#ch. study |「 THE DEVIL'S GOT NOTHING ON ME MY FRIEND 」

[sxddekarios]

Invisible String: Ch 1

Jump forward two months to a therapy session between Aspen and Dr. Silverbough, aka Halsin.

AO3

“Why in the Hells did you bring me back?” Aspen asked her therapist for the third time that week. It had been two months of this – two months of laying in the medical ward, multiple sessions with Dr. Silverbough each day, and not a clue of why she was alive. One day, she thought, he had to answer. Not only why, but how.

Dr. Silverbough, or Halsin as he told her to call him, let out one of the deep sighs Aspen had become familiar with over two months of spending most waking hours with the man. It was odd how he always sighed, but never yelled. He was remarkably kind, though she knew it couldn’t last.

“I suppose it’s time I tell you more,” he said. Not that he had told her anything. She appreciated that they had solely focused on her and the two years of torture she went through before it was so, so close to being over. But she was still annoyed that he couldn’t let it be over. She knew it had to be in the realm of magic, but she had no idea what happened.

She should’ve died. She might’ve died. Did he make a deal with a devil? Did the universe have more sick torture in store for her, even after nearly every bone in her body had been shattered while she hung bound and conscious?

“I know you’ve went through an indescribable amount of pain in your life, much of that being in the past few months.” Dr. Silverbough held Aspen’s gaze with an unnerving amount of what appeared to be empathy. “I know you will continue to live through this pain and its effects, and I’m truly sorry for that. It’s why I’m here for you every step of the way, but I know nothing will ever erase your experiences.”

The therapist continued. “That being said, I also have a few hundred years of experience with the threads of life. I know you weren’t going to die despite the blood loss and organ failure you experienced. I don’t know what was keeping you in an eternal limbo – but I knew I had to bring you back to stop the incessant pain that plagued you as you waited for a death that would never come.”

“So, that’s why I brought you here.” He meant Blackstaff Academy, where Aspen had resided for the past 2 months. Not that she had seen anything outside of the medical ward. She knew it made sense with him being a professor (and now her personal therapist) at the academy. But she didn’t know how he got her body to mend.

Dr. Silverbough clasped his hands in his lap. “I have a friend – a vampire – that turned you. He fed from the small amount of blood still coming from your neck, and we spent a week transferring his blood along with a plethora of alchemical remedies to you via IV.” He paused for a moment to let her take it in. Shock flickered across her face as she wondered if she was now a vampire.

Would she have to live forever? Please, please, please don’t let that be my fate, she thought.

“Normally we wouldn’t turn someone like this, but it was the only way to save you. I know we forced this choice on you, and you have every right to be upset with us. We didn’t see another choice though, besides condemning you to suffer.” His deep yet gentle voice carried on while Aspen’s head swarmed with questions.

She had a hell of a lot of questions, but one took precedence. “Now what?” She asked. “What am I supposed to do now?” With her entire life?

“Whatever you like,” he answered seriously. Seriously unhelpful, too. “I’d like if you stay at the academy. All you need to focus on is healing as much as you can. The rest is up to you. You can live here, you can study here, you can find joy here. You don’t need to worry about finances or what you’re ‘doing’ with your life.”

“I promise you,” Dr. Silverbough emphasized, “the academy will always support you and provide for you. This is a home for students, and having brought you here myself, I can assure you that your life is taken care of in bureaucratic terms. Even with our –” he stopped himself for a moment as his eyes flickered red.

He took a deep breath before continuing. “Headmaster, my friends and I at the academy will make sure you always have a safe space. No matter what happens here, or what you choose to do with your life.”        

What the fuck was up with the headmaster? Aspen figured she’d find out soon enough if she decided to study there. Which she really, really wanted. She had only ever known herself in two ways – being owned by another person, and excelling in academia. She had nothing outside of that.

She was sure that her therapist would help her try to find other things to fill her life with, but it couldn’t hurt to start with the most stable thing she’d ever had. She tried to calm her anxieties about the future. Hope had never been on her side, but neither had a shapeshifting professor/therapist.

Hopefully, he meant what he said.

[maraisunavailable]

Something New Ch. 4

“Al, did I do something wrong?” Lucifer asked, following the dark haired boy down the hall. A low “No.” Was all he was willing to spare Lucifer. Alastor grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. Lucifer grabbed the strap that wasn’t over Alastor’s shoulder. “Al, I don’t know why you’re upset but-” “Lucifer I am not upset. I just have to get home.” Alastor said, grabbing the door knob. Lucifer’s eyes blazed and in a deep demonic voice he growled out, “Listen, I need to finish explaining everything and if you would quit letting your petty bullshit feelings cloud your judgment you’d see what I am actually fucking saying.” Rather than being scared or intimidating Alastor was pissed. “Excuse the fuck out of me?” Alastor whipped around. “Listen, I don’t give a fuck anymore Lucifer. You could take me now, I have nothing. I have no one. I will die alone here anyways.” He yanked the door open, pulled away from Lucifer and tried to head out the door when he was forced back into the house. Alastor landed on his ass on the floor, his backpack not doing much to cushion his fall. 

 “You mother-” Alastor was then dragged by the back of his shirt back to the room. “Al, I didn’t want it to come to this but now I can’t let you leave.”Lucifer said, leaving Alastor on the floor “You can’t do that!” Lucifer chuckled, leaning against the now locked bedroom door. “Kind of rich you telling the Devil what he cannot do.” Lucifer said, bending down towards Alastor. “For being the devil you aren’t very intimidating.” Alastor growled out, pushing his glasses up his nose. 

“Now to continue where I left off, you are putting fear in Heaven. So your punishment is to be set as an early intervention from yours truly. Which grants you a quick one way ticket to Hell. Lilith and I had made a deal. She takes my seat on the committee of Heaven if I personally get to handle you.” Alastor blinks, still on the floor. “You chose to find me yourself?”  Lucifer smiled and nodded. “Of course I did.” 

Alastor narrowed his eyes. “ Since you’re not taking me home, where am I staying and what about my mother?  “Easy, you’ll be here me- us. You know, NIfty, Angel, Husk and me.” A golden blush spread across his cheeks and up his neck. “Who is to say I wouldn’t just kill your friends and leave the first chance I get?” Lucifer chuckled as he sat next to Alastor. “We can’t die here in the mortal world, I can’t even die in Hell. I am literally the most powerful being in Hell.”   Alastor took a second to look Lucifer over. He really studied his flawless porcelain skin, his nearly white blonde hair. He still looked as if he belonged in Heaven.     

Alastor hadn’t noticed that he had begun to lean towards the King of Hell. A knock on the door had him regaining his senses. Lucifer got up and went to check who was there. It was Angel again. “Hey, short king, there’s a phone call for you.” Angel said, handing Lucifer an iPhone. Lucifer put the phone to his ear and stepped out, leaving Angel and Alastor alone. 

“You’re not human, either.” Alastor said and the blonde laughed. “Course not, I am from Hell y’know.” Alastor blinked up at Angel.  “Do you have another form like Lucifer?” “Well, yeah but only the short king himself can show our forms. Something about his magic or some shit.”  Angel was leaning against the wall. “You know you’re not as scary as everyone says. Hell, I think you’re still a kid.”  Alastor groaned and rolled his eyes. “I will be 18 in like a week, I’m not exactly a kid. I’ll have you know for someone you call a ‘kid’ I am the most feared human in New Orleans right this very moment.”    

“Oh, I know. Trust me, we all know about you.” He gave Alastor a smile. Alastor smirked back. He is thriving off of the ego boost the king gave him. Alastor is beyond full of himself, he is certainly prideful. “You know for being the king of hell, Lucifer isn’t that bad to be around. In fact he’s a bit soft for being a king.” Alastor laughed. “I find him endearing, sadly I do not believe he has the ability to reciprocate my sentiment.” Angel gave Alastor a side glance. “Are you talking about Lillith? If you are, you should know that yeah they're married but it’s a marriage of convenience.” 

Their conversation was cut short with a stressed looking Lucifer barging through the door. “Ya’ all good, Luci?” Lucifer ran a hand through his hair and handed Angel back his phone.  

“So where do I sleep?”  Alastor’s voice rang out through the tense room.  Lucifer turned to him. “Well I mean, we don’t have a second room so either here with me or maybe the couch. I will say I think you are a bit tall for the couch.” Lucifer stood in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest.                                                                                            

 “With you as in share a bed with you?” Alastor asked, feeling his heart basically beating out of his ass. “Well, yeah. I’m not sleeping on the couch.” Angel nodded at Alastor, obviously trying to get him to accept the arrangement. “I guess that I could stay here with you, but you better wear clothes to bed.” Alastor said as Angel laughed, as he walked out of the door. 

“What are you thinking about for dinner?” Lucifer said, pulling his phone out. Alastor looked down at his hands. “I tend to have acquired tastes.” Lucifer raised an eyebrow and looked over at Alastor. “As in?” Alastor sighed. “ There is a reason they didn't find all of my victims, Lucifer.” 

[murdcck]

Thinking about how Matt has a tendency to fall for people who are considered ‘bad for him’ or do some pretty bad things. I think there’s a small part of him that relates to them in someway, but mainly it’s his… stupidly righteous desire to ‘save them from themselves.’ He puts a lot of expectations on them, more so than someone who, I guess, is perfectly safe. Matt tends to see the best in them even when others can’t, which makes him become overly attached to them AND the idea of ‘bringing them to the light.’ This also has a lot to do with his views of himself; if he can’t save someone from themselves, how can he save his own person?

This doesn’t mean that his affection for the person isn’t real. But it definitely doesn’t make for a healthy relationship because of his habit to project his own insecurities onto the other.

[moral-turpitudes]

Deal with the Devil: Ch. 6

Trigger Warnings: Swearing, Mentions of Death, Angst.

Characters: Thomas Shelby x Isla Maxwell (OC)

Word Count: 1,808

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | *7* | 8 | 9 | 10

“Dear Mr. Shelby,

I apologize for not responding sooner. I had an old family friend pass away suddenly. Despite this, I’d like to thank you for the payment and would like to let you know that I accept your offer as well. Seeing as our partnership is detrimental to the task ahead of us. Meet me at the address below at midnight this Friday.

- “I.”

Thomas’ eyes scanned the letter, the address oddly familiar as he shoved it in the pocket of his coat. The cold winter air hitting his face as he walked to his car.

“Are you sure about this Tom?” Polly asked from her doorway. His son Charlie and daughter Ruby glancing at him from behind her as they’d stayed up way past their bedtime.

“Yes. I’ll see you all tomorrow. Be good for aunt Polly you two. I don’t want to call your mum.” He said, watching them nodding and waving goodbye. It was his weekend with Ruby, and Charlie loved spending time with his half-sister, but just like anything else in the life of Thomas Shelby, nothing ever went according to plan.

As his car crunched along the snow covered ground, he saw the familiar gate he’d pulled up to weeks before. The morgue sitting in the distance just past the plethora of tombstones.

As he walked further, he saw movement in one of the small windows of the building, knowing it was either the odd mortician or the person he’d been corresponding with for weeks.

With a cold hand, he reached for the letter, reading the instructions written on the bottom. He knocked five times as instructed, waiting as he heard light footsteps inside. The door opened with a creaking noise revealing a woman, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight as she clutched her black coat around her.

“Mr. Shelby?” She asked quietly, her face blank and emotionless despite the life in her eyes.

“Yes. Am I at the wrong place miss?” He asked, looking around, seeing a fire burning in what seemed to be an incinerator of sorts.

“No. I’m glad you’re here.” She said, locking the door behind them as she sat down in the small room, lighting a cigarette.

“Are you...?” He started to ask before being interrupted.

“I? Yes. Nice to meet you.” She said, shaking his hand firmly as he sat down before her.

“You’re not what I was expecting. You can call me Tommy by the way.” He said, taking his own cigarette out and lighting it.

“And what were you expecting Tommy? A man?” She scoffed, shaking her head in amusement. No one would ever suspect a woman it seemed, but that worked to her advantage more often than not.

“What’s your name then aye? I’ve already paid you.” He questioned, looking at her with an eyebrow slightly raised.

“Isla.” She answered, for once saying her name without the fear of being outed.

“Well, Isla. I’ve got to say, your work was...impressive. But I came here to discuss our plans. Where’s Mosley holding his next rally?” He asked.

“Hold your horses love. So many questions for such a smart man...” she said, taking a sip of her whiskey as she stared into his cold blue eyes.

“Want some?” She asked. He nodded and relaxed in his seat, the heat from the incinerator warming the medical room as he waited for an answer.

“About an hour before I slit their throats, the three missing men mentioned the races over at Cheltenham. Telling me that Mosley liked the look of the place, knowing it had room for lots of people...” She said, swirling the brown liquid in her glass as she handed him the other.

“And?”

“And, the men I shot the other night had papers on it. They said it was going to be the largest rally yet. But I’m sure you’re aware of that right Tommy?” She asked, an edge to her tone.

“What do you mean?” He asked, gulping down the alcohol as she got up.

“I have informants who like to do their research. I know you’ve met with him many times before on business, and of course after his failed assassination. It’s only reasonable to assume he gave you a lead on his future rallies and other meetings. Tell me Tommy...were all of your interactions with him to try to make a truce or to gain information? Since you’re in parliament and all it must’ve been important for some reason right?” She asked, her hand casually reaching for her knife.

“I met with him to gain information. I wouldn’t have came here if it was for a truce. This wouldn’t have been happening if there was one. Out of all people I think you’d know who’s side I’m on.” He said, his eyes darting towards the knife.

“Just thought I’d ask. Can’t have a partner of mine going behind my back.” She said, twirling the knife as she walked towards him.

Thomas tensed slightly as she came closer, pressing her knife to his throat suddenly. Her perfume catching his attention as she pushed it further, knicking his neck lightly before he clutched her wrist and got up, pushing her towards the wall. An excited look overcame her eyes as she chuckled, leaning into the knife a bit as they stared into each others eyes. With a heavy breath Thomas closed his eyes to regain his composure, letting go of her and sitting back down. As she put the knife back in her sheath, she laughed softly and walked past him. His eyes following her to a table where more bloodied papers and a journal were sitting, watching her pick them up and sitting them on his lap with a thud.

“I only have the life of one man on my mind Tommy, so don’t worry. I’m not going to take yours. Although...I’m sure having a grave dug for you would be fairly easy to do around here.” She said smirking.

“You’re insane.” He said, looking at her with skeptical eyes as he placed the pile of papers on the table, wiping away the small trickle of blood down his neck.

“So are you. No one of sane mind goes after Oswald Mosley.” She said.

“Why do you want to kill him?” He asked, looking at the papers. Isla didn’t answer for a moment, sighing as she retrieved a cigarette from her coat, lighting it quickly before speaking.

“Mosley orchestrated a fire that killed my whole family in front of me. I was 20 when it happened.” She said briefly, lifting the arm of her coat up to show him the ragged scar up her arm.

His fingers gently touched the raised skin, his hand finding hers as he studied it. She hated showing people but if she had to trust someone, she figured it could be him, seeing as he was the only other person with enough courage to go after the man who harmed her.

Before he could look any longer, she pulled her arm away, hiding it once again with her sleeve.

“So you’re the one that was left then aye? I remember seeing it in the paper.” He remarked.

“Mhmm. My father tried to stop some of his men from being assholes. So instead of just fucking off somewhere else, they all came by and set fire to the whole house...and the man that was beaten to death the other day was my fathers friend who took me in and helped teach me everything after it happened. And now I’m here...no one to my fucking name.” She said blankly. Flipping through some of the pages she’d gathered.

Thomas sat there as he watched her, her brows focused on her work as she closed herself off. He’d had his fair share of heartbreak and pain, knowing the look all too well. Images of Grace and Lizzie flashing in his mind for a moment until she spoke.

“Didn’t mean to overwhelm you. I don’t get out much.” She said, moving a stray piece of hair from her face as she scanned the pages.

“It’s alright. He’s had a hand in taking some of my close partners. Killed off one of the best hit men I knew.” He said.

“No way. Who?” She asked, closing her journal and looking over at him.

“Aberama Gold...you knew him?” He asked, taking another cigarette out of his pocket.

“Yeah. Taught me how to shoot a couple times when I went on missions.....” She said, staring at the floor for a moment. The crickets and other nightlife chirping over the vast cemetery.

“We have to get him ya know....Mosley’s taken pretty much everyone I’ve ever known.” She said, her excitement at their shared acquaintance fading as she remembered her losses.

“You’re not alone Isla.” He said.

She looked at him with a confused expression, her eyes darting to his.

“We’re partners now, so I wouldn’t consider you alone.” He said.

“Am I paying you? You said in your letter that this meeting was only part of your price.” She said, deflecting his comment and crossing her arms over her chest as her tone turned serious. She had a cold stare that could rival his, making him feel uneasy.

“No. Keep your money.” He said.

“Well then how is that fair?” She asked.

“Now that I’ve met you...I’ve changed my mind. If I were to offer you...I don’t know....a date perhaps...would that work?” He asked.

Isla felt her cheeks heat up in the dark room, looking down desperately to hide her face.

“You’re pretty bold, you know that right?” She asked, getting up to put the papers away in an effort to distract herself.

“I’ve been told that. But you haven’t answered my question...Would that work?” He asked.

“That will work. But on one condition.” She said, watching as he got up.

“What’s that?” He asked, his tired eyes meeting hers from under his peaked cap.

“I’m not talking business while on said date. I think we could both use the break aye?” She asked, a serious expression on her face once again.

Thomas nodded and straightened his coat out, not wanting to leave the odd warmth of the room.

“That’s fair. No business talk. Just...drinking?” He asked.

“Just drinking.” She said, leaving quickly before he could say anything else.

He opened the door and stepped outside, watching as she walked away through the tombstones and into the night, leaving his mind buzzing with questions and his ring finger almost burning as the gold band glistened in the moonlight, reminding him of all he’d lost this time around. With a loud sigh, he ripped the ring off his finger, chucking it as far as he could into the night, finally feeling somewhat free as he made his way back to his car, and to his children.

[ascendantking]

;; A Shoulder to Lean On ( Ch 4 )

Pairing: Jaron/Imogen Words: 1554/4432 Chapter: 1, 2, 3, 4/? Summary: Post-war angst after The Shadow Throne. -- A long-awaited talk between friends.

His feet couldn’t carry him away fast enough. His sword he had discarded somewhere along his route, throwing it off to the side with a clang; he couldn’t stand to hold it any longer.

Once more, he had hurt his king--his friend. Once more. And how much longer was it till his once mores caught up to him? How much longer till the devils collected their dues? They certainly were quick to remind him of his failures, quick to remind him that the slowness in Jaron’s movements were due to his own actions. 

The walls never forgot. Those that knew--those that would like nothing more than to climb the political ladder in this time of supposed peace--would like nothing better than to remind people of his past. Though they hardly had to mention it--it was branded onto him. 

So he ran, away from prying eyes, away from it all. The faster he went, the slower the consequences. Yes, Jaron trusted him with more than his life, but could he trust himself? His friend gave him more than he could ever think to want and what had he given him? The rational thoughts that were needed in this moment were shoved away.

Continue reading below or on AO3! ( Link on blog. )

Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he suddenly collided with someone else who desired nothing more than an escape. As skirts flew up in the air, Roden looked on Imogen in horror as he ignored his own hard fall onto the cobblestone pathway. “I--Oh, my gods, I--” Imogen only blinked, the book she carried had landed off to the side, but her concern laid more with Roden’s wild eyes--there was something about his demeanor that was sorely off. She put a hand up as he quickly scrambled up to offer her his own hand. The Queen pulled herself back onto her feet, brushing off her dress and going to pick up her book before raising an eyebrow over at the captain. 

“Hadn’t expected to run into you today,” she said as she dusted her book off of. 

“I--likewise,” Roden retracted his hand, furrowing his brows together as she straightened more than herself out; the urgency in the situation seemed to fade as she looked him over--and he gave himself a moment to catch his breath. Imogen offered her arm to him.

