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kiaxet · 1 year

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HOW ABOUT THAT @somerandomdudelmao DISASTER TWIN REUNION, HUH

Went a little feral to the tune of 2.2K words of self-indulgence. What else is new?

~~~~~~~

Donnie can't sleep. More accurately, he won't sleep. Not until he's done. He'd never been one to leave a project unfinished; death and resurrection hadn't changed that.

He taps incessantly, repetitively, on a keyboard and screen, the motions long since past inputting data and now only serving to keep him awake. The repetition is soothing, easy, and - counterintuitively - he finds his head drooping forward into sleep-

And he snaps back upright. No. Not until he can confirm Leo is okay.

Leo is behind him, he knows. Breathing. In bed. Asleep. Very much alive. And-

He jumps and whips around as a thud sounds behind him. "What the-"

Leo is on the floor.

Well, that answers the question as to whether his twin is awake.

For a fraction of a second, part of him wavers uncertainly. He loves his idiot twin. The question he hasn't been able to answer is whether his reaction to Leo waking up will fall on love or idiot twin-

"Leo!"

He can hear the exasperation in his voice, and yep, it's the latter. He takes a knee next to Leo and hauls him into his arms, lecturing him all the while, and if he can hear the annoyance in his voice then Leo sure as hell can. Sleep deprivation for the purposes of keeping his brother's soul alight had done nothing for his temper. "I swear to God, all you had to do was make a sound! Why are you such a difficult patient?"

He deposits Leo carefully on the bed - "Sit still!" - and checks him over, running every scan he can think of and making sure his brother's new body really is in good working order, spouting increasingly irritated commentary all the while. Of course the fall didn't hurt him - Leo is tougher than that, and Donnie does better work than that - but he still can't help the rising anxiety in his throat.

This almost didn't happen.

"-stupid, stupid selfless idiot!"

Donnie almost couldn't save him.

"Grrhh-"

Leo nearly died for real. Permanently beyond Donnie's reach. Well and truly gone-

"Do you have any idea how close you were to having nothing left to save?"

And now here Leo is, in perfect health, sitting on Donnie's bed with a big dopey grin on his face as Donnie chokes on his anxiety and damn near shakes himself apart-

Oh for fuck's sake.

"Hey. Are you even listening?"

Leo speaks up for the first time since he's woken up, voice shaky from disuse. "D-Donnie?"

And that is not a goddamn answer to anything Donnie has been saying, because of course it isn't. It's Leo. He's always had his own priorities. "Yeah. No. You're not fucking listening." Donnie heaves a long-suffering sigh, sinking back into the routine comfort that irritation at his twin provides. "At least you're talking." Small favors. "Although I'm surprised you're not throwing your stupid jokes at me." Even smaller favors.

He stops short as Leo's hand closes around his wrist, drawing Donnie's arm to Leo's plastron. "You're real," his brother breathes, looking from Donnie's hand to Donnie himself with tears streaming down his face. "You're real!"

And then, in the space of a thought, Leo's joy breaks, his smile turning desperate. "Are you?"

For a moment, Donnie stares at his twin, wondering at the sudden change in expression. He takes a breath-

And the part of him that had lain dormant for so long after he'd woken up - the part of him that had been screaming for his twin's safety ever since they'd recovered the few scattered embers of Leo's soul - gasps to life, blooming like a time-lapse video of a flower and reaching to the edges of Donnie's soul. Leo had called it their twin sense, and Donnie hadn't had it in him to argue after a while. Whatever it is, it's back, connected to Leo's renewed presence, and-

Donnie's heart floods with emotions. Relief and joy sprout quickly and are nearly swept away in a tide of exhaustionanxietyfearfearfearfearFEAR-

But down beneath it all, steady against the rising wall of terror, is the little blue spark of hope that his brother always carried. His core. The thing that let him continue on in the face of insurmountable odds, and lent that same strength to everyone around him. A ninja's greatest weapon.

It's Leo. It's Leo-

And Donnie can't leave him alone in his fear. Not when there's no need for it. Not when they're safe.

He lets that breath out, and sits next to Leo on the bed. "Mhm. I'm alive. And you're alive. We're safe. The Krang are gone." That's all the news that's fit to print, or at least the most important parts. What else does he have to say?

Oh.

"I'm sorry I..uh…"

He's sorry he what? Died? Left a mess for Leo to deal with? Didn't do enough while he was alive to keep everyone else alive in turn after he was gone? Kept his brother's soul in a fucking mug, because that was the only way he could ensure he wouldn't break it while Leo was still fragile? All of the above?

…yeah, it's all of the above.

He owes Leo one hell of an apology, and he's never been good at any of this, so instead he shrugs haplessly and leans forward, pulling Leo into his arms and hanging on tight.

It's a matter of moments before Leo has him flat on his shell on the bed and is sobbing into his arms. Normally he'd hate seeing his twin cry, but it's proof of life - proof that Leo made it, that his soul is intact enough for him to still be Leo, that he's alive and awake and here - and Donnie will take it.

And if he's squeezing Leo back pretty hard himself, well, that's fine too. Nobody else needs to know.

~~~~~~~

Donnie is yelling at him.

Donnie is strong enough to have picked Leo up off the ground, well enough to be on his feet without support, running tests and reading Leo the riot act over his latest boneheaded maneuver - in this case, forgetting he was missing an arm and falling out of bed.

Donnie is yelling at him, because Donnie is here to yell at him.

And Leo is smiling, because he couldn't be happier. He lets the words wash over him, draping over his shoulders like a favorite cozy blanket that he'd lost so many years ago, and he basks in the warmth that is his brother's voice and smiles.

It's enough to interrupt the yelling for a question, though he doesn't really hear it - just keeps smiling, and says Donnie's name, and it's so nice to be able to say it with a smile now, because Donnie is here-

-he is, right? This isn't just a dying hallucination on Leo's part, right?

