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#file under: things that make me NOT want to blaze posts.
theorderofthetriad · 2 years
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OOPS! tumblr, it looks like you're missing the all important (X) button on this new obnoxious little feature of yours!!! Classic mistake to make when you're not being considerate of your userbase! Fix it.
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Clubmossclan’s legacy 
ClubmossClan was formed by MossPatch, a very seniory warrior, recruits nine farm cats into a clan after his best friend SpeckleDaisy died unexpectedly, and her last wish was for him to create a safe place. They share a border with BeeClan. 
In the thirteen years this clan thrived it dealt with many wars with BeeClan, rebellions, and murderers. Starclan’s attempt to aid the clans, and the favouritism the stars held, led to the clans tearing themselves apart. 
The greatest leader was QuickStar, who pulled the clan through many struggles. 
During a battle in which the clan was torn in two opposing groups, BerryClaw saved many cats and was made deputy and later led for two years as he tried to repair clan relations with BeeClan. 
BerryStar found two dead BeeClan cats, both of which were found in a badger den reeking of sickness. The medince cats couldn’t identify any specific sickness, and were so covered in lavender that the scent of the wolves was completely covered. 
He wanted the warriors to have a proper burial so he took them back and they buried them. The cats who buried them got sick, and it spread far faster than greencough. 
It wiped out the clans, leaving only a few cats in each clan. 
it originated in the cliffs clans, PineClan, BriarCla, SunClan, WhisperClan, AshClan, LilacClan, which all fell quickly while consumed with too much pride to help eachother.
BeeClan was the first to fall in the northern clans.
ClubmossClan fell last. The clan broke off into isolated groups, occupying three camps. 
In the abandoned camps, a body pile is seen. The bodies are unidentifiable, all rotted down to bones, torn apart and scattered by predators. 
Very few clan cats survived, and they decided the land was cursed. 
They left after BerryStar fell, all nine lives taken by sickness. He led the clans to a new territory, deeper into the forests and up the cliffs. 
The five clans 
The four grandchildren of QuickStar went on to make their own clans, each as leader.
SongTail formed QuickClan, which live in the mountains and are considered the most docile of all the clans. They are frequently killed by the rushing waters and rough terrain. 
WhiskerRapid stayed to lead ClubmossClan after the plague of greencough that wiped out almost all the clan. 
FadedRump went on to start TipClan. Sneered at and called the “blessed” clan, these cats face very little challenges in the lushest territory. 
CrowLily went on to start DownyClan. This clan is full of rivalries as they all fight to be the strongest. 
The remaining BeeClan cats formed TumbleClan under the guidance of the ClubmossClan cat TumbleEyes. This clan is being haunted by a large pike that lives in the deeply flooded plains after a riverbank burst years ago. 
Years ago, SongStar did something to drive the four clans apart, and now they do not speak of the original four. 
I start keeping track four years in (aka in new saves), after these four leaders have died. The “plague” was actually my save file deleting. 
WolfCough 
Symptoms: wheezing, high body temperature, dizziness, sores appearing on joints, aches, previous scars tear open, foaming mouth, incredibly aggressive and attack anything that moves. Some say they appear undead, coughing blood 
Passed through: fluid (saliva, mostly) 
Treatment options: blazing star, borage, bright eye, chickweed, feverfew
Recovery status: 3/10 usually recover, with kittypets having the highest recovery rate 
Kittencough (Fading-kitten-syndrome) is frequent in these clans because of the tough territories. This would be normal if it weren’t for one thing: the paranoia of wolfcough returning, which leads to most kits suspected of having kittencough being killed in fear of it turning into wolfcough. 
this is the plague/history I have mentioned in a few of my previous profiles and most of my upcoming submissions, and is needed to read the story I’ll be posting soon. Sorry for the long post lol, I’m aware this is mostly me rambling. (tag list: @residents-of-the-darkforest @ambitiousauthor @liberhoe)
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a-star-aquarium · 4 months
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The Apolloverse
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Welcome to my blog! Here you'll find all my OCs for fandom and not fandom-related content. To start out, I'm going to a couple things clear about myself:
Currently this is the only blog I am using---While you may see my original account that has now been based around Last Legacy, and another side account I have, I am only cohesively using this one.
You can refer to me as Apollo (though this name is just a place holder for this account because I am no longer comfortable with being called Ayla) and I use they/them. Also I know when I first starting posting my account was called "themajorarcanalesbian" but I would no longer refer to myself as a lesbian, just queer for now.