“But, I suppose you are the person I’m looking for, do you mind escorting me to the garden?” He blinked at her, confusion knotted further on his face, but he hardly felt like he could deny her, even if she had done this walk many times on her own. Roden looped his arm with hers, walking at the slow pace Imogen set for them both. 

The tree leaves rustled in the autumn air as their footsteps echoed along the path. The quiet silence of the day was only interrupted by the inescapable noise of the palace as Drylliad came to life around them. Servants cut across their path hurriedly, nodding their heads in acknowledgment, disappearing just as quickly as they appeared. The few courtiers that found themselves in the presence of both the Queen and the Captain of the Guard moved carefully out of their way, bowing in reverence as they took their hats off. Neither of them dared show any recognition lest it lead to any unwanted conversation. They held their heads high as the sound of their steps came to a stop against the gate to the private gardens. Roden opened the door for Imogen as she nodded her head towards him, moving inside. As soon as the door closed behind Roden, the two of them took off their masks, suddenly out of breath from their short walk over. Imogen sat down, closing her eyes as Roden leaned over his knees, staring at the intricate stone patterns on the ground.

“I doubt you were running for pleasure,” she said softly, finally taking him in. While she wore the finery of the day, her tone gave her away--it was one of a servant risking a whisper behind the back of their master, not one fit for the prestige of the crown.

“I hurt him.” Roden sat down on the ground, crossing his legs in front of him, not looking up at her. “Again.” 

She swallowed. “Jaron?”

“Who else.” 

Imogen nodded, a pit growing in her stomach. They sat in silence for a few moments longer as the fountain trickled behind them. She set her book off to the side on the ledge, straightening out her skirts before she began slowly, “what...happened?” 

“I cut him. We were sparring.” She studied him. His face was red as he bit back his lip. Roden took in a deep breath as it hitched in his throat, still not meeting her eyes as he worked to undo his memories. “I’m sorry.”

She believed that. Her eyes turned downward as she sighed, tears stinging the corners of her eyes as well. Imogen wiped them, looking back over at him as sympathy clouded her expression. Roden wouldn’t want her pity, but she never saw it as pity--a recognition, an olive branch to the broken hearted. She bit her own cheek, abruptly glancing away with a hard look as she remembered her own embarrassment when his father turned his kind eyes towards her. How that man did it, she didn’t know. Imogen sighed, shaking her head to herself. “I doubt he counts it as a transgression.”

Roden sniffed, wiping his face on his sleeve. “He might not, but I do.” She moved to sit on the ground with him, resting a hand gently on his knee. “How can I even face him again, with yet another reminder that it’s only the saints’ mercy keeping me here?”

“I hardly think Jaron’s a saint,” Imogen tilted her head. “The saints have nothing to do with it. You’re here because he wants you here--faults and all. I think you running off will worry him more than a new scar.”

Roden threw his face in his hands. “That’s even worse. I can’t even give him the decency to stay with him in his hour of need.” Imogen’s expression shifted into one of annoyance.

“In his hour of need? During a sparring battle he willingly partook in? With you? Full well knowing one of you might get hurt? He’d be as devastated as you are now if you got a single scrape on you, I swear it. You’ve been by his side far more times than he’ll ever know, there’s no doubt in his mind of your character, Roden.”

He only looked away, closing his eyes as a tear fell to the ground. “I can’t face him. He deserves better than me.”

“And that’s exactly why he wants you by his side, don’t you see?” She scooted closer, squeezing his knee. “You all think so highly of each other, you think the other will be better off with someone else more ‘qualified,’ but your loyalty--your absolute devotion--to each other, that’s what binds you together, that’s what makes this all work--not book knowledge or tactical training, but a trustworthy companion who loves more than they can give.”

Roden looked up at her, his face red with emotion. He sniffed, wiping his face again, before nodding reluctantly. “I’d do anything to repay my debt to him.”

“You owe him nothing but your friendship--and you can’t ever fail him in that regard.”

The captain snorted, as the semblance of a smile pulled itself onto his face, “I suppose he is too stubborn to see otherwise.”

“All the more reason for you to stay by his side,” she put her hand on his shoulder, grinning back at him. “I need to know someone’s keeping that impulsive man safe--and there’s no one more suited to the job than you.” Roden heaved a sigh, nodding once more as he fixed his shoulders. Imogen sat back as she smoothed out her skirt. 

“I suppose I should go see how he is--I--” he took in a breath, letting it out slowly. “I at least owe him that.” He looked down, “I shouldn’t have ran, but I didn’t--I couldn’t be responsible again. If I ran, maybe it wouldn’t follow me, but that’s not how these things work.” His chest seemed to deflate as he shook his head, but he sat up straight, facing her once more. “I can’t run from my past, but I also don’t have to let it control me.” Roden stood up, glancing to the door solemnly. “I can’t let it control my present.”

Imogen watched as he made his way out, looking back at her before nodding with more confidence as he closed the gate. Her eyes went to her hands after he left, coarse from years of working, before she sighed and picked herself up, dusting off her skirts and setting her chin straight. 

She moved over to the peonies she planted earlier in the year, running her hand through the dirt as she knelt down to pull the weeds that threatened their progress. She cut back some of the foliage around their stems, careful to prune what would inhibit their growth in the spring. The past may not be as easily purged, but any work made towards the future, no matter how small it feels, is a step towards a beautiful spring--and she awaited the bloom.

[lo-55]

Revel Ch. 12

Onwards to Ohara                    

 Tori was restless.

 Everyone could see it, from her handmaids to her husband. Ever since she had returned from her trip to her mothers home she had drifted through the halls in the golden afternoon light and walked the fields of her worst enemy without her usual air of cheerful delight.

 Victoria was a people person.

 She always had been, even when the only thing she could focus on was her next paper, her next test score, her college major, her GPA, her STEM projects, she had always loved people.

 She loved humanities and history. Even though it was science that her mind was hardwired for, even though it was mathematics that her parents pushed her to pursue, Tori had always loved people.

 What she wanted to study was humanities. Anthropology, if it must be academic, she didn’t care.

 They had settled for anesthesiologist. Her parents and herself, but mostly her parents. Anything to show off how smart she was. How many grades she had skipped. How many awards she could win.

 By the time she was eighteen she was trapped. Strangled by a blue ribbon around her neck, her leash so short she could barely speak to her neighbors without being pulled away to ‘focus on her future’.

 She hated it.

 Tori was not a spiteful person. She didn’t keep many grudges. But when she died, and she died so young in retrospect, so young and so oblivious to the world, missing out on so much of her life, she      hated    .

 She hated her first grade teacher for telling her parents that she was a genius instead of sending her to remedial classes for being so bored in class that she didn’t do her work. She hated whoever was in charge of her junior high that sent her right on to high school. She was only Twelve and suddenly she was a freshman.

 She hated her parents for pushing her so far and so hard and so      much    without ever letting her climb trees or play but decided to have her test her limits and climb ladders

 She hated      herself     for knowing too much, for showing up her peers whether she was trying to or not, for giving her parents an excuse to isolate her. For not standing up for herself. For not knowing people or making friends. She hated herself for dying alone.

 All of this meant that now, when she was pretty but not smart, did it seem very unusual for her not to strike up a conversation with everyone she found in her path.

 Tori could have seen it coming that Madelle might come for her, or Aelia, or Lapa, or any of her other handmaidens.

 The one person she wasn’t expecting to come find her that warm day in spring, was her husband.

 He found her in the gardens that had begun to grow her own home islands plants. At some point when he had gone home with her, he had also procured seeds and clippings of their flowers and had them planted here.

 Now, almost a year after, they were starting to bud in the golden sunlight.  

 Tori sat amongst them, staring at the sky and thinking about the formation of clouds. The pull of molecules, the weight of water, and the cold upper atmosphere. She thought of light reflection and refraction, and just how could sky islands exist? How were their clouds so thick to stand on but not so heavy that they fell? What stopped gravity from dragging them?

 She had tried for so long so hard not to think too much. Not to try to unravel all of these mysteries, or consider devil fruit, or lost history. Or anything else like that.

 She tried to just be pretty. She tried to just know people, without ever seeming like she knew much at all.

 But now the itch was back.

 The curiosity.

 The want to know.

 It was here and she was having trouble shoving all of it back into the box inside her chest while her mind whirled through things she had once known and tried to forget.

 She was just reminding herself about cloud seeds when a shadow fell across her face and she found herself staring up at her husband.

 “Katakuri,” she said, surprised. She had neither heard nor felt him coming. Not that sensing was her specialty. “Hello,” she sat up slowly, drawing her legs up under her. Her skirts wrinkles around her calves.

 “What’s wrong with you?”

 Tori blinked at him once. Twice. Thrice.

 “Oh. You’re blunt.” What else would she expect? This was Katakuri, not a courtier. He had no need to soften his words to her. Even if he was in a court and not in their home garden, she doubted he would mince his words.

 In fact, if he was more prone to talking she was sure he would wind up in more fights with, well, everyone.

 Katakuri’s brows furrowed and he lowered himself to his knees in front of her. He still towered above her. Tori took the liberty of taking his hand in hers.

 “Forgive me. I’ve been thinking.”

 “Thinking of what?” he asked suspiciously.

 “Ah. Well, a lot of things. The sun and the moon and all of the stars. There’s so much I don’t know, and so many questions I’ve never asked.”

 “Then ask them,” he said, like it was simple. Like it was easy.

     What’s behind your scarf?    The part of her that was still bitter whispered. The part that feared the consequences of what would happen if she was more than just pretty again. But she didn’t ask that. She didn’t say such a spiteful thing, and besides.

 She already knew the answer.

 “There’s some questions that aren’t easy to ask. Or easy to find answers to,” or      legal    to find answers to. “Our library on the island is limited largely to past years accounts and agriculture and irrigation. And the ones on Imperia are similar. I’ve had my lessons there.”

 She did not mention that the only real things she had learned there was the island's personal history and her family's role in it, and to a smaller extent geography and tides. Everything else she had already known. Math, science, and so on, that hadn’t changed across the dimensions. It didn’t help that they didn’t even know what DNA was here. And wouldn’t for another twenty years, if she remembered correctly.

 Katakuri stared at her for a long time, like he was contemplating not her, but the secrets of the universe.

 Finally, he spoke.

 “There is an island,” he said, “Where they have thousands of years of accumulated knowledge. If you want to know something, that is the place to go. South of us, across the calm belt.”

 “In West Blue?” Tori cocked her head. They were in the New World, a million miles away from Paradise. They were sandwiched between the North and West Blue’s.

 It took her a minute to realize.

 He was talking about-

 “Ohara,” his voice was a low rumble. “You could go to Ohara. You’re restless. And snappish.”

 Tori frowned at him. “I am no such thing.”

 He just arched a brow at her until Tori felt herself start to flush. It was a jittery sort of anger. It was fear and old, bitter spite that reared its ugly head when it hadn’t in twenty years.  

 If she gave in to herself, if she let herself start devouring books and knowledge, what would become of her then? Who would she be? What pedestals would she stand on, that even her handmaids and her friends, and her family could not climb to stand beside her on?

 She didn’t want to do that again, but her skin itched and her mind yearned. There was so much she didn’t know. There were so many places she had never been. This world was strange and new and-

 She knew everything, she told herself. She knew how water flowed and clouds formed. She knew how cells gathered together to make a person. She knew how lightning cracked through the skies to the seas. She didn’t need to go to Ohara, there was nothing else she      needed    to know.

 But god, there was so much she      wanted    to know.

 And here was her husband, offering it to her.

 On top of that, he did something only the Orseolo brothers ever really did to her.

 He called her on her behavior. He saw her behavior.

 Tori slowly reached up, and took both of his hands in hers. Her smile was soft, and affectionate. She wanted to grin like a loon, but she didn’t know she could do that yet. She’d had a little too much training.

 “I want to. I want to go to Ohara.”

 Tori was traveling more these days than she had ever travelled in her entire life. In either life.

 The trip from Komugi to Ohara wasn’t a straight shot across the Calm Belt. They had to sail all the way to Reverse Mountain, and then down to the West Blue. The Big Mom pirates didn’t have seastone lining their ships, only the small ship that ferried her away from Komugi, sans her husband but including his young brother.

 At twenty five he was one year older than Tori and still only half grown for a Charlotte, meaning he was actually a foot shorter than Tori was. It was strange to look down on anyone from Katakuri’s family, but whenever they were together she found herself staring at the short cropped purple hair of Charlotte Cracker.

 He was cute, this young. He didn’t have his scar yet and he was all bright eyed and cheerful and utterly terrible at staying still. He also glued himself to Tori’s side as soon as Katakuri asked him to keep an eye on her.

 He only had a modest bounty yet, and that was mostly because he was Big Mom’s son, so he could leave Paradise and not get a whole army of Marine’s on his ass. Unlike Katakuri, who had already gone toe to toe with no less than three rear admirals.

 When she thought about it, he could probably kill her with a napkin.

 It was a good thing they got along.

 Privately, Tori wondered if she wasn’t already halfway in love with him. They were too alike.

 Yet, he couldn't be more different from his younger brother.

 “Hey,” she caught him by his elbow when he went nearly skipping by. They both stayed steady when the boat lurched into the dock. “Calm down, FireCracker. We’re here already. You can stretch your legs,” she teased. He’d gone completely stir crazy somewhere around the second week on the ship, and it was on the backs of the fighters in the crew that his energy fell. He sharpened his skill and sword at their expense.

 Now, he was about ready to leap over the side of the ship and start a fight with whoever he saw. Given that this was an island of scholars, he wouldn’t find anyone who could pose a challenge.

 “Behave,” Tori warned him, and led the way off the boat.

 They both towered across the other inhabitants of the island by at least three feet in all directions. The crew was more average sized and they ran around like bees securing their space at the docks. Tori didn’t know how long she was going to be here. She didn't even know how long Ohara was going to be here, but she was going to take advantage of what time she had.

 Cracker was supposed to watch over her, he’d been sent to do as much by his brother, but she doubted it would last long. She was going to be reading, and he would get bored of that soon enough.

 Cracker reminded her, in some ways, of Gemma. He was a brilliant, brutal fighter and he knew it. But while Gemma was cunning and vicious he was cocky and perhaps a bit foolish. And neither of them could stay still for very long. The curse of always being ‘able’.

 Tori had to crane her neck up, up, up to see the tops of the Tree of Knowledge. It was amazing. It was ancient and towering and it enveloped the entire island in a cool shadow.

 It was every bit as magnificent as Tori had ever dreamed, and then some.

 “It’s strange, don’t you think?” she asked, drawing Cracker’s attention to her. Her handmaidens had stayed on Komugi, dressed as her in turns, to distract anyone who might wish her harm.

 “What is?” he asked, looking away from where he was eying one of the dock workers.

 “The tree of knowledge. It’s old and big. I’ve always thought of knowledge as new and ever growing, infinite possibilities.”

 Cracker squinted at her.

 “... Mama sure picked a good person for my brother.”

 Tori was so startled she didn’t even think of saying anything to him before he was off harassing a strong looking man down the block.

 “A good person huh?” Tori started to smile. Maybe that was true. And maybe Mama had picked out a good person for her, too.

 The hallways of the library of Ohara were vast and packed with so many books it almost made her head spin.

 It was wonderful and just a little bit frightening.

 A lot a bit frightening.

 There was so much knowledge here, so much she could learn and find. It reminded her all too much of fairs and vicious competitions and night spent sitting in front of her parents while they snapped at her any time she didn’t answer perfectly.

 Even more so, because she knew all of this knowledge was about to disappear. It was going to vanish off the face of the earth, lost forever in the flames of a Buster Call.

 It hadn’t registered before. Tori had known, consciously, that there were a lot of books. She had known that a lot had been lost. But to see it? In person, with her own eyes?

 It made her sick to her stomach. Alexandria burned, Carthage was razed, Yunchin was destroyed, Baghdad was sacked, and the Aztecs were utterly destroyed. So much had been lost from her old world, and now so much again was going to be lost from here. How long? How long until this tree was felled?  

 Tori’s fingers itched. Her stomach churned. No, absolutely not.

 Tori caught the arm of a passing librarian, marked by her name tag.

 “Excuse me,” she said politely, ignoring the fact that the woman didn’t even reach her shoulder. “Do you have paper available for the public?”

 The woman looked at her, surprised, and nodded.

 “Ah, yes. There’s paper available next to the almanacs.”

 Tori thanked her a left her to her work. She found the papers and pends, and grabbed the first almanac off the shelf.

 She began.

 It was slow going at first, until she got into the rhythm of it. No one seemed to notice what she was doing, or if they did they were too intimidated to remark on the fact that she was copying down each book she came across.

 In tiny short hand, each stroke of her pen no thicker than even a quarter inch, she wrote down everything. All of it, page after page she copied every book she could get her hands on. She lost all track of time.

 The spell of translation didn’t break until a ruckus of whispers broke through the small reading room she had found herself in. It smelled like books and ink and dust.

 She looked up, expecting the whispering to be about her, but it wasn’t.

 There was a tiny, tiny little girl standing in the doorway, a book as thick as her head in her hands. Her hair was short and straight, even darker than Tori’s, and her eyes were wide and blue.

 Tori wasn’t the only person in the room. Most of the tables were full of people, and when the little girl started looking around those same tables were suddenly over flowing with books and papers, and there was no room for a child anywhere.

 Tori very intentionally moved the books around. The too-small chair she sat in creaked, giving her away to the little girl. There was only one space left in the room, if she wanted it.

 It took a few minutes before the soft thud of a book on the table across from her told Tori that she was no longer alone. Robins head popped up the other side a minute later.

 “Can I sit here?” she asked, her voice quiet and soft. Tori’s heart melted. She’d always had a soft spot for children.

 “Of course you can sweetheart. There’s plenty of room.”

 “Thank you,” Robin smiled shyly at her. Tori returned it, and got back to her work. She finished the book she was working on and started another. She had gone through five before Robin’s voice broke her concentration again.

 “What are you doing?”

 “Hmm?” Tori lifted her head. “I’m taking notes. I don’t live here, and when I leave I still want to have access to some of this information.” All of this information. At least as much as she could get her hands on.

 Maybe it would have been  better to find Clover or whatever his name was and tell him what was to come. To tell him to start evacuating the books, but honestly? Why would he listen to her? She was no one to him. Just a foreign princess and a pirates bride.

 It was the first part of that that meant she could travel as she pleased.

 “I don’t know that language,” Robin leaned forwards before she caught herself, flushing and drawing back. Tori pushed the paper over to her.

 “It’s short hand. A sort of code for writing things down faster. See? That line says ‘      I destroyed Humbaba who lived in the Cedar Forest, I slew lions in the mountain passes! I grappled with the Bull that came down from heaven, and killed him    .’ “

 “That’s a lot,” Robin looked fascinated.

 Tori smiled at her and pulled a chair beside her. “Would you like to learn?”

 Robin’s whole face lit up. “Yes! Please!”

 She scrambled around the table and popped up at Tori’s side, just a little sprite of curiosity and innocence that watched with rapt attention as Tori showed her what she was doing. It was a shorthand unique to her island, to her family in fact. They had records going back a thousand or more years that looked almost identical.

 Tori realized quickly that if she was a genius, Robin was a super genius. She was just a child but she was already fluent in more languages that Tori had fingers to count them on and she learned everything Tori told her without needing anything repeated.

 What a frightening child.

 Tori did enlist her help. She had Robin translate the texts in languages other than japanese and english and in turn transcribe those for her with the promise of stories of her homeland as payment.

 She felt like she was taking advantage of the child, but Robin didn’t seem to mind. She was just happy someone was talking to her.

 Tori wanted to scoop her into her arms and carry her right home to Komugi, sit her down and spoil her for the rest of her life. She didn’t want this little girl to be chased all over by the government, tormented and betrayed for her entire life. She wanted to scoop her up and protect her at any cost.

