#but this was the surprise i had planned it would've came out sooner if i didn't struggle

[eve-pie]

Sapphire's beef

I don't think sapphire likes mother geneieve all that well after all she can and is protective of her peers she hates the fact she would try to intervene with someone who's trying to keep Sliky happy Sapphire won't allow that to happen again she wasn't there to help her last time she won't allow that to happen again

It's funny Sliky and Sapphire have sorta the same trauma both had terrible mother's and ended up fighting and killing them except of course saphs mom wasn't a wendigo she's fought one but they weren't related

Fun fact: Sapphire is in disguise which we all know she's a demon however only non humans, ancient creatures, the dead, or other demons can pick up on the fact she's a demon in disguise beta wally is the exception because somehow he is

I'm not exactly used to drawing mother geneieve just yet much like silly I'll have to get used to it

With all that aside mother geneieve belongs to @silky-silks the artwork in the fourth picture also belongs to that mutual

Ooh! If they do get married beta Wally could officiate the wedding he's technically a priest

[wlntrsldler]

almost (sweet music) | luke castellan

synopsis: exbf! luke castellan goes on a date with another girl after your death. went back to my roots and wrote an aphrodite reader!

song: almost (sweet music) by hozier

it's been a year.

it's been a year since percy uttered the words, "we need a shroud, for the daughter of aphrodite." it's been a year since he survived the battle of manhattan and you didn't. it's been a year since hermes had to pull him off your dead body as he thrashed and mourned your death.

he's out of camp half blood now, which he thinks you'd be surprised to learn. you always joked that he'd end up taking over mr. d's position if he wasn't an immortal god. luke had a special relationship with chb, just like you did. back when he was sixteen, the first time he kissed you, he let himself think about growing old with you there.

maybe taking over the summer activities and planning. living in a small cabin just on the outskirts of camp. he thought about making it into a welcome center for new arrivals, somewhere where they could have a hot meal and have a room of their own before they inevitably ended up in the hermes cabin with his rowdy siblings.

those were the easy days. back when his biggest fear was losing his best friend if he told you how he truly felt about you. it seems silly and trivial now that he looks back at it. he wishes he told you how he felt sooner, just to get those extra years, extra days, extra seconds with you knowing that you were his and he was yours.

but now he's in his twenties and you were six feet under. it wasn't fair and he felt disgusted with himself as he prepared for his first date with a girl chris set him up with from his sociology class at nyu. he knew that you would've wanted him to move on, after all, you always said that your favorite version of him was when he was in love. something about how his eyes sparkle differently and how his voice turns softer, kinder, when he spoke, but luke didn't know how to tell you that he was only like that when it came to you.

the date was fine. the girl was pretty. she had the same hair color as you and same giggly laugh, and luke should be grateful that chris knew his type, but all luke could do was compare her to you. it wasn't fair to the girl. she was lovely and she deserved someone who didn't think about their ex-girlfriend every time they looked at her.

when she showed up to the mom and pops restaurant luke picked out for the date, she was listening to your favorite artist. luke almost felt like he was back in the aphrodite cabin, listening to the song on your record player, swaying you back and forth in a lousy attempt at slow dancing. if he tried hard enough, he swore he could feel the sound of your heartbeat pressed against his chest, reminding him that you were still there, still alive.

it made him so dizzy that his date had to ask him if he was okay. he turned pale, all the color draining from his face. luke meekly nodded and told her a half-truth. i haven't gone on a first date in a while.

the girl smiled at him kindly, just like how you did when you first met him, and told him she understood. she sat across from him and sipped on her water, trying her best to keep the conversation going, but luke could tell that she knew his mind was elsewhere.

his mind was at camp half blood, in the sheds by the strawberry fields. his lips were on yours, a smile grazing his face that you had to pull away to tease him. he was always so smiley with you, no facade of the brooding, tough as nails, hermes head counselor that everyone else got from him. with you, he was luke, young, naive, and helplessly in love. when he closed his eyes, he could still feel the ghost of your lips on his, cherry lip gloss teasing his tastebuds.

his date complimented his necklace and for the first time that night, luke gave her a genuine smile and a look of interest. it was the necklace you bought for him for his seventeenth birthday. you'd saved up all your money from your part-time job at the froyo shop in ohio during the year. it was a silver dog tag with an engraving of mercury and venus circling each other. he hasn't taken it off since you put the necklace on him years ago.

when she asked the story behind it, luke spoke your name for the first time in a year to a stranger. when he caught himself talking about you in the present tense, a bitter taste lingered in his mouth and he had to gulp down the rest of his water to wash it away. he flexed his hand, a nervous habit that he had. and when the girl leaned over to place her own hand over his to steady him, luke pulled away from her like she just burned him.

he apologized profusely and it became clear to the girl that luke was not ready to go on a date with anyone. luke saw a flicker of disappointment in her eyes and he wondered if he'd looked like that the entire time, disappointed that it was her in front of him and not you. but then she tapped the back of his hand in a friendly way and leaned back in her chair and said, tell me about her.

you were his favorite topic of conversation. he recalled one too many conversations with chris and the stolls where they'd complain about how every conversation somehow ended up about you. so luke obliged and told her the story of how the two of you came to be. he kept the details vague, deciding that exposing olympus and the existence of the gods would be too much for a first date. maybe sixth, or seventh, but he doubts he'll get that far with her.

when the date was over, the girl gave luke a hug and whispered, i hope you guys get back together. it seems like you really love her.

luke wanted to tell her that if he had the power to be with you again, he would do it in a heartbeat, but that was beyond his control. luke thanked her and said, i hope so, too.

[sirens-sanctuary]

business casual

. miguel o'hara x fem!reader

. TW: NSFW!, oral (female receiving), pubic sex?,

. the promised fic, i have a few more in the works- also not proofread so except a few typos lol

. masterlist, taglist, rules and a/n below~

. NSFW! below the cut

๑۞๑,¸¸,ø¤º°°๑۩ ร𝓲ᖇᵉŇ. ๑۩ ,¸¸,ø¤º°°๑۞๑ ๑۞๑,¸¸,ø¤º°°๑۩ ร𝓲ᖇᵉŇ. ๑۩ ,¸¸,ø¤º°°๑۞๑

you were never really around miguel at the spider society, but you had a crush on him as soon as you saw him. how could you not? well- you could see why no one else would because hes your boss... sort of? hes just kinda the guy in charge around here so like technically if you were to do whatever you wanted to him it wouldnt be bad, lol ok.

you often got lost in these conversations with yourself at your corner in the ss (spider society, i cannot bring myself to type it out every time lmao)

miguel never really paid any mind to you, he appreciated your work around the place but there wasn't anything too special about you...he liked that. you were simple, you weren't difficult to figure out, not difficult to talk to, you weren't complex like the other things he needed to deal with. he liked that. however— he didn't like how you distanced yourself from him, just as you were easy to read it was easy to see you keep your time with him limited. can't have that, he hates that. he wants you, wants to hear you speak. he sees you yap with your friends here at the ss, but you would say only a few words with him.

he has a plan.. nothing extravagant, just a simple, not complex plan.

it was almost the end of the day when all the other spiders left and went home, you were still in your corner, daydreaming about miguel- you couldn't help it. your thoughts were fuddled until your multiversal watch started to beep. you held up your wrist and a little hologram of miguel popped up.. you were surprised to say the least..a little flustered too? you didn't know... i don't either.

miguel said he needed your help with something..strange but ok. you got up from your desk and made your way to his office- floaty thingamajig?– whatever the hell that floating shit is what is that?? you don't know what that thing is and it really doesn't matter.. you were thinking of anything to take your mind off of your impending doom, even if it meant arguing with yourself in your head about useless things..

you finally made it there and stepped into the open space and behold— The floating rock of shit and stuff, and there he was his beautiful muscled back facing towards you. you're lucky he was facing away from you because if he was looking at you, you would've pissed yourself. deadbutt.

how do you let him know you're here without sounding weird? this is hard, talking is hard, shouldn't have to be this hard. You should learn sign language.

"you gonna stand there or come up here and help me?"

Goddamn doesn't he sound beautiful. you don't say anything and web yourself up to his platform. because youre a simple person you made a simple mistake and missed your footing when you landed and almost fell back. almost. miguel grabbed your waist and pulled you back up towards him. he did this slowly, drinking you in with his eyes, slowly dragging them across your figure. his grip on you was heavy and tight. when you were standing upright you took him in as well, god hes just so huge and delicious. you never got opportunities like this, ever. you were never around him long enough to just stare at him and admire him. you guys were staring at each other for a while with his arm, still around you radiating a hot warmth.

you were a simple person, you went with the punches and the rolls so when miguel leaned down and brought your lips in for a kiss you went with it.. not like youd oppose to kissing him anyways. the kiss was slow and steady at first but gradually got more and more intense. sooner or later you were on top of the control panel on his platform. you were trying to keep yourself quiet, little squeaks and whimpers came out of you as miguel nipped down your skin.

he grunted as he ripped open your suit to gain access. you let out a loud gasp and said his name out of shock.

"keep saying my name hermosa, i like it when you say it that way" ("beautiful")

you let out a soft moan as he talked to you, his voice was laced in lust his want for you practically dripping off his tongue. he pushed your panties (oo lala) to the side and slid his finger gently down your wet slit. he let out a short huff, his breath fanning on your heat.

"que linda carino" ("so so pretty darling")

his sweet talk might as well been enough to make you cum. he closed the space between him and your mouth, his tongue and lips working wonders on your clit. you tried your best to keep quiet, biting down on your lip to silence yourself. your hand found its way into miguels hair and you pushed his face further into you causing him to moan. it sent shivers up your spine and made you finally moan out. miguels big hands wrapped around your thighs and he pushed them closed, oh miguel likes to be squished... he looked up at you. this man cant get any prettier, he was soaked in your juices and the light from the orange screens beside you glistened oh so nicely against his skin.

you were done being quiet, miguels feasting got more and more intense there was no point in trying to stay quiet. your legs tightened around his head making him moan and grunt more. his tongue and lips working wonders, hitting all the right places. you threw your head back and let out a very vocal moan, pushing miguels head down. he slurped on your juices loudly and sloppily before getting up off his knees and wiping his mouth clean.

he stared down at you with a proud smirk on his face, he enjoyed staring at you twitch with your blissed out face.

"gotta get you cleaned up, now don't we mi novia?" ("my girl")

๑۞๑,¸¸,ø¤º°°๑۩ ร𝓲ᖇᵉŇ. ๑۩ ,¸¸,ø¤º°°๑۞๑ ๑۞๑,¸¸,ø¤º°°๑۩ ร𝓲ᖇᵉŇ. ๑۩ ,¸¸,ø¤º°°๑۞๑

. yes i know it's wednesday, i'm sorry lol i was working on this last weekend and then didn't finish it??? idky but i finished this so i hope it's alright, i'm still getting a bit used to writing smut /~\, erm anyways hope you guys liked it and i used google translate again so idk how accurate the spanish is lolll, i also have a few series i wanna start so stay tuned (if you're willing lmao) for those~♡

. masterlist | rules and fandoms | taglist |

๑۞๑,¸¸,ø¤º°°๑۩ ร𝓲ᖇᵉŇ. ๑۩ ,¸¸,ø¤º°°๑۞๑ ๑۞๑,¸¸,ø¤º°°๑۩ ร𝓲ᖇᵉŇ. ๑۩ ,¸¸,ø¤º°°๑۞๑

[yelenasdiary]

I love sibling focs!! Maybe it’s the only child in me that feels the comfort in these anyways….

Can you do a reader x Kelly Foster one where we are her younger sister -but in our teens- and she wants us to starts helping out around the zoo with the animals but we’re not the biggest fan of it and would rather spend the day with our friends instead. If somehow or someway you can add in some angst that would be amazing but ends with fluff

I’m not the greatest at sending in ideas but something along this would be cool but feel free to change it up if you want!!

Arguments & Ugly Trees

Pairing: Kelly Foster x Younger Sibling! Reader

Summary: Kelly struggles to get you to help more around the zoo, especially around the holidays. 

Warnings: Angst/Comfort, No Warnings | 1K

AC: Been so long since I wrote for Kelly! Enjoy x

Holiday Special Masterlist

"Come on! Get up!" Your older sister, Kelly, repeats herself as you feel the heavy blow from her throwing a throw pillow at you. "Go away!" You mumbled, your eyes barely opened wide enough to look at the time but a faint 5 told you it was way too early for you to be awake. 

"You promised you'd help today, let's go! There's a lot to do before opening" Kelly reminds you. Of course you made the promise unintentionally just to get her off your back so you could hang out at the mall with your friends. Growing up on a zoo had its perks, as a child you loved it and grew close to the animals but as you grew older and into your teens, the zoo lost interest for you. Kelly knew this would happen eventually, she just wished she had a little more time before your teenage hormones kicked in and suddenly you couldn't stand to be around her anymore. 

"Kelly! Go away!" You snapped once your older sister pulled the covers off you, exposing you to the coldness of an early morning. You heard her loudly sigh with disappointment before the loud slam of your door closing added to her anger. Within a few short seconds you were asleep once again while your sister picked up your slack around the zoo. 

By 10am you were up, dressed and waiting on the porch of the small cottage you shared with Kelly. You had plans to meet your friends in town at 10:30 for the day, well you did. 

"You might want to text your Uber and cancel" you heard Kelly's voice as she came walking up the path. 

"Why would I do that? I have plans" you frowned. 

"You haven't heard? There's a snowstorm coming. Everything is closed, you would've known sooner if you were up when I asked" she stopped in front of you, her hands on her hips as you rolled your eyes. "Go get changed into something a little more work friendly, it's all hands on deck. We've gotta make sure the animals are secure before the storm hits" she adds. 

"Seriously?! This is bullshit!" You grumbled as you turned on your heels and stormed into the house to change. A sigh left Kelly's lips as she mentally prepared herself for the attitude, she knew you'd be giving her. 

——

Fixing fence after fence with a loud sigh and yet another eye roll, Kelly couldn't take it anymore. 

"What is your problem?" She snapped, throwing the hammer to the ground. "What? I'm doing what you asked!" You turned to her with a frown. 

"I don't know what to do with you anymore, you're never happy to do anything around here and honestly, sometimes I think you even hate looking at me and I'm sorry that living on a zoo is so problematic for you but give me a god damn break for once! All the eye rolls, the sighs, the grumbles, it's getting old!" Your sister went on. Her sudden outburst took you by surprise, even reminding you as to why you began to lose interest in the zoo. 

"I'm doing my best with what we have here! A little thank you doesn't hurt!" She went on, bringing your attention back to the argument. "J-just go back home, I don't need your help" 

You could see the hurt in her eyes as she let them fall to the hammer on the ground, maybe you were being a selfish little brat and forgot just how much Kelly does for you but she also forgot something along the years. 

"You care more about this zoo than me" you replied in a soft tone. Kelly instantly looked back at you, "why would you say that?" She asked. "Because it's true, you forgot that in your sister, not some other zoo hand that you can boss around. We never get time together anymore and when we did try to make plans, you bailed because something more important came up" you explained with honesty, letting all your built up emotions pour out. "Christmas is literally like two weeks way and we still haven't even put up the tree, it's just sitting in the living room in a box…Christmas used to be our thi-"

Your words were cut short as Kelly pulled you into her arms the moment she saw the tears pooling at your eyes. "Shhh, I know" she whispered as you wrapped your arms around her. She held you until your tears came to a stop, you pulled away and wiped your wet cheeks on the sleeve of your jacket. "Can we make a new rule?" Kelly asked, her hands still on your forearms. 

"I need to help out more, I know" you replied. 

"No" she shook her head, "promise me you'll talk to me instead of letting things bottle up like this? I'm not a mind reader you know" she added. You chuckled at her joke and nodded, "only if you promise to we can finally put the tree up" you raised a brow at her playfully. 