While there may be some mature content on this blog, it won't be a lot because I feel my writing and drawing skills cannot adequately portray that sort of stuff without sounding, well, cringe. That being said, be aware that I will likely reblog mature content from my mutuals as they freely post that content, and I will always want to share it.
Last but not least, the only character I have that is associated with The Arcana universe is Astarium, who only remains in that fandom because the storyline set up for the game adds to their character in a way I feel I might not be able to at the moment (cough cough, writers block) The rest of my characters remain in what you will see tagged as #theapolloverse as their universe doesn't have a set name!
And now, to get to my many characters (fyi, I will edit this post when I do, but some of their intro posts are outdated and need refreshing!)
Also, every character will also be filed under #Apolloverse
Astarium The Magician | They/Them - Queer | Asta, remaining in the arcana verse, takes the storyline of the apprentice, only a few things differentiating. They grow up in Prakra and run away after their father passes because they fear their mother will abandon them. At first, they are put on stage to be ogled at, from age 12 to 15, before they eventually make their way to Vesuvia. They meet Asra, stay with him for a long while, and when the plague hits, they fear death when it becomes clear that their healing magic, just like with their father, cannot heal the people of Vesuvia. Asra assumes their dead for many months, but Asta only dies the day before Asra revives them, so they remain with their memories of the plague, and seeing Asra with Julian. This is important because it has an effect on each storyline no matter what love interest you choose, because Astarium never actually wanted to be brought back to life! Asta's information, and any HCs or drawings, will be under the tag #astariumthemagician or #astathemagician
Their bio: Astarium The Magician
Juno, The Mad King | He/Him - Bisexual | Juno Ara Malik, a bastard child who, yes, is his father's son, but his mother was not of royal decent. Juno's father is not completely to blame for this, as his wife, The Queen, passed away of an illness, and he had to resort to sleeping with a servant to produce an heir, otherwise his line would've been endangered. Juno will not take after his father though, his cousin Amaria will; ergo why Juno's father had him take over a small Provence at the age of 14. He felt bad that his son would not be able to take after his footsteps. Juno was raised by his teachers, servants, and guards when he was sailed across the sea to Roya. His grandmother took no interest in him besides hating him, she would regular burn his hands and back, and he remains to have a scar on his face from her dagger. In fact, her treatment only resulted in Juno growing to be spiteful and cruel in some ways, and at the age of 17, he decapitated her in a purple blaze. Her very own sword being used to do the beheading. Juno's information, and any HCs or drawings, will be under the tag #Juno Ara Malik
His bio: Juno Ara Malik
Jayda, The Golden Handed Servant | He/Him - Omnisexual | Jayda grew up similarly to Asra in a way, living off the streets with nobody to raise him, only learning from the books he stole and the lessons he was taught by strangers. Sure, the people of his city got to know him, and he even got many of them to give him free stuff, but nobody offered him a home. He remained on the streets until the age of 16, when he met Zahra, who had ran away from a forced marriage. At the age of 30, Jayda seeks out the Magician (not specifically the one in the Arcana) , who offers him one wish. Jayda wishes to be more virtuous, to be a man of the people, and the magician grants him that. Of course, working with a major arcana can have its drawbacks, so Jayda is changed into an almost completely different man. The once confident man had gained the gift of awareness, which has made him hypersensitive to every single thing he does, including his actions and physical state. The gift also helps him be more on top of his work at the palace, so it's not the worst. His third eye is for sight, to be seeing clearly and all knowing, so that he can help those around him. And his 6 limbs, which are for strength, with so many arms, surely he could help out all of Roya at once? {he can but it's utterly exhausting}. His hair turning from the beautiful chestnut to the interesting orange was a reminder from the magician to Jayda, a piece of him, so that he will never forget the gifts he was given. Not that Jayda ever could, as he's lived this way for the past 12 years. Jayda's information, and any HCs or drawings, will be under the tag #Jayda Ronan Chidal and #Jayda The Golden Handed Servant
His Bio: Jayda Ronan Chidal
