make him sit up a little straighter. That was going to have to be a habit they both worked on breaking.

"Oh, you know Kristoff," she chuckled as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Always writing, or reading." The last part was a good guess; her father did still read books during his lunch breaks in the future.

"Writing what?" Jazz asked with detached interest.

"Oh, well… stories… science fiction stories, about aliens. You know, like in Star Wars?"

Jazz and Ariel were clearly about as impressed as if he had said 'poems about bread mould'. They glanced at each other, then over at Elsa as if to ask whether or not they really had to continue tolerating his presence any further.

But Elsa impressed both Kristoff and Anna by smiling and leaning against the table with her elbows. "Really? The Star Wars movies were rad; I like stuff like that. Space age fantasy. Are they any good?"

"Oh. Well… to be honest, I've never let anyone else read them. Kind of afraid of the rejection. I mean… you know, when you create something… it's hard to hand it over to somebody else."

"Yeah," Elsa sighed, her smile vanishing as she looked down at the table. "I can only imagine."

Suddenly, a pang shot through Anna's heart as she realised: that was part of why her mother had always been so disapproving of her relationship with Jennifer. Yes, the gay factor was part of it, but she had also been very critical of Wendy's dates, and to a lesser extent, John's. Maybe she was just being the world's most overprotective mother; "creating something" that she had to give to someone else someday.

"They're pretty good, actually," Anna improvised, talking out of her ass. Technically, she had read a single line of one story, so it wasn't a complete lie. "I think he could go pro if he stops doubting himself."

"Nah," he laughed, cheeks flushing with red as he grinned. Jazz and Ariel giggled, but at least they weren't acting like they wished he didn't exist anymore. "Well… I mean, probably not with these stories. But I have some bigger ideas."

"Spill!" Elsa encouraged him, and the others nodded halfheartedly. If Elsa noticed their relative disinterest, she ignored it.

"Well… alright, picture this: the moons over Alpha Centauri. We start off with humans; I mean, that's who the audience relates to, anyway, right? They're landing when they notice a strange mist rolling in from the north…"

~ o ~

They spent a good hour at the mall, but only ended up moving from the food court in the last ten minutes. Jazz and Ariel left shortly after Kristoff and Elsa began fangasming about fanfic. They didn't use that word, but Anna knew enough to figure out that both her parents were total nerds.

Finally! Something in common. And the best part was they were both really into it. Kristoff wasn't like one of the gatekeeping comic-book dudebros that Anna had come across; he seemed genuinely happy that Elsa understood what he was saying, and even challenged it sometimes. Anna was pretty sure that by the end of that hour, they'd probably planned out an entire Star Trek saga of their own.

The only thing that put a stop to their discussion was when Elsa glanced at her watch. "Oh shit," she said. And then looked up, eyes wide. "I mean- uh…"

She looked like a deer caught between two headlights, staring first at Kristoff and then Anna. Anna just stared at her, surprise written on her face because since when did her mother swear?

Fortunately, Kristoff cleared his throat. "I don't give a shit if you swear or not. I won't tell your mother, either."

And then- and then, the would-be ladykiller winked. Elsa let out a nervous little giggle, glancing between him and Anna. Her cheeks were a little flushed – a good sign, Anna hoped.

"I uh, I appreciate that. Thanks, Kris. I just- I'm really late. I'll see you both tomorrow, right?"

Anna finally found her voice – well, enough of it to say, "Yeah, sure. Tomorrow…" Giving another smile, Elsa waved and left.

And then Kristoff just slumped. "Oh my god."

"Oh my god is right! What was that?" Now that Elsa was gone, Anna couldn't not look at her father. "Where did that swag come from?!"

"I don't know! It just- it seemed like the thing to do!"

Shaking her head, Anna let out a relieved chuckle. "Well, I think it worked. See, I knew you had it in you!"

"Yes, except I don't even know what 'it' was! One minute, we were talking about science fiction, and then she was suddenly just asking me what else I liked to read, and… it got a lot… nicer. Easier talking to her. I have no idea!"

Cackling, she pounded him on the back. "Told you, didn't I? All you had to do was get things moving and the rest would just… fall into place, man! You're a natural!"