"Let's get this job done and we'll call it a day, go inside and out the tree up" she smiled softly. 

——

"It looks terrible!" You chucked before taking a much-needed sip of your hot chocolate as you watched Kelly put the star on top of the Christmas tree. The tree looked like a mess, fairy lights still slightly tangled up, the two of you too unbothered to make everything perfect. 

"I think it's" Kelly paused as she stood back and took in the sight of the tree, "unique" she added chewing her bottom lip. "Let's just remember to turn the lights off before we go to bed, the last thing we need is the house burning down" she joked as she took a seat beside you on the sofa, reaching for her hot chocolate from the coffee table. 

"So, tell me, should I be worried your dating yet?" She asked after sipping her drink. You playfully slapped her arm, "between you, school and the zoo, what makes you think I have time?" 

Kelly smiled at you before resting her head on your shoulder while the two of you admired the ugly Christmas tree. "It'll always be just us kiddo, against everything" she spoke softly to assure you that you never lost your sister. Sometimes things go unsaid and you made a promise to yourself to never let distance grow between you both ever again.

Taglist: @red1culous | @sayah13 | @charl-lally | @when-wolves-howl | @bentleywolf29 | @fxckmiup | @natasha-belova | @blackwidow-3 | @lissaaaa145 | @high--power | @parkerdaramitzzzz | @mmmmokdok | @wackymcstupid | @kiwiana145 | @observeowl | @nattyolw | @ripofflizzie | @goofy-goonie | @makegoodchoices | @apollo2907 | @wandaroman0ff | @dumb-fawkin-bitch | @lovelyy-moonlight | @santana1437 | @ahintofchaos | @fluffyblanketgecko | @puta1 | @inluvwithfictionalwomen | @tintedrose12 | @jaymieflorissssssss | @tita001 | @youralphawolf72 | @donnietarantino | @randomnessbecausewhynot | @natashamaximoff69 | @hehehehannahthings | @pandaemonium111 | @imnotslouching | @secrettoallofyou | @romantic-slaps-on-the-asss | @marvel-fan-2021 | @mmmmokdok | @riveramorylunar | @ripofflizzie | @marvel-madnessx | @scarsw1fe | @toldthatdevil | @itsmv3 | @natashaswife4125 | @katiemay-025 | @aphrcdtes | @romanoffs-widow | @natsxwife | @maria-403 | @boredandneedfanfics | @wandamaximoffspuppup | @xox-little-troublemaker-xox | @shibugs | @music-4ever | @hyper-fixated-delusions | @carol-romanoff | @jono723 |

[starlightshadowsworld]

Agency informant Izaya

Spoilers for Stormbringer

The day Dazai truly realised how much Izaya meant to him and how much he trusted him, was the day he lost Odasaku.

However, the day Chuuya realised it came a whole lot sooner than that. Don't get him wrong, Chuuya liked Izaya. He had expected the worst when Dazai had introduced his friend.

Chuuya was surprised to see someone so human. Izaya was wicked intelligent, he was probably one of the few people who could follow Dazai's line of thoughts.

But he was kind and didn't hide it. Doing things like researching wines just to keep up with Chuuya in a conversation about something he was passionate about.

The way he acted was eerily similar to the Flags. Izaya didn't falter even if Chuuya was in a bad mood, he was patient and always bright.

Chuuya wondered sometimes if it would be a good or bad idea to introduce them. But it turns out he didn't need to make that choice.

The scene in Old World was horrifying but immediately Adam began talking. However, it wasn't his voice that was speaking. "Izaya?" A relieved sigh filled the air.

"The one and only, I do apologise for the nightmare fuel but the bodies your seeing aren't real."

Chuuya frowned, walking to Lippman and inspecting the body. While it looked horrifically lifelike, it was fake.

"How did you..."

"Dazai let it slip you were being hunted down at our weekly chess game." Even without him being there, Chuuya could picture the anger on Izaya's face hearing the news.

"I did some digging, figured who his targets were and had your friends moved to a secure location." Izaya's voice became a lot more gentle "they're all here, say hi guys."

The collective "hi" from everyone shouldn't have made tears well up in Chuuya's eyes but it did.

They were safe, they were all safe and alive.

"But how you get the bodies and set this up so fast?" Asked Chuuya, curious. Izaya and Dazai would've had their game about 4 hours ago.

"Your friend, who I sincerely apologise for hijacking by the way, isn't the only one of his kind. While not as sophisticated, robots like him do exist. And I have more than a few people who owe me a favour."

Even so this was a lot of blood, and unlike the bodies it was real. As if reading his mind, Izaya carried on.

"The blood was the hard part but I contacted Mori and told him the situation. We made a deal, should the time ever arise I owe him a favour one I can't refuse. And he supplied me with what I needed now from the Port Mafia's blood bank."

Chuuya's eyes widened in shock.

"You... You made a deal, with the Port Mafia just to help me?"

"Of course." Said Izaya like it was nothing big. And it hit Chuuya just how much he cared about him. Izaya had put himself in danger, just to help him.

Despite befriending himself and Dazai, Izaya firmly stayed away from the Port Mafia's buisness. And especially from Mori who has his eyes on him for a long time.

The Flags had risked their necks by being close to him. For giving him proof he was human behind the Boss's back.

All because they cared about him.

They shouldn't, he was more trouble than he was worth but Chuuya couldn't feel anything but relief.

"Got any ideas for what comes next?"

Izaya chuckled "of course, but for that we should meet in a more secure location. The phone lines are bugged and as fun as this is, I should give your friend back his voice soon."

Adam came back, grumbling but he seemed relieved. Chuuya write down the address and started to move out with Adam in tow.

For the first time since thus shit begun, Chuuya felt like everything was going to be okay.

"Wait, what about you? He'll be after you." Chuuya ignored that he'd basically just realised and admitted Izaya was important to him.

Izaya's voice returned momentarily. "Oh don't worry about me. I'm a lot more difficult to kill that people realise. Besides, I've got a plan.

[maple-the-awesome]

We'll Meet Again...I Know When || Chapter 32

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x GN Reader

Words: 3,853

Overview: Given your old-fashioned personality and obsession with all things 1940s to 1980s, it’s no wonder that most people refer to you as an ‘old soul’ who would’ve rather lived back then than in the modern era. Little do they know, you already did, but with your previous life as Hollie Stark cut short, you’ve been left with some…unfinished business, to say the least. Top of your list? Finally getting to marry your thought-to-be-lost fiancé.

Series Masterlist 🤎 Marvel Masterlist 🤎 Fandom Masterlist

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: GET LOW

You have to keep your priorities straight. There's a group of terrorist super soldiers running around while the serum to create them is apparently being created in the worst possible place for it, Madripoor. You only agreed to this mission to solve that problem; nothing else should be on your mind nor of your concern. The sooner you fix things, the sooner you can return home where you somewhat wish you would've stayed to begin with.

Despite your bitter and anxious mood, you keep strictly to your assigned character during negotiations. Standing behind Zemo with hands kept clasped in front of yourself, you pay close attention to every word said not because you care for the conversation itself, but so that you can be prepared if anything goes wrong.

As scripted, you only move when Zemo offers to 'trade' the Winter Soldier to Selby in exchange for information, at which point you briefly hold up a book for her to see containing the supposed code words (none that are accurate, as you made sure to confirm before even entering Madripoor).

Earlier when this part of the plan had been explained to you, you were hesitant, yet now you find yourself caring a little less, a petty side of you almost wanting to actually leave him here with this lunatic crime-lord since she seems perfectly willing to take him off your hands. It's not like you plan to ever come back to Madripoor anyway, so he'd never have to worry about seeing you again; a total win for him.

The good news is you get a lead from Selby: a man named Dr. Wilfred Nagel is the one making super soldier serum. The bad news? She refuses to say where you can find him, not even willingly to mention if he's in Madripoor. The worst news? Sam forgot one of the biggest rules to undercover missions: turning off your damn phone.

It's at this point that your facades begin to unravel like a cat's favorite ball of yarn. Based on the way Sam looks around the room nervously, you can tell it isn't a scam call or wrong number, yet there's nothing any of you can do for him once Selby demands he answer it on speaker phone. Despite his desperate attempts to maintain his role as Smiling Tiger, the woman on the other end doesn't get the hint, stubbornly remaining on line until delivering the final blow by referring to him by name.

"'Sam'? Who's 'Sam'?" Selby becomes enraged immediately, "Kill them -!"

Almost as soon as those words left her mouth, a bullet came crashing through the window, hitting Selby from behind and causing her to fall limp onto the ground. From there, you're only allowed a brief moment of surprise before a fight ensues.

Thankfully unlike the bar downstairs where there would've been a gun pointing at you from every direction, there are only two armed guards in this private room who are slow to react. Bucky and Sam easily knock them out while taking their guns for themselves which is enough of a threat for everyone else to flee without causing any further trouble, although that doesn't necessarily save any of you from this new situation you've landed yourselves in.

"We have a real problem now," Zemo complains, yet his behavior comes across as being no more inconvenienced than he would be if someone spit in his tea, "Leave your weapons and follow my lead."

You wish you could be as calm, too - which is the first and only time you'll be jealous of Zemo for something. Sure, you can act calm, but to truly be it is another talent. It doesn't matter how straight your expression is nor how casual you try to walk while still being swift on your feet; you feel like a deer walking through a shooting range the second you step onto the streets, senses heightened as you wait for any sign of danger directed your way.

You don't have to wait long. The lights of the street suddenly flash off, leaving you blinded by darkness soon disrupted by a flurry of gunshots aimed at your group. It's complete chaos after that. There’s no uniformed or planned attack like what you're used to. It's a city of criminals governed by no leadership or morals, only their own selfish interests in mind.

There's gunshots to your left and gunshots to your right. People screaming as they run for cover, people shouting as they chase after you through the many streets and allies. Now, you haven't been to the gym in months - Alright, maybe years, but practiced exercise is nothing compared to pure adrenaline. The mere thought of your life being on the line as motorcycles roar somewhere close by serves as the perfect motivator for your legs to keep moving, chasing directly behind Bucky who likely has no idea where he's going, but anywhere is better than stopping to ask for directions.

Your pace only slows when coming around another corner, at which point you foolishly duck upon hearing two more gunshots fired from somewhere ahead. When you don't feel the force of any bullets ripping through your body, you turn around to see the motorcycle drivers both hunched over lifeless.

“Well, this is too perfect,” A voice comes as a woman steps out of the foggy darkness, only removing a hand from her gun briefly to pull down her hood which reveals her face to the rest of you. If it weren’t for your excellent memory, you likely would’ve had a harder time recognizing her as Sharon Carter, someone you’ve only met once and under far different circumstances, but she’s an ally nonetheless.

This would be the point where you sigh if not for still trying to catch your breath and steady your nerves.

You're grateful for the opportunity to finally switch out of this stupid disguise you've been forced to wear all night and pleased to see Sharon has offered quite the selection of new outfits to choose from, although most look far too fancy for your taste, particularly the ones drenched in glitter. Not wanting to look like a walking disco ball, you pick something comfortable yet pretty and, most importantly, suitable for action since you highly doubt your game of dodging bullets is over just yet.

Glancing around to check on everyone else, you notice they all seem to be doing their own thing. Sam's trying to find his own change of clothes from the rack, Zemo's currently helping himself to Sharon's alcohol collection, and Bucky has simply plopped down on the couch with back turned to the rest of you (brooding, as you would assume).

"Is there someplace I can change?" You ask Sharon once she returns. She tosses her coat onto the couch next to Bucky and spares you a quick look as she passes by.

"What? Can't change here?" While her tone may have been teasing, that smirk on her face makes you question if she's truly joking, however you certainly aren't.

You'll confess that you've changed in the same room as Bucky before, however you'd also argue that the circumstances were very different then. To him, you had been roommates for so long that it didn't seem like a big deal to switch shirts or sleep in only boxers in your presence. To you...Well, you've always known that you had both done a little more than simply 'change' in front of each other in the 40s, so why be embarrassed about your roommate-once--fiancé catching a sneak peek?

The point is, while you're comfortable around Bucky, that doesn't apply to anyone else in this room. Sam's a friend you barely know, Sharon's a person you don't know, and Zemo's a liability you'd have to strangle if he so much as thought of saying anything remotely inappropriate.

"I'd rather have privacy."

Sharon rolls her eyes with a scoffed laugh, "Sorry, I didn't think you'd mind. You've never seemed that shy around men before."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Your voice alone warns her to answer carefully as does your irked expression, yet she still turns away from you with a careless shrug.

"It's just that you come across as someone who likes attention, that's all. What, with you going from Rogers, Barnes, Stark then Barnes again; you sure get around, but hey, props to you for having fun with your life, I guess."

"You know there's this thing called 'friends', right?" Sam interjects, unable to himself. He knows you all desperately need Sharon's help in finding Dr. Nagel, but he has trouble biting back the offense he takes on your behalf from her unwarranted comments.

For better or for worse, she isn't fazed by Sam's disapproval, instead responding sarcastically to it, "Really? Never heard of it."

"Like that isn't obvious," You roll your eyes then land them on Bucky who unlike Sam doesn't bother to show an ounce of concern for how Sharon's treating you, his back remaining completely turned to the problem.

Although his silence has been bothering you this whole time, you must say it especially stings right now. You understand that he's mad, but so much so that he isn't even willingly to say a single word in your defense? That he's just going to sit there and let her basically call you a whore? He knows the truth, all he has to do is say it. Who cares if it actually shuts Sharon up? At least he'd look like a decent gentleman by attempting to protect your honor instead of a total asshole wordlessly supporting her point!

Looking back at Sharon, you match her crossed arms and pair them with a disinterested stare, "I know you're bitter and shit about Steve leaving you for your aunt, but that doesn't involve me, so if you're that desperate to lift your ego, I suggest picking up a hobby or - better yet - moving on instead of pissing me off which I will only warn you once is a dangerous game to play.

"I'm sure you'll be pleased to know Barnes and I - we're nothing; not even friends. The sole reason why I'm right now is because Sam, a friend, asked nicely and I, for one, don't want anyone dragging the name of super soldiers through the mud; personally, I don't think Steve's legacy deserves that. Now is there somewhere I can change or not?"

Despite the bite behind your words, Sharon appears more impressed than offended or sorry as she nods her head towards the hallway, "There's a bathroom down the hall, three doors to your right."

"...Thanks," You brush past her with your clothes in hand, more convinced than ever that you'll never step foot in Madripoor again after this even if the rest of the world were to be on fire.

Seconds after you disappear through the glass doors, Bucky turns to send a glare Sharon's way, "What the hell was that?"

"What? ...Oh, come on! Did I really hit that deep of a nerve? I thought for Avengers, you'd all have thicker skin," Sharon's attempt at innocence crumbles under Bucky and Sam's intense glares, yet she merely sighs in frustration before going to pour herself a glass of alcohol over where Zemo's been watching the whole scene unfold while sipping his brandy in amusement.

"I highly doubt I'm the only one who finds it a little suspicious that someone who stuck their neck out for the Winter Soldier and Captain America was entirely forgiven when rich boy Tony Stark cried out in their favor only to conveniently fall right back into their former lover's arms after his death. I mean, last I saw they were practically your little lap dog seven years ago and honestly, I can't say it seems much has changed once Stark got out of the way."

Sharon finishes her little rant by collapsing on the opposite side of the couch as Bucky who shakes his head in disbelief, "Wow, you're kind of awful now, aren't you?"

"Look, Sharon. I'm sorry for everything that happened. I'm sorry no one ever called -" Sam starts.

"- You make it sound like it was just a missed date or something -"

"- I know that it seems like (Y/n) got off easy compared to the crap you've had to put up with after helping us, but it's not their fault how things ended. Stark was there to stand up for them while no one was there for you, so don't blame them, blame me. I should've called, but after the Blip, it was chaos and I -"

"- Oh, save your breath," Sharon shakes her head, looking back at Sam from over the edge of the couch, "...You know all this hero stuff is just bullshit, right? Deep down, you know it's all hypocrisy and that's why you gave up the shield."