Zahra | She/Her - Lesbian | Zahra, originally coming from a rich background, was arranged to marry at the age of 15 by her mother. Her mother had sold her into a marriage with a much older man after learning Zahra was a trans woman, and she told her if she wanted to be one, that she could face the same struggles a woman would. After about a year of this, she runs away and meets Jayda. It's important to note that Zahra wasn't as open with Jayda as she is now, but her mother had attempted to force her to de-transition, when she could not make her, she was sold off like cattle, and when the man no longer wanted her, her cold dead stare every night haunting him, her mother DID force her to de-transition, and they gaslit her back into the closet, so ergo why she left, and why Jayda met her pre-transition. Now she rules as Juno's head advisor with his council and remains by Jayda's side. Currently, most of the info, including Zahra's intro post, is incorrect, so I will not link it. But her tag remains to be #Zahra Masarn Ártar
Atlas | Any/All Pronouns - Pansexual | A young mercenary working under Ruthie Sloane (oh I promise, we'll get to her) Atlas, the nephew/niece of Zahra, grew up with their mother in a small village. His father had banned any sort of magic when Atlas was young, causing quite the struggle when her mother had to use it to heal Atlas from a cold that had almost killed them. The people of the town decided to hunt her down, and unlike his mother, Atlas had lifted herself up into the air with their own magic when jumping from a cliff. That day, the day he lost his mother to the rocks below that cliff, was his birthday. Atlas ended up running to falling less of a feet into the ocean, trying to find her mother in the depths of the ocean, eventually washing back up onto the beach where they were found by Ruth. Now, they remain her side no matter what. Same as with Zahra, Atlas' intro post and most of the posts ive made surrounding them is not correct, so I will not be linking it here. Though if you'd like to look for it, her tag is #Atlas Bentlee Àrtar
Ruthie, The Midnight Mercenary | She/Her - Pansexual | Born Oxana Valentina Sloane, Ruth took the name of one of her oldest friends when they were slaughtered by the man she once used to work for. While not much is known about her, she is known for being one of the biggest threats to most pirates, and with Atlas along with her, she appears a lot more scary than she actually is. Despite being 6'4 mercenary, Ruth is actually quite kind, she's taken quite a few people in over the years, and she's never one to hesitate when it comes to feeding, or housing those in need. She is the eldest of the Sloane Siblings, and she actually left her family at quite a young age. Now, she just rides around with Atlas, always cleaning up their dirty work. She also needs an updated bio, but the rest of her info remains under the tags #Ruthie Sloane, #Oxana Valentina Sloane, and #The Sloane Siblings
Pier | He/Him - Omnisexual | The younger brother of Oxana, who was abandoned by her from a young age---right when he was learning his abilities--- resulting in him losing control and running away when he was 10. For the most part, he can't see, or, well, its not that he can’t see, he refuses to open his eyes, because when he does, he can't see people, he just sees their aura, and their thoughts, and its like a surround sound to his head. This developed at the age of 9 and he runs away at 10 to get away from his mothers, not to scare them, but because he was afraid of hurting them by letting them know what he was going through. Where he’s constantly on the move, one of his favorite friends is Asta, they met on a pirate ship back in Prakra and they're very nice to one another. On the note of Pirates, he does get kidnapped by a certain crew due to his relation to rue. But that I'll leave off there. Pier's information, and any HCs or drawings, will be under the tag #Pier Sloane and #The Sloane Siblings
Mathéo | He/They - Bisexual | As the youngest of the Sloane siblings, not much is known about Mathéo. While he remains to live with his mothers, he still lives a rather independent life. They take charge in doing all the task their siblings left behind, and they try to make life happier for their mothers. But, he longs so be selfish, and adventurous, and he feels lonely without his siblings, creating an odd family dynamic when he meets up with them in the future. Mathéo's information, and any HCs or drawings, will be under the tag #Mathéo Sloane and #The Sloane Siblings
And always, a reminder that you can always ask about my ocs (or inquire about shipping) in my inbox, and anon will always stay on!
Now make yourself cozy, and feel free to look at the rest of my blog <3
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lubdubsworld · 3 years
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Falling for you ( Falling from grace) Jungkook x OC
Rated : 18 +
Warning : . Fuck buddies? Or rather enemies that have sex. They just really hate each other but also can’t keep their hands off each other.
Chapter 1   Chapter 2    Chapter 3   Chapter 4   Chapter 5
Chapter 6
“Are you sure you want to head back to work today, Areum? Hoseok told me that he would give you the rest of the week off if you like... That bruise on your face is looking pretty nasty.” My sister commented mildly, her eyes worried as she watched me dab concealer on the mottled purpling skin on my jaw.