 It was because of Robin that Tori left the library that night to get dinner in time to see the sun burning into the horizon behind the Tree of Knowledge.

 Cracked appeared with dinner for her, and enough left over for Robin to eat with them, even though he had no idea she was there.

 “Did you clone yourself in there?” Cracker asked, squinting at the little girl when he caught sight of her. Tori was startled into laughing.

 “Oh, yes. A mini-me,” she teased, ruffling Robin’s hair. The little girl stared up at them, stunned.

 Cracker laughed harder than her and grabbed the little girl by the back of her shirt. He lifted her up when she squeaked and propped her on his shoulder while they walked back to the ship. Robin grabbed his hair, looking bewildered but not afraid.

 “Where are we going?” she asked, looking around the town from her new vantage. The villagers were quickly scrambling out of their way. Tori didn’t take it personally.

 “Us? We’re going to our ship to eat dinner. With you, now. But eventually we’ll go back to Tottoland.”

 “Totto Land,” Robin repeated, looking off at the ocean.

 Tori smiled.

 “It’s where we live. Although I’m from Imperia originally. If you ever decide to travel, you should come visit me there. You’d be more than welcome.”

 “Really?” Robin looked at her with such heartbreaking hope.

 “Yes, really,” Tori smiled sweetly at her. “You’re very smart, sweetheart, and I think you’d like it there.”

 Cracker dropped her on the deck of the ship, and the three of them descended into the cabins to eat in peace. Tori couldn't help keeping an eye on the window, searching the horizon for Navy ships.

 In the morning she would go back and keep at her work, but for tonight she ate with Cracker and Robin and laughed at their silly antics. They were both so young and unburdened by the world. Tori wanted to save them, if only she had the strength.

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Non-Sequential [Ch. 2]

Pairing: Pre-Serum Steve Rogers/Steve Rogers x Reader

One night, Steve Rogers met a beautiful dame named Y/N. He hadn’t intended on letting her get away. But fate had other ideas. Y/N appeared and disappeared in his life so hauntingly that Steve started to wonder if she was an angel meant to watch over him.

Word Count: 3,130

A/N: Inspired by the film The Time Traveler’s Wife. But not one of those fics that just literally rips off the whole movie and plugs in characters where they please.

Chapter 1

2015 - After the Battle of Sokovia 

It was a torrential downpour outside. Steve was questioning Tony’s design aesthetic of the new compound. It was all glass windows, floor to ceiling, covering almost every exterior wall. He could only assume what it was doing to his teammates that struggled with PTSD.

Steve was handling it better than them. But he knew he wasn’t getting any sleep tonight. So he went into the kitchen to make something to eat.

It felt like he was always hungry. He’d had the super-soldier serum running through his veins for years now, but it didn’t seem like he’d ever get used to this metabolism.

He wasn’t surprised to find Wanda, Vision, and Tony also in the kitchen. Steve smirked softly at the sight. They’d grown to become his family. It was a new feeling, not being alone. But the devil on his shoulder told him not to get used to it.

“I’m teaching Vision how to bake,” Wanda greeted him cheerfully.

Steve eyed Tony. “And he’s helping?”

“Absolutely not,” Tony shot back without lifting his gaze from the tablet. “I’m just here to reap the benefits.” That was code for, ‘I can’t sleep and I didn’t want to be alone.’

Steve just nodded and moved to the love seat that was just off the edge of the kitchen. He decided to do some reading instead of intruding on Wanda and Vision’s sweet moment.

Despite the aggressive thunder and lightning, a familial peace had settled amongst them.

But that all ended when an alarm started blaring throughout the compound. If any of their teammates had been able to sleep through the storm, they sure as hell were awake now.

“Security breach!” FRIDAY announced to the group.

Tony’s spine straightened. “Get me eyes on it, FRIDAY.” 

Then he was taping his screen and threw a three-dimensional hologram into the room so everyone could see.

Steve quickly moved from the couch to stand beside Tony.

“One female on the central lawn, sir.” The AI responded, confusion clear in her voice.

“Is she…without clothes?” Vision tried to ask with as much politeness as possible.

Steve’s heart dropped. “Zoom in, FRIDAY.” He ordered.

The intruder in question was very much naked, hugging her knees to her chest as she sat in the pouring rain.

But even through the storm and the grainy footage, Steve could recognize her.

“Y/N,” he gasped before sprinted out of the room, grabbing a blanket from the couch on his way out.

“Cap, what the hell are you doing? She could be enhanced for all we know!” Tony yelled after him. Steve ignored the sleepy and confused faces of Natasha and Sam as he sprinted past them in the hall.

“Steve, what’s going on?” Sam tried to ask.

Steve didn’t hesitate ripping the doors open that led to the lawn, running straight into the storm to get to her.

His sprinting slowed to a walk when he was only a few feet away from her.

She was visibly shaking, squeezing her knees as close to her body as possible. She must have heard someone approach because she gasped and looked up at him with fear in her eyes.

It was then that Steve noticed how young she looked. When she had visited him in the past, she was always older. Then he realized that she showed no sign of recognizing him. Instead, she looked scared of him.

Was this her first time ever meeting him?

Steve took a step toward her.

She panicked and tried to crawl backwards without completely exposing her naked body to him.

Steve took a quick step back and held up his hands.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he called out to her through the rain.

She said nothing, just continued to shiver and stare at him with fear.

Steve lowered to his knees, hoping that making himself smaller would be less intimidating to her. “You’re going to get sick if you stay out in this rain. Let’s get you inside, huh?”

But she shook her head.

“I know you’re scared,” Steve said. “I promise you’re safe here.”

Y/N still remained unconvinced.

Steve sighed. “Your name’s Y/F/N Y/L/N. This is probably one of the first times you’ve traveled. I know you have no reason to trust me. But I just…I want to help.”

Y/N’s eyes turned from fear to awe. Her expression softened as she stared into Steve’s blue eyes. Now he was just as soaked as she was. But he didn’t even seem to notice.

“I can’t – It hurts to move.” She finally admitted to him.

Steve almost didn’t hear her over the rain.

But then he remembered Y/N telling him how much the time travel hurt when it first started. Her bones and muscles ached the first year or two of it. Eventually, it got better.

Y/N dipped her head and hid behind her knees from the embarrassment of it all.

Steve slowly walked to her and threw the blanket over her shoulders and around her body, hiding her nudity.

“I gotcha,” he whispered as he scooped her up in his arms.

She didn’t fight him. She didn’t have the strength to.

When Steve turned around to walk them back inside, he saw his entire team watching them with confusion and shock.

He ground his teeth together and walked assuredly past them, ignoring their questioning looks.

He carried Y/N to his bedroom and rubbed her back trying to warm up her body since he could physically feel her shivering. He then brought her into his bathroom and sat her down on the toilet, shifting the blanket around her shoulders so it still covered her.

He moved to his shower, turning on the water and making sure it was nice and hot.

Steve kneeled in front of her. “Why don’t you take a shower? I’ll get you some clothes. Then we can talk.” Then he studied her gaze. “Or we don’t have to talk at all.”

She watched him for a moment before nodding.

Steve grabbed a pair of his sweatpants and a hoodie for her. He silently placed them on the counter in the bathroom and gave Y/N a final look before closing the bathroom door behind him.

When he returned to his bedroom, Tony barged in. “Can I ask… What the hell just happened?”

Steve glared at him and moved about his room, taking off his soaking wet t-shirt to change into a dry one.

“Do you know that girl?” Tony continued.

“She’s…She’s an old friend,” Steve answered vaguely.

“I want to talk to her,” Tony retorted.

Steve whipped around. “Absolutely not.”

“She got through my security system without triggering a single alarm. What the hell is that about, Steve?”

“She’s just a kid, Tony! She’s terrified!”

Tony blinked at the protective aggression.

Steve sighed and rubbed his face. “Look, I’ll explain everything in the morning. But right now…just leave it. OK, Tony?”

But Tony looked unconvinced. 

“She’s not a threat,” Steve said slow and even. 

Tony sighed. “Fine. Whatever.” Then he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Steve quickly changed out of the rest of his wet clothes.

A few minutes later, Y/N emerged from the bathroom.

Now that he was fully able to look at her without being drenched by a storm, he was able to see how truly young she looked.

“Y/N, how old are you right now?” He whispered.

She brushed some hair behind her ear. “20.”

When she traveled back in time to see him, she had always been at least 25.

“We’ve met before?” She asked him quietly.

Steve wanted to smack himself. “Yes. I’m sorry. I’m Steve – ”

“Steve Rogers,” she interrupted.

He was rendered speechless.

She smirked at that. “You don’t think I’d recognize Captain America? At least…once we were out of the storm.”

“Well, my manners should still be better.” Steve stepped forward carefully, offering his hand. “I’m Steve Rogers.”

Y/N seemed amused by the gesture, but shook his hand nonetheless. “Y/N.”

In that moment, Steve didn’t realize how much he had missed her. He feared something had happened to her when she had yet to visit him after he was unfrozen. When his mind finally wrapped around the idea that he had been brought to the future, the first thing he realized was that he could meet Y/N. But meet her in her present, where she wasn’t at risk of disappearing at any second.

“You just started traveling, haven’t you?” Steve asked her quietly.

Y/N’s face darkened at the question. “There’s-There’s something wrong with me.”

But Steve immediately shook his head. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. You have a gift.”

“This. This is not a gift. It’s a fucking curse,” Y/N seethed.

“I know it’s scary right now. But it will get better, Y/N. I promise.”

“Stop doing that,” she growled. “Stop acting like you know me.”

Steve’s jaw clenched. How had she handled him meeting her for first time so much better? What the hell was he supposed to say to her?

“At the beginning, you get stuck for longer. Days, sometimes a week. When you get older, you learn to control it – at least somewhat,” Steve tried to reassure her. “Tomorrow, I can introduce you to some of the team. There are people here who might be able to help you.”

She didn’t seem to have a rebuttal for that. It was obvious that Steve was just trying to help and comfort her.

“I don’t think you’re disappearing any time soon,” he told her gently. “You can sleep in the bed.”

“I can’t take your bed,” she mumbled.

“Sure you can,” he smiled. “I’ll sleep on the couch. Or…if you want to be alone, I can go sleep in Sam’s room.”

“You don’t-You don’t have to leave.” Then her body betrayed her and she hid a yawn behind her hand.

Steve tried to hide his smile from how adorable it was. He also disguised his relief well. It would physically pain him to leave her, to sleep in another room knowing that she was here. 

He pointed, “Bed’s all yours.” Then he walked over and grabbed one of the pillows to take with him to the couch. He got ready for bed. 

She glanced at it and wondered why it looked like the most comfortable bed she’d ever seen.

“Thank you,” Y/N muttered so quietly, anyone other than Steve would’ve missed it.

Steve spread out on the couch and listened to the sound of Y/N’s breathing, hoping she’d be able to fall asleep in such a foreign place with a stranger. When her breathing evened out and he knew she had finally gone to sleep, he allowed himself to pass out too.

—————

Y/N sat on an exam table in Bruce’s lab.

Steve stood next to her, probably unnecessarily close.

Bruce was looking into her medical records. Tony stared at them from over Bruce’s shoulder. He wasn’t really qualified to be there. But he was a nosey bastard. And the optimist in Steve hoped maybe Tony would invent something that would help Y/N.

“It says here you were admitted to the hospital when you were 18 years old because of hypothermia and frostbite… in August.” Bruce stated carefully.

Y/N nodded slowly. “That was the first time I traveled. I ended up in the Arctic. Honestly, I’m not sure. It was cold and windy. Nothing but ice and snow as far as I could see.”

Her hands were fidgeting in her lap. Steve glanced down and realized she was just trying to hide her shaking.  

“I didn’t know what happened. I thought I teleported. The time travel didn’t make sense until the next couple of times,” she added.

“These notes...” Bruce commented as read the medical records. “You almost died.”

Y/N shrugged. “I think the only reason my body sent me back was because of survival instinct. If I stayed there a minute longer, I would’ve died.”

Steve suddenly realized something.

Tony caught his expression change. “What is it Cap?”

Steve hung his head low. “You were there because…because of me,” he admitted with shame and self-hatred.

Bruce’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

But Steve wasn’t looking at him. He had turned his attention to Y/N, giving her a look of apology. “When you visited me in your future, you told me once that the places you travel to are emotional moments. Their big events in your life.”

“And you’re a big moment?” Tony asked.

Steve’s eyes just flickered to the floor instead of answering.

Y/N was still confused though.

“You were in the Arctic because I was still buried in the ice there,” Steve finally stated.

The room went quiet.

Y/N stared at Steve. It had finally hit her that Steve meant more to her than she realized – or would. They weren’t just friends in the future. They were something more.

The strange thing was that it appeared as though Steve was realizing this for the first time too.

Bruce and Tony sensed the tension between the two.

Then, to Steve’s surprise, Y/N slowly reached for his hand and held onto it tightly. His heart started racing at the touch. It was so innocent and she did it so shyly. But Steve couldn’t remember the last time someone touched him like that.

Bruce then cleared his throat awkwardly. “Steve, it appears you might know more about Y/N’s power than she does right now. What else can you tell me?”

Y/N looked scared for what he was about to say.

He subtly squeezed her hand.

“She can’t really control it - when she goes or where she goes. But her visits get shorter as she gets older. She said she can’t change anything. Everything she does is already part of time. She’s just an… observer.”

Bruce took notes and nodded his head. Everyone once in awhile, he would give Y/N a small but encouraging smile. It was obvious that it was tough to hear. There seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel for her.

“What year are you from?” Bruce asked.

“I left 2012,” Y/N answered.

Bruce nodded. “Well, I’d like to run some tests while you’re still… here. If that’s OK.”

Y/N nodded but her eyes whipped to Steve’s. He squeezed her hand again. “I’m not going anywhere,” he told her softly.

———-

A couple hours later, Steve and Y/N were sitting on one of the balconies in the compound. He had gotten her a cup of coffee and she was wearing one of his coats. The sleeves were too long that they went past her hands.

To him, she looked adorable.

He could tell the tests were making her anxious. So he suggested they sit outside for some air.

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” She asked him.

Steve quickly looked away, hoping he didn’t come off as creepy. “Like what?”

She watched him for a moment before saying, “I don’t know.”

“I just don’t want you to disappear,” he admitted softly.

“You’ve known me a long time,” Y/N began. “When you woke up in this time….Why didn’t you come find me?”

Steve sighed. “You were always careful about what you told me. You never said what would happen to me. I never imagined I’d ever get to meet you in your time period. I just thought you were my friend from the future.” He smiled sadly at the thought.

“When I woke up, realized what had happened to me…the first thing I thought of was you,” he confessed. “I wanted to come find you. But then I realized you would be – well, this age.” Then he shook his head sadly. “I figured there was a reason you never told me I’d be able to meet you in your time. So I thought you didn’t want me to.”

“You know, I could technically come find you…when I get back.”

“But you won’t. Because you didn’t and you can’t change time,” Steve explained.

Her face turned sad. “Will we ever meet in my present? Or is this all we get?”

“I hope so,” Steve admitted boldly.

“It’s nice to…to have someone who knows besides my family.”

“You’re not alone in this, Y/N. Bruce and Tony…they’ll try to figure out a way to help you. I promise.” “Why are they helping me? They don’t know me. They don’t owe me anything.”

Steve swallowed, trying to figure out if he should tell her the answer. Would it be too much? She was just a kid. But now Steve finally realized their true connection, the real reason Y/N kept visiting him in the past.

“Because,” he finally said, “you’re important to me. And they’re my family, so now…you’re important to them too.”

Y/N blinked at the meaning of his words.

Then she laughed lightly and shook her head. “Avengers seeing me as family…now that’s something.”

“They’re a pain in the ass most days,” Steve joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, Tony Stark seems like…a lot,” Y/N laughed.

He laughed along with her. “He means well. Just doesn’t always go about it the right way.”

Steve saw that Y/N had finished her coffee. “I’ll get you more coffee and then we can figure out what you want to do for dinner.” He got up without a confirmation from her.

But Y/N shot to her feet too. “Steve, wait.” She told him hurriedly.

The next think he knew, she was wrapping him in a hug. 

His body froze for a moment. Once again, he couldn’t remember the last time someone hugged him. He tried to recover as quickly as possible though and hugged her back. She pressed her face into the space between his shoulder and neck.

Steve relished in the innocent form of affection. He breathed in her scent, holding her as closely as he could. He felt protective when she was like this. She seemed so strong and independent when he had met her back in the 30s. Now she was fragile and scared. He wanted to do whatever he could to help her find her way to that version of herself.

“Thank you,” Y/N whispered into his shoulder.

Eventually, Steve had to pull away.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck, trying to contain his emotions. “I’ll be right back.”

But when he returned with their two cups of coffee. Y/N was gone. Steve knew the moment would come at some point. But it still hurt to see his clothes in a pile where she had just been sitting.

Steve put the cups down and grabbed his clothes. They still smelled like her.

---------

The timing over everything canon wise is a little tricky since they never really clarify what year it is in the movies. So I hope any inaccuracies are overlooked. The time travel aspects have been trickier than I imagined. 

Also, let me know if this is all very confusing and I suck at writing it lol

Once again, I do not to taglists.  Here is the series’ masterlist: Non-Sequential 

Chapter 3

[oohfluffy]

DDND Ch.25 | KJI

Group: EXO

Member: Kim Jongin

Theme: Fluff | Dancer!AU | Dormmmate!AU

Word Count: 2,904

❀ Chapter 25: By Your Side ❀

"Kai!" You silently called out as he dragged you inside the hotel. Concierges slightly bow as you two walk past by them. You awkwardly smile at them.

"Yah! How'd you know about my fiancé?!" You quietly squealed as Kai ignored you, still leading you to somewhere like he knows this place for a long time now.

"You're really not gonna answer me?!"

You were panicking right now. What if your fiancé's already there? What will he say about this? Yes, you did plan to confront him about the arranged marriage, that you don't want it to happen because you already have someone, but this is happening too fast and you can't even think!

"Kim Jongin! I swear if you—"

Kai opened a huge double doors on the end of the hall you've entered earlier. You looked around and saw that you're in a private area, which you know that's only reserved for VIPs. Your eyes widened, tugging Kai's hand.

"What are we doing here?" You asked, your eyes couldn't rest in one place, observing the place in panic. Kai gently pulled you inside the room and sighed. If your jaw hasn't dropped earlier from the shining and luxurious objects you've seen everywhere, it did now when you saw the room Kai led you into.

"W-What..."

Tall windows made the sunshine peek through the hanging elegant light brown curtains with golden laces on its edges, the floor was carpeted in a brownish color, a rounded glass table on the center with a long golden cloth over it and a candlelight on its middle, two comfy-looking chairs in front of each other and resting under the table, and lights are slightly dimmed in yellow, making the candle stand out. A few concierges were on the side as they slightly bowed down at your entrance.

"Let's sit, shall we?" Kai smiled at you, pulling a chair for you. You hesitantly sat down, blinking at the candlelight in front of you. Kai immediately sat on the other side and raised his hand towards the concierges. With that simple gesture, they all moved so quick.

One went over to your table with a tray and carefully placed the plates and utensils in front of you. The next one placed the mouth-watering and extravagant meals you've never had in your whole life. Another one put wine into your glasses that looks like half of an hourglass. Everything seems so perfect already when an instrumental music suddenly played, making it so much more romantic.

"What the hell is this, Jongin?" You asked, smiling at the concierges that served you. Kai was just observing your reactions with everything, smiling like an idiot.

"Don't you like it? I think everything's perfect—"

"That's not it. Answer my questions already, will you?" You crossed your arms, slightly gulping your saliva as you looked down on the food tempting you.

"Let's eat first, babe. I'm hungry. I didn't even have breakfast earlier because I was so eager to meet you."

"M-Meet me?!"

Your brain suddenly started working in the right way and realization hit you hard like a building fell on you, causing your eyes to widen like an owl.