"He knows, just not that deep down," Zemo asserts from the corner of the room, however Sam himself can't seem to say anything, only able to remain quiet while wishing he had your talent for snapping back. He wants to say something to disprove Sharon's allegations, yet he instead hands her the win with his silence, allowing her to go back to finishing her drink just in time for you to return, clearly still irritated and too much so to question whether the dim energy of this room is from your past conversation or a new one.

"Alright, so what's the plan? How are we finding this Dr. Nagel, hmm?" You get right to business, not even bothering to act cheerful or excited as you normally would; your will to do so for everyone else's sake is officially run dry.

"Are you guys still sure you want to get involved in this?" For once, Sharon doesn't show much confidence, in fact you would even say she sounds genuinely concerned as she sets her empty glass on the table, "For your own safety, I'd recommend that you don't. Nagel works for the Power Broker who, might I remind you, you're already in deep shit against after what happened with Selby."

"Free range super soldiers being produced under the management of a criminal empire? Yeah, for the safety of the world, I'd say backing down isn't really an option here," You argue, half surprised Sharon doesn't have some smartass comment to swing back at you which proves that while she might be a pain to deal with, she at least isn't stupid.

"To do this we need your help, Sharon. We can get your name cleared -" Sam adds.

"- Heh. Haggling with my life now, are we?"

"Not like that -"

"- Mmm, I don't buy it - you pretending to clear my name as your bargaining chip?"

"I can try," Sam walks around the couch, standing in front of Sharon with a hand outstretched towards her, "It's not impossible, after all, they already cleared the name of a bionic staring machine after he killed almost everyone he met -"

"- I heard that -"

"- I don't trust charity."

"It's not really 'charity'," You sit on an armchair and shrug when Sharon's glances around Sam at you, "Charity is the act of voluntary giving. We're not just 'giving' you anything, we're offering an exchange. You help us find Nagel, Sam here gets your name cleared. Can't be that hard. The government's views change like a flip of a dime. Catch 'em at a desperate time of need and they'll be more willing to pardon you for your help in the cause."

"...Nice to see someone here admits to seeing the hypocrisy of it all," Sharon inhales and exhales deeply, her words causing you to raise an eyebrow in confusion after having missed the context to them earlier. Nevertheless, it doesn't matter as she finally shakes Sam's hand and stands to her feet, "I sell to some pretty connected people, so just lay low, stay out of trouble, and enjoy the party while I see what I can do."

You're not a fan of crowds, but at least this suffocating party beats being cornered in a bar full of hostile, armed patrons. Here everything is more laid back, similar to any noncriminal run club. The music is blaring, lights flashing, and ground vibrating as guests dance to their hearts' content. All you have to do now is just look like you're equally enjoying yourself for a few hours which is significantly easier than your previous role as 'silent assistant'.

Leaned against a wall, your laughter becomes comparable to the booming of the bass and is contagious within the group of party goers standing around you. You just gotta keep this up - keep engaging in a few more conversations, tell a couple of funny jokes while downing a drink or two along the way, and soon that annoying, nagging voice inside your head will finally go mute, allowing you to sink deeper and deeper into your game of intoxicating pretend.

"Hey -!" You're suddenly pulled away from your new group of friends when Bucky grabs your arm, quite literally tugging your attention from them to him. While he's technically successful, you're hardly amused, immediately ripping your arm away from him with a glare and another swig of your drink.

"- What?"

Bucky, who was going to say something else, becomes distracted when his eyes flicker down to your half-empty bottle, "...Don't you think you've had enough?"

You huff, bringing the bottle back up to your lips while maintaining your glare, "I'm not going to get drunk if that's what you're worried about. I'm able to handle my liquor quite well, thank you very much. It's in my blood, after all."

Bucky sighs, half tempted to rip that bottle away from your stubborn hand, however he refrains from the urge.

"...Have you heard anything from Sharon yet?" Your question echoes within the glass as you survey the active party around you both.

"No. Last I heard, she's still talking to her 'connections'."

"Well hopefullyshe starts speeding things up. It's been a long enough night already," You'd blame it on exhaustion fogging up your mind, but in truth, it's probably the relief from Bucky's finally talking to you which seems to take some weight off of your shoulders, allowing you to relax and speak more freely in his presences - to be more like yourself unlike how you've been behaving around those other party goers...however you shouldn't have been so trusting to this feeling.

"Then you should go rest."

"Not until we find Nagel."

Bucky pauses, not even looking at you as he just stares at some other far off place in the room, "...I think you should stay here while we go talk to Nagel ourselves."

"There's no point in that," You sigh, "I came here to help you guys, not stand on the sidelines."

"It wasn't a suggestion."

"What?" You return your glare to him once more.

"It's not necessary for all of us to go. We don't need five people -"

"- Does my presence add that much to the equation? Three people is fine, but four's a crowd? In that case, why not have Sharon stay behind? She's the tag-along...Or is it just me?"

"It...It has nothing to do with you, okay? I just think -" Bullshit. He acts as if your accusation is nothing short of ridiculous yet never looks directly at you longer than an impatient glance. It is you.

"- Here's an idea: how about you just pretend I'm not there, yeah?" You put your free hand on your hip, feeling your blood begin to boil the more his words sink into your skin, "I mean, that's what you've been doing this whole time and you seem to have gotten pretty damn good at it, I'd say, so I doubt it'll kill you to do for a few extra hours."

Bucky inhales deeply while pinching the bridge of his nose, "...Look, we've already run into trouble and barely got out of it just searching for Nagel. Actually talking to him is going to be dangerous."

"Alright? And your point is?"

"You're at the most risk out of all of us. You don't have any formal training, you don't have any powers. Just - Come on and be reasonable. You'll only get yourself hurt -!"

"'Be reasonable'?" You can't help but laugh with a shake of your head, "I am being reasonable! In case you've forgotten, I protected your ass for two whole years and helped the Avengers fight Thanos twice! That's not even mentioning the shit I went through against HYDRA, either! For fucks sake, I've been shot at before, so training or not, the fear of dying isn't new for me!"

Your fury falters and you immediately regret your choice of words once noticing Bucky's reaction to them. Almost as soon as they're said, his expression becomes shattered and mournful, and a part of you instantly feels terrible seeing that, yet at the same time, your lingering anger - still fueled by your inner, unresolved pain - prevents you from outright apologizing.

"...You're a liability if you go..."

You grip your bottle, almost wishing it would just shatter in your hands to emphasize what you're feeling right now. Maybe then you'd have an excuse to cry in front of so many people - people who would definitely raise eyebrows if you were to completely lash out right now and confront Bucky with every swirling thought that's been burning hotter on your tongue following each drop of alcohol: 'What am I doing wrong? Why are you treating me like this? How come you don't love me anymore? Can't you see that it's drowning me?

You take a deep breath, calming yourself down a little before opening your eyes to look back up at Bucky with a false smile, "...You know what? Suuure. I'll stay behind. Whatever makes you happy, you fucking asshole!"

After spitting those final venomous words, you shove pass him roughly and storm off into the crowd, no longer caring if anyone heard your little 'lover's quarrel', as they probably all see it as. You have no idea where you're going or what you'll even do in the meantime, but Sharon's house seems big enough, so you're sure you'll have no problem finding someplace quiet to soak in all your self-pity.

Bucky almost calls after you, requiring every ounce of willpower not to chase you and give an apology, but what would that actually accomplish if he did? 'Sorry I hurt your feelings, but I'm still not changing my mind because I stand by what I said'...As if that would fix anything.

Maybe this is for the best, at least that's what he tries to convince himself throughout each second that his guilt eats away at him. For the price of hurting you, you won't be in danger if things go south talking to Nagel. Perhaps you'll even want to go home after this and you'll never have to be at risk because of any of this stuff again. Sure, you'll hate him as you probably do now, but if that's what it takes for you to be alive, then it's worth it.

...It'll be worth this heartache, won't it?

NEXT CHAPTER ->

<- PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Taglist:

@arunabrak,

[jihyocentric]

hi lumi could you write sugar mommy au where jihyo and tzuyu are outside running errands or at an event and jihyo has a plug stuffed in her ass and a vibrator in her pussy. tzuyu has a vibrating cockring and a plug too. both of them have each others remotes and the first person who breaks gets punished later ;) if you think another couple would do this instead feel free to change it!

(not really a punishment but let's roll with it! also it wasn't supposed to get this long but oh well)

tzuyu wasn't the best at pretending.

it wasn't the first time jihyo brought her along to have dinner with some friends, but this time jihyo decided to make things interesting. tzuyu wasn't sure when 'interesting' became 'torture', but she barely talked the entire night. at least she had an excuse for herself, as she was introverted and jihyo would answer things in her behalf if anybody tried to start a conversation with tzuyu. it was a protective behavior that tzuyu was thankful for, especially that night.

nobody suspected a thing, but jihyo was having fun watching tzuyu struggle whenever she increased the vibration of tzuyu's cockring. tzuyu had a hard time, quite literally, because at some point her boxers were straining. she eventually realized she could do the same to jihyo, but it took long minutes of her trying to stay still on that chair. all she needed was to open the app on her phone and get back at jihyo.

so she did, and jihyo looked at tzuyu sharply when the younger increased the intensity of the vibration on the toy stuck in her panties, showing tzuyu she wasn't pleased about it. well, her body was, and tzuyu knew it from the way jihyo rubbed her thighs together and dropped the cutlery.

jihyo thought she would've handled it better, she really did, because she wasn't the type to come easily and she was more than familiar with toys like those, unlike tzuyu. but the knowledge that there were a bunch of friends surrounding them at the table and that they could easily get caught made everything worse. jihyo sank her nails in tzuyu's covered thigh as she came, crossing her legs tightly and keeping quiet, pretending it was nothing. she might've come sooner, but at least she was still able to play it off as nothing.

tzuyu threw her a cheeky smile that made jihyo regret her choices from earlier, wanting to make that smile go away and show tzuyu who was really in charge. but tzuyu had played fair and square. jihyo could do nothing but accept it, even if she had previously planned a perfect punishment for tzuyu, convinced that tzuyu would come before her.

when they got home, jihyo wasn't surprised by being lifted off the ground, but she huffed, not happy with how things turned out.

"don't be so cocky." jihyo all but growled, and tzuyu stopped, cornering jihyo against a wall, still holding the older woman on her lap.

"you lost." tzuyu said smugly, knowing she was touching jihyo's wound. "you came like a whore in front of your friends, and now you're going to do anything i want."

jihyo wasn't fazed by that. she sank her nails in tzuyu's cheeks, getting so close that their noses touched, ready to put tzuyu back in place. "remember who you're talking to."

"oh you're gonna love this, mommy." tzuyu ignored jihyo's squeal when she pulled back and took her into their room.

tzuyu's cock twitched, already hard in her trousers. she loved being the target of jihyo's anger, thinking it was hot to fuck jihyo when she was clearly pissed off. the best part of it was that even if jihyo wanted to jump at her neck, she would still take tzuyu her deep and show how much she liked it.

tzuyu knew exactly what she wanted. the moment jihyo decided to wear that dress that barely covered her tits, tzuyu knew they would be her prize — if she managed to make jihyo come before her, and she did. she put jihyo down and licked her own lip, looking at jihyo's cleavage hungrily.

jihyo crossed her arms under her chest, both trying to look angry and teasing tzuyu, well aware of the fact that doing that made her tits more plump and exposed.

"kneel." tzuyu told her as she sat down at the edge of the bed. jihyo took a deep breath, still sulking about losing at her own game, but she did what she was told.

without asking, tzuyu pulled the straps of jihyo's dress down, and then the upper part of jihyo's dress was around her waist and her tits were bare. knowing jihyo hadn't been wearing a bra all night was painful in many ways, and now tzuyu was getting her reward for enduring everything jihyo had put her through.

"i'm starting to think you're all bark no bite." jihyo teases when tzuyu spends too long just looking at her chest, and it was her time to be cocky. "if you want mommy to take over all you have to do is ask, baby."

"shut up." tzuyu snaps at her and jihyo feels her panties flooding, secretly loving it when tzuyu got smug.

tzuyu unzips her trousers hurriedly, pulling it all the way down along with her boxers, taking the cockring off. jihyo had turned it off a few seconds after she came and lost the bet, but tzuyu never got soft. she had been hard for hours, and now it was jihyo's problem to deal with.

"suck it good," tzuyu orders, holding the back of jihyo's head so she could guide the older woman to her cock. jihyo had no time to complain or do another snarky remark, getting her mouth filled by tzuyu's cock, tasting the salty precum. "make sure to get it wet."

jihyo moans around the length, closing her eyes and taking tzuyu's cock deep into her throat, loving to suck on it. tzuyu stops her too soon, and jihyo knows what tzuyu really wants. with her eyes dark with lust, tzuyu lifts jihyo and throws her on the bed, straddling jihyo until her cock was at the same level as her breasts.

"you're so cute when you're this desperate for my tits." jihyo coos, and for a second tzuyu breaks, whining as jihyo held her own breasts and made a tight passage for tzuyu. "fuck them, baby."

tzuyu seemed to realize what was going on, and she narrowed her eyes at jihyo, a hand gripping the woman's throat tightly. "stop it, i'm in charge!"

jihyo nods and holds back a smile. and then tzuyu takes off, letting go of jihyo's neck so she could breathe. moving her hips forward, tzuyu fucks jihyo's tits, relishing in how tender they felt, smothering her cock completely. tzuyu grunted, watching attentively as her cock slid against the skin, slick with her precum and spit. at some point she replaced jihyo's hands with hers, feeling the hardened nipples in her palm as she held jihyo's tits.

when tzuyu comes her body trembles, balls tensing before she releases her load all over jihyo's tits and face. she made a mess, and if tzuyu hadn't won that bet, jihyo would make her pay for coating her in cum.

jihyo cleans her face with her fingers and tastes tzuyu's cum, making the younger's cock jerk, still trapped between her tits. "you always come so much when i let you fuck my tits."

"did you come this much when you lost our bet?" tzuyu counters cockily, flipping jihyo on the bed so she was prone.

jihyo laughs teasingly, feeling tzuyu get rid of her dress. "see it yourself."

"looks pretty wet to me." tzuyu replies, taking jihyo's panties off along with the vibrator attached to it, the only thing left was the plug in jihyo's ass. "i already know what i want next."

"fuck," jihyo moans when tzuyu pushes the plug deeper, clenching around it as tzuyu took it off. "not there, baby..."

"i want it here." tzuyu says stubbornly.

jihyo's body betrays her when tzuyu sinks her shaft inside her ass. she didn't expect to end up lying on her stomach with tzuyu on top of her, in her mind it would've been really the opposite but she wasn't complaining.

sometimes tzuyu forgets how big she is, and jihyo buries her face in the pillows as tzuyu forces herself deeper, uncaring of jihyo's whimpers. jihyo was lubed up enough, and it wasn't jihyo's first time taking tzuyu there, so it was easier to slide in.

tzuyu wondered if jihyo would try to get back at her later, but the thoughts of being dealt with by her mommy only fueled her need to take jihyo, trapping the older woman against the bed as she fucked into her.

"tzuyu..." jihyo calls, moaning against the pillow, nails sinking in the sheets. "tzuyu!"

"what," tzuyu manages to say, panting with the effort. "what do you want, mommy?"