“I need to finish a couple of reports by the weekend. And Namjoon oppa told me he wanted me to be there when we viewed the CCTV footage later today. It’s going to help getting that bastard fired.” I flinched at how bad this side of my face looked. 
The bastard. 
“He’s not fired yet?” My sister made a noise of outrage.
“Of course he is. There’s a restraining order against him. But formally he needs to be terminated and Namjoon wants to do it in a way that it goes on his record permanently. Especially considering he’s already out on bond.” I wrinkled my nose. 
There wasn’t much chance of Junho going to prison over this but I definitely did not want him within fifty feet of me, ever again. 
“Jungkook’s busy with his practice is it? I haven’t heard from him...” My sister prompted and I nodded.
“His big match is coming up on Sunday. That's like four days away ...he’s probably cooped up in that gym of his.” 
“I know... Seokjin works out there too... its a great place...how come you’re never there?”
I frowned .
“He actually has me blacklisted. I’m not allowed inside the establishment. ” I muttered. 
My sister’s eyes widened.
“What? Why?”
I shrugged. The memory was a good one and worth reliving. In fact i relived it quite often when I was particularly horny with only my own hands for relief. 
“I seduced him against his favorite punching bag once and he had to get rid of it because the cum stains wouldn’t come off. He’s a petty jerk.” I grinned at my sister enjoying the way her eyes went wide as saucers. .
She stared at me slack jawed. And then she shook her head in disbelief. 
“You talk about him this way but you always look like you're half way in love with him. I don’t know what is going on in your head when it comes to Jungkook.”
I laughed.
“I love him. Of course I do.... I’m pretty sure he cares about me too, “ I remembered how warm and content I’d felt when he’d held me, how the police officer had immediately concluded he was my boyfriend, simply from the concern radiating off him, “  But, I’m not going to push for anything. I like how we are ...now.”
“Friends with benefits.?”
“I prefer the term enemies who fuck” I winked and she groaned. 
“Whatever you say. But remember, you’re going to have to DTR at some point and I hope you don’t get a shock if he isn’t on the same page. “ 
“Unlikely. Now go distract mom so I can slip out of the back door.” 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“That looks pretty fucking bad.” Hoseok winced when he saw me and I groaned.
“Don’t remind me. I ran into Namjoon on the way up and he swelled like a bullfrog. Is Jungkook in today?” I asked him brightly.
Hoseok frowned.
“you guys are awfully chummy these days ....Need I remind you about the clause on interpersonal relationships in the office?” 
I flushed.
“We’re...not....I mean. We’re friends. “
“I thought the term was enemies who fuck.” Hoseok said thoughtfully and I jumped.
“What-?”
“Jungkook told me, you little brat. I asked him why he went over to the police station and broke Junho’s fucking jaw and he spilled...”
My own jaw came unhinged.
“ He what?!”
 “He posted the bond money for the bastard himself to get him out and then apparently punched him hard enough to land him in the hospital.”
“Oh my God...is he in trouble?” 
Hoseok sighed.
“Of course not... Mr. Jeon had it taken care off at once but I knew something was up . He’s too old to play knight in shining armor , unless there was something between you guys...” 
I sighed.
“We’re in a purely physical relationship yes with of course a splattering of affection for each other. But nothing that deserves a label or close scrutiny from the HR dept. Please Hobi oppa, just let me be. “ I fluttered my lashes and he rolled his eyes. 
“Just as long as you know that Jeon Jungkook is a chaebol. He’s not going to make a honest woman out of you.” Hoseok gave me a pointed look and I wondered if I really did wear my heart on my sleeve. 
Apparently, everyone could sense that my feelings for Jungkook ran deeper than just lust and I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing. 
“Anyway, yo answer you question, yes. He’s in his office right now.”
I made to turn away but Hoseok grabbed my wrist.
“You have thirty five memos to answer and seventeen appointments to schedule. Your desk is this way, I suggest you head in that direction.” His eyes glinted in a way that told me he was incredibly serious. 
I pouted.
Fine... I’d wait for lunch to go meet Jungkook.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jungkook had a secretary of his own , the smitten Miss Lee and she gave me an angelic smile, telling me that Jungkook was out to meet someone in the marketing department. If there was anything important, I could leave it with her.