"Your expression's funny. You look like Kyungsoo sunbae." Kai giggled as he watched you slowly realizing everything.

"Y-You... You've gotta be kidding—"

"I've been serious from the start, baby. I'm not playing with you." Kai stared into your eyes with his serious expression, the same expression when you saw him before on the other side of Winter Heat Café.

"W-What? H-How did this happen, Kai?" You asked, your hands clenching onto your dress.

"I'll tell you everything now..." Kai trailed off, making you take a deep breath in preparation. "...in one condition."

"What?! You owe me big time, Kai! You've been hiding me everything. Why would you even—"

"When I ask you this question, say yes, okay?" Kai calmly said as he stood up and went to you. Your heart beats faster than ever, invisible sweat rolling down on your forehead. "Answer me, baby."

"Okay. I will."

Kai grinned in victory as he slowly went down on one of his knees and kept one up as if he's proposing—

"Oh shit." You cursed to yourself, eyes watering in realization. Kai took out a black velvet box from his coat, softly smiling as he gazed at you. He opened it and presented to you the most beautiful ring you've ever seen. The golden ring has little diamonds gathered together in the middle, forming a large diamond. There's something carved under it but you couldn't see, you'll save that for later then.

"Will you marry me, Zhang Lin?"

Kai smiled up at you as he gently took your hand and placed the ring perfectly on your ring finger.

"I haven't even answered you—"

"You'll say yes anyway." Kai leveled his face on yours and grinned at your blushing face. Your hand was occupied by his large ones, letting you have his warmth. "I love you, my fiancé."

"You owe me a lot of explanations, Kim Jongin. Don't you forget that—"

"Where's my I love you too?" Kai whined as he pouted. You giggled as you freed your hands from his, gently placing them around his neck, pulling him closer.

"I" You kissed his forehead, a smile tugging up on his lips as you did. "love" A kiss on his nose, causing him to giggle like a girl. You slightly pulled away to look at his eyes which are crinkling in delight. Your eyes slowly went to his plump pinkish lips.

"You're taking too long, babe." Kai whispered, taking the initiative to lean forward. You smiled.

"You."

Pressing your lips gently on his, Kai wrapped his arms on your waist. You smiled as he pulled on your lower lip playfully. It may seem awkward to see your position but you feel comfortable with everything right now.

You can't believe you two skipped the boyfriend-girlfriend relationship and jumped to being fiancés.

Not that you mind though.

♫ ❧ ♫ ❧ ♫ ❧ ♫ ❧ ♫

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

You rolled your eyes at the talking bear behind you as you arranged the papers on your desk. Your laptop was still open, projecting an airline website.

"I've told you about this, Kai. You were so busy that you've forgotten about it." You mumbled, sitting down on your desk chair.

It's been a week since that surprising event in your whole life. You were totally in shock for a few days when you knew that your father was involved with everything. You didn't know that your father already knew about you and Kai from the start, letting him arrange your marriage with Kai secretly. And this devil dancer agreed without hesitations, even planning that event enthusiastically.

It seems like your father and Kai are in good terms from the start.

You got scared and nervous for nothing.

"Appa gave me the permission already—"

"What about your fiancé's permission? You don't need it? You don't need me?" Kai's eyebrows knitted as he whined like a puppy. Your wall was wavering, making you huff in defeat. You turned your desk chair to him.

"Baby, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this for the third time. I really told you about this when you were at the dorm and you just nodded so I thought you're okay with it. I even told you my plan when you visited here last Monday and you just kept on nodding as you read papers in your hands. How am I supposed to know you didn't understand anything?" You grabbed his hands and slowly swayed it as if you're dancing.

Kai frowned as you spoke before letting out a sigh.

"I'm the one who should apologize, baby. I didn't pay attention to you and just continued working like a mad man. I was actually planning to spend the weekend with you, that's why I wanted to finish everything I needed to do at the company."

You knew that Kai focused on their company now, taking a break from the dance practices in DanWiMu. You've been spending your time in your preparation for your studies, searching for the university you'll attend and where you'll stay there. You've been chatting with Joohyuk about the place he's staying, he even said that he'll pick you up and let you stay at his rented apartment near the university he's attending at. You were grateful for that.

"It's okay. I know you're exhausted too. You should rest, Kai. I heard from your secretary, you've been overworking." You gently squeezed his hands as you smiled up at him. Kai smiled, tugging you up with him. "Hey, I'm in the middle of someth—"

"Let's rest together then. You've been in front of that laptop since I got here. Show your baby some love, jagiya." Kai said as he pulled you with him on the bed, instantly wrapping his long legs on yours and his arms around you. You coughed playfully as if you're out of breath.

"What are you, a snake?" You giggled as you turned your body towards him. He has a contented smile on his lips with his eyes closed, making you nuzzle on his chest with a smile too.

"Ah. This is the best thing I'm looking forward to when I get home everyday." Kai mumbled as he kissed the top of your head, humming as your hands gently massaged his back.

"Are you permitting me to go, Kai?"

Kai glanced down at you, your eyes were up on him, cutely blinking. He bit his lip as he stared at you.

"Nope." He breathed out with a smirk. You lightly hit his chest with a pout. "What about our wedding then? We just got engaged and you're leaving me? You're cruel, baby." Kai shook his head with a frown.

"You can wait for me. I'll just be there for half a year and then come back to—"

"No, no. I can't do that." Kai held you tighter. "I can't wait to become your husband." He sighed.

"You're killing me with your sweetness, you devil."

"You should gladly die then."

"Yah! You're—"

"I love you, babe." Kai whispered, nuzzling on your head. You blushed, your mind instantly went blank, forgetting why you're annoyed by him.

"I-I love you too." You whispered back, hiding your face in his chest, making him chuckle.

"Just so you know, I'm not letting you go."

♫ ❧ ♫ ❧ ♫ ❧ ♫ ❧ ♫

After one month...

"Lin!!!"

You heard a familiar shout as you struggled pushing the luggage cart, mumbling to yourself about something. You almost squealed in happiness when you saw your tall best friend from the crowd, quickly pushing the luggage cart with all your might.

"JOOHYUK!" You called out as you opened your arms. Joohyuk grinned and instantly hugged you as he stopped in front of you.

"I'm glad you made it here!" He said with excitement in his voice, ruffling your hair. You grunted as he messed it up.

"I'm glad too!" You replied, smiling up at him.

"I'm not glad that you're too close to my fiancé though."

You quickly turned to the voice, you feel like getting irritated again.

"You devil, where have you gone? It was hard pushing that luggage cart you know! You left—"

"I went to the restroom, I told you." Kai shrugged, taking the handle of the luggage cart, breaking your contact with your best friend as he walked past by you. "Let's go."

"Joohyuk will be our tour guide!" You said as you cling your arms on your best friend's.

"Who told you?" Kai snapped, you can even see him roll his eyes. You scoffed.

"Me."

"No. We'll hire someone then. Or we can just explore together—"

"You'll just make it hard for us, Kai. Joohyuk volunteered!"

Kai huffed like a kid, stopping when you got outside of the airport. You grinned, knowing you won already.

"Fine..." You were about to say Yes triumphantly when he spoke again. "...but we'll take the van I rented online. It should be here in a minute— Here it is." Kai waved his hand at the white extravagant and costly-looking van which immediately stopped in front of you. Kai turned to you, reaching for your hand and successfully tugging you away from Joohyuk. "Let's go."

Kai sat you on the seat next to the window, quickly taking a seat beside you. He was about to close the door when Joohyuk looked at him with a surprised face.

"Oh. You sit in front, buddy." Kai said, grinning as he slide the door close. Joohyuk sighed as he opened the door at the passenger's seat.

"What a jealous fiancé." Joohyuk whispered as he sat down beside the driver.

"You saying something, bro?" Kai asked as he wrapped his arm on your shoulder like he's telling Joohyuk not to cross over his property.

"Nothing, Kai."

This is gonna be the longest trip ever.

♫ ❧ ♫ ❧ ♫ ❧ ♫ ❧ ♫

"Argh. What the hell is this..." You mumbled as you reviewed the medical book you've just bought earlier. You're currently laying on your bed with a huge book in front of you as you read the words.

Classes are starting next week, completely making you nuts and make you helplessly try to review the confusing terminologies once again.

"Okay, calm down. Let's start again." You focused yourself and began talking in your mind. Your eyebrows knitted together as you read the medical terms and memorizing them.

As you were in the 10th page of reviewing, you felt someone sit behind you. Long limbs on either sides of you, arms on your waist, light fluffy hair tickling your ear as Kai's head popped on your shoulder, curiously peeking at your book.

"You look troubled, babe." Kai mumbled, pressing his lips on your shoulder. You sighed and leaned your back on him.

"That's probably because I am."

Kai hummed, rubbing your flat stomach as he continued kissing your neck.

"Well, do you want to take a break and play with me?" He whispered on your ear, tickling you and making you giggle. You shook your head as you pushed him away.

"I want to focus studying, you devil. You should be motivating me to study hard! You're such a bad boy." You laughed at him as he frowned when you looked down on your book again, ignoring his presence. Kai wrapped his arms tighter on your waist as if getting your attention again.

"I'm getting lonely." Kai whined, pressing his forehead on your back. You just hummed in reply. "Your baby needs attention, jagi~"

"I thought I was the baby?" You unconsciously asked, writing on your notepad seriously. Kai smirked, leaning on your neck again. "Yah!" You squealed when Kai bit your shoulder like a baby.

"You want daddy then?"

You squealed as his hot breath passed by your ear, you quickly got out of his grasp and ran away from him. Kai laughed as he ran after you. You went out of the room, squealing as you turn to look at the devil behind you. Kai was closely behind you with a grin on his face.

"Hyuk! Hyuk!" You called your best friend as you ran down the stairs. Joohyuk looked up from his book with a surprised look. "Help! There's a monster— AH!"

Kai caught you in his arms and picked you up like a sack of rice, waving his hand at Joohyuk as you struggled from his hold. You laughed as you hit Kai's back.

"Hyuk! I thought we're buddies!" Your voice drifted away as you and Kai went back upstairs. Joohyuk shook his head with a smile, looking back at his book.

"That couple really..." Joohyuk chuckled.

"You're really a devil." You mumbled as you lay your head on Kai's chest. His chest rumbled as he chuckled, combing your hair with his fingers.

"Is it my fault you're too ticklish? I just took advantage of that and you gave up studying this time." Kai said, making you glare up at him.

"It's your fault for distracting me!"

"Don't worry, I'll help you review later. We'll be up all night, baby."

"Why am I getting shivers from that?"

"It's because your brain's too green."

"Ah, so we'll play like that? You sleep on the floor tonight."

Kai whined, pulling you closer.

"Don't be like that. I was just joking."

"Hmph."

He made you smile, made you cry, made you laugh and made you feel every feeling you haven't felt before. You didn't like his attitude before when you first met, just starstruck by his stunning looks. You didn't know you'll fall for him eventually as you both lived together in the same dorm.

He is the devil dancer you'll willingly let gracefully dance in your heart.

"Do you know where's the best place I'll ever be?" Kai mumbled as you get drawn to dreamland. You hummed in reply, burying your head on his chest.

"The best place is always being by your side, baby. I'm the happiest when I'm with you."

"Too cheesy." You mumbled.

"I thought you're asleep?!"

"Hmm. You're noisy."

"Go back to sleep now or I won't let you sleep later."

You smiled as Kai kissed your forehead.

"I love you."

—

❀ Ep.

[zenithlux]

Cadence - CH 17

In which Vergil learns what might be wrong with him, with help from his friends and family.

Catch up on the story here!

Don’t say I’m out of touch With this rampant chaos your reality I know well what lies beyond my slipping refuge The nightmare I built my own world to escape.

Imaginary - Evanescence

It took less than ten minutes for Vergil to have an existential crisis. 

Why did I call Nero?

Why didn’t I call Dante?

What is wrong with me?

Why will you not leave me alone?

And the questions went on and on; a never-ending wave of increasingly dark and impossible to answer things. Vergil tried to stop them. He tried not to think about the possibilities or the mark on his chest. He tried to convince himself that the voice in his head was no more than a nightmare. That the portal he would have opened would have led to nowhere, and he’d just looked like a fool in front of Kuro. 

That sword no longer belongs to you. Kuro had said. 

What does he know?

A knock on the door startled him. “Verge?” Dante’s voice echoed inside. 

Go away, Vergil tried to say, but nothing happened. 

“Nero said you might need some help.”

Vergil held back a swear as he forced himself to his feet. He’d barely started zipping his vest up before he heard. “Oh hey Kuro! Didn’t know you could open the door.” 

“Are you calling me a fool, mortal?”

“... Why do you have Yamato?”

“Your brother almost returned to his master.”

Vergil took a single step and hit the floor before he could stop himself. 

When he opened his eyes again, he saw nothing but pure darkness. He tried to sit up, but a pair of burly hands pushed him back down. Panicked, Vergil fought back. Something cold slipped from his head as he yanked on the arms. They pushed harder, fingernails digging into his skin. Voices echoed in from all directions- a rabble of nothingness. “Let me go!” He snapped. “I will not…”

Nelo. 

“I’m not...”

Come back to me, Nelo.

“I’m not his…”

“Dad!”

He froze as a single word broke through the chaos. Dad? No one had ever called him that. No one should call him that. He wasn’t a father. He was barely a man. Just some pawn in Mundus’ endless game. Vergil thought he could escape. He thought this was over. Was two decades of his life not enough? Would the consequences of his mistakes never end?

“I wouldn’t do that, Sunshine,” another voice said. “He’s not exactly in his right mind.”

“It’s alright,” A woman said. Vergil recognized them both, but couldn’t place their names. Everything was dark. So dark. So cold. He was trapped again. Paralyzed and lost in the suit he’d been shoved into. 

Then a soft hand brushed his cheek. “Vergil,” The woman’s voice whispered again. “You’re alright. We’re all here for you.”

His eyes snapped open as he gasped for air. Dante’s hand tightened on his shoulder, but it was Roxy’s eyes he met first. Behind her was Nero with a look of pure relief as his shoulders sagged forward and he shook his head. Even further away was Nico with Aki in her hand and a smaller Kuro on her shoulder. “Let go,” Vergil said. This time, his voice was calm enough that Dante listened. Yet, Vergil didn’t sit up. Instead, he let his eyes drift back to her. “You’re awake.”

“Thanks to you,” Roxy said with a nod. Her hand had yet to leave his cheek. “Kuro didn’t have to do much this time.”

“How long has it been.”

“A little over a day I’ve been told.”

“A day,” Vergil said, his voice hollow. “I’ve been out for a day?”

“I found you unconscious in the bathroom,” Dante said. “Don’t worry though! I cleaned ya up and the kid only found ya sleeping,” He gave Vergil a lazy grin, but he heard the truth behind his brother’s oddly peppy words, nobody saw the mark but me. Vergil nodded, hoping to convey his gratitude. If Dante understood or not, he didn’t respond.  

“What happened?” Nero said. 

Vergil’s eyes closed for another moment. What did he say to that? The truth seemed more unbelievable than anything else he could say. But he had called Nero here for… something. 

Why had he thought that this was the right call again?

Yamato. 

And, as painful as it was to admit it, Vergil said. “I need one of you to take Yamato.”

Nero, Nico, and Dante all exchanged glances. “Who are you and what have you done to my brother?” Dante said. 

That time, Roxy pulled away as Vergil practically shot upright. “Do you honestly think I’d joke about such a thing?”

Dante threw his hands up between them. “I mean the things practically your security blanket, Verge. I’m shocked you’re not holding it right now.”

He wasn’t wrong necessarily, but Vergil really thought his brother could word that entire sentence differently. Instead, he explained what was happening. Or, at the very least, what he assumed was happening. It was difficult to know for certain what was in his head or not. He’d recognize Mundus’ voice from anywhere, as it had permeated all of his nightmares since even before he’d escaped hell. But whether or not he was actually calling to him…

He stopped short and glared at Kuro. “You knew.”

Kuro snorted. “I used to be one of Mundus’ pets myself a long time ago. I remember you.”

Vergil’s eyes widened. “I don’t…”

“I escaped just after he promoted you,” The dragon said. “As did my brother. But my story isn’t important.”

“Promoted?” Nero said. “So you were, what, working for this… Mundus guy?”

That time, it was Dante and Vergil who exchanged glances. “Listen, kid,” Dante said slowly, looking to Vergil for permission. When Vergil said nothing, Dante continued. “Did you ever wonder why your dad was gone for so long? Why he never sought you out or all that jazz?”

Nero frowned. “I just assumed…” He trailed off.

“That I wanted nothing to do with you?” Vergil said.

A slight red tinged Nero’s cheeks. “Well I know now that you didn’t know about me. But still… figured you were an asshole for just abandoning whoever my mom was too.”

“He abandoned everyone,” Dante muttered. Vergil glared at him, but his brother didn’t meet it. “He was trapped in hell, Nero. Twenty years of his life, gone to this ‘Mundus guy’.” 

“I’ve heard of him,” Roxy whispered. “But I never imagined…” She closed her eyes and shook her head before meeting his gaze again. “Kuro explained what happened, and we have a theory as to what’s going on. I’ve already called Dia on the matter but…” She trailed off as her eyes flickered away. 

“What?” Vergil asked.

“You’re probably not gonna like it.”

 “Just get on with it,” Vergil snapped. She flinched before he caught himself, but an apology didn’t come. If she expected one, she didn’t show it. “What’s your theory?” Vergil said, his voice much quieter than before. A part of him already knew what she was going to say , but hearing it was much better than assumptions.

“Kuro believes that Mundus forced you to make a pact with him,” Roxy said. “Now that you’re free, he’s trying to call you back.”

The room went dead silent. Even the younger devil hunters, who had learned Mundus’ name all of five minutes ago, went slack-jawed as their eyes snapped to him. Vergil couldn’t read anyone’s expressions. Dante’s lips were pressed together, and his gaze had hardened to the point that even his eyes didn’t give anything away. Nero looked somewhere between horrified, confused, and trying to find the right words to say. Nico looked like she was pondering something beyond Vergil’s comprehension. Only Roxy’s expression was soft as she placed her fingers on the back of his hand. “It’s alright,” She said. “We can fix this.”

“How?” Vergil said. “How can you fix this, Roxy?”

It was Nico who snorted. “Who knows more about pacts than our resident summoner, V-man?”

“Dia, technically,” Roxy said. “But yes, I know a good amount.” She pushed herself to her feet and took a small step back. “Can the rest of you leave for a bit? I need to speak to Vergil.”

“Are you sure about that?” Dante said. “He’s nearly lost it twice.”

“Keep that sword away,” Kuro growled as he crawled onto Roxy’s shoulder. “And she’ll have nothing to fear.”

“No offense,” Nero said. “But I’m with Dante on this one.”

“I’m not a wild animal,” Vergil said. 

“But are you in control?” Dante said.

Vergil glared at his brother. “Yes.”

Dante shrugged. “Alright then,” He beckoned to the other two. “I’ll grab Yamato. You’ll have to take Nico back to the van.” He waved his hand in front of her face to make a point. She didn’t even blink. “She’s far, far away in a galaxy I like to call the Nico-veerse.” He disappeared into the kitchen before returning with Yamato. “We’ll be nearby, sunshine. Holler if you need us,” He glanced at Vergil one last time. But, when Vergil nodded, his brother smiled and left. 

“We hadn’t planned on leaving for a few days,” Nero said. “So…”

“We won’t be long,” Roxy said. “Promise.”

Nero hesitated, but he soon followed after Dante, dragging a very distracted Nico behind him. Aki chirped his goodbye as he hopped off Nico’s shoulder and found his way onto Vergil’s lap where he curled up and promptly fell asleep. And while Vergil thought he should have found this annoying in any other situation, the creature’s soft purrs against his legs was oddly soothing. All he could remember was Shadow sleeping beside him on the few nights his human self got any rest. He recalled how he’d wake up in the morning with the oversized kitten lying right on top of him, only a few pounds shy of crushing him outright. 