"god," jihyo whines at a deeper thrust. "fuck me faster!"

tzuyu groans, not wanting to take orders from her but she can't say no to that request. supporting herself on her elbows, tzuyu uses all of her strength to move her hips harder, faster, making jihyo clamp down around her as she rammed past the tightness of her ass.

jihyo was completely surrounded by tzuyu, and she had tzuyu inside of her so deliciously that it left her breathless, coating the bed with slick, making her own mess now. tzuyu kissed down the exposed part of jihyo's neck, feeling a certain tightness on her stomach, at the edge of another orgasm.

tzuyu rutted against her, hearing a sharp cry from the older woman, and then jihyo was clenching tight around her and coming hard. the feeling made tzuyu come undone, unable to move with how tight jihyo squeezed around her, spilling hot cum into jihyo's ass intimately, her body falling on top of jihyo as she panted.

"tzu, you're heavy." jihyo hissed, and tzuyu sighed softly as she tried to pull out of jihyo. the moment tzuyu managed to slip out, her cum trickled out of jihyo thickly, making tzuyu's half hard shaft attempt to come back to its full power. "don't even think about it."

tzuyu pouts. "but-"

"i need a shower. i feel nasty," jihyo says, turning around so she could look at tzuyu's face. "i know i lost the bet but i need a break. after that you can do whatever you want with mommy."

"anything?" tzuyu asks. she wanted to lay her head on jihyo's chest, but it was still glistening her cum.

jihyo nods. "anything."

tzuyu mashes her lips together, already thinking about the things she still wanted to do with jihyo. good thing that she was patient.

[nescaveckwriter]

Paintbrushes And Romance 🥰🐞 - Part 14

Dean x Fem/Reader

Part 14🥰🐞

A/N: This might be triggering for people suffering from PTSD!💓 Side Note: thank you all so much for the support. Much love, my bugsies 🥰🐞

Warnings: hospital scenes, trigger warnings, sadness, violence, swearing, PTSD triggers, suicidal tendencies, drug use,🥹

......

The tear stained note, was short, when Cas read it, "Sorry Mom, I need some space, will call I promise, Love you" , shaking his head in disbelief.

In a soft low voice, Cas told Dean he could enter the house.

The broken ceramic pieces still scattered all over the open plan kitchen, Dean searching for her, the look in his eyes took Cas by surprise, it was filled with hurt, fear, sadness and guilt. He just handed Dean the note, he expected his best friend to have one if his outbursts of anger, but instead, all Dean did was crumble up the note, looked at him with bloodshot eyes, saying, I've lost her again Cas, his voice was low, barely audible but shaking.

Of course he tried explaining to best of his knowledge, that she didn't really mean to say all those things, it was merely because she was suffering from depression and the trauma but of course his friend didn't really believe a single word he spoke.

Eversince that day, he would check on Dean occasionally, finding out how he has been doing, he'll always get the same answer, just fine, never been better.

One night about 2 months since she left, he went by Dean's house, he just had a feeling he should check on him, walking up to the door, he could see the image of the once strong man, sitting at the table, bottle of whiskey, nearly finished, what looked like photos scattered out in front of him, the chain with the diamond ring in his one hand, but what really scared him was the gun in Dean's right hand, he didn't knock, he just barched in, making Dean look up from where he sat.

Not a single word was uttered at that moment, He just took the weapon out of Dean's grip, tossed it to the side away from them, begging him to talk to him. The only words that ran over his whiskey lips, was that he was tired, he misses her, and he tried searching for her, but she withdrew all her money at a gas station two towns over, and well as for her phone, she threw it in the closest trash can, she only called back home about three times from a damn payphone, Caroline said when they spoke her words seemed few and sort of slurred. I reviewed the cameras man, you should've seen her, his eyes filled with sadness, the body he came to know like the back of his hand was now only skin and bones, she seemed high Cas! Like she's using, she's doing drugs because of me.

Dean stood up, running his hands over his face. I did this Cas. If only I caught the bastard sooner. That night was the breaking point for Dean, and if he didn't show up, Sam would've lost a brother and their parents a son.

He explained to Dean that what very few people knew, is that its not just the trauma victim, but their loved ones that also get affected by it. He didn't leave his sight that night, promising Dean that he is there for him every step of the way and that they will get through this.

Its been almost a year now, and Dean has gotten better, he has healthier coping mechanisms for the dark days, and when those doesn't seem to work like it should, he throws himself into work, and taking care of Bobby, making sure he gets to physical therapy. Of course every know and then he sees Dean subconsciously play with the chain around his neck, still keeping his eyes and ears open for a clue of where she might be, hoping she'll just show up one day, and say she's sorry, and he knows for a fact Dean will take her back in a heartbeat. He knows that it isn't either of their faults that this messed them up so badly but, it still breaks his heart that all of this happened to two of the most generous, loving people he knows.

...

Its been three months since she left, the images replaying over and over. What am I even searching for, what was even the real reason why I left, fumbling in her handbag for some of the painkillers she bought by some sketchy looking dude at the corner, the only way of making the images of every damn thing disappear is by getting high, is it wrong? Hell yeah I know it is wrong. But really do I even care anymore.

More coffee comes a deep voice, looking up you can tell the man had gone through hardships in life but the smile on his face met his eyes. Yeah, thanks you said, your voice doesn't sound the same anymore, its gotten slower and well it sounded like you had given up on life. He just nodded and refilled your cup. Something to eat, the voice came out a little sweeter than before.

No thanks, you didn't really felt like eating, everything made you nauseous. How did I get to this point, a junkie who can't wait for her next fix, who's living out of her car, driving from one town to the next. Maybe it was a wrong decision to drive off that day, thinking back to the first time you felt high, you were about to towns over, tired off driving and crying, and in all honesty the pain in your leg was driving you crazy, busy searching through your bag, seeing the antidepressants and opioids the doctor and your psychologist gave you, with clear instructions on how to take them, you just took some, washing it down with an energy drink you bought at the fill up station. And that combination felt amazing.

For the first time the images in your mind weren't so scary, and you felt good, real good. Early morning came and the effects wore off, you made a promise to yourself that you won't do again. After you freshened up you might've took some more, for the pain of course, just saying that to make yourself feel better, that day was also the last time you spoke to your mom, just stating your okay and she shouldn't worry and you loved her. You could tell she was concerned and crying on the end of the line. But there was nothing you could say to make her feel better. If there was you would've tried it yourself. You just hang up the payphone, throwing your cellphone in a trashcan close by, you knew Dean had the resources to trace your phone, and you weren't ready to be found.

Over these past few weeks the using got more, wanting to feel the effects for longer, you started popping pills more than once a day, and before you knew it, the pill bottles were empty, and it ain't exactly over the counter drugs, so you drove around searching for someone who sold them, at first you were scared but know your just desperate. Taking any pills you can get that will do the trick.

The guy who sold this last batch to you, told you to take one, and it will make you feel good, and at first you did, but that didn't just quite cut it, so you took another two, swallowing it down with your black coffee.

After a while you started to feel Nauseous, walking as fast as you can to the bathroom, not really seeing how the man from the diner that refilled your coffee were watching you, after closing the door behind you, you could tell something wasn't right, everything started to look it was swimming before your eyes, you felt like you were burning up, sweat coming from your forehead, your legs felt weak and just gave in underneath you, you felt your head hitting against the basin and then the floor, your body started to shake violently and then it all went dark...

[safyresky]

Smile Shots: Clawfoot Tub

Was thinking of what Diteline Valentine's Day probably looks like, given it is Dite's BUSIEST day of work and often one of the COLDEST days of the year. This was what I thought up! I was a little torn on how it would end up, but I knew for sure they would be chillin in a hot bath together after their long ass day lmao. Please enjoy what I was originally calling A Very Diteline Valentine's Day aka, "Two girls, chillin' in a hot bath, thigh to thigh because they're SO gay". For each other, lmao.

UM ALSO Killian belongs to @lmelodie. I very much enjoy stealing him for a quick mention in situations >:). This is some time in the future (hence diteline marriage! in theory, Dite should be going by Donnie rn but in practise, I entered a fugue state when writing this and went with the present naming conventions), but to clarify: I imagine that blackice plans involve another attempt at reconciliation that devolves into a fistfight 😂😂😂. my GOD their dynamic is EVERYTHING to me 😍😍😍

ANYWAY, formalities out of the way, enjoy! And ah, Happy BELATED Valentine's Day, in all the ways love exists! :)

(would've had this out sooner but I got very distracted by my own romantic shenanigans which involved a lot of Puss in Boots. The last Wish SLAPPED and the first movie was ALSO very good! :D)

---

"This is either a Valentine's Day surprise, OR you have had a very long day."

"Would you believe that it was both?"

Dite giggled, gently shutting the washroom door behind her. She looked down at her wife, up to her shoulders in bubbles, cucumbers on her eyes, fruity face mask all over her face, and kissed the top of her half-thawed head.

"I think I would, yes. But definitely mostly the latter," Dite said, unravelling her chiton. "Wanna talk about it?"

"I drew the SHORT STRAW, DITE," Jacqueline said, her tone of voice reminding Dite of the pouting emoji as she pulled off the cucumbers, throwing her hands in the air and her head back. The wet brown tendrils of hair stuck to her shoulders; above it, the still frozen white strands bounced a little bit, the steam slowly dissipating the snow. "The SHORT STRAW!"

"Oh no," Dite said, folding her chiton and placing it on the weird ledge behind the toilet, her heart shaped fibulae gently placed on top.

"Oh YES! Can you believe it, babe? Even JACK had plans!"

"Oh, cute!" Dite said, tossing undergarments into the laundry. "What are the two of them up to today?"

"I don't know, probably fist fighting in an alley way? I don't get those two."

"Well, love is love," Dite said, gently testing the water with a finger. "And your brother and Killian have a special way of showing it."

"That's a...polite way of putting it," Jacqueline said, eating one of the cucumber slices. "Here, lemme get some hot water back in here for you."

Dragging her leg off of the rim of the tub, Jacqueline leaned forward, turning the hot water tap. She frowned, moving her hand away from the stream that came pouring out of the faucet, looking up at her wife. "Maybe you should test the water. I know it's usually too hot whenever I do it," she said with a small sideways smile, slightly flushed—and Dite knew that it wasn't from the steam.

The goddess smiled, sliding into the bath, and placing her hand under the tap. "It cooled off fast, and you're nowhere near done melting," she said, twirling the cool water tap a smidgen.

"Yeah, it's a cold one today. Very cold. Fucking freezing even. I think parts of Northern Ontario are hitting forty below. Same with the Midwest. There's like two polar vortexes, several flurries on the west coast, so Vancouver is, of course, freaking out," she said with a snicker. "I figured California could use a good scare and flurried there too, since, you know, I got SADDLED with all the WORK! Figured I may as well have some fun, y'know? Goddess of the Springs, I can't believe I got the short straw," Jacqueline said, once again doing a stellar impression of the pouty emoji. "I'm not unconvinced that Mom and Jack didn't cheat."

Dite smiled, sliding down the porcelain wall of the tub, leaning back with a happy sigh. Her wings unfurled, seemingly breathing a sigh of relief and drooping over the tub as the goddess got comfortable, the steam doing wonders to her muscles. "Well, you did an amazing job, blue eyes. There are going to be cuddles ALL OVER THE GLOBE tonight."

"I aim to please AND freeze, brown eyes," Jacqueline said with a grin, eating the other cucumber. "Anyway," she said, still chewing on the slice. "Are you done for the day? Or is this a siesta to see lil' old me? I wasn't sure how late you'd be working so timing the bath was a little bit of a challenge."

Dite laughed, sinking deeper into the tub. The bubbles went up to her neck as she sought out Jacqueline's legs, resting hers against them. She sighed, happily. "In theory, I'm done for the day! In practise, it's hard to say! Mom kidnapped Dad halfway through the morning shift."

"Does Psyche has some fun plans?"

"I guess so! She seemed excited! Anyway, I told them not to worry, I could handle the day. I mean, it's my favourite day of the year after all! Dad said he'd take the evening shift, which starts now, but I haven't heard from him yet so we'll see how it goes," Dite said, chipper.

Jacqueline sighed, sliding deeper into the water.

"What's really bugging you, babe?" Dite asked, shutting off the tap. Water sloshed out of the tub, soaking the stone floor below them. Whoops, Dite thought, watching bubbles float up from the floor.

"I had big plans for today," she admitted with a sigh. "I spent all of last week looking at ancient battle grounds to find some monsters for us to fight together today. I had two perfect locations picked out and everything! Then I was gonna make reservations at the new steak place in the South Province back at home, and then I was gonna book us one of those nice little over water beach cabins nearby so we could sit and spend the evening watching the stars and the icebergs drifting by! But then I drew the SHORT STRAW!" She said with a huff, droplets of water following her arms up into the air, the bath sloshing around her and over the rim when she crossed her arms with a splash, sinking low enough to blow bubbles in the water with her nose.

Dite sniffled. "Awwh."

Jacqueline popped out of the bubbles, looking at the blonde with concern. "Are you—are you crying?!"

"It's just. That's very very sweet of you," Dite said, with a HUGE smile, eyes tearing up.

Jacqueline flushed. "Well, it's your favourite day of the year, after all. And more importantly, I love you! Of course I'd plan something special! Shame loving your partners runs in the family."

Dite laughed. "That's not a bad thing!"

"It is when I don't get to bring my WIFE to the BEACH!"

"How about we rain cheque that?" Dite said. "For my birthday? Or yours, since that's like, around the corner."

"We can do it for yours," Jacqueline said. "After all, I planned it for you and I'm sure you already have plans for mine."

"I do indeed!" Dite said. "Thankfully, I am a planner, and I have a little plan for us this evening given that we both worked late today," she said, watching as Jacqueline's eyebrow quirked up, curious. "I stopped by that place you like in Canada, the one with the really good general tso's chicken?"

Jacqueline perked up, her back straightening. More water sloshed onto the floor. "You got us take out? From the Prosperous Lizard?"

"I did! Extra saucy and extra spicy for you! And, I stopped by all of the random little altars that pop up for me around this time and grabbed ALL of the deserts people left for offerings."

"DESSERTS?!"

"Mhmm," Dite said, nodding. "Lots of cupcakes this year! The usual chocolates, a BUNCH of roses, and, someone left us this," she said. she lifted her hand out of the water, suds drifting off as it glowed a bright pink. In front of her, a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries appeared. "Your favourite!"

"AhhhHHH! Oh my god, you were spoiled this year!"

Dite laughed. "I sure was! Which means that I get to spoil you," she said, leaning forward and booping Jacqueline's nose. "And the people who gave us these? Yeah, they get extra Hedone blessings tonight," she said with the hint of a suggestive smile.

Jacqueline sloshed forward, grabbing a strawberry and devouring it. "Mmm. This is the best," she said, sliding back down in the tub. "You're the best. I love you so goddess damned much," she said, the strawberries drifting closer to her.

"I know!" Dite said, chipper, helping herself to one of the strawberries. "And," she said, her voice sultry. "You'll love what I did with the roses."

"What you did to the. Sorry, WITH the roses?" Jacqueline quite literally squeaked, her voice cracking on the last word. Her flush deepened; the snow in her hair melting a tad bit faster. Dite's lips quirked up, a knowing little smile.

"Oh, you know," Dite said, coy, slowly sliding forward in the tub. "I spread them around the house in all the cozy spots for...ambience," she said, nose to nose with her very red wife. "Around the couch...the bed...and also, here," she said, her voice low as her hand shot up, her fingers fluttering.

Rose petals exploded, landing on the slightly runny floor and floating in the little pools of water caught in the uneven crevices of the stones. Some landed in the tub, the bubbles gently caressing the pink and red petals. A handful landed on the top of Jacqueline's head.

"Holy Hedone," Jacqueline said, flushed.

"That's my name," Hedone replied, her voice heavy and her smile. Well. Cheekily successful.

"Did you—are you. Are WE. Uh. Do you. Are you."

"You're so cute when you're all flustered," the goddess said, rubbing the face mask off of her nose and kissing the very tip.

Jacqueline smiled, this cute, warm, corkscrew-y grin that Dite had only ever seen on her when they were together. She cupped her hands, splashing water on her face and rinsing off the face mask.