(It couldn't be- he remembers his death, remembers breathing his last, remembers being trapped- but this-)

He reaches out, taking Donnie's wrist in hand, and pulls his brother closer to him. "You're…real…" It certainly feels real - skin and scales, softer than his own, and his fingers barely fit all the way around the wrist instead of encircling them with room to spare - and he stares down at it, tears rolling down his face as he finally looks back up at his twin. "You're real!"

The Krang show you what you want to see.

The thought strikes him unbidden, turning his joy and relief to ice. It's a well-known fact: a Krang infection can show its host what they want to see, visions of comfort and family and home, and extract intel from the host's reactions. He knows that- he knows that, and-

And he'd died surrounded by Krang- and even if he couldn't see or hear or feel, he knows he'd been held captive-

But it's Donnie- he wants this to be real- he needs this to be real- he wants his twin back so badly he can't think, and the idea that this could be a Krang hallucination is almost too much to bear-

"Are you?" He can hear how choked the words are as they leave his lips, but he needs to know-

And Donnie stops, and sits down next to him, and tells him everything he wants to hear - everything he could've ever wished for. They're alive. They're safe. The Krang are gone. It all sounds too good to be true.

And then Donnie offers him an apology and a sad half-smile, pulling him into a strong hug-

And the ice in Leo's mind shatters in a flood of warmth as his twin sense opens for the first time since Donnie's death. He feels his twin's irritation, and deep-seated exhaustion, and a choking wave of guiltguiltguiltguiltguilt-

And beneath it all, steady and strong as ever, the thrum of unending determination, powered by an unfathomably deep well of love. It's the backbeat to the melody of Leo's life, the point-counterpoint to his own heartbeat- it's something he'd never had to live without until he did, but it's back, rushing in to fill the silence he'd known with the strength to go on and the knowledge that he is loved loved loved, strong and overwhelming and all-encompassing in the way only Donnie can love-

It's something the Krang could never imitate.

This is real. This is all real-

He throws himself against his twin, toppling them both over on the bed as he clings to Donnie, unable to stand even a fraction of an inch of space between them, as though he could push their hearts together through their plastrons, and he cries, sobbing out worry and terror and grief and the slow, crushing exhaustion of a losing battle finally lost. He cries as though the world was ending - and it had, once when the Krang had invaded and again every time he'd lost a member of his family, over and over until he'd sent his last hope through a portal that had cost his littlest brother his life and succumbed to death himself.

And now he's alive. Here, wherever here is, with Donnie. Clinging to his twin, and being held in turn as Donnie gently sits them both up, never letting go as Leo cries himself out.

It takes a while - long enough for Leo's gaze to settle into a stare and his thoughts to settle into a comfortable static. He's alive, Donnie is alive, and he has no fucking idea what else is going on, but he's just going to be okay with that for now.

His thoughts rouse enough to inform him of something wrong - the line of tension Donnie is carrying down his neck and over his shoulders. That won't do. Leo could try to massage it out with one hand, maybe try to get Donnie to talk about it, but Donnie never likes to talk about it, and Leo isn't one for slowly soothing away tension when he can just take an axe to the release valve instead. Plus, it gives him something definite to focus on, instead of…this whole situation. Whatever 'this whole situation' actually is.

Donnie had mentioned his stupid jokes, right?

"H-hey Dee?" His voice wavers from disuse, thick with tears, but he pushes through. "Why did- why did the tree buy a camera?"

"What?" Oh, Donnie is not going to see this coming. Excellent.

"To do a photosynthesis." It's nowhere near the level of pizazz he normally uses for a punchline delivery - he's still too tired and frazzled and clinging to Donnie entirely too hard for that - but that beautiful pause of a terrible joke sinking in tells him it had hit home nonetheless. Donnie moves - he can hear the telltale slap of face meeting palm - and then breaks down into helpless laughter, smacking the back of Leo's shell as the tension Leo had felt in his twin's shoulders abruptly relaxes. Good. It worked.

"This is so fucking stupid," is all Donnie manages as his laughter fades, and he slumps fully against Leo with a murmur. That's...abrupt. Sure, Leo had felt Donnie's exhaustion, but he hadn't realized it'd been that bad. He takes hold of Donnie, gently laying him down on the bed to rest-

Remember what happened last time Donnie fell asleep next to you.

He gasps sharply at the thought - not again NEVER again - and keeps his hand steady as he moves, laying both fingers gently against Donnie's neck and feeling for his pulse. It's easy to find, strong and steady and even, like it had been before the infection had taken Donnie's vitality and then his life.

But he's alive, and healthy, and sleeping. He's okay. And Leo-

Leo moves his hand to the side of his own neck. His pulse is also easy to find, quickened with the adrenaline of an unknown situation and multiple consecutive shocks to his system.

Okay. Take stock. Assess. Figure out a plan from there.

He's alive. Donnie's alive. The Krang are gone. And everything else…is a big fat question mark, with no easy answers and no indication as to where to begin looking for them.

Well.

Uh.