He’d found that comforting too.

“Dia’s going to visit tomorrow,” Roxy said. “But I need to know what we’re dealing with.” She hesitated, followed by a sigh. “I know you’re probably not comfortable with the idea, but Dante mentioned a mark?”

“... It appeared yesterday.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

“How could you possibly know any of this?” Vergil said. 

“I know how pact making works,” She countered. “Every demon can be made into a familiar, Vergil. Half-demon or otherwise. My father and Dia studied the effects of half-demon familiars for years before he died. I don’t know everything, but I know enough.” She shook her head. “Humans are able to escape it. Demons can’t. The two halves of your mind are fighting with each other. However…”

“However?”

“Half-demons need a powerful item to bind them to another soul,” Kuro said. “Marks can manifest, yes. But they are not enough. Not when the host wishes to control the other.”

“We think Mundus may have used Yamato,” Roxy said. “If he knew of its portal capabilities, then it’s likely he assumed he could bring you back whenever he wanted, so losing you wasn’t an issue.”

“He likely did not expect you to resist.”

“How can you be certain of any of this?” Vergil asked.

“I’m not,” She said. “With everything I and Dia know, it’s still a shot in the dark. But it’s all we’ve got right now, Vergil.”

“Luckily for you,” Kuro said as he hopped down to the couch. “We may already have a solution.”

“Which is?” Vergil said. 

“Dia thinks that we may be able to break your connection with him by creating a new one with me.”

Vergil didn’t understand why his body clenched at the thought. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt light headed, or why the world was spinning. And he certainly didn’t know why he recoiled at the sheer idea of making a pact with her. But there it was. An uncertain and terrible fear that burned in his veins and pulsed in his head. But, as if noticing his distress (was it really that obvious?) Roxy quickly sat across from him. “I would never force you to do anything you don’t want to do,” She said. “And Dia thinks I can break it the second you are free from Mundus’ control.”

That didn’t make him feel any better. “You’re asking me to risk…” He trailed off, self-conscious. Servitude was the word on his tongue, but was that even fair? He wanted to believe that he trusted Roxy. They had gotten to know each other over the last nine or so months. Almost a year now as friends, and at least three months as close companions.

But did that mean he trusted her with his life?

And if not… Did he trust anyone?

“If it would make you more comfortable,” She said. “Then I can show you my own marks as well.”

“You would do that?” Vergil said. “For me?”

“I’m asking you to give me something very personal,” She said. “It’s only fair that I do the same for you.”

“Besides,” Kuro said with a flick of his tongue. “If making a pact is the only way to protect you, then you’ll have to trust each other, or it will never work.”

Vergil was starting to think that the dragon might be reading his thoughts, but he didn’t dare mention it less he gave himself away. But his heart stilled as Roxy held her hand out. “Are you alright?” She whispered; the silly, special phrase that had quickly become their own. Slowly, Vergil met her fingers with his own and nodded. And in that moment, as she squeezed his hand with a quiet reassurance and returned his gaze with a confident smile, Vergil decided that he would trust her. Her, his brother, his son, Nico… all of them. 

Because if there was one thing Vergil had finally learned over all these years, it was that he couldn’t fight a war on his own. 

“I’ll go first,” She said. “If that’s alright.” She pulled away from him and shed her sweatshirt, revealing a tight fitting tank top beneath. And it was at that moment that Vergil fully realized just  how small the woman before him was. He’d known this already, as her head only came to his chest even in shoes, but she looked even more petite than before. The thought of hurting her… of crushing her with a single hand… 

He squeezed his eyes shut when she wasn’t looking, and pulled his thoughts back to reality. He wouldn’t hurt her. He couldn’t hurt her. Not Roxy. Not the woman he’ d grown to care so deeply for. 

Care deeply for. 

He really was a fool.

And Vergil might have blushed once she removed her shirt, but his eyes drifted to the ice blue swirls on her stomach. Her marks were much lighter than his had been, but Vergil could still see the exquisite details of every small snowflake. The lines continued around her waist, and when she turned, Vergil saw that both sides connected to a dragon-wing. Vergil could feel the demonic magic pulsing from the lines themselves, and he realized that this was the power he'd been feeling. Kuro's power, yes, but mixed with her own humanity. But behind the marks were scars; long, jagged scars that Vergil was certain would never truly fade. Momentos of the accident, he assumed. But they were worse than he thought. But right now, as she shared a piece of herself with him, he didn't dare ask for more. 

He had a feeling he'd know soon enough. 

When she turned back to face him, there was a playfulness to her tone. It was almost as if this was all completely normal and she wasn't sitting before him in a rather lacy and debatably risque blue bra. And it was that thought, of all things, that finally brought the heat to his cheeks. But only a little. No more than was necessary. (He'd have to ponder the strange buzzing energy that pulsed through the rest of him later). "Your turn," She said. And when he did unzip his vest, she waited for a nod before pressing her fingers against his mark. 

Her touch made him shiver. This was wildly intimate. More so than any hand holding. But if she felt any discomfort, she didn't show it. Professional, Vergil thought. And if she could manage that, so could he. 

“The good news,” She said as her fingers traced the lines. “Is that this isn’t a very strong mark, meaning he’s aware that you can fight him off if given enough time.” 

“Why would it appear now?”

“Could be to scare you,” she said. “He might want you to think that you don’t have a choice, or that returning to him is an inevitability. But do you see how faded the lines are?” Vergil nodded before she continued. “His link to you is tenuous at best, and I think Kuro was right about Yamato.”

The dragon huffed. “Of course I was.”

“Regardless,” she said with a soft glare in the familar’s direction. “Dia will be able to tell us more tomorrow.” Her gaze shifted back to his chest and she frowned.

“What is it?”

“This one in the middle,” She said. “ It’s not a mark, persay. It’s more of a scar. But you heal everything… right?" 

Vergil reached for the zipper of his vest. "I guess some wounds never heal… even mine."

Then their eyes met, and it took everything Vergil had to keep his gaze on hers. Roxy was close now. So…. very close. If he turned just right and leaned forward just enough… 

“Are you alright?” She whispered, but there was something else to her tone. Something else Vergil couldn’t quite pick out of the chaos raging in his mind. He found himself reaching for her cheek, and his knuckles gently caressed the skin as he stared into her beautiful emerald eyes. She tilted her head and nuzzled against him, eyes never leaving his own. The hand on his chest drifted to the side as she shifted closer. Her breath was cool on his lips and smelled of mint. He tilted his head and leaned in…

“If you were planning this,” Dia’s voice echoed in disapproval. “Then you probably shouldn’t have called me.”

Roxy jumped at the same time as Vergil. And, in an uncharacteristic show of clumsiness, his forehead knocked straight into hers. The resounding thud made his ears ring. She groaned as she pulled away, rubbing the side of her forehead as she fumbled around for her jacket. “It wasn’t like that,” She muttered. “And you said you were coming tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow. Today. It’s all the same.” She waved her off. “Now lets see if we can fix our little Mundus problem, shall we?”

Ko-fi – Master List – AO3

[emospritelet]

Twisted Fate - chapter 6

I concur, Nonny. I’ll save the Emma one for later. 

39 “Everything is funny as long as it’s happening to someone else”

Please send me a prompt from this list or this list to fuel the angst and smut

[Ch 1] [Ch 2] [Ch 3] [Ch 4] [Ch 5] [AO3]

Last time, Belle and Gold had angry sex and Belle threw him out afterwards. Here’s what happened next:

x

Belle had expected to feel better after sending Gold away, but throwing him out and telling him not to contact her hadn’t felt as satisfying as she had predicted. She was still angry over his snide insinuations about her personal life, particularly as it had been he who had broken up with her. She also hated feeling as though she was out of control and dependent on him for a place to live and food in the cupboards, but she supposed she could get over that for the sake of the baby.

He had sent her a brief text message, with the address of the clinic where the blood test would be done, and the time that he would be there. That made it easier to avoid him entirely, but she still went through the next day with what felt like a ball of acid in her stomach, nervous that he was still in Boston. It was a relief to meet with Emma after class, the two of them huddling in a corner booth at the coffee shop with a sticky brownie cut in half on a plate between them.

“Well,” said Emma. “You look as though you’re ready to chew through rocks, so I’m guessing the meeting with your ex went about as well as could be expected.”

“He wants a paternity test,” said Belle, and Emma sucked air in over her teeth with a whistling sound.

“He’s got balls, I’ll give him that,” she remarked. “Does he think you got serious with someone else and forgot to mention it?”

“Not exactly,” said Belle. “He says he knows nothing about my life and for all he knows I could have been fucking half of Boston.”

Emma’s eyes widened.

“So what happened?” she asked. “You know, after you punched him in the face?”

“Oh, believe me, I was tempted,” said Belle dryly. “Yeah, there was - there was some yelling. He was pretty pissed off that I waited five months to tell him, and I was pretty pissed off about him just - just living and breathing, really, and so we yelled at each other and nothing got resolved. I threw him out, told him to come back in a week.”

She sipped at her chocolate, and Emma gave her a long, calculating look.

“Uh-huh.” She swept a finger through the chocolate-dusted foam on her cappuccino and sucked it off, her eyes not leaving Belle’s. “You had sex with him, didn’t you?”

Belle opened her mouth to protest, but then winced, wrinkling her nose.

“Little bit.”

“Belle…”

“I know, I know!”

She put her cup down, sitting back with a sigh.

“I just - I wanted to be the one calling the shots, for once,” she said. “I wanted to be the one in control.”

“By sleeping with him?”

“By - by using him and then kicking him out, maybe?” Belle pulled a face. “I don’t know. It’s not like I was thinking it through. I wanted to take some action for a change instead of just letting things - happen to me.”

“I get that.”

“Although maybe not,” added Belle thoughtfully. “Maybe I just wanted an orgasm.”

Emma burst out laughing, and after a moment Belle joined in, blushing a little.

“God, at least tell me he was good,” said Emma, chuckling.

“Oh, he’s always good.”

“That bastard.”

“Yup.”

Emma took a sip of her coffee, eyeing Belle thoughtfully.

“Do you want to get back with him?” she asked.

“No,” said Belle. “No, I know that’s not a good idea.”

“Not what I asked.”

Belle hesitated, fingers tapping on the side of her mug.

“I don’t want to get back with him,” she said. “And - and even if I did, he wouldn’t want me. He pretty much admitted that the reason he broke up with me was the fact that he’d started to feel something for me and couldn’t face it.”

“He said that?”

“No,” admitted Belle. “No, but I said it, and he didn’t deny it.”

“Of all the shitty, cowardly…”

“Yeah, so I told him.” Belle scowled at the memory. “How could I even think about trying to make a go of things with him after that?”

“Screw him,” said Emma, with feeling. “Oh, I don’t mean physically. Guess you already did that.”

“You’re hilarious.”

She snickered, winking at Belle as she reached for her piece of brownie, and taking a bite.

“So you definitely don’t want to try to make it work?” she said, her voice a little muffled. “Banging him’s probably not the best way to let him know that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Belle slumped forwards, huffing air through her lips. “I guess I just have to tell him that. Come to think of it, it might actually make him loosen up a little. He’s probably thinking I want to start over because of the baby. Maybe that’s why he’s being such a jerk.”

“Commitment-phobes are the worst,” said Emma.

“Well, going forward he just needs to be committed to our baby,” said Belle. “It looks like he wants to do that, at least. Even if its mother wasn’t worth it.”

She felt a little gloomy at the thought, and Emma sat forward, reaching for her hand.

“Don’t tell yourself you’re not worth it, even when you’re throwing shade at an asshole,” she said firmly. “You’re worth everything, got it? No one puts my friends down. Not even my friends.”

Belle couldn’t help smiling, and squeezed Emma’s hand.

“I’ll try to be less of a bitch to myself,” she promised.

“Good.” Emma sat back. “Save it for your baby daddy.”

x

Gold had stomped back to his hotel after leaving Belle’s apartment in high dudgeon, not even responding when Marco called a cheery good evening to him. He told himself it was her attitude, her refusal to let him get a complete sentence out. It took a couple of whiskies and an hour or so of lying sleeplessly in bed with his arms behind his head to make him admit that he had felt used by her. Used, cast aside and discarded. It was unpleasant, and not a position he was used to being in. At least not for many years. There was a tiny, snide voice whispering at the back of his brain that it was only fair, given how he had ended things with her, but he tried to ignore that.

He drifted in and out of sleep, and was grainy-eyed and weary the next morning, drinking three cups of coffee before he left the hotel to head to the clinic where the blood samples for the paternity test would be taken. Low-level anxiety pricked at his skin, wondering at every moment whether he would bump into Belle, but he remembered that she probably had to attend class. It was probably best that they didn’t interact further until the test results were received. She had been right about that.

He gave his own sample, spent the rest of the morning making some calls and dealing with some business matters, then went to see his lawyer around one. She walked into the reception just as he was asking if she was available, slim hips swaying as she sent him her usual lazy smile. Ella Deville was tall, slender and elegant, with white-blonde hair in a jaw-length bob, pale skin and red lips. She wore a beautifully-tailored black suit with a white silk blouse, long white gold earrings dangling from her ears, and very high, very narrow black heels.

“Darling!” she drawled. She took his hand and kissed him on both cheeks, a cloud of Chanel No 5 wafting over him. “How are you?”

“Shite,” he said, with feeling, and she stepped back, looking him over.

“Well, you certainly don’t look it,” she remarked. “May I say I adore the new haircut? Suits you.”

“Thank you,” he said absently. “Look, I hadn’t made an appointment…”

“Say no more!” she interrupted, holding up a hand. “I was planning on taking the afternoon off anyway, and you’ve arrived just in time to treat me to lunch. Let’s go to Aurora’s and get absolutely wankered.”

Gold couldn’t help grinning at that, and offered her his arm.

“M’lady?”

x

Aurora’s was a small bar and restaurant tucked on a side street a short distance from Ella’s office. It was pleasantly warm after the frigid March air, and Gold and Ella took one of the booths in the bar, sliding into squashy leather seats and ordering a bottle of wine and a plate of bread, cheese and olives. They made short work of the wine as Ella chatted about work, her ongoing feud with one of the partners, and her girlfriend Ursula, whom she had been dating for six months or so. Gold was grateful for the distraction; it was almost a relief to know that there were people in the world who could form and maintain healthy relationships.

“So anyway, long story short, things are getting serious, and I couldn’t be happier,” she finished, and took a slurp of her wine.

“I’m happy for you,” he said honestly. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

“You may well do so, if the mother of your child wants to make things difficult.”

“We don’t know it’s my child,” he said, aware that he sounded petulant.

Ella eyed him as she took another drink, lips pursed, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“Bottle’s almost done,” she said abruptly. “I thought I might have a gin.”

Gold was already getting a pleasant buzz from the wine he had drunk, but he was feeling reckless. It wasn’t as though he had anywhere else to be that day.

“Oh, go on then,” he said, and she raised a hand to attract the attention of the waitress.

“So,” she said, slumping back in her seat. “Tell me all about this gorgeous creature that you never saw fit to introduce me to despite the fact that she lives right here in Boston.”

“She was living in Storybrooke at the time we started seeing each other,” he said, sitting forward and pouring the last of the wine into their glasses. “She’s here because she’s studying. Master’s in library science, or at least that was her plan.”

“You corrupted a librarian?” She snorted. “Yes, you would. Although I daresay it’s always the quietest ones with the dirtiest minds. Reading broadens one's horizons, I've always said so.”

He gave her a very level look, which made her giggle.

“I gave my blood sample,” he said. “Hopefully she’s given hers by now.”

“Results should be back soon,” she said. “Worried?”

“A little,” he admitted. “It’s not that I don’t believe her, but until it’s confirmed…” He shrugged, and Ella sniffed.

“In my line of work, cynicism is a requirement,” she said. “Still, I’m sure the lovely Miss French is a paragon of virtue. Or at least was until she met you.”

“You’re hilarious.”

“I just call things as I see them,” she said lightly. “How old is she?”

“Twenty three.”

Ella snorted.

“Dirty boy!” she said. “I’d tell you to be ashamed of yourself, but we all know that’s about as likely as hell freezing over.”

“Am I paying for this personal abuse as well as the bloody drinks?” he said waspishly.

“You enjoy my honesty, remember?” she said. “‘Refreshing’ you called me at our first meeting.”

“That’s because you said I was an arrogant wanker with all the charm of a bulging haemorrhoid.”

“And I spoke the truth.”

Gold chuffed in amusement, draining the last of his wine and pushing the empty glass into the middle of the table.

“Quite how you managed to shag such a pretty young thing is beyond me,” she added. “I take it she is pretty? You always did have an eye for beautiful things.”

“Yes, she’s beautiful,” he said wryly. “Brown hair, beautiful blue eyes... With any luck the child will be all her, and none of me.”

“Oh, stop moping,” she said, shoving him affectionately. “Doesn’t suit you. You’re really quite attractive, you know. For a man.”

He pulled a face at her, making her chuckle. The waitress returned with their drinks, and Gold took a swallow of his. The taste of gin was very strong, and he gave up on the idea of accomplishing anything worthwhile for the rest of the day.

“Anyway, how she looks is irrelevant,” he said. “We broke up. She left. That was it. Thought I’d never see her again.”

“How long were you together?”

“We weren’t together,” sighed Gold wearily, running a hand through his hair. “Not properly, anyway.”

“Really?” she raised an eyebrow, looking unconvinced, and popped an olive into her mouth. “Seems to me like there must have been something there.”

“Well, there wasn’t,” he said moodily, reaching for a piece of cheese. “It was just - fucking.”

“Was that your choice, or hers?”

“I don’t know…” Gold shoved away the memory of her smiling up at him, fingers stroking through his hair as she whispered that she loved him. “Both, I suppose. She didn’t want her father finding out. Or her friends. Or anyone, really.”

“Oh, so you were her dirty little secret?” she said, winking at him. “My, that must have stung.”

He felt his jaw clench.

“I was perfectly content with the arrangement.”

Ella sniffed.

“Keep telling yourself that, darling. Perhaps one day you’ll believe it.”

“I was!” he insisted, grabbing his drink and making gin and tonic slosh, ice cubes clinking. “It was fun for a while, but it’s not like it was ever going to last.”

“Why not?”

“Because she was moving to Boston.”

“It’s not the other side of the world.”

“And - and because it was time,” he added. “It was time to end it.”

Ella gave him a long look, sucking gin and tonic through a straw and smacking her lips when she was done.

“So you ended things,” she said. “Your idea or hers?”

“Mine.”

“And from what I gleaned from our previous discussion, you were an absolute cockwomble about the whole thing.”

“I wouldn’t use that exact word…”

“So my question is why,” she said, crossing her legs and swinging one foot. He blinked.

“Why?”

“Yes, why,” she said impatiently. “Did she cheat?”

“What?” he said, bewildered. “No!”

“Did you cheat?”

“No!”

“Then what was it?” she asked. “Why employ the scorched earth tactics on this relationship? And don’t tell me you didn’t; I remember the Sullivan deal, and I’ve seen what a vicious little shit you can be when you choose.”

Gold had opened his mouth to protest, but inclined his head.

“Alright, fine,” he muttered. “I was an utter bastard. Happy?”

“Not especially. It’s not as though you’re telling me anything I didn’t already know.”

He gave her a flat look.

“You think this is funny.”

“Oh, you know me, darling,” she said carelessly, waving a hand. “Everything is funny as long as it's happening to someone else.”

“Thanks for your concern.”

“But I am concerned!” she insisted, sitting forward and squeezing his hand. “That’s why I’m asking you why you did it. You were dating a young and beautiful woman who seemed to care about you. Why press the self-destruct button?”

Gold took a drink to play for time, but when he put down his glass she was waiting expectantly.

“Can we talk about something else?” he asked. “I think I’m too drunk to be having this conversation.”

“Fine,” she sighed, sitting back. “Just promise me you’ll think about it.”