"So that's a, that's a yes then?" the sprite asked, her voice going high once more.

Dite laughed, choosing to answer not with words but with a kiss.

Her lips were soft, and warm, and welcoming, and Jacqueline melted into her arms with a sigh, the rest of the snow in her hair falling right off in one go.

---

Later that evening, curled up on each other on the soft couch surrounded by all sorts of romantic flowers, a plethora of desserts laid out on the coffee table, Jacqueline glanced up at Dite.

"You know," she began, "I'm really glad we got that bigass claw foot tub," she said, pecking the underside of Dite's chin. "That was a good investment, one hundred percent."

"Oh my god, right?! I love that we both fit into it comfortably," Dite replied brightly, kissing Jacqueline's forehead. "Sitting in the hot water just being with you is," Dite sighed, happily. "Super nice."

"Hey. I love you," Jacqueline said, burying her head in Dite's shoulder. "Thanks for coming in clutch for Valentine's Day."

Dite scooped Jacqueline up, hugging her very, very tightly. "I love you too! And I hope this was a good one for you," she added with a soft smile. "Even with the short straw and the long work day."

"Easily one of my top three," Jacqueline said, snuggling even closer to Dite with a happy sigh.

"Me too," Dite said, with a soft smile filled with love. She kissed Jacqueline's messy brown head of hair. "Me too."

[callsign-joyride]

Gimme A Kiss - B.R.B

Summary: After returning from his mission, you and Bradley decide to get married right away.

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x fem!reader

Content warnings: Minor spoilers for Top Gun: Maverick, drinking, fluff :)

My inbox is open :)

This is the wedding song

You anxiously sat at the bar at The Hard Deck. Bradley should've called you by now. You knew that men in uniform probably would've found you and told you if he was dead, but that wasn't really something that you wanted to think about. Penny noticed you spin the engagement ring around your finger as you obsessively checked your phone. You thought that it was somehow broken, until you felt it vibrate from under your leg. Bradley's name and a picture of him popped up, and you ran outside to answer it.

"Hey, babe," he said. You chuckled through the tears and sat down.

"Hey yourself."

"We'll be back in about a half hour. I really missed you."

"I was so worried about you."

"I know. We'll be back sooner than you know it, though. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Listen, I gotta go. Mav wants to talk to me. I love you."

"Love you, too."

The two of you hung up and you ran into the bar to tell Penny the good news. Your excitement made her giggle before she told you to meet the guys at the docks. You still had time to make it. The weather was nice, so it wasn't much of a surprise to see a bunch of people at the docks anyways. It took a while for the carrier ship to fully dock, and you practically ran out of the car when crew members started to walk off of the ship.

"There she is! The future Mrs. Bradshaw," Payback yelled as he walked up to you. You smiled and gave him a hug before catching up for a few minutes. The conversation came to a grinding halt when you saw Bradley and Maverick out of the corner of your eye. You immediately ran over to them and jumped into Bradley's arms.

You smiled as you looked lovingly into each other's eyes before Bradley moved in to kiss you. People around were cheering for you, and you pulled away with a smile on your face.

"What do you say we get married?" He asked as he put you down.

"Well, we're already engaged."

"No, I meant tonight. Have the ceremony and all that."

"Yeah, but do we even know anyone who can officiate a wedding at the last minute?"

"I can!" Maverick exclaimed. You glanced at Maverick before looking back at Bradley.

"Let's do it," you said. Bradley kissed you once more before grabbing his bag and walking over to the rest of the group.

"Hey, can you guys meet us at our place in like two hours?" He asked.

"Yeah, what's up?" Pheonix asked.

"Our wedding. I know it's a spur of the moment thing, but we're getting married tonight and we want you there," you explained.

"Congratulations!" Everyone yelled. The conversation after that was fairly short, and you and Bradley were headed home sooner than you thought.

It didn't take you long to pick out a nice dress and do your hair. Bradley walked out of your shared bathroom and put his chin on your shoulder for a few minutes. The doorbell rang and he quickly got dressed before going downstairs to answer it. He left the door to your bedroom open, so it was easy to figure out that it was Penny and Maverick. The rest of the group wasn't supposed to be there for another half hour, so you finished doing your makeup and walked down the stairs with a white pair of heels in hand. As you looked at the kitchen island that held bottles of champagne, it suddenly dawned on you that you didn't have enough food for a cookout. This was not planned through.

"We don't have food," you loudly expressed. Bradley and Maverick locked eyes before turning to you.

"We can order some pizzas?" Bradley said, but it sounded more like a question.

"Whatever, just as long as we have enough food for everyone."

Once everyone had arrived, you put your shoes on and went outside. Maverick made the ceremony go by quick because it was obvious that everyone was more excited about the reception. Everyone cheered when you and Bradley kissed for the first time as a married couple. Penny announced that champagne was available, along with ice cream. Pheonix and Payback were the first ones to go back inside to make their champagne floats.

Music started to play, and you started to cry as you and Bradley had your first dance. Bradley picked you up and carried you bridal style inside so that the two of you could get your drinks.

"Get it, Bradshaw!" Hangman yelled. It was so unexpected that you couldn't help but laugh.

The night continued, and you were both partying until it started getting really late. After everyone went home, the two of you were finally able to go to bed.

Although the wedding wasn't entirely ideal, you were the happiest that you had ever been.

[motivatedtocry]

Obey me! Leviathan x GN! MC

Want Another Kiss?

Just MC trying to give Levi lots of kisses and love. Gets a little spicy at the end, though. 👀

Word Count: 1.8k

᯽ Part Two

| WARNING | Brief NSFW.

Levi was probably the most adorable out of all of the brothers.

At least in your eyes.

You can't say that you liked him from the beginning, though. He was sort of a jackass when you first met. Well, all of the brothers were, simply put. Calling you a normie? You were nothing but a normie!

If only he would've known then.

You shake your head, realizing that you will get nothing from going back to unpleasant memories. Instead, you look up. Leviathan was in his natural state; with his headphones well placed, sitting comfortably in his chair playing videogames on his computer. You, on the other hand, were sitting on the ground not too far behind him. You asked him if you could borrow his console to play for a bit and he agreed. It was just like the Nintendo Switch you had back at home.

You have gotten used to spending time in his room. After getting to know each other, Leviathan came soon to realize that you have a lot of things in common. From reading manga to staying up late playing videogames or watching anime. You smiled and giggled quietly. By default, it made you happy that the person you liked enjoyed the same things you did.

"Did you say something, MC?" Leviathan's voice surprises you. You were so deep in thought that you didn't notice his match was already over. He was holding part of his headset behind one of his ears, slightly turned in your direction still sitting on his chair. You shake your head and respond.

"No. I was talking to myself." you excused.

He shrugged. "Okay. I'm gonna play another match. If you're hungry, you know where the snacks are." He slightly smiles at you, turning around once again to face his computer."

And just before he could start, you called on him.

"Actually, Levi..." he answered with a little 'mhm?', giving you the cue to proceed. "Could you come here for a second?"

You didn't see it, but he frowned just before getting up from his seat. You moved back a bit to give him space to sit on the ground along with you. He ended up sitting in front of you, looking at you curiously.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I want to try something out with you." You murmured, getting closer to Leviathan. Close to the point where your knees touched his. You both were sitting with your legs crossed, so there was still a decent distance between the two of you.

The tone of your voice plus the distance that Leviathan now had you, had him slowly becoming a nervous wreck. A bright pink spread across his face, his imagination getting the best of him as he thought of what you might mean. It was no secret that you liked each other, you both had already confessed some time ago. He still couldn't quite believe it, but he accepted it.

"T-Try something out?"

You nod, smiling sweetly at him as you reached for his hands. You knew he was nervous. Hell, you were a bit nervous yourself. For that reason, you took the time to hold his hands, rubbing your thumbs over the base of these in an attempt to calm him down.

Which, in your mind, it worked completely. Leviathan looked at his hands between yours and he could swear he can hear the fast beating of his heart ringing in his ears. He worried that you could hear it, too, and that's why he wanted to let go of your hands. He was still not very used to physical touch from other people. But he was more worried that he will make you feel bad. So, he stayed in his position and waited for you to talk.

"Do you want me to let go of your hands?" you softly asked.

Leviathan started to panic. "N-No! I mean, yes, b-but not because of what you think! I-I like your touch, y-you can touch me anywhere! Wait! T-That s-s-sounds so...!"

"Levi." You called before he could even finish. "Breathe." You reminded him, holding back a laugh because of how cute you thought he was acting.

He did as told. As you started to become closer, you both started working on ways for Leviathan to properly communicate when he got flustered. You found it cute, but it must be very frustrating for him. He has a hard time expressing how he feels.

"I know what you're trying to say. I'm just holding your hands to make you feel calm." He let out a small 'oh' in response. If he was already embarrassed, he was now even more embarrassed. He intended to apologize, but froze after he heard you talk.

"Would you like me to kiss you?"

"K-K-Kiss?!" His voice trembled.

Leviathan has stopped working.

"K-Kiss me?! T-That's such... normie behavior! I-I don't know if I can-" he stopped himself. Too flustered to even continue what he was saying. He was so red that he could feel it. Was it always this hot in his room?

"If you don't want to, that's oka-"

"I want to!" He responds louder than he had planned, almost jumping on you while he tightened the grip around your hands. This scared you a little, and he noticed sooner than later. These are not hours to be screaming. "I-I want to," he says now more quietly as he lets go of your hands; placing his between his legs.

You smiled at him once again, changing your sitting position to a more suitable one to get closer to Leviathan. "I'm going to give you different types of kisses, and you're gonna tell me if you're comfortable with it or not. Okay?"

"O-Okay."

"Come closer, then."

He, again, does what he is told, leaning closer to you. He was really tensed, his lips were a thin line and his eyes were close shut so tightly that it was almost concerning. You chuckled, proceeding to plant a small kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Eh?" You heard him say as he opened his eyes.

Smiling, you ask, "what did you think of that one?"

"E-Eh? l-I liked it. I just thought...."

You just barely lean your head to the side, faking innocence and confusion. "You thought...?"

"N-Nothing!" He answers and you let out a soft laugh.

"Are you ready for the next kiss?" You ask.

He nods, closing his eyes again; awaiting. You both lean in, and that's when you leave a kiss on his cheek.

"Well?" You look at him.

"That one... felt nice."

"Do you want another one?"

He nodded childishly and you smiled. You leave another kiss on his other cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin and getting an up-close view of his still red face. Your heart feels full the more you look at him. Your love seems to grow stronger as the days pass. You wanted to give everything and anything to this demon.

"I really like them." He says calmly.

"The ones on your cheeks?"

"Uh-hum."

"Well, I like giving them to you."

He smiles at you, his eyelids almost closing because of how big his smile was. He was happy. He has felt so appreciated ever since he has spent more time with you. He didn't know how to thank you enough. He wanted to keep you all to himself. Have you to be the only one he cherishes. Deep in his heart, he knows he doesn't deserve you, or your love, but doesn't want to let you go.

You seemed to have noticed that his smile formed into a face full of sadness since you were looking at him with a serious expression.

"You better not be having any negative thoughts."

Leviathan didn't respond, telling you that your assumption was correct.

You sigh. "I guess I don't have a choice."

And before Leviathan could react, you were already tickling him.

"MC, no! Wait!" He attempted to say as he was squirming on the floor while you were on top, tickling him to your heart's content.

"I said only happy thoughts allowed!" You said, laughing along with him.

"I'm... sorry!" He said, out of breath and still in between laughs. "S-Stop!"

Once you decided that it was enough, you stop. You go back to the sitting position you were in and so does Leviathan.  You both tried to catch your breath. Neither of you were very active people. Going up the stairs was a whole workout session.

"That was not a kiss." You hear him say. You chuckled and shrugged.

"It's on you for having negative thoughts."

Now it was his turn to chuckle. "I won't do it again."

There was a short pause that, for some reason, felt like ages. A pause where the two of you looked at each other. It made your heart flutter. He leaned closer to you and swallowed, doing everything in his power to not let his nervousness eat him alive.

"Do you mind... kissing me more?"

The question took you by surprise.

Now, who was the flustered one?

As a pink color grew to fill your cheeks, you nodded and leaned to reach Leviathan. He had already had his eyes closed, and compared to the beginning, he was far more relaxed, waiting patiently. The blush in his face persisted, but it wasn't as noticeable as before.

He was comfortable.

Without hesitating, you press your lips against his in a soft kiss. You didn't move your lips, nor did he. It was short and sweet. You separated from him but kept a really short distance between the two of you.

"Did you like that one?" You murmured over his lips, gazing at them and then his eyes. 

"Yes," he answered. His eyes dropping to your lips when you talked.

"Then, what about this one?"

You leaned to kiss him again but before your lips touched, the tip of your tongue slid over his lips; winning a soft gasp from him that was cut short when you finally kissed him.

"Mh..." You heard him moan, and you felt your whole body burn.

You moved your lips every so often as you waited for Leviathan to follow along. His kisses were sloppy, but that, strangely, made his kissing even better. Once he caught up, your kissing picked up the pace.

Quiet gasps and moans were shared among you two. Soon after, you felt shaking hands hold your waist, fingers embedding into your skin over your clothes. Leviathan lift you up and placed you onto his lap. A groan coming from the bottom of his throat when it was you rubbed against his now hard crotch.

"I see you become bolder when you're excited." You tease, smirking at him.

"S-Shut up."

[whumpflash]

Sun and Glass, part six

previous part

cw: slavery, dehumanization, conditioning

They finished the deal the next morning. Details were a tad crude--neither of them were in the mood to drag things out--but the requirements were met. Caelon spent the duration of the meeting sleeping in Rena's room.

Despite having planned to stay the week and sightsee, Rena elected to cut her trip to Porta short. Whatever she was going to do about Caleon, she'd prefer to do it far away from Lord Trisk.

Not an hour after the required documents had been signed, Rena was standing in front of her carriage, ready to leave. Caelon sat straight-backed inside, silent and unmoving as ever. He had no belongings to carry with him. She'd have to fix that later.

As much as Rena wanted to just get on the road, final farewells were customary, and she'd already bent enough rules for one journey.

She shook Trisk's hand, thanking him as cordially as she could manage for his hospitality. He responded with the expected pleasantries… and handed her a small wooden box.

"Since you have such a fondness for my broken things," he said.

Rena tried to hide her puzzlement as she lifted the lid. Inside was the shattered deer, its fragments nestled atop a folded piece of linen.

"I hope you enjoy the time you take attempting to paste it back together. Safe travels, Lady Rena."

Home was three days away by carriage, but the trip felt much longer than that. En route to Porta, Rena had been able to read, take notes, compose letters, and sketch some of the scenery outside her window. Now that Caelon was her guest, it felt… well, it felt rude to ignore him in favor of her own comfort. She was going to have to talk to him sooner or later, to try and get him to trust her. Might as well do it on a three day carriage ride.

She cleared her throat. "So…" Where to even begin? "What would you like me to call you?"

His head remained bowed, but after a moment, he answered,

"You may call me whatever pleases you, Mistress."

Rena sighed. She really shouldn't be surprised at that one. "Isn't there a name you like?"

"I… I accept whatever name you choose for me."

Okay, maybe a different approach? "I'm not going to choose your name," she said.

"As it pleases you. I have been nameless before."

Rena frowned. If making him realize he could choose his own name was this difficult, how hard was the road ahead? "That's not what I meant," she said, then continued carefully. "It would… please me if you chose your own name. A name that you liked."

He lifted his head a little at that, eyes peeking out through a curtain of blond hair. "I… I don't know, I--"

She realized he was searching her face again, trying to figure out what the right answer was. His eyes dropped back to the floor.

"I-I will take no name then." A quick, darting glance up, looking for her reaction. 

"If you have no name, what am I to call you if I want to get your attention?" she pressed.

"Slave." His answer came out matter-of-fact, like he didn't even consider another option.