"What the fuck," Leo whispers to the room at large, as though the walls could answer.

~~~~~~~

(A world away and still very close, a younger pair of twins cling to one another the way a drowning man clings to driftwood: desperately, clutching tight, as though letting go will spell their doom. Neither of them know where the emotions came from, or why; all they know is that each of them are damn glad the other is alive, and they'll do everything they can to make sure that continues to be the case.)

(What the fuck, indeed.)

#rottmnt #cass apocalyptic series #future leo #future donnie #fic #writing #cw sibling death #mention of it at least #referencing the scrapped movie storyboards because it's too good a beat to pass up #we have fun here #no gods no betas we die like NOBODY BECAUSE DONNIE FUCKING FIXED IT #I GUESS #twin sense shit is my FUCKING JAM #inexplicable mystic bonds between two halves of a whole? sign me the FUCK up #I couldn't decide whose POV to write this from so I just did both #which is WHY it's 2K+ words #it's not perfect but it's Good Enough and therefore it's getting posted #fuck it we ball

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the-modern-typewriter · 8 months

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Hi, I love your writing! Are you still taking requests? What about a villain finding out his fav hero is actually an robot?

The hero went missing briefly and in their reunion his systems start to panic, the villain attempt to help? And finds out there is grey metal under his mask? Not skin?

"Oh," the villain said, soft. "Oh, I see."

"See what?" The hero stayed turned away, head bowed, frantically trying to shield his face. "Don't look at me. Just - what are you doing here?"

"I came to rescue you."

"R-rescue me?"

The villain stepped closer into the hero's cell. Heat radiated off the hero's back and, well. The villain pressed a finger to the back of the hero's neck; where the skin had burnt away, revealing the cold grey of metal and circuitry.

The hero gasped and whirled.

His face was - well, it was fried from the few short days he'd spent missing, captured. Where his enemies had tried to bruise him, bleed him, there were caved in spaces that revealed yet more metal. The hint of a perfect silver skull. Veins which throbbed with electricity instead of blood. Even one of the hero's eyes were gone, replaced by the startling blue of a machine staring back. Well, they were always blue but...so muffled, before, compared to what the villain looked at then.

The two of them stared at each other.

"You can't tell anyone," the hero said.

"I always thought you were too impossibly good to be true," the villain replied. "Too flawless."

"Don't," the hero whispered.

The villain took the hero's jaw, carefully, tenderly, in their hands. "Look what a mess they've made of you. I'll kill them for it."

The hero closed the one eye that he could. He trembled, so exquisitely life-like, so exquisitely alive, in the villain's palms.

"They must have been so angry when they found out what you were," the villain said. He let his finger stroke over the ruined curve of the hero's cheek. "I'm glad I got here before they destroyed you completely."

"Why? What are you going to do with me?"

The hero took a step back.

The villain let him go, for now, studying him with fresh eyes. More and more puzzle pieces clicked into place. "Do with you?"

"I'm not human."

"You're beautiful."

"I'm not - if people know -"

"I've never heard you talk like that before. System overload?"

The hero shook his head. Something sparked. "You're d-dodging the question."

"Well," the villain said, evenly. "I was going to take you out of here. Clean up your wounds at my place. That sort of thing. I could probably makeshift the kind of specialist support you currently need in my lab, but I imagine you have a much better set up at home. So I guess I'm taking you home. If that's okay with you."

"Home," the hero echoed. He stood frozen.

"Home."

"You're not mad? Mad? Mad?" The hero managed to jerk to a halt. He heaved a ragged, shuddering breath.

"No."

"I'm not human. You came to rescue a human. Human." The hero shoved a hand over his mouth. The tremors were more forceful than before.

If the villain touched him again, he would be fever hot, wouldn't he?

The villain shrugged.

"I don't understand," the hero said.

"Unsurprising. You're not running at full capacity right now, are you? So shall we pick this up again when you're out of here? And feeling a bit better? It would be tragic if I came all this way just for you to overheat in front of me."

The hero stared some more. The blue eye contracted and expanded, whirring noiselessly. The villain wished he knew what kind of diagnostics the hero was running. How it all worked. He wanted to know everything.

His brain, such as it was, must surely be the most gorgeous thing.

He'd always wanted to know how the hero ticked but this...oh, this. He held out a hand and smiled.

"It's a relief, actually," the villain said. "I'm not mad. Now. Let's get you back in your mask, shall we?"

By the time the repairs were done, it was impossible to tell. It was extraordinary. Giddying. A love letter to the best that people could be.

And the hero looked shattered by the truth of it.

#villains and heroes #heroes and villains #writing #story #ficlet #robot #android #writeblr #villains #heroes #robot hero

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jeiyuuen · 9 months

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So Luffy and Law reunion after two years, some totally biased thoughts...

Luffy really just recognized Law right away like that, huh? After two years of not meeting at all, and barely having interacted prior to Marineford. What was the first thing he recognized that he was sure that's the guy who saved him then? (Is there something you would like to share with the class, Luffy?)

It's so funny because nothing could've prepared Law for Luffy's sheer joy when they met again. He was so genuinely happy to find Law and it's ruining Law's emo vibes.

Like damn, he built up a reputation!

Pretty much everyone else up to that point has called him cruel, ruthless and all that. Back to Marineford and Sabaody, people talked about bad rumors about him. Even when he saved Luffy, they doubted his intentions. They were so sure there must be a catch to Law's help. (There was no catch.) It's just fun to think about because here Luffy is treating him as something good that happened in his life. Poor Law couldn't handle that much positive attention.

And uhm no, trying to deflect saving someone's life from death as "nothing" or something like that wouldn't really work. Especially when Law really didn't need to risk it all like that to get Luffy out of Marineford. They barely had a connection and even a potential rivalry is hardly worth the risk. Calling it a "whim" is the most Law can call it before he starts questioning his life again. But whatever the reason is, the fact still stands that he helped Luffy... And isn't that what matters, anyways? To Luffy, at least.

Law: "We are both pirates." (we're enemies)

Luffy: ":D Okay, anyways, you saved my life."

Law !!!! He ADORES you already !! It's over !! And giving more helping hand doesn't actually help your case !!

Also more exhibits of Luffy being excited over Law that I just find so cute. The way he perked up when Law was mentioned... He likes him.