Gold privately thought he would rather eat broken glass than dwell on his actions of seven months ago, but he said nothing. Ella took a drink and he sat back, slumping a little in the seat as he felt his body grow warm and loose with the alcohol.

“Moving on, then,” she said. “How did your conversation about the future arrangements go?”

“It didn’t,” he said heavily. “We argued, and she threw me out. Told me not to come back until we got the rest results.”

“Hmm.” There was a gleam in her eyes as she stirred her drink. “I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that there was some frenzied and inappropriate shagging before this took place.”

Gold sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Look, can we stay on topic here?” he asked, and she chortled, wriggling in her seat.

“I knew it!”

“It was a moment of stupidity for both of us,” he said, not bothering to deny it. “I just think it was - a misguided attempt to ease the tension.”

“Well, having sex is the best way to deal with sexual tension…”

“There’s no sexual tension,” he snapped. “Just - just anger and resentment, that’s all.”

“Unsurprising, in the circumstances.”

“Yes.” He took a slurp of gin. “I’m well aware we need to be on better terms in the future, but she’s - very hostile.”

“Do you blame her?” said Ella. “If I were in her position I’d probably be the same.”

“I daresay you’d have the sense to accept help when it was offered.”

She shook her head, earrings swinging as she reached for her glass.

“Do you want a woman’s perspective here?”

“I imagine I’m about to get one, regardless,” he remarked, and she took a drink, setting down her glass, and fixing him with a flat stare.

“She’s twenty three, pregnant, single, still at college and probably feeling as though she has no future,” she said. “She’s terrified. Of course she’s hostile.”

“I’ve already said I’ll pay for everything―”

“And she’s probably worried you’re going to swoop in and take the baby from her,” she added. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say you already bullied her into doing what you wanted with that threat, am I right?”

Gold shifted uncomfortably.

“The place she was living was a fucking death trap.”

“So that’s a yes, then.” She sat back. “No wonder she’s snapping at you. You have her backed into a corner. Her only option is attack.”

“Are you saying I should let her go back to that fleapit I took her out of?” he demanded.

“No,” she said patiently. “I’m saying you should forget about your own anger over this situation and try for some calm reassurance. Alright, so she didn’t tell you she was pregnant. Now you know. Get over yourself and start thinking about her and the baby.”

“I am!” he protested.

“And aim for supportive rather than sarcastic at your next meeting.”

Gold glowered at her, but nodded an acknowledgement.

“Right,” she said. “Since I’ve definitely slipped from lawyer-mode into friend-mode, what do you say we get another round in?”

Gold peered at the last of his gin, and shrugged.

“Alright,” he sighed. “It’s not as though I planned on driving back to Storybrooke until tomorrow. Another round it is.”

"Oh, so you're going home?"

"Until we have the test results, yes," he said sourly. "I have a few things I need to attend to."

"Like what?"

Gold gave her a wintry smile.

"I thought I might visit the florist."

[vrenaewrites]

HUSH HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick thoughts: Prologue - Ch 11

Full video here.

We start right away with a bible verse which, if you’ve read any of my books, you know I’m a big fan of

We have a prologue from 1565 France…

The visual of a person perched on a gravestone and mistaking them for an angel statue at first is cool tbh

“Who are you?” “One of the devil’s brood”

The mind control parts of this I like, and I already have a feeling this is the gonna be the best part of this book

Except we don’t get another example of someone fighting it the way he is fighting it - nora doesn’t even realize it’s happening when it happens to her which isn’t as fun

The guy being maniped is a duke and the angel tells him no you’re half fallen angel so do what i tell you (nephilim)

This angel doesn’t have wings but a big cut in the shape of a V on his back

CHAPTER 1

The image of a barbie and ken taped to the chalkboard of the sex ed class is great

Her best friend’s name is V!

“Camera phones to take photos for the school E-zine”

Oh shit she’s a hoe

“V as in virgin” never mind

“It may not have occurred to you kids that sex is more than a 15 minute trip to the backseat of a car” lmaoooooooo

Is this book gonna be good? Did yall lie to me??

The school e-zine

V is a “few pounds over curvy” damn

V is my “untwin” i love that

“I’m all legs like a barstool”

The sex ed teacher is making them all sit by new people...in april…

She knows everyone except the transfer who of course is her new seat mate...this is a very convoluted way to get them to sit together

“It was a smile that spelled trouble with a promise”

“Human reproduction can be a sticky subject” LMAO

“Call me patch. I mean it. Call me.” and he winks

He takes pictures “of an ezine columnist who…” and describes a bunch of stuff about her and she’s like what the fuuuuuuck

And then he is like “you’re scared of what you can’t control”

He knows she plays the cello

She doesn’t wanna ask for another partner because she doesn’t wanna let him win and i’m like NORA CALL THE FUCKING COPS!!!!!!!!!! THIS GUY HAS BEEN STALKING YOU?!?!?!?

She has a cut on her wrist, her dad was murdered

At the end of class he gives her his number so she can get her answers - she no longer has it by chapter 18 but doesn’t remind the reader that she did have it written on her hand so we just think becca forgot nora already got his # for a bit

She’s a sophomore, he’s a senior

He has black eyes and wears all black because ofc

CHAPTER 2

They get a lot of fog and don’t have many neighbors

Mom is an auction coordinator so she’s not around a lot so there’s a german housekeeper that watches over her

But she leaves her alone at night...i already KNOW patch is gonna be “Watching over her” ala edward watching bella sleep i just KNOW

She’s thinking that patch seemed closed off but she liked what she had seen - aka his bod

“Smile that was part playful, part seductive” NOTHING about the interaction y’all had sounded seductive!!!!!! This is exactly like in crave when she’s getting horny that jaxon is yelling at her...like these men seem UNHINGED. Why is that sexy????

“Biology was my toughest subject, i teetered between an A and a B” i’m gonna punch you. I know you wanna go to ivy league so this matters but…

She calls patch!!!!

She asks if he wants to meet up to finish the assignment...you couldn’t...ask...over the phone??

“Nora” he says my name like it’s the punchline to a joke

He hangs up on her because he’s playing pool

She starts her assignment anyway: “jerk” “smokes cigars, will die of lung cancer, hopefully very soon” i laughed v hard tbh

“Excellent physical shape” and then crosses that out lmaooooooo

She flips a coin and it makes her decision: go to the arcade and confront patch

The cashier is pissed that she didn’t pay to get in so she sneaks by

“I was like a rolling snowball gaining speed and momentum” weird out of place metaphor but ok

Patch says she’s with him and the cashier lets her go

His black eyes are magnets clinging to her every move

She feels something different here, more animosity, more electricity...more horniness

“Queasy tap dance in my stomach”

Something about patch wasn’t right, something about him wasn’t normal, something about him wasn’t safe

“Biggest dream” “to kiss you” she doesn’t buy it so like good for her but still blech

Patch says he’s never been to school before and nora’s like you’re a liar

And he says he came because of her

He says “those cold pale grey eyes” are surprisingly irresistible

There are almost zero connections between what she’s saying and what he’s saying, as if he’s having a conversation with himself...it’s really hard to follow

“And that killer curvy mouth” ew

“You seem to know a lot about me,” i said, making the understatement of the year.

“Say provoke again, your mouth looks provocative when you do”

Her jaw twitches when she lies

He has a birthmark in the same place she has a scar...soulmate shit fer shure

She says after her dad died a strange presence felt like it was “orbiting her world, watching her from a distance” like...a guardian angel perhaps

She feels someone in the house with her and i’m calling it now: patch is “Watching over” her

CHAPTER 3

She’s trying to come up with reasons for patch not to be her partner anymore...he fucking ADMITTED TO TAKING PHOTOS OF YOU AND STUDYING YOU AND BASICALLY STALKING YOU. IF THE COACH WON’T LISTEN GO TO THE PRINCIPAL ABOUT THAT SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She’s anemic and has to take iron multiple times...a day??

“What qualities are you attracted to in a potential mate?” asks the teacher

She’s not ready so patch answers, “intelligent, attractive, vulnerable”

“How do you indicate if a female is interested?” and patch says, “if she’s biting her lip and playing with her hair the way nora is doing right now” lmao

“She’s game”

He puts his arm on the back of her chair and mouths “vulnerable” and while i would literally call the cops on a man for this, it was kind of hot in context

She tells coach she feels uncomfortable sitting by patch and he’s like, “not only are you gonna keep sitting by him i actually need you to tutor him.”

Fire this fucking guy IMMEDIATELY.

How lazy is this writing becca. How lazy. You couldn’t think of any other ways to make them spend more time together??

She and V go to the movies to write a review for the e-zine and v says: “can you imagine living your whole life without a clue that the only reason you’re being kept alive is to be used as a sacrifice?”

Do you smell that? The foreshadowing

V says patch’s dark side calls to her and nora is thinking, yeah no shit.

There was a dark magnetism, i felt lured to the edge of danger, at any moment it felt like he could push me over the edge.

Edge twice in the same sentence, crave’s editor has been in the game since 2009 apparently

V’s basically like nora you’re not attracted to anyone and nora’s like i haven’t found love and v’s like it’s about fun not love dumbdum

V says Patch would probably be “really good”

Nora says patch isn’t good for v and v says, “Careful, you’ll only make me want him more” and i’m like...i know this book came out when i was a freshman but somehow, becca fitzpatrick managed to put me from sophomore year in this book lmao

Marcy a cheerleader with “half a bottle of foundation on” and “¾ of an inch between her skirt and underwear, if she was wearing any” sits beside them

Yikes

She calls V supersize: YIKES

Marcy’s being a dick to V and V just goes, “you have food stuck in your teeth, chocolate ex-lax maybe?” i love this so much

Patch is at the library…

V’s like “i’m trying to read the title he’s checking out...how to be a stalker?” lmao i love V

V thinks patch is following nora but she’s kind of into it lmaoooo

Nora’s like he’s alluring but also fucking scary

She hits someone during a storm on the way home

He’s wearing a ski mask?!??!?!?!?

The car died oh my gooooooood

He’s tearing the door off??!?!?!!?

He punches through the window!!!!!!!!!

CHAPTER 4

She’s like totally freaking out but doesn’t wanna tell V that a dude almost tore the door off the car

She goes to V’s to avoid being alone

When she and v examine the damage...there is none…

She realizes the eyes behind the ski mask were black like patch’s eyes

She can’t remember hardly anything about the crash which is freaking her out

They meet some dudes called elliot and jules who is SIX FOOT TEN

They are probably other fallen angels that are after nora, and then elliott says he just transferred to their school from the prep school as of today, so yeah, this is what’s happening

Also...it’s fucking april. Who transfers schools in april

“You smell good” “it’s called a shower” lol

They’re having like an “are you following me” talk during the quiz

“I wanted my life to go back to the way it was before patch barged into my life”

I truly don’t know if it’s the delivery of the audiobook narrators that is making this issue SO GLARING to me but jfc

She confronts him after class to talk patch into asking to switch seats but he’s like “nah you’ve grown on me”

V really wants to sleuth around and read Patch’s file

CHAPTER 5

they go to the nurse’s office using nora’s iron pills as a distraction to get into the files in the front office

Nora needs to register her iron pills with the nurse...it is april...she has been taking pills out of her backpack all year...no one cared???

She says this is all because she thinks patch is stalking her - which no shit he admitted to taking pictures of you…

V called in a bomb threat from the pay phone outside!!!!!!! I’m fucking crying

Also if you guys don’t know what pay phones are, let me know

She’s trying to punch through the window in the door!!!!! V is the fucking greatest

IT WAS UNLOCKED ANYWAAAAAAY I’M SCREAMING

“As patch’s biology partner, i had a right to know”

The principal caught her but doesn’t suspect her

She meets back up with v at a mexican restaurant

The one patch works at!!!!!!

He asks her what she’s doing sunday night

“You’re getting cocky. I like that, angel” - bleck

“Not on a date, not alone” a hot thrill upon speculating what a night alone with patch would entail

Bitch!!!!!!! You just committed a crime to find out if this dude is STALKING YOU but you still wanna fuck him???????????

“Did you just call me angel? I don’t like it.” “it stays, angel” negging asshole

He brushes his thumb on her mouth and says “you’d look better without lipgloss” HARDIN SCOTT HAS ENTERED THE CHAT

“Interested? We’re talking about you, i’m fascinated.”

“You aren’t ready to know me”

I looked in your student file - BITCH. NORA. IF HE IS STALKING YOU. AND YOU FOUND OUT SOMETHING SERIOUS IN HIS FILE. THAT GIVES HIM SOOOOOO MUCH CAUSE TO LIKE...MURDER YOU?!

It’s totally empty. “I’m going to expose you” “i look forward to it”

“Why are you looking at me?” “because you’re nothing like what i expected” “neither are you, you’re worse”

CHAPTER 6

Elliott is in her gym class

The fog seemed to clog my lungs...fog and clog...don’t like it

Marcy miller… “that’s because you haven’t met anyone better, like me.” marcy twisted her hair around her finger. “You’ll hear all about me soon.”

He calls her gray, her last name, which is a trope i thoroughly enjoy

We describe marcy’s smile as toxic twice in 2 paragraphs

Elliott comes up behind her to help her with her batting stance

“Let me show you, like this, you feel that? Relax” EXCUSE ME

She hears her name in her mind said in someone else’s voice, it’s patch

“Batting lessons, nice touch” elliott is TOTALLY a rival angel guy

“I told myself i imagined the words because the alternative was considering that patch held the power to channel thoughts into my mind. Which couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.” this type of stuff makes me roll my eyes.

“Not yet” she hears in her mind, and ends up slamming it out of the park

She gets smashed in the head with the glove and ball, ouch

Elliott blows on her scraped kneeeeeeeee

“Had he talked directly to my thoughts? Was there some inexplicable link between us that allowed it happen? Or was i losing my mind?” meh

Elliott “i’m not gonna chase after an unavailable girl”

He invites her on a date

CHAPTER 7

There’s a convo with the housekeeper about “reinventing the sexy side” and not changing yourself for a boy…

V calls and is like “let’s go to the party on the coast”

Driving moccasins?

Damn V is like “you look like a boy, put some lipstick on”

And Nora isn’t wearing makeup because patch planted the idea in her mind - NEGGING!!!!!!!

The delphic coast sounds like a blast

The new ride is called the arcangel lmao

Patch is at the arcade omg

Jules looks as enthusiastic as three day old meatloaf - this is a very weird metaphor but i don’t mind it much?? It would have bothered me in crave but there haven’t been many in this book so far so it’s not like completely pulling me out of the moment

It’s a new day, and today, the name patch is really irking me. It sounds like a dog

V is STIRRING THE POT between Elliott and Patch god i love her soooo much

Elliott wants to talk to patch about leaving nora alone!!!!

V is a messy bitch who lives for dramaaaaaaaa

Nora goes to talk to patch so elliott won’t start shit

“He was tall and lean and hard and i was sure he had street fight scars under his clothes...not that i wanted to look under his clothes” LMAO

She asks what he’s playing and he says, “baseball, wanna stand behind me and give me a few pointers?” LMAOOOOO he hates elliott so muuuuch

Patch challenges her to a pool game, she punches his arm, he says “Careful they might think we’re flirting” this guy is MADDENING

“Part of me wanted to run away from him screaming fire, the other wanted to see how close i could get without...combusting” AHHHHHHH

He’s talking to her in her thoughts and then being like, “you know that sounds crazy don’t you?” GASLIGHT CENTRAL

“You scare me, and you’re not good for me” “i could change your mind”

“Meet me at the arcangel, i’ll be waiting”

CHAPTER 8

Nora goes to get cotton candy and sees the arcangel, and she goes

She gets the “cold heart-stopping feeling that someone is watching her” and spots a hooded figure

She runs into patch and he’s like “if you keep running away from me, you’re never gonna figure out what’s going on” and she’s been drinking dumb bitch juice so she’s like OHKAY.

Now she’s not scared of the arcangel because patch makes her feel safe...no he DOESN’T?!?!?!?!?

“If you ride without screaming, i’ll get coach to switch our seats” why do i feel like this is gonna be that scene in the movie fear where they hook up at the top of the ferris wheel

“I don’t scream, not for carnival rides.” not for you is her inner voice i assume and ommggggg

He sits in a car that shows demons ripping the wings off an angel, an angel sitting on a gravestone and watching children, then possessing a little girl

Okay foreshadowing

“Scared, angel?”

Our car flew demonically fast - we get it

Her seatbelt came undone and she fell out!!!!!!!

Oh wait...she didn’t? She ended up grabbing him and screaming??

CHAPTER 9

He offers her a drink from his soda can and she’s like “ooh my mouth where his mouth is”

Her phone is dead so she hitches a ride with patch...did he kill her phone with angel powers somehow??

V had left her!!!!?????

Ooh or did the boys kidnap her??

So she’s sure the mind-talking is real but not sure if the guy in the mask or the falling off the coaster is real…

Patch rides a motorcycle because ofc

He takes her home and then has her keys in his hand somehow

He is totally fucking with her, the key won’t turn if she uses it but he can get it to work

“Go ahead, i’m home alone” immediately i realized it wasn’t a smart thing to say

Self preservation has left the chat!!!!!!!! The same boy you thought was stalking you 3 days ago, you just told him you are home alone...dumb bitch juice

“Dorothea will be here soon. She’s old but strong, very strong” You would absolutely be the first to die in a horror movie, nora

He comes inside without her inviting him so he can make her tacos

He...knows where her kitchen is...fuck no

She is scared of him having a knife but also...goes over to him so he can show her how to make tacos…

So idk if most teens are so horny they’re literally willing to die for it, because i was on antidepressants when i was grace’s age and i had no desire to get busy...please let me know in the comments below if you ever went from scared of a dude to wanting to bone him at breakneck speed the way nora continually does in this book

“I’ll answer your questions if you make tacos”

This is a VERY horny scene where he stands right behind her and like whispers in her ear how to cut the tomato…

“Did you follow me to the library?” he smiles and she’s like OH FUCK I WANNA KISS HIM RIGHT NOW

NORA!!!!!!!!! FOCUS

“Scared?” “no” “maybe i’m just scared of -” “liking me?” “yes...wait no”

“I feel a scary attraction to you”

He lifted her onto the counter!!!!!

“You should go” “go here?” his mouth went to my shoulder “or here?” it moved up my neck AHHHHHHHHHHH

Her mom calls and she’s like “can i call you back?” her mom says “sure what’s wrong” and she HANGS UP LMAOOOOOOO

UMMMM THOUGHT HER PHONE WAS DEAD?!?!?!?

CHAPTER 10

V calls her and is like “i was looking for you all night” and nora is like “ummmm no you fucking left me???” and v’s like “DID Y’ALL KISS?!”

“I’ll pick you up at 4” “thought we were meeting at 5?” “circumstances have changed” lmao V for president tbh

We get a weird story about lionel dorothea’s godson daring nora to lick a broken piece of glass, “falling for patch would be like licking that shard”

This is the WEIRDEST analogy i think i have ever heard…

This is a first draft analogy for sure

She acknowledged that her phone had been dead so wtf happened

They go to victoria’s secret and she’s like “ooh sexy stuff ooh patch” wait i shouldn’t be thinking about dangerous patch

“I secretly enjoyed the attraction between us but the eeriness outweighed it” ma’am are you trying to lie to yourself or the reader because 1. It’s not a secret, 2. We (i) keep SCREAMING at you to have a shred of self-preservation but you threw it away for tacos

I’m going to flush patch out of my system like a detox diet, except last time i did that i binged” welp...i’m sure that’s not a sign…

Lmao V tries to take the clearance stickers off the clearance bras and puts them on the nice ones I LOVE HER SO MUCH

The hooded guy is watching her from outside…

But he’s gone before V sees him

V develops a diversion to get the hooded guy to follow her...but they can tell it’s actually a girl…

V gets hurt?!?!?!?!

CHAPTER 11

V is in the hospital with a BROKEN ARM THAT NEEDS SURGERY!!!!!