Rena leaned back in her seat. How could a person become so… broken? If only she'd known the extent of the damage, she could've--

Could've what? Left him behind? Abandoned him to Trisk's violent whims? No, one way or another, Caelon would've been coming back with her. But if she'd known, maybe she'd be a little better prepared for what she was getting herself into.

She glanced across the carriage. His head was bowed again, perhaps he'd taken her silence for approval.

"I'm not going to call you 'slave'," she said. "And you don't deserve to be nameless."

"F-forgive me, Mistress, I didn't realize you would be displeased--"

"No, it isn't that," she said, keeping her voice very even. "You've done nothing wrong, alright?"

He gave a small nod, and she continued.

"How do you feel about the name 'Caelon'? Do you like it?" She knew it was a stupid question.

"Do… do you like it, Mistress?"

She forced a smile. "I do like it, but it's your choice if you'd like to take it as your name or not."

"I-If my Mistress likes it, it will be my name," he said carefully.

She sighed. She couldn't exactly call this progress, but with any luck, he'd get used to making his own choices over time. All she had to do was give him constant opportunities.

"And one more thing," she said. "Don't call me Mistress. Call me Rena."

tag list:

next part

@fleur-des-lore , @fandomseksta , @whumpwillow , @and-then-there-was-whump , @pumpkin-spice-whump , @suspicious-pools-of-blood , @melodyvonmelody , @fantasywhumpco , @silent-starry-night , @i-cannot-remember

[xbadgerbearx]

i guess they are pretty funky

word count: 1.5k

Can’t Sleep: [2] … [4]

Your team prepared themselves as you started your journey to your new destination. You and Abner were talking about random things as you walked.

"You really like the dots?" Abner timidly asked.

"Are you kidding? Of course! You're so colorful," you said quietly with a smile.

Abner smiled to himself before motioning to your outfit. "I like your uniform too, it suits you. It makes your eyes stand out."

"Thank you! Ya know, I always thought you had a really nice nose- whoa, Abner, are you doing alright?" You cut yourself as you faced Abner for the first time during this walking session. He had those glowing dots on his face again.

"Oh! Those?" He was nervously covering his face. "Don't worry about-" splat. Abner tripped over a rogue tree root and fell face first into the mud. As you went to help pick him up, Flag turned around.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Everyone turned around to look at you two, well, minus Cleo, but she was sitting on a fallen tree almost asleep.

"We're tired, Colonel. We need a rest," she whined.

"Goddamn hobbyists," muttered Chris.

Soria turned to Flag, "We cannot stop. We need to hurry if you're going to help my people."

"Hey," DuBois intervened. "We're not here to help your people. But she's right, we gotta keep moving."

"I carry friend?"

"It's okay, Nanaue," Cleo said before turning to Abner. "It's happening to his face again."

"It's nothing, I tripped," he brushed off.

"Hey," Peacemaker said as he shoved Abner back. "Norman Bates, if that shit's contagious, we need to know."

"It's not," Abner tried moving forward before he was pushed again.

"What is it?"

"What's your deal, Chris? Stop pushing people around before I turn into something you're really not gonna like. And what's up with the obscure references?" You were getting fed up with Chris' bullshit.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"I don't know, how about your dead father? The one that killed himself in front of you when you were a kid?"

"How do you-"

"You'd be surprised how much your mom loved recording all your childhood achievements. Your fifth birthday—ring a bell?" Peacemaker had an unreadable expression on his face as you got in his face and lowered your voice. "You wouldn't believe how much information you can get on your hands if you're able to disguise yourself as a high ranking employee in Belle Reve."

Before any of you could make the situation worse, Abner cleared the tension with a sigh.

"It's a... it's an interdimensional virus."

"Fuck is that?" Peacemaker asked after seemingly forgetting what just happened. You think he was trying to not think about it.

"My mother was a scientist at S.T.A.R Labs, and she was obsessed with turning me and my brother and sisters into superheroes."

"Oh, Abner," you softly said as you placed a hand on his arm. Peacemaker looked between the two of you with a hard expression.

"She infected me. Now, if I don't expel the dots twice a day..."

DuBois asked, "Then what?"

Abner made a face that was hard to read as he said, "They'll eat me alive." He then chuckled dryly as if he himself couldn't believe it.

"What happened to your brother and sisters?" Flag questioned.

"Some lived. Some... died."

Cleo, now standing, asked, "And your mom, where is she now?"

Abner looked to you before turning to his team.

"Almost everywhere."

Everyone just looked at Krill for a few moments.

"Okay," Flag turned around. "Let's move out."

"Come on, we must hurry, or we'll be late to meet my contact," Soria ushered.

Sooner or later, well, later, you made your way to this blockade where a driver in a large van was being investigated. During your trip Abner had to expel the dots, and although he was embarrassed about the situation, you and Cleo tried keeping his mind off it. The soldiers surrounded the van after a minute and started banging on the door. That was your cue.

Peacemaker started taking people out with a silenced pistol, Bloodsport shot with his arm crossbow, and King Shark ate a guy. The rest of the team moved from their hiding spots once the soldiers were dealt with. Success.

Bloodsport banged on the van's window before asking, "Are you Milton?"

The driver choked out a tearful "Si."

After Soria directed him to a nearby pull off spot, you started looking at the contents in the boxes that were pulled out.

"Milton will drive you through town and to La Gatita Amable. There are clothes in the boxes for all of you so you can blend in." Cleo started putting on a random pair of sunglasses as you pulled out a fedora. Soria continued, "That said, the walking tiburon is gonna have to stay out of sight."

"I wear disguise," Nanaue said.

"Ohhh," Cleo drawled. "You're going to wear a disguise?"

"Si."

"Hey, he's learnin' Spanish," Peacemaker said offhandedly.

"And what kind of disguise?"

"Fake mustache," he said smugly.

"Yeah," DuBois interrupted as he moved more boxes. "Fake mustache isn't gonna cut it, mate."

"Aww come on," you cooed. "What if he wears a hat?" The fedora you picked up earlier was now sitting on the King of the Ocean's head.

"You still look exactly like yourself."

"That's the worst fake mustache I've ever seen," Chris added.

"And if you had fooled us, we'd have to kill you, shark-shaped bloke with a mustache creepin' up on us like that."

"FUCK!" Nanaue yelled as he stomped off. You snickered before turning to Abner with some clothes in your hand.

"What do you think?"

"Hmm? Oh, those look nice, although I saw something in another box that I thought you might like. Let me go get it."

As he walked away towards another box, you dropped the clothes you were holding as your face softened. Someone saw something and thought of you? That hasn't happened for a very long time. You started sifting thoughtfully through a nearby box when he came back.

"Here," he showed you the clothes. "I hope you like it." It was sweet how anxious he was getting over this. He must not socialize often.

Taking the clothes from him, you observed the material. It was... actually really good. It was something you would've loved to wear if you weren't forced to wear that stupid prison outfit, and it looked like it'd fit.

"Abner, this is great! It's a lot better than what I was originally going with," you laughed. "Oh! Here, I saw these pants and thought it would match the shirt you picked up."

"Thank you," he said shyly.

"I'm gonna change over there. Stand watch, please?"

How could he say no to you? "Of course," he said while respectfully turning around. As he waited, Peacemaker appeared.

"(L/n) around?"

"Huh?" Abner said, startled from Chris's sudden presence. "Uh, yeah, they went over there to change into their disguise. I'm looking out for them."

"Oh, you're looking out for them? Well look out for this, Patrick Bateman," Peacemaker wasn't looking so peaceful as he leaned in towards Abner. Dropping his voice, he continued. "I don't know what you think is going on between you two, but leave it, you understand me? Why would The Mimic want to go for someone as lame as you? You throw polka dots at people?" Peacemaker scoffed before finishing, "Quit getting in my way, or else."

Stay away from you? There was no way he could do that. You were seemingly the only person who liked him, and now he would have to end that? Fuck that.

Abner, admittedly with a little less confidence than what he hoped for, challenged him. "Or else what?"

Gosh, three words and his heart was already pumping.

"Excuse me?" Chris raised a brow.

Luckily before anything could be done, you emerged oblivious from the jungle while dawning your new attire. Your uniform was neatly folded and tucked under your arm. Both men looked at you and... wow. Abner was speechless. Literally. For the second time within you knowing him, you made his breath hitch.

"You look stunning," Peacemaker quickly said before Abner had a chance. That wouldn't really matter since your response was quite the cockblocker.

"Thanks! Abner picked it out for me," you smiled. You even gave a twirl to show off the outfit to your teammates. Abner just looked at you with such affection in his eyes.

"Anyways, your turn," you ordered as you took Krill's watching place so he could change. Peacemaker tried making some move on you, but you were clueless. Instead, you went into Mission Mode™ and discussed some tactics and strategies you could implement. Sighing, Chris humored you and joined your planning. Not too long later, Abner walked out with his disguise on.

"I'm not sure about this," he said while standing awkwardly.

"You look like an idio-"

"You look great!" you voiced over Peacemaker. "I love those pants on you."

"Really?"

"Yeah," you laughed. "They're funky."

"I-" Krill let out a laugh of his own. "Yeah, I guess they are pretty funky."

"Alright, well, we've gotta get back to the van," you announced while walking away. Abner blindly followed you with a dumb little smile on his face while leaving Chris just standing there in disbelief.

[talkfantasytome]

For the First Time...

Rowaelin Month Prompt: A Bad Day

Rowan and Aelin have an awful day after Aelin's confession the night before.

Warnings: Angssstttt and Language | Word Count: 2,142

A Home to Claim | Comforts of Home | Read on AO3

a/n: This part wasn't part of the plan. I just looked in my OneNote today and saw that I had identified this prompt as something I could/should do for Rowaelin month, and this came out. So, um, there will still be more...the actual plan...I'm sorry...

Rowan's eyes fluttered open, swollen and sticky, and for a brief moment he couldn't figure out why.

Then it all came flooding back. The texts, heading to Aelin's and waiting for her, attempting to comfort her. Getting her to talk about the break up.

Aelin muttering the three most beautiful words in existence.

Aelin kissing him.

Aelin taking it all back and rushing off, leaving him frozen in place.

For a few glorious seconds Rowan was living in complete ecstasy, so much so that he'd gone into shock, unable to move or speak. He'd only known he was in love with Aelin for about a week, but at those words, at the brush of her lips on his, he realized that he'd been ignoring that truth for years. As a warm glow started to spread through him, Rowan began to understand how much of a moron he'd been.

He hadn't gone a day without seeing her in over three years, and he'd never wanted to. He couldn't remember the last time she wasn't the first person he spoke to in the morning and the last person he talked to at night; the last time he hadn't wanted her to be. He woke up thinking about her and he went to sleep thinking about her. Even during college she was on his mind more than any other topic. The only reason he didn't see her every day during those two years they knew each other was because of the various breaks where they'd both go home. Yet, senior year they couldn't even be separated for spring break, the two instead traveling to Orynth for job interviews, determined to end up in the same city.

Rowan wouldn't have had it any other way. By then, Aelin was stuck with him, and they both knew it. He'd already promised himself he'd do everything in his power to end up where she did. It was luck that had them both finding jobs that week, to start only two weeks after graduation. The five days following their commencement was the last time they'd truly been apart, Rowan needing to go back to Doranelle to pack up and prepare for the move.

That was also the last time he'd visited Doranelle and his family without Aelin by his side. The entire Whitethorn clan was convinced the two were dating. Rowan knew it seemed suspicious, but he'd always just shrugged it off. She was his best friend. Everyone brought their best friends to meet their families.

Idiot.

He should have realized sooner. He should have known. And he should have said something the night before.

Instead, Rowan stood there like a fool, astonished, his brain unable to fully comprehend what had happened. His heart still reeling from the kiss.

It had been the best three seconds of his life, having Aelin's lips on his. They'd been tender and warm, and a feeling of true joy and contentment had washed over him for a moment. He thought he'd been able to feel exactly what Aelin had just said in her kiss, his own heart racing as butterflies swarmed his stomach.

Just a second or two more, and the fire that had been sparked inside of him would have grown and pushed him into action. He'd just been too surprised, causing a lag in his systems. But Aelin pulled away before that could happen, stuttering an apology, excusing her actions, and running away from him.

And Rowan's heart broke.

Because she didn't love him…in that way. She didn't want to be with him. She'd just been having an emotional night. Probably acting on an impulse she'd never felt before because she wasn't fully allowing herself to process the evening. It wouldn't be the first time she'd done something stupid out of denial or repression.

Not that Rowan would've called it stupid, but clearly Aelin would.

She'd even told him to forget it, to forget what had happened. Like Rowan ever could.

The tears came back to his eyes, replenished after being dried out as Rowan cried himself to sleep, and he could feel the warmth of them trail down his face as he pushed deeper into his pillow. The pit in his stomach had grown throughout the night, and a cold, prickling feeling started to spread across his skin, even as a layer of sweat developed. His throat was sore, as if there was something caught at the top of it that he was trying to splutter out through sobs. He knew if he got up and looked, he'd find his cheeks to be as red as his eyes and his hair completely disheveled, but Rowan didn't care.

He didn't care about anything. Not as he thought about how he'd been given the most amazing gift in the entire world, only to have it yanked away from him seconds later. Not as he pictured Aelin, standing before him, eyes wide and full of regret as she ran away from him, something he never thought she'd do.

His alarm went off and Rowan slammed it so hard the device broke, but it didn't matter. He just turned over and stayed in bed, grabbing his phone to let his boss know he wouldn't be making it into work.

For the first time in over three years, Aelin wasn't the first person Rowan talked to in the morning. And, as he cried himself to sleep again after an entire day in bed, only getting up to use the bathroom or get some water, she wasn't the last person he spoke to at night.

Aelin didn't want to get up. She didn't even want to move. She just wanted to lay there and stare up at the ceiling as tears continued to pour from her swollen eyes.

It was already eight in the morning. Rowan typically woke up at five-thirty. She could barely remember the last time she hadn't woken up to a text from Rowan, even on days she agreed to run with him - he always woke up first. And he always sent her a 'good morning' message, or a funny GIF, or a sweet quote, or something that would put a smile on her face first thing.

But not today.

Today, the only text she'd received so far was her boss responding to her message that she'd be out, claiming she caught a bug. It wasn't a lie, exactly. She just didn't tell him that the bug was a broken heart.

Knowing Dorian, he probably still would have given her the day off. Both for her, and because no one wanted a sad recruiter. How could she convince people they'd be happy at their company if she was miserable?

Curled up in one of Rowan's T-shirts, she let his scent of pine and winter wash over her, sending Aelin into another fit of sobs. She'd been such a damn idiot. Of course Rowan wouldn't be interested in her in that way. He was everything anyone could ever want. The type of guy who would end up with a truly remarkable woman.

There was nothing remarkable about Aelin. She was just a mess of a human who'd been in love with her best friend for years and clearly couldn't take a hint.

Not that she thought he was in love with her, but there was a part of her that told her she had a chance. She hadn't gone a day without seeing him since they moved to Orynth after college. She could barely remember the last time she went more than a few hours without speaking to him. If they weren't sleeping or with each other, they were texting. And if they weren't texting, there was always a reason, and the other always knew why.

Rowan knew when Aelin had a full-day meeting. Aelin knew when he had huge system upgrades or a day full of technology orientation meetings. They literally knew everything about each other, always able to explain the other's absence with friends, or why one might not be responding to texts and calls as quickly as usual. There wasn't a thing about Aelin that Rowan didn't know, and the same could be said for Rowan about Aelin.

And she loved it. She never had to wonder or worry about where Rowan was or when she'd see him or hear from him next. She hadn't had to for years, because she always knew. They truly shared their lives with each other, and it had made Aelin so comfortable in their relationship. She'd felt so safe.

She'd been wrong.

She was about to roll over and try to fall back asleep when she heard a knock on the door.