He didn't say anything during Brownbeard's story until Law was mentioned, Luffy my guy.... He likes him so much, not necessarily romantic, but Luffy really just likes Law.

Law really stood no chance and asking Luffy for that alliance was the final nail to his coffin. He sealed his fate to be Luffy's super duper mega best friend FOR LIFE.

#I love Law getting showered by adoration for a good thing he definitely did #And thinking Luffy has a crush is so fun #A crush in whatever Luffy way that would be interpreted as lmao #one piece #punk hazard arc #trafalgar law #monkey d. luffy #lawlu #lulaw #the agenda never ends #I could probably write more about them but maybe another time #I never run out of thoughts about these guys it's embarrassing

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krazyyyyyy · 4 months

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A Time to Remember Solivan Brugmansia/Reader

Synopsis: Taking a break from school, you and Sol make a small trip out to your childhood home.

Warnings: Slight mentions of alcohol

Words: 3546

“Are you sure we’re not lost?” Sol asks from where he sits in the passenger seat of his car, staring out the window at the vast fields surrounding the single road that seems to stretch on for miles.

“Lost? Of course not! We should be there any second now.” You reply with eyes focused on the road and fingers tapping excitedly on the steering wheel.

You were on your way toward your childhood home, and you couldn’t possibly be any more excited. It had been far too long since you’d been able to feel the comfort and tranquility that the farmhouse brought you. To say you missed it would’ve been an understatement.

Sol had tagged along with you on the short trip, showing much eagerness towards meeting your father and visiting the home in which you had grown up, so many years ago. But, if not for you, you think he mainly tagged along to see the horses that were kept in the barn house, which you had known to be one of his favorite animals.

For the majority of the ride, you and Sol talked endlessly; although it had mostly been you talking of your childhood and how life on the farm was, while Sol would simply listen intently and watch you with amusement glittering in his eyes. Throughout the whole ride, Sol’s eyes never wandered away from you; even when silence filled the car. Sol would take the time to admire everything about you. From your smile to the very way you held on to the steering wheel, he thought every single aspect of you was nothing short of perfect.

You spoke your words truthfully, as it wasn’t long before a small ranch came into view, encircled by fields occupied with livestock and crops. The sight never failed to amaze you, reminding you of the hours you would spend running through the fields when you were younger, without a single worry in the world. Unfortunately, you couldn’t say the same now, as you now had to carry the burden of determining the fate of the farm you held so close to your heart.

“We’re here!” You exclaimed excitedly, pulling into the driveway in front of the farmhouse. You were quick to exit the vehicle once you parked, to admire your old home in front of you, filling you with nostalgia. Sol followed soon after, standing next to you, also taking in the exterior of the farmhouse, a smile painted on his face.

The sudden sound of the front door opening interrupts your sightseeing. At the front door was a visibly agitated man who held a shotgun in his hands as he yelled out at what he originally assumed to be trespassers.

“I’ll give y'all scumbags till the count of three to–” He cuts himself off in disbelief once he recognizes one of the two faces that stood in the middle of his driveway.

“Y/N?” He asks, almost as if he couldn’t believe the sight in front of him.

“Hi Dad…” You smile at your father, feeling a bit embarrassed by his sudden outburst, with Sol standing next to you; at least his first meeting with your father would be one to remember.

Without another word, your father very dangerously lets his shotgun fall to the ground, to race down the steps and pull you into a tight hug. It was a hug you had longed for ever since you left home to live in the city years ago. You had always been close to your father, without your mother and no siblings in the picture, he was the only person you really had growing up.

After a few moments, your father releases you from the hug, but he keeps his hand firmly planted on your shoulders to look at you with mixed emotions glistening in his eyes.

“I can’t believe you're here!” he says, voice heavy with emotion, “I’ve missed you, Kiddo.”

You can’t help but smile tearfully,“ I missed you too, Dad.”.

Your father's eyes then shifted to Sol, who stood back some to give some space for you and your father’s reunion. Your father looked the man up and down, his gaze suspicious of the stranger, “Who’s your friend here?” He asks, skeptical of the man before him.

Before you could speak, Sol steps toward your father with his hand extended,“ My name is Solivan Brugmansia, Sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

You hold your breath as your father continues to observe the boy with a scrutinizing glare before he takes the extended hand and gives it a subtle shake. “Pleasures all mine, any friend of Y/N is a welcomed guest here.”

Relief floods through you as the tension starts to somewhat subside between the two men. Your father has always been rather protective of you, especially with men that came in and out of your life, but you were grateful to see your father be sort of accepting toward Sol. Even if you knew he had his doubts.

Turning back to you, your father draped an arm over your shoulder and led you toward the front door of the house, Sol following close behind you two. You felt at ease being home at last with two of your favorite people. Maybe, just maybe, you would forget about the difficulties of life for a while and just enjoy the moment of peace you were gifted with.

The farmhouse had been just like how you’d remembered it all those years ago, which wasn’t surprising to you, as your father tended to avoid change whenever possible. While your father situated himself in the kitchen, preparing lunch for the three of you; you and Sol were in the living room, sitting on the loveseat seat, attention drawn to the TV in front of you.

“Beautiful…” You hear Sol whisper from next to you. Turning your head to look at him, you glance at the framed photograph he held in his hands. It was an old photo of you from high school posing with a majestic chestnut-coated mare. “Oh, that's Persephone! She is a beauty, isn't she?” you speak out cheerfully. Sol nodded his head slightly, “She is…but I was talking about you.” The last part of his sentence was mumbled and quickly spoken, so naturally you couldn’t make out what he said.

“What did you say?”

“I-”

“Lunch is ready! Your father's voice echoed from the kitchen. Sol lets out a huff of frustration at the ill-timed interruption but gets up from his seat nonetheless. He extends his hand out toward you, which you take gratefully. He pulls you up effortlessly from where you sat on the loveseat and you both make your way to the kitchen where an aromatic home-cooked meal awaits you.

After a quiet and peaceful lunch, your father excused himself to focus on some repairs he had to make on the chicken coop fencing, which left you and Sol to your own devices for the time being.