Patch is absent…

She goes to the new school psych...WHY ARE THERE SO MANY NEW PEOPLE COMING IN APRIL!!!!

She’s def also an angel

She brings up that nora is supposed to be tutoring patch and is like “all tutoring should be under adult supervision, and i don’t want you meeting alone” um...thank you for being reasonable because this dude is creepy but ALSO. Just...don’t have her tutor him…?

She goes to the computer lab in the library to look up reviews but then she’s like “i should google patch” but nothing

“No facebook, no myspace” OH MYSPACE!!!!!

She comes across a kinghorn prep article about a hanging, and finds out elliott was with the victim on the night of her death

Elliott is right behind her!!!!!

“Something cold flushed through me, like a blush, only opposite”

He’s like “Call your mom and tell her you’re taking too long at homework” and she’s like STRANGER DANGER

~~~

[maraisunavailable]

Something New ch.4 What's His Deal?

“Al, did I do something wrong?” Lucifer asked, following the dark haired boy down the hall. A low “No.” Was all he was willing to spare Lucifer. Alastor grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. Lucifer grabbed the strap that wasn’t over Alastor’s shoulder. “Al, I don’t know why you’re upset but-” “Lucifer I am not upset. I just have to get home.” Alastor said, grabbing the door knob. Lucifer’s eyes blazed and in a deep demonic voice he growled out, “Listen, I need to finish explaining everything and if you would quit letting your petty bullshit feelings cloud your judgment you’d see what I am actually fucking saying.” Rather than being scared or intimidating Alastor was pissed. “Excuse the fuck out of me?” Alastor whipped around. “Listen, I don’t give a fuck anymore Lucifer. You could take me now, I have nothing. I have no one. I will die alone here anyways.” He yanked the door open, pulled away from Lucifer and tried to head out the door when he was forced back into the house. Alastor landed on his ass on the floor, his backpack not doing much to cushion his fall. 

 “You mother-” Alastor was then dragged by the back of his shirt back to the room. “Al, I didn’t want it to come to this but now I can’t let you leave.”Lucifer said, leaving Alastor on the floor “You can’t do that!” Lucifer chuckled, leaning against the now locked bedroom door. “Kind of rich you telling the Devil what he cannot do.” Lucifer said, bending down towards Alastor. “For being the devil you aren’t very intimidating.” Alastor growled out, pushing his glasses up his nose. 

“Now to continue where I left off, you are putting fear in Heaven. So your punishment is to be set as an early intervention from yours truly. Which grants you a quick one way ticket to Hell. Lilith and I had made a deal. She takes my seat on the committee of Heaven if I personally get to handle you.” Alastor blinks, still on the floor. “You chose to find me yourself?”  Lucifer smiled and nodded. “Of course I did.” 

Alastor narrowed his eyes. “ Since you’re not taking me home, where am I staying and what about my mother?  “Easy, you’ll be here me- us. You know, NIfty, Angel, Husk and me.” A golden blush spread across his cheeks and up his neck. “Who is to say I wouldn’t just kill your friends and leave the first chance I get?” Lucifer chuckled as he sat next to Alastor. “We can’t die here in the mortal world, I can’t even die in Hell. I am literally the most powerful being in Hell.”   Alastor took a second to look Lucifer over. He really studied his flawless porcelain skin, his nearly white blonde hair. He still looked as if he belonged in Heaven.     

Alastor hadn’t noticed that he had begun to lean towards the King of Hell. A knock on the door had him regaining his senses. Lucifer got up and went to check who was there. It was Angel again. “Hey, short king, there’s a phone call for you.” Angel said, handing Lucifer an iPhone. Lucifer put the phone to his ear and stepped out, leaving Angel and Alastor alone. 

“You’re not human, either.” Alastor said and the blonde laughed. “Course not, I am from Hell y’know.” Alastor blinked up at Angel.  “Do you have another form like Lucifer?” “Well, yeah but only the short king himself can show our forms. Something about his magic or some shit.”  Angel was leaning against the wall. “You know you’re not as scary as everyone says. Hell, I think you’re still a kid.”  Alastor groaned and rolled his eyes. “I will be 18 in like a week, I’m not exactly a kid. I’ll have you know for someone you call a ‘kid’ I am the most feared human in New Orleans right this very moment.”    

“Oh, I know. Trust me, we all know about you.” He gave Alastor a smile. Alastor smirked back. He is thriving off of the ego boost the king gave him. Alastor is beyond full of himself, he is certainly prideful. “You know for being the king of hell, Lucifer isn’t that bad to be around. In fact he’s a bit soft for being a king.” Alastor laughed. “I find him endearing, sadly I do not believe he has the ability to reciprocate my sentiment.” Angel gave Alastor a side glance. “Are you talking about Lillith? If you are, you should know that yeah they're married but it’s a marriage of convenience.” 

Their conversation was cut short with a stressed looking Lucifer barging through the door. “Ya’ all good, Luci?” Lucifer ran a hand through his hair and handed Angel back his phone.  

“So where do I sleep?”  Alastor’s voice rang out through the tense room.  Lucifer turned to him. “Well I mean, we don’t have a second room so either here with me or maybe the couch. I will say I think you are a bit tall for the couch.” Lucifer stood in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest.                                                                                            

 “With you as in share a bed with you?” Alastor asked, feeling his heart basically beating out of his ass. “Well, yeah. I’m not sleeping on the couch.” Angel nodded at Alastor, obviously trying to get him to accept the arrangement. “I guess that I could stay here with you, but you better wear clothes to bed.” Alastor said as Angel laughed, as he walked out of the door. 

“What are you thinking about for dinner?” Lucifer said, pulling his phone out. Alastor looked down at his hands. “I tend to have acquired tastes.” Lucifer raised an eyebrow and looked over at Alastor. “As in?” Alastor sighed. “ There is a reason they didn't find all of my victims, Lucifer.”

[murdcck]

let me assign you a love language

a story that ends in blood

The world has always been unkind, and when you have turned to yourself for comfort you have come face to face with an empty pit which seems to be laughing. You don’t care if it kills you but once you find someone whom you love and who loves you back, you will make sure nothing happens to them. They are yours. You will make a tear in this world and create a new place for you and your love if it comes to that. Because it has always been about love, and it is how it always ends.

tagged by: @gloriousxdarkness ( but like... isn’t this funny considering what we were talking about on the latest run hahah )

[melodiouswhite]

Live forever - Ch. 02

(A/N: Yep. This thing still exists. :3)

It was 1550 and just like so many times before, he could never run fast enough.

Those blasted witch persecutions were getting out of control!

Yes, he was used to being persecuted.

For almost his entire life, he had been both revered and abhorred by people, who either were frightened of him and his powers or were simply malevolent.

He remembered a particularly nasty incident in 1507 (shortly after his 41st birthday), when he had been schoolmaster of a cram school in Sickingen. Someone had come and accused him of indulging in sodomy with some of the male students! Yes, he had lain with both men and women, but never had he touched his own pupils! Not to mention they had been mere children! This was wrong in so many ways! How had someone even got that idea?! Needless to say, he would have been severely punished, had he not escaped in time.

Never had he been so hurt in his entire life. Just the memory went down to his substance.

All the other times it blasphemy or outright heresy, witchcraft and similar fun stuff.

Nothing surprising in these days, in this war between the Catholics and the newly formed Protestant Church. The fact that he had real magic powers didn't exactly help matters, even though he had learned by now to keep his mouth shut (most of the time).

He was used to it.

But this was the 3rd time in five years that he had to flee from a bloodthirsty mob or a narrow-minded inquisition that wanted to see him burn! Some of them even had chased after him with firearms!

This was too much!

Having enough of this, he decided to migrate to France. He had heard that persecution wasn't as extreme there and he still remembered the time, before the Protestant Church had been a thing. Acting like a good Catholic, no one would notice him – he hoped.

Problem was just … he wasn't a good Catholic – or even a good Christian.

Never had been.

It had always been too suffocating for him to bear.

But he couldn't always go against the stream and hope that he wouldn't be hunted down with pitchforks and such for at least a week.

Well, I guess I have no other choice. Perhaps I will be lucky and find an area that isn't wrecked by war and where the people are more relaxed than here.

Shortly before his 100th birthday, a French couple walked into his life to change it forever.

He had got into a bar fight and had to run from a group of thugs that obviously wanted to beat him to death.

Why trouble just flung itself around his neck was beyond him, but now was no time to ponder on that – he had to avoid getting lynched!

As he ran around a corner, he spied a chubby, friendly-looking woman sitting in front of a bookshop and embroidering a handkerchief, singing a gay tune.

He didn't think twice.

He ran over to her, fell onto his knees and begged: “Madame! Please, help me!”

For a second she seemed bewildered, but then she caught on instantly. She grabbed his wrist, pulled him up and pushed him inside the bookshop.

“Stay there”, she ordered.

He pressed himself against the inside wall beside the door and tried to catch his breath.

Then he noticed the man standing behind the counter of the shop.

It was a tall, thin man with platinum blond hair and friendly, silvery eyes that looked at him curiously through big glasses. Probably the shop-owner and husband of the lady outside.

“Can I help you?”, he asked in French.

“Hide me, please!”, the other pleaded, “If you don't, I will die!”

The blond Frenchman rolled his eyes and told him to come behind the counter, which he did.

He curled together to fit under the counter.

Just as he had hidden, the door burst open and he heard the footsteps of several people.

“Have you seen this guy?”, one of them asked gruffly.

“What guy?”, the bookseller queried coolly, “Be more specific.”

“Some ugly ginger! About as big as me, with a fancy green cloak, black hat and white shirt! Looks like the Devil incarnate!”

Under the counter he felt his blood boil.

Ugly ginger?! Devil incarnate?!

Alright, he knew that he wasn't exactly handsome, but this was just incredibly insulting!

The rudeness seemed to agitate the blond bookseller as well, as he could see him tense up. But the man kept his cool.

“First of all, I didn't see an ugly ginger or anyone for that matter, for I was in here the entire time. Ask my wife, if she has seen anyone. She's the one who was sitting outside. Secondly, that's incredibly rude. Learn some manners. And thirdly, what do you want in the first place? Beat the unfortunate man up and rob him?”

Awkward silence.

“I suspected as much”, the bookseller remarked scornfully. “Anyway, you won't find him here. Now get out of my bookshop.”

The blond radiated such calm authority that the thugs hurried to obey his request.

After they were gone, the bookseller and his refugee waited for a bit to make sure that the mob wasn't still lurking outside.

Then the latter could hear the door open and tensed up again.

But it was just the lady from earlier.

“They're gone”, she sighed, “Such ruffians. People really have no manners these days.”

“Really”, her husband agreed, before bending down to inform their refugee that he could come out.

“Thank you so much”, he groaned in relief. “I thought I was going to die!”

Well, not exactly that, but he definitely would have been worse for wear.

“You're welcome”, the Frenchman responded, “You're not the first one we've had to save from a bloodthirsty mob. What was their problem anyway? Are you a Jew or an huguenot?”

“No”, the German snarled. He was something far worse, but knew better than to say that out loud. “Just a stupid bar fight.”

Their thoughts told him that they didn't buy it, but they didn't say that out loud.

He on the other hand was curious, who his saviours were and decided to dive into their minds.

A quick scan made his eyes widen in shock.

“By the way”, the other man spoke up, “We haven't introduced ourselves yet. My name is-”

“Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel!”, the redhead whispered. “No way!”

Their eyes widened in return.

“How do you know?”, Perenelle Flamel demanded to know. “Who are you?”

He swallowed and stretched out a hand.

“I'm Dr. Johann Georg Faust. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

He was pleasantly surprised, when they invited him to stay with them for the time being.

“We have heard of you”, Nicolas Flamel stated, as they were having dinner.

“The German merchants who come here speak of you. They tell wondrous tales, one more fantastic or ludicrous than the other.”

“And some very blasphemous things”, Perenelle told him. “That you boasted of being able to perform the miracles of Christ.”

He frowned. “I can't remember ever saying that. In fact, I'm quite sure that I never said that. I admit that I'm not a humble man, but this is defamation. What other things did they say about me?”

“That you were a worshipper of Satan, a son of the Devil, a witch or a warlock, a fraud … charming things like that”, Nicolas answered ironically.

“Charming indeed”, the ginger-haired alchemist grumbled sourly.

Perenelle quickly amended: “But they also said you were a great doctor, astrologer and healer. An encyclopedist, they say.”

Their guest smiled. “Thank you. I have studied and practised long and hard to become exactly that.”

“Out of curiosity though”, Nicolas spoke up again, “How much of the unflattering things is true? I mean, you're obviously like us. But how did you know who we are?”

He wasn't sure, if he should entrust that secret to the Flamels.

“What ever it is, you can tell us”, the blond assured him, “We're three immortal alchemists, who discovered the Philosophers' Stone. It doesn't get much more unhallowed than that.”

He took a deep breath, before telling them this: “I can read minds and see the future. And … I'm a black mage. But I have never hurt anyone, I swear!”, he added hurriedly. “I just use these abilities to get by!”

“We believe you”, Perenelle assured him and took his hand. “Two centuries have told us to know when someone lies.”

She and her husband exchanged a look.

“Well, since you obviously have nowhere else to go, Dr. Faust, why don't you stay with us?”, she offered, “Alchemists should stick together, especially immortals like us.”

Her husband nodded. “It would be refreshing to have a comrade on our journeys through the world. We could always use help around the household and we could generally support each other.”

The German alchemist and necromancer thought for a bit.

Now that he thought about it, his life had been pretty lonely so far. He couldn't remember ever having friends, nor had he ever been in love.

“Sure. As long as you don't mind wandering around with a mad alchemist who practises witchcraft, is way too showy and magically attracts trouble wherever he goes.”

The Flamels exchanged another glance.

Then they smiled and shook hands with him.

[flowerfan2]

Affinity - Ch. 15 (10.15)

McDanno, A03, 10.15.  2k this chapter, 26k so far.

A continuous story of season 10 episode codas.  Steve may describe their relationship as a dysfunctional marriage, but at some point, will he and Danny take a closer look at what it really could be?   (The answer is yes).

Chapter 15 (or the one with the Friends reference... can you guess what it will be?)

“So, how are your eggs?”  Steve asks.  “Not so bad, right?”

Danny chases the last bite around his plate, and tries to restrain his grin as he looks up at Steve.  “They’re okay, I guess.”

“They’re perfect.  They’re exactly like you like them.”  Steve smirks at him.  “Admit it, come on.”

“You’re a terrible cook.”

“I’m not,” Steve says, crossing his arms across his chest.  “I’m an excellent cook, and I know exactly how you like your eggs.”

He does, that’s the infuriating thing. Steve knows every damn thing about him. Truth is, Danny would like to sit here all day, on the counter in Steve’s kitchen, eating his perfectly cooked, a little burned but miraculously still fluffy eggs, and think about nothing else. “Ah, they’re all right.”

Steve cocks his head, and holds Danny’s gaze, eyes widening just enough to send shivers running up and down his spine.

“Stop it,” Danny says.

“Stop what?”

“Looking at me.”

 Steve opens his mouth as if to respond, and then his face falls.  “Sorry.” He turns away, busying himself straightening up the cooktop, and Danny feels like a heel.  This mess between them just keeps getting more complicated. They’re broken up, but they’re still as close as ever, barring the kissing and assorted other intimacies. It’s hard to navigate without feeling awful most of the time.  He wishes they could just spend all their time bickering about eggs and never have to deal with reality.

 He slides off the counter and puts his plate in the sink.  “I’m gonna hit the shower.”

 Steve nods, still wiping up around the stove with a cloth.  

 As he moves past, Danny pauses and lays his hand on the back of Steve’s shoulder, feeling his warm muscles twitch under his touch.  Danny can see him swallowing hard.  “Thanks for breakfast, Steve.”

 “Of course.  Anytime.”

 “And for, um, not kicking me out.”

 Steve turns to face him, and despite Danny’s warning, he’s <i>looking</i> at him again, with those eyes that see right into him.  “You know I always want you here.”

 But Steve’s soft words have to fight through the barrier that Steve himself put up three weeks ago, when he said that he didn’t want to be together any more.  Danny doesn’t understand how the Steve that said he didn’t want Danny’s love can now be the Steve that wants him in his house.  

 Steve’s not a selfish guy, never has been, but this situation is making Danny remember that Steve’s also not great at understanding how his actions affect others, not where emotions are concerned.  

 But Steve’s giving him that look, caring and earnest with an undercurrent of desperation and regret, and Danny can’t find it in himself to reject him.  

 “Yeah, babe, I do.  I know.”  

 There’s a moment, then, when Danny almost leans in and kisses him, forgetting that he’s not supposed to do that anymore – and then remembering, but almost doing it anyway – but he pulls himself away just in time, his hand dragging slowly down Steve’s arm.

 “You’re going to shower?”  Steve asks, and he’s not really asking about the shower, his eyes flitting back and forth between Danny’s face and where Danny’s hand still rests at Steve’s wrist.

 <i>Keep it together,</i> Danny tells himself.  You’re as bad as he is.  “Yeah, I’m rank.  I’ll be down after, we’ll drive in together?”  Danny steps away, and waits for Steve’s answering nod.

 “Okay.”

 Upstairs Danny strips off his sweaty t-shirt and shorts and gets in the shower without giving himself time to question himself.  He keeps the water cool, needing to remind his body that he is not, in no way, hoping that Steve is going to follow him upstairs and slide in behind him.  This morning they will not be late because Steve insists on washing his hair, running his fingers through what there is of it over and over, whispering to Danny with his breath hot on the back on his neck.  Steve isn’t going to wrap his arms around Danny, drag his fingers down his stomach and slowly take hold of his cock.  If Danny leans back, he won’t feel Steve, hard and teasing against Danny’s ass as they press together, Steve with one hand against the wall so they don’t lose their balance.  Not today.

 Danny takes care of himself in record fashion, biting his lip and keeping quiet.  

 *****

Work is relatively uneventful. Danny spends the morning watching Steve watching Adam.  Steve is convinced something is up with him, even after what Adam did for Bonnie yesterday. Danny keeps playing devil’s advocate with Steve, partly because he hates to think that Adam is lying to them, and partly because it makes Steve a better detective.  

 Tani brings them back lunch from Rainbow – it’s been a while, she says, and she wants comfort food – and eats hers in Danny’s office while they do a debrief on her day with the HPD recruits. Aside from the fiasco with Endo Tanaka, Tani got great results, and Captain Keo wants her to come back again.

 “Not bad for a kid that didn’t graduate from the academy,” Danny says, and Tani beams.

 “Yeah.  Felt pretty good, being there as part of Five-0.”

 “Did you get to show off at all?”

 Tani grins.  “Maybe a little.  I mean, Bonnie’s quick, but…”

 “You’re quicker?”  Danny asks, knowing the answer.

 “Damn straight.”  Tani gets up, closing up her plate lunch container. “So, bad segue, but, how are you doing?”

 Danny nearly groans.  “I thought this conversation was about you and your kick-ass day at HPD?”

 “It was, and now it’s not.  Don’t think you’re deflecting that easily.” Tani tosses her lunch in the garbage and sits back down in the chair by Danny’s desk.  “I’m sort of surprised you’re at work.”

 “Better than sitting at home thinking about it.”

 “There wasn’t anything else you could have done, Danny.”

 “That’s what everyone keeps saying.”

 “That’s because it’s true.”

 Danny rubs his face, trying to banish the image of Joanna trapped in the car, the light going out of her eyes as he stood there, helpless.  He knows that logically he didn’t cause her death, but he still should have been able to save her.  It makes him sick to think about it, but like he told Tani, he’s not going to get over it any faster sitting in Steve’s living room, keeping Eddie company.

 “Thanks, I appreciate it,” he says to Tani, who seems to be waiting for a response.  “Let’s check in with Lou, he wanted to run down a few more leads on that case from last week.”

 Recognizing a change of subject, Tani nods, and the day continues on.

 That night Steve falls asleep on the sofa while Danny is flipping channels, trying to decide if there is anything new on Netflix he can pay attention to for more than ten minutes in a row (so far, there’s not).  After a while Danny gets up, wincing at the pain in his ribs.  He turns off the television and stands by the sofa studying Steve’s face for far too long.  He should arrest him for those damn eyelashes alone.

 Danny’s unfolding a throw blanket to lay over him when he stirs and sits up.  

 “Hey,” Steve says, blinking. “Did I fall asleep?”

 “No, you were just snoring in between sharing your insightful commentary on Mindhunter with me.”