Scrunching up her face, Aelin cursed herself. She'd forgotten to text Lysandra to let her know she wasn't going in to work.

Pulling herself out of bed, Aelin's bare feet hit the carpeted floor, wobbling slightly as she found her footing. Crying out one's weight in tears isn't the best for balance, apparently.

She dragged herself through the house, not bothering to change, or put on pants - the shirt fell to her mid-thigh anyway - and reached the door, opening it to reveal Lysandra's smiling face. Aelin nearly slammed the door right back on it.

Instead, she just scowled and walked back into the living room, sitting on the couch exactly where Rowan had been the night before, torturing herself with the scent he'd left behind.

"You're not dressed," Lysandra observed, stepping into the house and shutting the door behind her.

"I'm not going in today," Aelin rasped, cocooning herself in a blanket

"What happened?" Lysandra asked, her tone full of concern as she sat next to Aelin. "Are you okay?"

"No," she pouted, not looking toward her friend.

"Aelin?"

"I told Rowan," she sighed, the tears starting up again.

"Told Rowan what?" Aelin finally turned, bloodshot eyes meeting Lysandra's clear emeralds. Her friend gasped as understanding hit, and then her face fell. "Oh. What did he say?"

"Nothing," Aelin cried. "He didn't say or do anything. He just stood there, frozen, as if I'd offended him in the worst possible way."

Lysandra exhaled, lifting a hand to rub Aelin's back. "I'm so sorry, Ae. Maybe you read him wrong? Maybe he was just in shock?"

"That's not much better," she grumbled, her tears now dripping more than flowing from her eyes. "Still means he's never thought about it."

"Or that he just wasn't expecting it. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you."

"Lysandra. He froze. He didn't then try to talk to me after I went into my room - as if that's ever stopped him before - and he didn't send me a text this morning. Let's face it. He doesn't love me, and now I've lost my best friend. I fucked up."

"Aelin," her friend breathed, but she wasn't having it.

"No, that's what happened," Aelin argued. "So I'm going to stay here and wallow until there are no more tears to cry." She stood up, blanket still wrapped around her as she started toward her room. "I'll let you know when I'm coming back to work."

Aelin had a feeling it would take more than a day to get over this…bug.

She didn't bother shutting her bedroom door, just going straight for the bed and plopping down on the soft mattress. Keeping her arms and the plush blanket wrapped around her, Aelin waited until she heard Lysandra leave before allowing the sobs to start again.

She didn't eat, she barely drank any water, and she didn't move from her bed except when her body required it. She just laid there and cried.

It was about ten o'clock at night when the tears finally halted completely, but the sinking feeling remained, her body shaking from the sorrow. But then she heard the chime of her phone, a text coming through, and a glimmer of hope shone within her.

Rowan always texted her before he went to sleep, if they weren't already talking. The grandpa liked to go to bed early, so this was a bit late for him, but the hope remained.

Aelin scrambled toward her nightside table, having sunk deep into her bed, and grabbed at her phone.

Instead of joy, the name on the screen only sent Aelin spiraling further into her agony. She screamed a wordless cry and threw her phone across the room, not caring what damage that may have caused. The tears were starting up again, flooding out of her as if the pain in her chest was something new.

Because it hadn't been Rowan.

She hadn't seen him or heard from him all day.

And as she fell back down onto her pillows, for the first time in over three years, Aelin drifted off to sleep not knowing when the next time she saw him would be.

a/n: Again, I'm sorry...if it helps, here's a picture of a puppy in the same position Aelin was in at one point.

[casualreader1234]

Reunion

Pairing: Natasha x Reader

An: Part two of the random story idea I had. I think I'm just going to keep the same summary each time because I'm too bad at writing them. I tried to make this gender-neutral, and I don't think I wrote anything that would imply a particular sex, but let me know.

Summary: What if you weren't the hero of the story? What if you were the villain meant to burn the world down?

Genre: Angst, Fluff

Warning: Morally gray protagonist, violence

Word Count: 2k

[Part 1], [Part 2]

This gif is so funny to me.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

When you had first arrived in the U.S, you had been intrigued by tales of the infamous Black Widow, a former Russian assassin turned good, that was enough to catch anyone's attention. To satisfy your curiosity, you had tracked her down, wanting to see her for yourself. Watching her from afar, you understood why she was considered one of the best in her field: her movements always flowed into the next like she was performing a dance.

She easily disposed of her targets, strapping her weapons back onto herself. Seeing the completion of her job, you left the ledge of the building you had been standing of before she could see you. Slipping into the shadow, you had to admit that your interests had been piqued by the assassin.

///

You had always known that your girlfriend had been hiding secrets, but this one was far more exciting than you had thought. Never had it crossed your mind that Natasha might also be involve in the assassin industry. For such a planet, what were the chances of two assassins meeting and starting a relationship without either being the wiser. You weren't sure if that made her exceptionally good at her job, or you exceptionally bad at yours.

Asking around to some of your other contacts, you learned more about the KGB and the Red Room program that had trained Natasha, wanting a glimpse into her childhood. Disgust and rage filled you when you learned about the operation. They had hurt her, so you had made sure they all suffered for their crimes. Then, you returned back to America.

It was the reason you had stayed all these years. She was the reason. Though you've known where she's been all this time, you never revealed yourself. Maybe it was out of fear. Maybe it was out of shame.

It hadn't surprised you that Natasha decided to work for SHIELD. You've also known that she had a good heart, but it did make things more complicated.

She was one of the good guys now. If she ever crossed paths with you, she would be forced to face you as an enemy. So, for both of your sakes, you avoided doing things that would get SHIELD attention, carefully selecting jobs that would run under the radar. You had been careful, erasing most of your tracks, yet here you were, chained down to a table in a SHIELD facility.

Natalia-no-Natasha stared down at you. You unconsciously cringed under her intense gaze.

" How are you darling?" You asked, breaking the thick silence and giving her a small smile. "I must say, you look as stunning as always. Did you do something to your hair? It seems to be shorter."

Natasha didn't reply, instead shaking her head angrily. " What the hell, (Y/n). What are you doing in the U.S?"

Her harsh tone almost made you flinch. “ Here to visit my beautiful girlfriend? I've really missed you.” You tried, feeling a bead of sweat roll down your neck. Natasha may not have any powers but damn was this woman scary when she was mad. Flattery wasn't going to work on Nat though, her face stone cold as she looked down at you.

"That doesn't answer the question, milyy (darling)." She replied with a strained smile.

Tony watched the exchange with a slack jaw, eyes looking like they were going to pop out of his sockets from shock. “ I’m sorry? You know this criminal Nat?”

Your head snapped to the man, jaw clenching. “ Nat?" You sputtered at the intimate nickname. "Who gave you permission to call her Nat?” You swiveled back to look at Natasha. “What is your relationship with him?” You asked accusingly.

Natasha rolled her eyes, turning to Tony. “ Don’t call me Nat, Stark. And this idiot here is (Y/N).”

"Yeah, her [girlfriend/boyfriend] ! " You added helpfully.

The look Natasha gave you was deadly enough to silence you again. She turned her attention back to Tony, " Do you want to fill me on what's happening Stark? I return from a mission and hear from Steve that we had caught a mutant, but I wasn't even aware that we were after one." You frowned at the fact that had she referred to you as a mutant, but chose to ignore it.

Tony shrugged, acting like a bratty overgrown child," No, I don't want to." Natasha's jaw clenched and you decided to lend a helping hand.

Tendrils of black suddenly snaked around Tony, pining him hard against the wall behind him. His eyes widened, shooting to the origin of the magic, seeing you now unbounded and smiling widely at him, the handcuff hanging loosely off the table. Standing up, you rubbed at the red marks on your wrist left by the binds.

"Better answer her, Mr. Stark, I wouldn't want to get on her bad side." You threatened, eyes turning pure black for a split second.

Tony desperately looked at Natasha for help, but she stayed steadfast, unmoved and patiently waiting for him to answer. Realizing that no help was coming, he relented. "Fury got tipped off about some assassin that had been piling up bodies all across the U.S and North America. At first we dismissed them as the work of sporadic killers, not linking the deaths together until we got another tip about them being a mutant. We had Wanda examine a few of the bodies and she confirmed that magic was the cause of death. Since then, we've had our eye set on a contracted killer who went by the alias Reaper. A few weeks ago, we got a hit on their last location, and from there, we planned our trap."

Realization dawned onto you, " You put a bounty over yourself!" You exclaimed with a chuckle, thoroughly impressed by their commitment. It was a good plan, one that you hadn't even considered. Of course, if it had been any other week, the plan would've failed.

Every time you used magic, there was a backlash. The magic was deep inside you, a part of your very being, but it didn't stay that way willingly. The black flames were a dark and ancient form of magic, one that could only be wielded by a select few. Long ago, many groups had tried to master the arts, but most failed. The magic was powerful, more than anyone really knew, and only grew more so as it consumed more energy. Magicians didn't as much wield the magic, as they did subjugate it.

Candidates trained for years in preparation for the infusion, getting their body ready to handle massive amount of energy. When they were deemed ready, they would be exposed to a pure form of the magic. The flames would consume them and their screams could be heard for miles. Most people who entered the last trial end up dead, completely consumed by the magic. A few though, came out stronger. Instead of being consumed by the flames, they had somehow consumed the flames, magic now flowing through their veins.

Even then, the magic inside of wielders fought against their vessels, constantly trying to escape. The ring you wore helped you control the magic inside, absorbing some of the power and trapping the rest of the flames within you, where it couldn't escape and grow any stronger. But every time you took off the ring, you unintentionally let the magic grow, and when it finally returns back to you, the fight inside gets a little tougher.

Normally, it didn't affect you much. You had been trained since childhood to control the magic, so you could go hours with continuous magic use without any major repercussion. But the past month, you had really tested your bounds, toeing the limits of your control. This inevitably degraded your mental state, leaving your mind a little hazy. This meant you were a lot more impulsive and less observant, something that played in favor to SHIELD's trap. You knew you shouldn't have taken the hit on Tony, especially due to your exhaustion, but you had let your excitement of possibly seeing Natasha blind you. Nevertheless, the current situation didn't really worry you anyways, although you made a note to deal with a problem later.

"And why wasn't I informed of this?" Natasha pressed on.

"Don't take it personally. You're area of skills weren't required for the job, so you weren't informed. Simple as that." Tony plainly stated, clearly sensing the Russian's agitation.

You had to stifle your laughter at the irony. If Natasha had been assigned to the case earlier, you probably would've been captured much sooner.

Natasha bit the inside of her cheek, obviously deep in thought as well. " Release him, (Y/N)." She finally said and you happily obliged, but not sliding you ring back on, letting the flames surround you in a hazy aura incase you needed to react to any threats. Tony let out of breathe of relief as your magic retreated, but you could see that he was still a bit shaken up, the effects not fully wearing off.

"Hey are you alright darling?" You asked concernedly, ignoring the wobbling man when you caught Natasha looking a little pale. Walking over to where she was, you reached out a hand to lightly caress her cheek, the flames retreating as it reached her. You hesitated for a split second, unsure of how she would react, but Natasha leaned into your touch. Her eyes met yours. It was the same bright green that you dreamt about, and they looked even more dazzling up close. She smiled up at you and it was like all the years you've spent apart hadn't happened.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She whispered reassuringly and you smiled too in relief. “ What does Fury want with the (Y/N)?” She asked Tony, but her eyes didn't leave you.

“ The same thing we do to all threats. We either eliminate or imprison them .” He answered, voice indifferent.

Natasha turned to him, much to your dismay, “Why can’t we accept them into SHIELD?” she offered instead.

Tony, who had thought your weird relationship with Natasha was the strangest thing that could happen, couldn't believe what he was hearing. “You want to let an assassin into our ranks? Are you crazy?! Did you already get your hands on the vodka shelf?” He stammered.

Natasha gave him a dark look, one that sent a chill of excitement down your spine, “I was an assassin too Tony.”

Tony didn’t seem to know how to respond to that, but he didn’t need to. The door to the room swung opened again, this time a larger blonde man marching in. You recognized him from your intel: Steve Rogers-Captain America. Behind him, you saw several heavily armed agents behind him, their guns trained on you.

Natasha whipped around at the sudden intrusion, surprise flashing across her face. " Steve." She said warningly, noticing the same things you did, but Steve didn't let her finish, already throwing out his shield in attack. The metal was launched at you, cutting through the air faster than the eyes could follow.

You easily caught it, magic stopping it mid-flight.

You sighed at his pathetic attempt, " Mr. Rogers, don't you know it's rude to interrupt? You can't just come in here, guns blazing, and shield flying." You reprimanded, lazily throwing the shield back to the man. Steve tried to catch the shield, but was knocked back by the sheer force of your throw. The men immediately behind him stumbled back in shock as the 6'1 super solider crashed into them. Those who were left standing quickly recovered and upon realizing that their first line of attack had been beaten, prepared to shoot. They found themselves unable to. Fear had crept up on them during the ruckus and now they were unable to move as your magic seeped through them. With a simple wave of your hand, the black flames around you attacked and within seconds, all the agents, including Cap, dropped to the floor.

"What?" Tony gasped in horror, and for the first time, he seemed to truly understand the extent of your power.

"Relax, they're not dead. I just knocked them out for-" You pretended to check your wrist for a watch, " -a while. I don't know, I usually don't wait around for the people I knock out to wake back up."

Natasha was staring in shock at the pile of bodies by the door and you saw something indistinguishable in her eyes. A distinct chime echoed off the walls of the room, drawing your attention to your phone in the corner. You walked over to it, Tony looking like he wanted to stop you but was too terrified to. Picking it up, you read the message silently. Shouting could be heard getting louder, footsteps pounding towards you as alarms blared.

"Looks like that's my cue to leave." You announced to Natasha and Tony. " Sorry to cut our reunion short Talia."

Natasha stepped forward, blinking out of her shock. "(Y/N) wait-!" She began.

"Don't worry, I think I'll be staying a little bit longer in New York. We'll see each other soon my love." You promised, picking up one of the fallen agent's guns and shooting out the lights until you were enveloped in pitch darkness. Then, before the backup agents could arrive, you melted away into the shadows.

///

You emerged from a dark alleyway in some shifty part of the Bronx. Pulling out your phone, you replied to Matt, your associate, declining the new job he had sent over, informing him that you would be taking a vacation for a while.

Seeing Natasha had reminded you of how much you actually missed her, and you didn't want to just leave New York yet, not when you barely had the chance to catch up with your lover.

But first, you had a snitch to catch. Someone had tipped off SHIELD about you. Someone who knew you about your power at that. You couldn't let someone so dangerous live.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------Powers of Reader [Will be updated as more information is learned about Reader]

-Ability to set fear in opponents

-Ability to melt into shadows (teleportation like: goes into one shadow, pops up somewhere else)

-Magic flames that kill people(?) and knocks them out(?)

-Major simp for Natasha (special skill)

[athena-is-a-chaotic-lil-shit]

Of Ice and Blood

Part 5

Look who's back with a 5k+ word count chapter?! Me!

I was planning on posting 1k+ at a time but stuff happened and I'm posting it all at once!

Enjoy and I'd appreciate it dearly if you reblog! Thank you!

Edit: Reached the 250 block limit so... The inevitable decision had to be made! Part 5 has a total of 3.42k words! The rest will be in a separate post <3

Pairing: Tai'chi Kashharzol (Orc) x Pearl Blackbell (Human OC/Reader)

Warnings: Cursing, Violence, brief mentions of blood and injury.

Overall SFW (but 16+ for language)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4 Part 6

*

The walk back to the school building was quiet.

Or so I thought.

Because it wasn't. At all.

Whispers, mutterings, echoed from the rooms as we passed by.

Are they doing it on purpose, or is my hearing sharper than usual?

"Hey look it's that girl."

"You mean the freak who sat beside the orc—"

"First day of school and someone already got killed. Should've expected him to be a savage."