You were thrilled at the opportunity to show Sol around the farm, and from what you could tell, everything was almost exactly the way it was when you left.

Walking through the familiar paths of the farm, you point out various items from your childhood. From the swing, your father built for you on your favorite oak tree, to the pond where you learned to fish with your grandfather; everything with its own special meaning to you. Sol nodded along, attention solely drawn to the everlasting smile on your face as you went on explaining down to the last detail of the farm to him.

Approaching the barn area, you introduced Sol to the variety of farm animals that resided there. You couldn’t help but notice how at ease Sol was with the animals, almost like he had a natural affinity for them, handling each of them with gentle touches and a tranquil demeanor. The pigs would oink happily as he tossed them a bit of corn, and even the usually jumpy goats would allow him to scratch behind their ears without protest. It had been a sight that truly warmed your heart.

After being properly introduced to all the animals in the barn, you left the barn to walk toward a fenced-in open field. Sol’s eyes lit up once he spotted the majestic animal that trotted freely in the open field without a care in the world. In the field was the beautiful steed that he had seen before in the picture, Persephone.

He approached the fence to look at her in amazement, with his love for horses this may have been the first time he’d actually seen one in person. Wrapping your lips around your fingers, you let out a loud whistle, which gains the attention of the horse, who curiously makes her way toward the two of you.

As she approaches, Sol holds out his hand, palm open in a gesture of trust to the giant creature before him. Persephone in her curious nature cranes her neck to sniff the extended hand, studying the scent of the newcomer. After a few moments of hesitation, the horse nuzzles into the outstretched hand with her soft snout.

You watch as a smile appears on Sol’s face, his eyes shining with childlike joy as he gently strokes Persephone’s muzzle. They just met, but there was an obvious bond formed between the man and the gentle beast that couldn’t be described in words.

Without looking away from the horse, Sol spoke breathlessly, “She’s incredible…”. You smiled at his incredulity, “I told you so.” and after watching them for a few more moments, a sudden idea dawned on you. “You wanna take her for a ride? I’m sure she’ll be more than willing to, with how much she likes you.”

Sol finally tears his gaze away from Persephone to look at you, “.. Are you sure?”

“Of course!”

After getting Persephone properly equipped with her saddle, Sol was able to get on her back easily with the help of his height. He was a bit shaky, but you didn’t know if it was from the fear or the excitement…or maybe it was a mix of both. He held on to the reigns for dear life, as you slowly led Persephone around the fence to allow Sol to get used to the feeling.

After a while, you finally let go of the lead to let Sol have full control of the steed. He started rather clumsily, but it didn’t take long before he fully got the hang of it and started to ride with ease. You happily watched Sol thoroughly enjoy himself, setting Persephone into a slow gallop in circles along the fence.

He rode on for a while before pulling on the reigns, bringing Persephone to a complete stop. You held out your hand to him to help him safely get off the horse. He grabbed onto it tightly, carefully sliding off the saddle and attempting to land firmly on the ground. As he dismounted, his legs wobbled with the unfamiliar sensation that came with horse riding, before they gave out from underneath him; causing him to fall down into the grass, pulling you along with him.

Luckily, the grass cushioned your fall, and before you could ask Sol if he was all right, his outburst of laughter interrupted you. He lies on the ground next to you, laughing like you’ve never heard him laugh before. It wasn’t long until you joined him in laughter, and it went on for a while, the two of you lying in the grass, laughing like you two were children again.

As your laughter dies down, you both quietly lay there, staring up at the sky above, enjoying each other's company.

Sol then breaks the silence, turning his head to look at you affectionately, “Thank you Y/N… for everything”

You laugh, “You don’t have to thank me… I’m just happy that you're here and having fun.” Delicately, you feel Sol gently intertwine his fingers with yours as they rest on the soft bed of grass.

Lost in the moment, you barely hear your father calling your name from the other side of the farm. Eventually, his calls got closer to the point where they couldn’t be ignored.

“Y/N!”, Quickly sitting up, you look over to where your father stood merely a couple of feet away from where you sat. You remain unaware of, just how quickly, you had unraveled your fingers from Sol’s; leaving his hand barren, save for the lingering warmth that emanated from your touch.

“Dad?! What are you doing out here?!” You cry out to your father, who looks at you somewhat displeased.

“Well, I just finished dinner, and neither of you were in the house. So naturally I assumed you to be out here somewhere…seems I was right.” His remained firmly on you, seemingly ignoring the existence of the man next to you entirely.

Had you really been out here for that long? You swore it had only been an hour at most… “Sorry Dad, Sol took Persephone out for a ride… I guess we lost track of time”

Your father’s expression softens slightly, “It’s alright, but let's get you inside, dinner is getting cold.” You nod, before leaving the softness of the grass below you to stand; you wait for Sol to also retreat from his spot before the three of you make your way back to the house.

Unlike lunch, your father stuck around to eat dinner with you and Sol and properly catch up with you after so many years apart. You answered his back-and-forth questions about school and if you were taking care of yourself; all while Sol sat by your side eating his meal quietly.

For the second time that day, your father acknowledged the man sitting next to you, “Solivan, was it? I’m assuming you're also a university student.”

Sol stood up straight in his chair, galvanized at your father's sudden attempt to make small talk with him. “That’s right.”

The older man's icy cold gaze bore into Sol’s, almost as if he was trying to stare right into his very soul, “And what is your major, Boy?”. You pinch the bridge of your nose in annoyance at your father’s behavior. You guess it was too much to ask for one peaceful dinner.

“I am an art major.” Sol stuttered, nearly faltering under the intense gaze he had so unfortunately been placed under.

“Art major? That’s a fine choice…if you want to live a life of poverty–” “Dad! Stop!!” Whether your father was testing Sol’s resilience or sanity; he was pushing it too far, he hasn’t even tried to get to know the true Sol.

A wave of chills is sent down your spine as your father shifts his cold gaze to you, “Is this what you’ve been up to the whole time you’ve been gone?” He refers briefly to Sol, “Do you even care what happens to this place? To the farm?”