 “Were we watching Mindhunter?  We should make Tani and Junior watch that. Team bonding experience.”  Steve frowns.  “I think I was dreaming.”

 Steve is clearly still not entirely awake, and he’s a little too adorable for Danny to keep his defenses up. He sits down next to him on the couch. “What about?”

 Steve shuffles closer, pressing their shoulders together.  “A party on the beach.  By Kamekona’s.  I was trying to get you to pay attention to me.”

 Danny laughs softly.  “So, a regular Friday night?”

 Steve lays his head on Danny’s shoulder.  “The other day, after the accident.  Back at my house. You heard what I said, right?”

 Danny sucks in a breath.  “Not sure.  And… honestly… it’s hard to think about.”  He had felt like he was drowning, there on the bathroom floor, hardly able to breathe.  Only Steve’s arms around him had held him together.

 Steve shifts, turning so he’s facing Danny.  He’s fully awake now, eyes glinting in the moonlight coming through the windows.  “I made a mistake, Danny.  I’m sorry.  I get it if it’s too late.  But you deserve to know.”

 Danny’s heart suddenly slams hard against his chest.  “Wait, what are you saying?”

 Steve reaches out and takes Danny’s hand, giving it a squeeze.  Danny wonders if Steve can feel him shaking, or if it’s just his brain threatening to go offline.

 “Danny, I was wrong to break us up. I…” Steve’s voice cracks.  “I was scared.  I’m always scared, when it comes to this kind of thing.  I know you say you’re the one who always messes up relationships, but look at my life, I’ve never…”  Steve breaks off and shakes his head.  “I’m sorry.  I don’t expect that saying this will change anything, you’d be fully within your rights to tell me to fuck right off.”

 Danny can hardly believe what he’s hearing.  “This has been hell for me, you get that, right?  Trying to back off just enough to satisfy your, your <i>request</i> that we go back to what we were before?  And then when I was lucky enough to meet someone so fast, I let myself hook up with a stranger, she dies hours later?  Don’t you see how insane this is?”  Danny can feel his voice rising, but he can’t seem to stop.

 He pulls out of Steve’s grasp and stands up.  “Are you really serious – you – you want to get back together?”

 Steve looks stunned, the hand that was holding Danny’s flopping limply down to his knees.  “You hooked up with her?  Where did you even do that?  In the bar bathroom?”

 “Yes, I did,” Danny almost shouts. “And what of it?”

 Danny can hardly stand to look at Steve after this outburst, not wanting to hear whatever criticism Steve is sure to throw his way, but when he does, Steve’s expression is morphing from astonishment to something that might even be pride.

 “I’m not mad,” Steve says calmly.

 “You would have no grounds whatsoever to be mad,” Danny replies, taking deep breaths and trying to match Steve’s even tone.

 “I’m not, I’m not.  I mean, we were on a-”

 “Don’t say it, oh my god don’t say it-”

 “Break.  We were on a break.”  Steve is smirking at him, and he gets up and takes Danny’s hand again.

 “We were not ‘on a break,’ you broke up with me,” Danny reminds him, and for some reason, he feels the urge to giggle.  “I was there. I remember.”

 “Maybe, though, we could look back at it differently.”

 “Rewrite history?  You’re ridiculous.  What are you now, the Texas State Board of Education?  Do we need to talk about evolution again?”  

 Steve is now fully in his personal space, his thumb rubbing over Danny’s hand, his other hand landing on Danny’s shoulder.  Danny can’t stop looking at Steve’s lips, the way his tongue comes out to lick them, taking just a second too long.  He’s certain Steve is doing it on purpose.

 “Danny, will you do me a favor?”

 Danny inhales sharply.  “Of course.”

 Steve moves his hand from Danny’s shoulder to his cheek, and turns his face so he’s forced to meet his gaze.  “Will you think about it?  Taking me back?”

 Danny closes his eyes, but it’s hard to be rational about anything at all, given Steve’s proximity.  He smells too good, up close like this.  Danny just wants to bury his face in Steve’s neck and wrap his arms around his ridiculous shoulders and stay there forever.  But the past few weeks have been hell, as much as they’ve done a pretty good job covering it up with their normal routine of work and meals and throwing sticks for Eddie.  How can he know if Steve really means it this time?

 “Danny?”  Steve asks, a tremble of nerves in his voice.

 Danny opens his eyes and steps back, still holding on to Steve’s hand, but giving himself a bit of space to breathe. “Yes.  I’ll… I’ll think about it.”

 Relief washes over Steve’s face, and he smiles hopefully.  “You will?”

 “Yeah.  I will.”

[storytime-hoe]

Tough Love Ch.2

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x O/C

Summary: Story picks up during season three as the group goes into Woodbury to rescue Glenn and Maggie from the Governor. However, they pick up another prisoner of Woodbury, Emma (O/C). She is a thief who fears friendships after her hard losses. She stays on the move, studying communities from afar and then robbing them blind. She has stayed alive this way for a while until the Governor catches her in the act. Now she finds herself with the group from the prison in a mission to kill the Governor for what he has done to her. She plans on stealing supplies from the prison group after the Governor is killed, but she might be growing a little too close to the groups members, especially one man in particular: Daryl Dixon.

Warnings: Slow burn, language, usual twd violence, mentions of abuse/rape

Authors Note: First of all let me say HOLY SHIT! I never expected people to read what I write let alone actually like it. This is amazing! I love all of you who gave me feedback and if anyone wants to be tagged just let me know. Also I am trying my hand at digital art for the very first time and I might be making a few quick sketches for this series so if anyone is interested in that I might post them.

Previously: Ch.1

"What's your name?" Rick said, his voice a low rasp so as not to alert any nearby guards.

We were outside of Woodbury now, but we were not leaving quite yet. Daryl had gone out to cover us as we made a break for our exit. We were home free, only to find out that Daryl hadn't come out with us. Maggie immediately stated that we needed to go back in after him, but Rick was fumbling around in his own head for a plan at the moment. The way he held himself told me he wasn't quite right in the head at the moment, and loosing someone that he valued as much as Daryl was not helping his state of mind.

"Emma," I answered him as sternly as I could manage these days, which wasn't very impressive.

"We are going back in there," Rick explained, still planning things out in his mind. Glenn was in no shape to go back into Woodbury to fight. So, it looked like Maggie and Rick were going to be needing me. "You come with us. If you so much as think about running off, I'll kill you."

"That doesn't sound like a bad choice to me," I crooned with a sly look.

Death was exactly what I had wanted for days and days, but I wasn't ready to go now. The Governor might have killed what good was left in me, but he hadn't killed me. I had things left to offer the world, and I would only die once I decided I had nothing left. I was in control of me again, which felt strange, but nothing was going to change that. Not Rick. Not Daryl. Not the Governor.

Rick took my answer with consideration. He felt he had to persuade me to help them. Good. I sure as hell wasn't about to give my services for free.

"After you help us get Daryl back we will take you to our camp. Have our doctor look you over." He motioned to the bruises that covered my arms and the cuts that I could feel on my face. "After you're fed and taken care of, you can help us deal with the Governor. I'm sure you know plenty about him after your prison sentence with him."

Earlier he ordered me to come with them and I assumed I would be treated like a prisoner just the same as I was in Woodbury, but Rick wasn't coming off as the kind of person who would force me into anything. I was still wary of him, but he seemed like a true honest person at the moment and his words made me more willing to help them. Maybe that was his play? Maybe he wanted to come off as a good person in order to persuade me into doing what he wanted?

"What makes you think I want to help you fight the Governor?" I leaned my weight back on one leg and crossed my arms over my chest defiantly.

Maggie spoke up impatiently. "You've been a prisoner to him for how long now? And you mean to tell us you don't want a chance to put a bullet in his head?"

I stayed silent for a while and searched her eyes as she spoke. "What did he do to you?" I choked out, knowing the answer deep down. I knew she was the Governor's prisoner, but she didn't looked harmed in any way like Glenn did. My stomach seized at the thought of him coming onto someone else like he did me.

"Nothing I'm sure he didn't do to you," Maggie responded, the hurt visible in her eyes.

I clenched my jaw and swallowed hard. I could run away. I could run and never look back on Woodbury. I could leave and not give two shits about the Governor or the prison group anymore. But, deep down I knew I couldn't really do that. The Governor needed to be put down. He needed to be stopped before he hurt anyone else like he did me. Like I assumed he did Maggie.

Besides, I guess I owed the archer for sparing me. Daryl. The face of the man with the crossbow flashed into mind again. I could still see him after he found me in the room in Woodbury. I replayed the moment over and over again in my head. He was the first person to spare me. Even Rick was an asshole upon first meeting me. Daryl might've looked a little sorry for me even, but he was someone who was just like me. He was a survivor. And he had a certain understanding about me that no one had since my brother...

"Michonne?" Maggie's voice cut through my thoughts. She aimed her gun at a dark skinned girl who had just crawled out into view.

"Did you get what you came for?" Rick hissed as he took away the only weapon she had, a katana.

She looked drained. Her breaths were short and quick and all the cuts on her oozed out thick blood onto her face and arms. She leaned against the old train car that she had emerged from under. Her leg was gushing an unhealthy amount of blood from a deep stab wound.

I focused in on her as she argued back and forth with Rick. She had come here with them to save Glenn and Maggie, but apparently split off from the mission. There was something about her... a determination for whatever she had gone after inside of Woodbury. She split off from the group for something so important to her. No. Someone.

"You went after him," I said knowingly. Her eyes flicked to mine as she analyzed me as well, a new face to her, but she stayed silent. "You went after the Governor," I pressed on.

Rick shifted back on his foot and looked at her accusingly.

"I got you here," she countered. "To save them."

"Thanks for the help," Rick curtly stated.

"You'll need help to get them back to the prison or to go back in there for Daryl. Either way," Michonne finished, "you need me."

"Me too," I spoke up, declaring that I was on board with them. All eyes were on me. I gnawed at my lip as I coninued. "I know everything there is to know about this place. And I happen to know that if they captured Daryl, he is about to face off in the arena. They did that with me on my first night."

Rick rolled his neck and looked at me, taking his usual terrifying stare off of Michonne for a moment. "Arena?"

"They had me in there with some other poor kid they captured. A fight to the death. You know, gladiator battle type of thing."

"That's sick," Maggie said with her gun still pointed at Michonne steadily.

"Well, they think it's fun."

"So, you agreeing to help us now?"

I shrugged, not wanting to have to explain myself to this stranger, but I felt that she understood why I was ready to march into battle again. I needed to end the Governor and getting back their man would help us in the long run. Plus, I owed Daryl for getting me out of Woodbury, and I didn't like owing anyone. I would get him out even if it meant going back into the devil's den.

"Fine," Rick said. "So, how are we doing this?"

Everyone leaned in, eager to here a rescue plan. They were all willing to follow me, someone they just met, in order to get back a friend. We were all willing to do anything if it meant the Governor wouldn't like it, as a matter of fact.

It looked like the Governor was pissing off all of the wrong people these days.

**

My legs ached from being in a crouching position for too long. I was back inside the gates of Woodbury, trying not to panic at being back, with Rick and Maggie behind me. Glenn had complained, but we made him stay behind with Michonne and wait for us to return.

I sat back against the building we were using as cover. The streets of Woodbury were deserted. Everyone was getting ready for the battle at the arena. The arena was encircled by three towering buildings. The memory of my first night at Woodbury hit me hard. I could remember my rival in the arena that night. We were both scared shitless and confused. When the Governor told us to fight to the death, the girl I was to fight looked like she was going to piss herself. She was unwilling to do what it took to survive. But not me. I was full of spirit and ready to fight every man and woman in Woodbury if it meant I could get a chance to escape. I had just lost my brother. After that event I said fuck everyone else and became a selfish raging monster. I was then and I still am. So, I took my chance with the terrified girl. I was going to live no matter what it took. And it took the life of another innocent human.

I turned my head to the ground in shame. Then the gunshot of commencement and yells of the people rung through the air, bringing me out of my episode of depression.

The fight was beginning.

I dashed around the corner and caught sight of the arena through the crowd of people. The orange glow of fire lit up the area casting shadows of the crowd onto the tall buildings in a haunting manner. The Governor was yelling out some bullshit speech that I couldn't hear well over the cheers of the people. That's when I caught sight of Daryl. The crowd went wild when they tore the bag off of his head, revealing him as one of the men from the group at the prison.

"I see him," I let Rick know behind me. "Maggie, get back to the top of the gate. Give us cover once we get to him. Rick, you should stay here. Wait for my signal."

"You know me!" I heard the voice of Merle before I saw him in the arena with Daryl.

Rick squinted over at the arena like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Is that Merle?"

I didn't know how much this group knew about Merle, but so far I could tell they knew enough to always talk about him with a disgusted tone.

"Looks like Merle is his rival for today." I saw enough through the crowd to see that Merle was not holding back. He swung hard at Daryl and brought him to the ground, out of my line of sight.

I felt my eyes widen in the surprise. I had seen enough of Merle for a lifetime, and I knew him well by now. Images of him snarling and spitting in my face flashed before my eyes. He treated be harshly in Woodbury, but during the moments when Merle was not brutal with me, I saw that he only followed orders. That was what he was doing now too. The Governor needed him to kill Daryl in order to prove himself loyal.

But I couldn't believe that Merle would even go against his brother for the Governor. I thought back to the times when Merle talked about raising his little brother because his parents were shit. Merle talked to me a lot about the past, mostly because no one else in Woodbury listened to him, the high tempered redneck, when he was feeling sorry for himself, and I had no choice in the matter.

When he told me his brother was out there, that was the first time he started to doubt the Governor. Yet he always chickened out of his plans of finding Daryl. Still, I always wanted him to be a better person, but I should've known better. I clenched my jaw at the current sight of him beating the shit out of the little brother he claimed to love so much.

"Bastard," I snarled and tighten my grip on my knife so my knuckles turned white. "He'll beat him to death. Because that's what the Governor wants him to do." And he always listens to that prick. No matter what.

"Yeah, I know." Rick checked the scope on his gun and turned back to me. "Get out there and look for an opening. We won't fire until you make the move."

I nodded, confirming the plan we had previously discussed and mentally preparing myself for the mission I had sent myself on. "Got it."

"Get him out alive," Rick's eyes looked into my soul when he spoke to me. It was like he was willing me to be successful in getting Daryl back. As if he could control that.

"Got it," I repeated slightly uncomfortable. I knew his archer man was top priority, even over me.

"And be careful." He looked like he actually meant that. Which was surprising for me. No one had cared about me in a long ass time. It felt nice that he warned me to be safe, even if he didn't mean it and even if he was just using me.

I turned to go but he grabbed my wrist before I could. I tensed up out of habit. I knew that only bad things happened when I was being grabbed anymore. I was stuck with awe when he pressed a small gun into my hand.

I looked up at him questioningly and he simply nodded saying, "Just in case."

This time he finally let me go out away from the building and into the crowd. Even though I should be worried about being recognized, my mind was preocupied with why Rick was trusting me so much. After spending too much time with the Governor, it just didn't make any sense. I needed his trust if we were going to work together in killing the Governor. Just because I trusted him though, didn't mean we had to be friends. I really didn't want to get close enough to care about any of these people. I was just helping them with a job. That was it. That was all I needed it to be.

The crowd around me erupted with a fresh wave of intense screaming. I pushed around bodies to the front of the crowd just in time to see Merle standing over Daryl. They were talking with each other, but I couldn't make out their words. However, the look in Merle's eyes told me he had something up his sleeve. I glanced over at the Governor who was sporting a new bandage over his eye. He was too distracted by something to notice Merle secretly planning with his brother.

I turned to follow the Governor's line of sight to see four men bring out Walkers on leashes. This wasn't part of the fight when I was shoved in the arena long ago, they must've gotten bored with the blantant murdering of people.

The adrenaline coursed through my veins. I hadn't enjoyed that feeling in a very long time and I was pleasured with every second of the anticipation of a battle. I couldn't hold myself back any longer as I leaped out into the arena. I raised up the gun Rick had lent me and fired at the Walker that stood directly in front of the Governor. The Walker fell and a one eyed glare landed on me, unwavering. I held his cold stare with an amount of brute that I didn't think I had in me anymore.

The crowd took notice to my identity, they had seen me as a champion of the arena before. They thought it was all part of the show. And the Governor didn't intervene to tell them any different. He stood like a statue as if he could kill me with his stern look. Anxiety rose in my chest but I forced it away. I wasn't here for him just yet. I had a job to do.

"Well, well, look who decided to join the party," crooned Merle, who was standing back to back with his brother now, ready to fight the Walkers with him as they were pushed closer to them. Daryl had his hands up, ready to pounce. His eyes landed on me with recognition and a million silent questions. I gave him one solid nod that I was here for him and tossed him the gun. My knife was more of my weapon of choice.

Merle looked ready to argue with his brother for the gun, but the shout from Rick from his hiding spot signaled for a spray of gunfire. I dropped to the ground as Maggie fired from the wall. Smoke filled the area and gunfire and shouts echoed in my ears. People were dropping dead everywhere around me. I gripped my knife tight in my hands as I pressed down on the sand and prayed I wouldn't get shot.

Just as I was about to stand again someone kicked my hand that held the knife. It went flying out of my reach and another kick was delivered to my stomach. I groaned and curled in on myself. My injuries that were beginning to heal from Merle's beatings earlier in the week were being freshened up as a boot came down hard on my chest. I looked up just in time to see the Governor's face as he reached down for me.

My mind seized with terror at the thought of what he would do to me if he got me back. I wanted to cry out of failure, but the fire in me sparked. I was not about to let him fuck me over again. Not ever. He didn't own me and didn't control me. At least that is what I was trying to convince myself.

I kicked him between the legs and the pain was enough for him to loosen his grip on my shirt. I saw this as an opportunity to stretch out for the knife that was resting in the dirt. As soon as my fingers closed around the handle, I didn't hesitate to swing the blade at him ferociously. Every part of me wanted to slice him to pieces. He took out his gun to fight back, but an explosion went off, sending us both flat to the ground.

My head buzzed and I didn't even process that someone was pulling me back up. Thinking it was the Governor again, I pulled my fist back at a lame attempt to swing at him. I almost collapsed out of loss when a hand caught my fist before it got the chance to collide with anything at all. It took me a few disbelieving blinks to realize it wasn't the Governor that was holding me upright, but Daryl Dixon. His eyes told me clear as day that if I tried to swing at him again he would put me back down on my ass. I took the silent threat with grace and let him half drag me out of the gates of Woodbury.

I remember seeing flashes of Rick firing his weapon from behind us and yelling, but his voice was muffled to my ears. My vision was a blur and Daryl had to help me walk, up until we were well in the woods and out of Woodbury. The entire walk to the car where Glenn and Michonne waited was a painful one. Every muscle in my body ached and blood dripped down from my eyebrow every now and again. My lungs burned more and more with every breath.

We reached the car parked by the road just as the sun was rising. Glenn appeared from behind it, his sights immediately landing on Maggie. I anticipated some repulsing yet adorable scene from a romance movie to start playing out, but then Glenn started screaming at someone. My mind was still a scattered mess, watching Rick hold out an arm and keep Glenn back from whoever he was yelling at.

I turned slowly to see who the center of the commotion was. I should've known this jackass was what was standing in the way of a peaceful ride back to the prison. Of course Merle-fucking-Dixon had to make it out of Woodbury with us.

**

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