"You think she wears a mask to hide her identity? Maybe she's a criminal-"

Probably the latter.

I shrugged. There stood a decent amount of distance between us anyway. So it's likely my hearing.

Students were watching us with weird suspecting eyes from a distance behind the windows. Sensing apprehension and outward hate when they saw Tai'chi next to me, his face in a neutral expression. But with my nose at this proximity, he smells pretty annoyed.

Just— why are there so many people,— humans–garnering these feelings towards someone they don't even know! And to even mock him like that! How dare —

"Pearl," Tai'chi called. His rich voice resonating, making the gossips of the students stop for a brief moment before they continued. Most likely slandering my name now. I didn't know I was standing still. Looking up, Tai'chi was a decent 9 meters away, with the staff members further ahead of him. He gave me a wondering look, worry along with his natural fragrance, drifted through me, carried by air.

I straightened up and took long strides, Tai'chi beside me, to catch up with them.

"Yeah, just thinking. I'm okay." Replying, not looking up to him. He didn't ask, but I felt like he would.

************short pov shift************

He was a bit bothered by the change in your scent and looked back when he noticed you weren't beside him anymore. There you were, standing in the middle of the wide hallway, brows scrunched up in aggravation.

He called out to you, probably a little louder than he meant to, but you looked up and hastily made your way beside him, both of you catching up to the rest towards the dean's office. He didn't ask, but you answered, only making him worry even more.

**********first person pov**************

As soon as we entered the main office of the center building, we were greeted with the sight of the dean and David, together with Miss Holson. He was a white fat man, though a bit taller than me, wearing a light grey suit with a few buttons open revealing a white undershirt, and a silly yellow, violet polka dot tie. I barely held back from snorting at the sight.

Mr. Silverstone was fussing over his son, his voice raised in slight panic was heard by everyone.

They went ahead of us then.

"My son! My dear, dear David! Who did this to you?!" he cried out. Once David, that son of a bitch, spotted me, he flashed me that blasted grin of his. He was acting, pretending to be hurt.

I hardly even left a scratch on him for fuck's sake. How I regret not punching him straight in the face.

Reverting to his fake, frightened, and miserable state, he pointed at me. "I-I-It's her father! She is the one who attacked me! Along with that thing with her."

Thing?! That sick bastard!

The dean whipped his head in my direction, eyes scanning me up and down before he diverted them to Tai'chi.

Well, it seems I'll ve packing up sooner than I thought.

My shoulders sagged.

Some professors were alarmed by this, frantically pushing forward to grab his attention.

"Mr. Silverstone, we still do not know what's for certain. We must interrogate them properly and listen to each of their sides before we make a decision." Mr. Dulrik asserted, his voice strained and close to animosity. He was not pleased with what the student had said.

The elder professor from earlier followed up.

"Listen to Mr. Dulrik, sir. We cannot take any risks and ju—"

"Silence!" the dean shouted. "I will not hear your reasoning. My son has told me everything I need to know. Miss Holson supported his claims and that's enough to decide what to do with these criminals."

Criminals?!

"The girl and that orc shall be expelled from this institution immediately. We do not need any murderers or barbarians here. I have always suspected why that Ernestine brat even allowed these monstrosities to be with us. To breathe the same air and walk the same land as we do, endangering our safety no less! A pathetic excuse of a founder she is! If it were me I would've—"

"You would've what?" Words came out before I stopped myself, my voice low, but it was heard still, drawing their attention to me.

"What did you just say?" He demanded, his anger slipping out more. The room was silent, except for the subtle ticking of the wall clock behind me, and the movement of air around us.

I lifted my head and looked at him dead in the eye. "You would've what?" This time, I replied, louder.

Before he could retort I went on, emotion fueling my words as I advanced with every question asked.

"Would've banned every single, non-human race from the university?

"Would've taught every human that they are greater beings and the ones that were different were meant to be stepped on?

"Would've ordered and tolerated bullying on anyone who was unnatural and weird looking?

"Would've put them in their place?

Isolate them? Degrade them? Despise them for being alive?" No-one stopped me as I approached him, the teachers separating and making way. Even Mr. Dulrik was regarding me curiously.

I scoffed. " 'If it were me' you said. You think I wouldn't notice how everyone else, that isn't human, was oppressed and treated like shit in this school? It seems to me that you already did what you would've done, didn't you? You are no dean, you are a clown, a pillock, a dumbass, and you call yourself human? You are more monster than any of us in this room."

I breathed heavily as I stood a couple of feet in front of him. His face grew to a crimson hue, my ears catching the sound of smoke seething out of him. At the back, David and Miss Holson were dumbfounded, shocked into place, shaken like ugly statues.

Finally, the dean spoke, his fists clenching hard as he faced me, almost drawing blood.

I am so gonna beat him up. Hell yeah, I will.

"Keep out of trouble if you can." Well, shit happened Mama, forgive me.

"How dare you speak to me like that! I, a pure-blood Silverstone, a line of royalty! If we were still at war I would've had you executed from where you stand—"

"How about you do it yourself then, oh mighty Silverstone jerk?" I mocked and gave a toothy smile, then I remembered he wouldn't see it. That was all it took to have him launching himself at me, the professors running to the sides to avoid his wrath.

His hands were balled tight, a fist aiming for my face, eyes filled with deadly intent.

Oh, he really wants to kill me.

Before it connected, I sidestepped, causing him to stumble forward. Even so, he immediately regained his balance and reached to grab my hoodie. I didn't dodge this time, but before he touched me, I used my right hand to slap it away. With my other hand, fitted with my crimson knuckle dusters, I met his fist with mine. Almost instantly, he stumbled back and crouched down, his left hand holding his bloodied one.

"You bitch!!!" he screamed in agony.

I think I broke his hand.

I glanced to my brass knuckles, some of the blood covering them, merely visible because of its color.

Shattered it perhaps.

"I will have you killed you insolent brat! I'll kill you!" he cursed.

"Now, now, Silverstone, you will do no such thing." A feminine voice cut through the large room. We all turned to the door to see a slim, tall, tanned woman who seemed to be in her 40s, her slightly wrinkled face showing it. She was wearing a black high-waist pencil skirt paired with a black one-button suit and a baby blue undershirt. The lady also wore classic white loafers and white hand gloves made of leather, with her ebony hair tied up in a bun.

Everything about her screams 'important'. I scented an intimidating yet reassuring aura around her.

I met her eyes and a sense of familiarity fell upon me. I know her and I've seen her before.

Wait. Could it be— she's—

"Madame Ernestine!" A professor exclaimed.

That means she's, "The founder," I said out loud.

She began sauntering in my direction, each step clicking on the floor, carrying herself with grace.

"M-Ma-Madame Ernestine!" The dean, shrieked as he stood up, shaking, his busted hand in his chest, his back facing me. "I didn't expect you to visit this year! We could've prepared for your arrival—"

"You shut your mouth now Welmir." She spoke out, her voice firm and borderline hostile. "I've had enough of your blabbering mug. I made it so that my arrival is unexpected. Leaving my outside duties rather early and rushed this year when news got to me that you, the dean, were neglecting your duties, or so, doing it wrong. Not to mention I had my assistant install extra cameras in... certain places last year and because of that, I saw what you did in the shadows. Maybe not all, but it confirmed my suspicions of you, and so," She clapped her together, "I decided to visit you today. And what a surprise it was to see you get beaten up by this lovely young lady behind you."

Me?! Lovely—

My face warmed from her comment.

"Listen here, brat." he regarded the founder. The founder. "I do not know what you are talking about. I have done my duties and more for this university. I made it so that everyone here is safe and this girl,"— he spat— "harmed me, my precious son, and his friends!"

"And all of you deserved it, severely," she responded flatly. "You put my dear students at risk and antagonized them with your schemes, tolerating the behavior of treating other races like animals, disrespecting even the professors who are different in kind," she glanced at Mr. Dulrik and the others. "You even forced a minotaur, an elf, and a dwarven student to act the part of being in a student council, hoping people wouldn't notice the crimes you did behind our backs. Did you expect me to turn blind eye to this?"

It was all pretend?!

The mere thought of what he did to threaten them to it makes me wanna puke.

"I am furious, Welmir Silverstone. To think I believed you'd change your ways after my father's death with the renovation of the institute. Trusted you to do your job as dean and make the students comfortable, welcomed. But, no. You chose to follow his footsteps, became selfish, blinded by greed and pointless hate. You are a disappointment to all of us."

I smelled her rage under that near non-expressive facade of hers. It was spicy, like fire having an odor of its own.

"You are but a child! You know nothing of this world! This world of ours needs to be purged off of those rats. You cannot tell me what to do!" He yelled as he brought up his uninjured hand to hit her. I was about to step in when Madame Ernestine grabbed his arm and threw a right uppercut, blood spilling out of his jaw. The punch sent him a few steps back, he would have landed on me if I didn't move out of the way before he collapsed on the floor groaning and holding his mouth.

Ooh she's strong! Nice! I grinned.

"You are hereby stripped off of your job as dean along with all of your titles, properties, and henceforth banished from these grounds, together with your son and Emma Holson, whom I found out laid with him, and the abusive acts they had engaged in." Her words laced with poison, disgust and anger as she gave the final judgement.

"Never show yourselves. Ever. Again," she spat. "Take them away."

Out of nowhere, men in black suits came in and apprehended the young instructor, who twisted her heel trying to escape. She yelled at them to let her go, saying she has done nothing wrong. David, the bastard, was held in place by one of them as he struggled in their grasp. The dean— or should I say, Mr. Silverstone, in pain and bleeding, was dragged up by two others and headed straight out of the door. He shouted ;

"Mark my words, brat! I will—"

And the door slammed close.

With my gaze following them, my eyes landed on Tai'chi. I took off my dusters and waved, tucking them back up my sleeve.

He is smiling! And oh wow he's damn gorgeous— wait what?

My attention was drawn away to the lady in front of me. I got distracted by Tai'chi that I almost forgot about her.

"Oh my God I uhm— hello Madame Ernestine." I took one step back before bowing. "It's an honor to meet you. I—"

"Oh dear, please raise your head. No need for such formal gestures. I am Valerie Ernestine, founder of the new Ernestine State University." She stated as she beamed at me.

"I uh- Yes ma'am I know of you. I'm quite a fan actually— I mean! My name is Pearl Blackbell, ma'am."

Oh God, that sounded so stupid.

Then she hugged me.

"Ma'am?!" I squeaked. My arms went stiff, nervous to even touch her. Before I could, she pulled back, a gentle expression on her face.

"Nice to meet you, Pearl Blackbell."

"I- nice to meet you too Ma'am Ernestine!" I stammered, praying my face and ears isn't as red as I feel them to be.

"Please, call me Valerie."

"Ma'am Valerie."

"Just Valerie, dear."

"I'm so sorry ma'am but I can't— my mother will hit me in the head with a frying pan if I forget my manners."

"Very well, then. It brings me joy that you were raised properly by your parents."

"Thank you ma'am, I really am happy to have them, and I only hope for them to be proud of me— oh wait. Uh, ma'am Valerie?"

"Yes?"

"Am I gonna get punished or expelled?" I shrunk, expecting the worst.

"Why ever did you think of that?"

"W-Well you see, I did harm uh, students and they're probably in the infirmary right now and—"

"Oh, Pearl, no." She let out a light chuckle. "You won't be punished or even expelled for that! In fact, I saw how you defended yourself and your friend from them. They did attack you first, sweetie. And what you did was impressive!" She clapped her hands. As I stood there in relief, I couldn't help but shot up when the words sank in.

"Oh, thank you. But how...?"

"Apparently, I had my assistant install some cameras in the forest area for particular reasons. I watched you from the monitor as I made my way here," she replied.

"Oh. Oh, wow. That's actually pretty awesome," I sighed.

"Indeed, it is," she smiled. "Excuse me for a bit."

******pov shift to 2nd person (two characters)*****

Madame Ernestine turned and walked towards the remaining teachers to talk about important matters at hand.

"Greetings, my friends." She beamed at the staff and looked at Professor Dulrik and the woman who supported him earlier. "Hello, Roldo and Amila. I have missed you dearly." She bent down to hug the two of them before she went on. "I apologize for not taking action immediately. To think he did this to all of you right under my nose! Why didn't you contact me Roldo?"

"My apologies, Madame Ernestine. I didn't have any proof to show his plot against you and the others. He was very elusive and kept us very busy in our own offices for the past year with you away. That was until today, with the young lady over there standing up against his son, he snapped."

"It really is a good thing she came here, didn't she?" she whispered.

"Indeed, Madame," Amila replied.

There was a brief silence, before Valerie spoke up again. Her gaze locked at the dwarven professor.

"Roldo, my old friend, I want you to take your place as the new dean of this university. I trust you to do your duty a hundred percent better than that impudent man ever did. Will you accept this responsibility?"

"I- Valerie this is-"

"Roldo, you are wise and have seen things most of us here have not. I will not force you on something you do not want, but I put my faith in you, to help me, along with the rest of the staff, to teach everyone here that all of us stand in equal ground, and that we must respect and acknowledge each individual, regardless of their kind. No one, no student, should ever feel uncomfortable in this haven of mine."

"I understand, Valerie." The dwarf took a deep breath and vowed;

"I, Roldo Dulrik, son of Grol II, son of Frerin, accept the responsibilities given to me as dean of Ernestine State University. I will do my duty to the best of my abilities, and remain loyal to you and to this institution." He responded as he thumped his right fist against his chest.

"I know you will, my friend." Valerie grinned at him, her eyes full of trust and hope.

While they were occupied with discussing certain issues, you tried to sneak away, only to be called back by Madame Ernestine.

"Pearl, my dear."

"Yes ma'am?"

"Thank you."

She had a soft smile, emotions clear on her face, directed at you. The founder, Valerie was thanking you for your bravery, kindness and overall honesty. You simply nodded and grinned from ear to ear behind your mask. You were, however, suddenly nervous when Valerie and the two professors approached you. No, actually, all of them were, but the others are heading out of the office, perhaps to go back to their respective classrooms and start working, they gave their thanks as they went out.

"Pearl Blackbell, a wonderful name!" Professor Dulrik remarked. "May the Gods bless you and shine upon you in all your days," he grinned. Before you could reply, Professor Amila hugged you and whispered. "Thank you, for beating up those idiots," —which made you giggle— "It was the right thing to do, and also I had to defend myself. and thank you, Professor Dulrik."

"Nonsense, call me Professor Roldo, lass." He patted your shoulder as he went past you and out of the office, but not before he slapped Tai'chi's forearm.

"You best protect her if you can, lad. Even so, it is obvious she won't need protecting!" He laughed, and went on, quietly, as if whispering. "...Be her friend, my boy. Her eyes...they show the pain she had gone through. You saw that in her, didn't you?"

Tai'chi simply nodded in response. He knew what he meant.

"Then do what you must. If word ever comes to me that you hurt her, I will hunt you down with me battle axe hidden in my office, you hear?"

This time, he chuckled. "I hear you, Professor. I won't. I swear on the the name of my clan, no harm will befall on her." He told him, his voice firm and true.

"That's what I'm talking about, lad!" He replied as he finally exited the room.

Tai'chi shifted his gaze to you. You and the dean were still talking so he stood there, patiently.

"We best be on our way. We still have a number of things to set straight. We will see you around, Miss Blackbell. Don't get into trouble now." The founder giggled.

"I will try my best, ma'am."

"Oh sure you will, sweetie. Goodluck. And oh, the two of you should start going back. It's past lunchbreak afterall." She said as the two ladies sauntered past you and went out.

"Thank you, we will." You said, mostly to yourself.

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

Part 6 will be posted shortly! Like, shortly shortly. Like, an hour or so shortly. Stay tuned! Thank you for reaching this point uwu✨

Tags: @crackinanutshell @kokokatsworld @mitchiesdungeon <3