You wondered how things escalated to this, everything was just fine seconds ago. What changed? Your question is quickly answered when you catch a glimpse of the beer can that your father clutched in his hand like a lifeline.

Oh…

You knew he picked up his drinking habit not long after that debt collected, and paid you two a visit, but never thought he’d let it consume him like this.

“Dad, It hasn’t been easy, but I'm trying my best, I swear…” Your voice trembled as you pleaded with your father.

He scoffed, taking a large gulp, from the beer can “Trying your best? Is that what you call this? Running off to that dumbass university to have fun with lover boy here, all while the farm falls apart?

You flinched at the accusation, and your eyes started to well with tears. That had been a hard blow, considering all that you were putting yourself through just so that your childhood farm wouldn't go to the likes of some heartless debt collectors.

Sol is, of course, quick to come to your aid; abruptly standing up from his chair to give your father a piece of his mind. He did his best to make a good first impression on your father, but that went flying out the window once he saw that shattered look on your face.

Before, a word could even leave his lips, the sound of something falling to the wooden floor halted him. When he turns his head to look at where you once sat, he is met only with a tipped-over wooden chair and a fleeting glimpse of your figure disappearing down the hallway.

Sol was quick to follow you, leaving behind the older man who had buried his face in his hands as he broke into a sob, whispering to himself over and over.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N…”

As Sol made his way out of the farmhouse, he looked around for any sight of you, which unfortunately you were nowhere in sight. This worried him to the core, where could you have gone?

He looked from the chicken coop to your favorite oak tree with absolutely no signs of you. The night only grew darker, with only the moon to illuminate the path laid out before him.

He nearly gave up, until the abrupt sound of numerous “baa’s” rang out into the quiet night. Glancing over at the goat enclosure; he noticed a couple of the goat's heads were tilted upwards toward the roof of their shelter, as if something was of great interest to them up there.

Sol used some nearby barrels to carefully maneuver his way onto the roof of the goat pen. Upon safely making it, strained his eyes against the darkness to scan the area of the roof.

His heart soared with relief once he saw the familiar sight of your figure sitting in the near center of the sturdy roof with your knees folded to your chest, as you looked onward into the vastness of the forest.

Sol takes a seat next to you so that you are sitting shoulder to shoulder., looking you over with concern. “Hey, you okay?” He speaks, his voice barely above a whisper; a sound soothing to nerves.

“… Yeah, I'm okay.,” You respond, burying your face deeper into your knees. “I’m sorry Sol… for what my Dad said, he’s usually so much better than this.”. You were brimming with guilt, with everything that went down with your father, and Sol had to bear witness to it all.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, it's not your responsibility to control his actions.” His tone was full of understanding and care. At that moment, there was nothing, Sol wanted nothing more than to alleviate the pain and guilt that burdened you.

You finally lift your head from your knees to meet that mesmerizing amber gaze that you’ve come to love so much; something about them always made you feel safe and dare say even loved…

As you lifted your head, Sol gently enveloped your face in his hands, wiping away any lingering tears that strayed on your cheeks with his soft thumbs; all while he kept his eyes locked on yours as if in a dreamlike daze. His touch was filled with tenderness, and you couldn’t help but lean into his palm, relishing in the comforting warmth it brought.

“Thank you…“ You whispered, as your gaze refused to waver from his; barely noticing the amount of distance you closed between the two of you. Unspoken tension lingered in the air; both of you were caught in the middle of a silent conflict of feelings and desires that only left you wanting more.

“Always.” He responds, eyes filled with longing

No more words were shared, as Sol closed the gap between you until his lips softly met yours in a light kiss. The kiss may have been short and gentle, but it spoke millions of words and future promises that made your heart ache for more.

After you broke apart, you two smiled at each other like the love-sick-driven fools you were for each other. Even though you felt a thousand times better, you’d rather fall off the roof of this pen than face your father again. Thankfully, Sol showed no interest in leaving from his spot next to you; likely, sharing your current mindset.

And stay you did. Laying down on the metal roof, with your fingers intertwined just like they had been hours ago; you two stayed up there til the sun started to rise over the tree line. Although, this trip hadn't been what you originally hoped it would be; the man next to you made the whole thing worthwhile.

As the warmth of sunlight started to kiss the landscape of the farm, you spared a final glance at the man you lay next to. He had his eyes closed with a relaxed smile on his face, yet his grasp on your hand remained unyielding. He looked saintly under the hue of the sun, outlining all of his regal features.

Even with all the turmoil that transpired last night between you and your father, you knew you wouldn’t change a single thing if it meant it led you directly to this moment.

Notes: This took a hot minute to write, but overall I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Hope you enjoyed it!

#the kid at the back #tkatb vn #solivan x reader #solivan brugmansia #tkatb x reader #tkatb #sol x reader #tkatb sol #katb vn

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temiree · 11 months

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I was hired by Todd Aldrington to make the cover for his newest novel, A Christmas Reunion! :D Todd writes, "A Christmas Reunion is about the two guys who secretly become boyfriends when their families get together at Christmas, and they spend the whole holiday trying to hide it from their suspicious families." From what I know, this book is supposed to have a comedic lean to it compared to his previous books. :3

If you're interested in buying the book (either for yourself or as a gift), here are links to the ebook and paperback versions!

Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN2ZW4Z3

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN3DYG1D

If you enjoy his work, you can also follow Todd for announcements on future releases!

Todd's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AthleteRaccoon

Todd's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/athleteraccoon.bsky.social

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cobaltperun · 4 months

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Genius (10) - Simple

Cairo Sweet x female (G!P) Reader

Summary: It was such a cliché, a reunion she didn’t expect to ever happen, let alone six years after she last saw you. It was supposed to mean nothing, a bit of nostalgia, maybe a brief catching up while waiting for class, it was supposed to be a small wave of nostalgia, not a tsunami that disrupted her entire life. You were her opposite, and as hard as she tried she couldn’t resist your pull.