"I am not. Now you're exaggerating." But the blush and the smile told a very different story. This Kristoff, she could definitely see her mother falling for. The greasy-haired boy hanging from a tree and doing unseemly things, not even a little.

So Anna took a deep breath. "I'm not. But you are gonna have to change a couple of your habits – on top of the 'no birdwatching' thing. Obviously she likes who you are inside, but like, shower every day. Wear clothes that don't look like they came from Salvation Army. Simple things that show you actually care about how you look around other people, and that you're a man, not a little kid who can't remember to wash."

"Okay, okay," he sighed. "God, you nag me worse than my father."

Anna wanted to fall out of her seat at that comment.

~ o ~

When she breezed back in the door at the end of the evening, Doc was up to his elbows in wires, tubes, and engine grease. He had been going back and forth between his own experiments and working on the car.

"Success!" she crowed. And then winced when Doc stood up too fast and hit his head. "Oops… sorry…"

Rubbing his head, the expression of annoyance only lasted a short while. Then he was smiling, saying, "Is love in the air? And I mean between those two, not…"

Anna's good cheer rapidly fell away, and she scowled. It was less about the question and more to cover the hurt that he'd even felt the need to mention it. Did he not trust her to not mess this up? But he did deserve a response to his main question, so she brushed past the other bit.

"So far, so good. Like, today went great! But I need to go back to school tomorrow – Elsa's expecting me and Kris to be there. God, she probably thinks we're some kind of two-headed monster or something…"

Now that they knew each other, things were back on track. Thank goodness. It meant that when the lightning hit that weekend, she could go home, without fear of repercussions.

Idly, she pulled out the photograph of her family. The hug from Elsa had helped, but the desire to see her family again – her family, not these premature versions of them – was still incredibly high. No matter their problems, she still loved them. And now, she had a greater appreciation of her mother and father. Maybe… maybe they didn't hate her. Maybe they just saw too much of themselves in her and were trying to push her to be her best self, regardless of if their pushing was in the right direction. Either way, it was worth it to try teaching them to love themselves again.

Especially her mother. The past days had proved there was a warm, loving person inside her somewhere. Biting back a small smile at the thought, she held the photo up to the light.

And then her breath caught.

"Doc!" she cried out. "Doc, come look!"

There was real fear in her voice; probably the only thing that could have dragged him away from his experiments was an emergency, and this definitely qualified.

"Great Scott!" he whispered, taking the photograph from her. "Your brother has completely disappeared!"

"No shit, Sherlock," she huffed, on the verge of tears. "But- but it's all back on track!" Doc was shaking his head.

"We're missing something. You have introduced them, yes, but there appears to be something more significant. Did your parents ever say anything more about how they met? How they knew they were destined for a romantic entanglement, rather than a more passive friendship?"

Shaking her head, Anna said, "No. Mom didn't talk about it much. When she did, she always made sure to mention Dad had basically been run over. And then they went to the dance, and dated for a while, and then they got married and there was my brother, then my sister, and then lucky me."

His fingers snapped so close to her ear that she jerked her head away. "The dance! That sounds like an important social gathering – perhaps a formative one for their emotional connection vis-à-vis 'dating'. You're saying that your elder brother was conceived not long after this dance of theirs?"

"Right…" Anna tried to summon up the dusty old memories, as unimportant to her as they had been back then. "Well, yeah. They met because of the car thing… then Mom took pity on him and asked him if he wanted to go to the dance with her. Now, I'm pretty sure it was just to keep Hans from being gross at her the whole night, but yeah."

"Yes, of course; Tannen. Always a Tannen somewhere underfoot." Anna wanted to ask what he meant by that, but he was pacing again. "Alright, alright. Stick by your parents while I work on things here. This photograph is a very ominous portent, indeed, but it's not an absolute! We may yet avert disaster if we are vigilant!"

"You're the doc, Doc…" But as she bounced upstairs to the guest room that he had given over for her use, she couldn't help looking back at him with worry. Everything in her life was going wrong, and way too much of it was her own fault. How could he be so confident that they could pull her fat out of the fire?

To Be Continued…

#Fractal The Future #fruipit #forkanna writes #Back to the Future #elsanna fanfiction #elsanna #forkanna the writer

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