Story masterlist / First part / Previous Part / Next Part

Word count: 2.6k

-But though I smoke too much, drink just a little, you do too when we're caught in the middle-

You heard something slamming against the table from Miller’s classroom and rushed in without thinking about it. Nothing crossed your mind, not the reason for the noise, not who did it, nothing, you just knew someone in there was getting angry and you needed to get to Cairo’s side. Cairo turned to look at you and that was all you needed to see to understand things weren’t going well.

“And you brought them here,” Miller’s words caused Cairo to turn and look at him, but you focused on the slight tremble of her hand as she held her essay. “Unbelievable,” the tone of his voice made you look at him as he turned around and pointed his finger at Cairo. He looked furious, furious enough that you took a step closer to your girlfriend “I won’t even let you rewrite it, I’m failing you.”

You felt like your heart stopped for a moment. He was failing her? Knowing full-well her ambitions, her talent, how him failing her would affect her score. And you felt rage boiling within you, all the times he touched her, all the times he asked her to come and see him after classes, his lusting over her when he came to her house. You clenched your fist, itching to strike him, but you knew that wouldn’t help anyone. It would be a brief satisfaction with long-lasting consequences.

“You’re failing me? Over this? You’re supposed to teach us about censorship and why it is an issue and now you’re censoring me?” Cairo demanded, her hand clasping the essay in a death grip.

“This isn’t censorship, this is just a dose of reality you needed to get a long time ago,” he sneered, still glaring at Cairo.

What was going through Cairo’s head at the moment? You weren’t sure, but her eyes were wide, he didn’t outright say it, but he rejected her writing, not just what was written, but also how it was written.

“Give me the essay,” he demanded, approaching as Cairo stood there, stunned into silence by his words.

“Back off,” you stepped between them.

“Step aside L/N,” he glared, potentially for the first time in his life standing up for himself. Against a barely eighteen-year-old girl’s essay.

“Make me,” you dared him, your eyes meeting his in a furious glare.

And he did, he tried to push you aside and it all happened in a blur, he grabbed your shoulder to push you, you swung just as the doors opened and the next thing you knew he was on the floor, lip busted while Cairo, Winnie and the coach yelled. You could only glare as the vice principal was called into the classroom.

“Are you okay?” Cairo asked you as you, her and Winnie stood outside the classroom, waiting for the vice principal.

You nodded, taking a hold of her hand as she cupped your cheek. “Listen, don’t interfere,” you told her, now that your head was cooled down and you could think clearly you figured her silence was the best for her.

“What? But that’s ridiculous, he pushed you,” Cairo argued, and you saw panic in her eyes.

“You speak up and you’ll need to tell them everything, your essay, his promise to fail you, everything that happened. Best case scenario I walk away with a warning that violence isn’t the solution, and he gets suspended. Worst case scenario, you accomplish nothing and get labeled as someone willing to go after a teacher. This is a small place, he is a respected figure, and you’d be accusing him of heinous acts, even if the school believes you, the village will never forgive you,” it didn’t matter that she would be right, he’d still be seen as a victim by more than a couple of people. A relatively successful man, seduced by a quiet girl seeking his attention, only for the girl to ruin his life. It didn’t matter that Cairo hated this place, she still had to finish school here.

“I’m fine with that, I’m not letting you take the fall for me,” Cairo argued, hugging you tightly.

“It’ll be fine, it’ll be his word against my own. Fillmore didn’t see everything,” you assured her as the vice principal came and called you and the two teachers to her office.

~X~

“Coach Fillmore, you called me, what did you see?” the vice principal questioned as the three of you sat in her office.

“Miss L/N punched Mr. Miller, he just narrowly missed the edge of the table, I don’t know the details, I just saw the end results,” he clearly took Miller’s side, as the man did fall, but it wasn’t nearly as close to the table as Fillmore presented it.

“Is this true? Miss L/N, Jon?” she asked.

Miller nodded. “It’s true.”

“I punched him, that much is true,” you admitted, looking away from the woman.

“Why?” came the dreaded question.

‘Don’t involve Cairo’ kept repeating in your head. “I thought he was going to push me,” you tried to go for half-truths.

“I wasn’t going to do anything of that sorts, and this isn’t the first time miss L/N has tried to harm me,” he revealed, making you scoff.

“What do you mean?” the vice principal questioned.

“She once pushed the table I was leaning on, forcing me to trip and fall,” damn bastard, he clearly understood you weren’t going to involve Cairo and so he tried to make you seem as hostile toward him as possible.

“Mr. Miller, Jon, has told me about this. He didn’t want to get a student into trouble over a harmless prank, as he described it after it happened,” Fillmore added and you just slumped down, there was nothing you could do.

“Miss L/N, these are serious accusations, do you have nothing to say in your defense?” the vice principal looked at you, but you just shook your head.

“Just suspend, or kick me out, or whatever,” you sighed.

“I’m afraid this could be considered an assault, we might have to get the police involved,” your eyes widened at that, well, you probably should have expected that, but more than that, this might make it more difficult to keep Cairo out of this whole mess.

The doors suddenly swung open, and Cairo walked in without knocking. “Y/N was protecting me,” she stated as your jaw dropped, and if you weren’t as surprised you would have tried to stop her, but as it was, she just walked past you and placed her essay on the vice principal’s table.

“What do you mean, miss Sweet?” the vice principal asked as she took the essay, missing how much Miller paled.

“Mr. Miller has been harassing me, Y/N just wanted to protect me,” she sat down next to you and took your hand.

The vice principal’s eyes widened and despite Miller’s stammering and Fillmore’s sudden discomfort you could see the vice principal’s attention was entirely on Cairo. “Could you tell me more?”

Cairo nodded, took a deep breath and began. “Mr. Miller has been an author I looked up to lately, I read his book, you see. I admired him, and openly expressed that, and I will be entirely honest, at the start I did want something more with him. We would see each other before or after school, and he invited me to a poetry reading shortly after the semester started. After that he began touching me, nothing other than taking my hand, or placing his own over mine, or simply leaning over me closer than necessary. A week ago, he came to my house while I was alone, to bring me back my phone, I didn’t feel safe, but Y/N came,” she told the vice principal what happened.

“I wasn’t going to touch her, or force myself on her!” Miller quickly interjected and you watched as the vice principal’s eyes narrowed, as if the way he defended himself made things much clearer to the woman.

“Please don’t interrupt her, Jon,” the vice principal told him and turned back to Cairo. “And today? What happened today?” she asked.

Cairo looked her in the eyes. “Mr. Miller gave me special treatment; he allowed me to do an essay in the style of my favorite author earlier. I chose Henry Miller and went to him for his opinion.” The vice principal turned to Miller, disapproval evident on her face, but she didn’t interrupt Cairo. “He agreed to let me write in Miller’s style. When I wrote the essay, he told me to come see him today after classes. He was angry, threw the essay,” she motioned toward the essay on the table. “And glared at me, accusing me that I wrote porn and depicted him as a predator. He slammed his palm on my table and Y/N came in when she heard that. Mr. Miller said he would fail me, and then demanded the essay back. Y/N got between me and him, he pushed her away and she punched him,” there it was, the whole story.

The vice principal nodded and looked at you. “Why didn’t you say anything, miss L/N?” she asked, much softer now.

“I didn’t want to get Cairo into trouble. That time I pushed the table and made him fall? He was reaching over to grab Cairo’s hand,” you explained with a heavy sigh.

The vice principal nodded and began reading the essay, and you saw her eyes widening, likely at the same spot that made you furious, the spot where Cairo described how she felt while she was all alone with Miller. “All of this happened?” she asked.

Cairo nodded. “I just changed the names,” she explained, blushing slightly.

“Jon,” the vice principal turned to the man. “Miller is banned if I remember correctly. The fact that you approved of this on its own is alarming, not to mention giving a student special treatment,” she sighed and turned back to you and Cairo.

“Miss L/N, you’ll walk off with a warning this time, because you did act not only in self-defense but to protect your girlfriend. Miss Sweet, make sure you’re in the village, in case we ever need to ask more questions.

“Just so we’re clear, the first time I met Mr. Miller, he and Coach Fillmore were going through Cairo’s stuff. She left them there to go and grab a bite before his class,” you said, making it clear that his unprofessional behavior began before Cairo did anything.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” the vice principal nodded.

Cairo nodded and slowly got up along with you. There was nothing else to do here, she testified, you said what you had to say, now it was up to the vice principal and the school board to decide whether this would have consequences or not.

~X~

You and Cairo barely spoke for the rest of the day, she wasn’t angry, in fact she was surprisingly clingier than usual, pulling you along to her bedroom and lying her head on top of your chest as the two of you cuddled.

You weren’t sure what to tell her, not without her showing that she wanted to talk, so you just chose to comfort her, to hold her close and rub her back even as she eventually fell asleep like that. She needed some time to process what happened and you weren’t about to push her into talking about it if she wasn’t ready.

You did stay awake though, your mind replaying all the times you should have punched him before today. The bastard sure as hell deserved it, and you wished you punched him harder, consequences be damned.

“It’s not worth it. Getting into trouble just for him,” Cairo suddenly mumbled, but she was squeezing you hard and hiding her face from you. “But thank you, for having my back. You always do,” she whispered.

“Of course,” you held her a bit tighter as well, feeling her relaxing against you.

“I caused this,” she whispered, as if resigned to unwarranted guilt she was feeling and you despised that.

“Cairo, he is a grown man, a teacher,” even if Cairo did try to seduce him, it was his responsibility to set the boundaries, to make it clear she had no chance of success, yet he did none of that, he accepted it and worse than that, he actually wanted her. Would he have tried anything last Friday? Neither you nor Cairo could be completely sure, but his reaction to your arrival made it clear he understood what he was doing was wrong.

“I’m an adult, I am also responsible,” she argued, her hands clutching at the fabric of your shirt.

“You have to admit though, eighteen and ancient isn’t the same,” you said, finally getting a small chuckle out of her. “Nothing you did will ever be as bad as him actually wanting you,” you told her, and Cairo knew that, deep down she knew that was the truth. He may have not done anything to her, but he wanted to fuck her.

“Do you see me any differently?” she asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

“Cairo,” you touched her cheek, making her move up to look at you and you saw the worry in her eyes. “I love you,” and that was all you really needed to say, as Cairo leaned down and kissed you on the lips. The kiss was soft, slow, yet filled with the love you felt for one another. “I love you, Cai,” you brought back the childhood nickname, just this once, just to make her laugh once more.

“I love you too, Y/N,” she kissed you again, just as softly as before.

~X~

It took a lot less time than she thought it would, but Miller was suspended, and though the school tried to cover it up the rumors spread like wildfire and now Cairo lost her anonymity. Before she could walk through the school and no one would pay attention to her, now she felt eyes on her at every possible moment.

Judging her, blaming her. You were right, even if the school believed her the village wouldn’t forgive her. All the while you and Winnie stood as her only support, never leaving her side and grounding her, reminding her that she wasn’t alone.

You and she held hands anytime you could, which, given that you only shared Miller’s class wasn’t that often, but it still helped her.

By now she didn’t listen to the students talking behind her back, or the ones that dared to say something to her face, but she knew each and every time it happened, because she would need to hold your hand tighter each time it happened. Just to make sure you don’t get into a fight for her. She wished it was simpler, she wished she could go back and never check that book out of the library, but no one could turn back time. All she could do was keep her head low, make it out of the high school, and hope things would be better once she could leave this place.

“We’ll get through this,” you reminded her softly, kissing her on the lips just before she had to go to another class. A random girl whispering an insult made Cairo hold you closer.

“Take me away from here, please,” she whispered as you separated and you nodded, taking her hand and heading toward your motorcycle.

A/N: Damn, I didn't notice how long it's been since chapter 9! Sorry about that!

Taglist: @deimaisgail @bee-keeping @marvelous-disaster @jmwetterlund @tekanparadiae

@alexkolax @ioveyouyouloveme @aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh @autorasexy @lifeforsimp13

@puta1 @minnyyminny

#cairo sweet x female reader #cairo sweet x reader #cairo sweet #miller's girl #jenna ortega x reader #x reader #x female reader

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