Declining the offer and thanking her, I made my way to the fireescape and the back stairwell. One of the doors opened to the emergency exit in Jungkook’s office and it took me a little bit of running around but I managed to locate it easily enough. 
Jungkook had left the door open and less than ten minutes later , I was in his office, staring around in mild awe. 
Weirdly enough, I’d never been here. before, mostly because Jungkook himself wasn’t in here all that much. But there was no mistaking that he actually did take his work seriously . I peered around the expensive drawing Tablet and the three or so monitor screens , the stylus tossed about. 
It was probably a huge breach of his privacy but I couldn’t help but click on the mouse, watching his monitor come alive. 
I blinked in disbelief when I realized what I was staring at. 
“Oh my  fuck...”  I
I felt my face flood with heat as I stared at the screen. 
It was a drawing of me. 
I was completely naked , reclining against what looked like a thick white fur rug , with countless plush cushions scattered all around me. The snow white fur set off the golden glow of my skin and I noticed the attention to detail, the tiny mole in the corner of my hip, the small half moon scar on the edge of my collar bone and of course an impressive collection of hickeys on my neck and my inner thighs. 
I looked the way I usually did when I was mouthing off at him, a little angry and rebellious, my eyes blazing with a challenge and my lips parted in annoyance . I had one hand resting right between my legs, two fingers pressed against the labia while the other two disappeared into me. The other hand lay on my breast, fingers tweaking one hard nipple . 
I turned away quickly, breathing harshly as I realized that Jungkook had literally drawn an incredibly accurate drawing of me masturbating , purely from memory.
Not entirely sure if i should be angry at this or not, I tried to clear the hazy cloud of arousal that was beginning to settle all over me. I wasn’t angry. 
I was just ridiculously turned on. 
And incredibly curious if he had other pics of me. 
I whirled back around to the computer and then nearly jumped out of my skin when I realized that Jungkook was leaning against the doorway, watching me with an amused smile on his face. 
“Oh, fuck...” I clutched at my heart which felt like it was going to give out. 
“Pretty sure your desk isn’t here, Areum. Are you lost?” He drawled, stepping away from the door and stalking over to me. 
I stepped back quickly, the action purely instinctive. 
“Did you punch Junho?” I asked sharply.
Jungkook gave me a small smile.
“That is a very mild way to put it yes. He’s gonna be eating through a straw for a couple of months , yes.”
I glared at him. 
“What if you got arrested.” I folded my arms.
He laughed.
“Baby, come on. fucker had it coming. Anyway enough about that loser. Why are you hovering near my desk. Corporate espionage is generally frowned upon baby... Am i gonna have to spank you, you naughty girl?” He waggled his eyebrows. 
I rolled my eyes before walking up to his desk and turning the screen around to show the lewd artwork . 
“how long have you been drawing me like that?” I pointed at the screen and Jungkook looked surprised. 
Surprised but not particularly bothered. 
“Ah... i love that one... Did you see the way I only drew four of your fingers between your legs baby, your thumb is supposed to be rubbing on your clit.... I was working on it when I got called away earlier....” He looked apologetic. 
I felt like I had turned the exact shade of the marron carpet under my foot. 
“Jungkook how long have you been drawing me naked...” I snapped. 
“ Oh... probably the first time you let me see you naked.” He said nodding lightly and I stared at him.
“How come I’ve never heard of this?” I hissed and he gave me a grin. 
“Because it’s for my own personal...use.” He grinned. 
I glared at him.
“How many....?” I demanded.
Jungkook shrugged.
“50...? 60? Definitely at least fifty.” He said casually. 
I stared at him.
“I wanna see them.” I said sharply. Jungkook sighed, like I was being a pain , which was so unfair it made me want to scream. 
“Areum, I-” 
“Jungkook?” A soft voice called from the outer office and I frowned when Jungkook startled. 
“Oh, hey... Sana..... Come in.” His voice had shifted into something mild and pleasant and I felt my hackles rise. 
“Oh..hello... Areum ssi...” The girl gave me a confused smile and I resisted the urge to fold my hands and demand what she was doing there. Instead , I moved away from behind Jungkook’s desk, grabbing a file. 
“Good afternoon Sana ssi.” I smiled.
“I’m sorry, I missed lunch, Sana.... I wanted to give you this. “ Jungkook pulled out a small envelope from his jacket, smiling an absolutely angelic smile at her. 
Sana looked suitably enthralled, her eyes trained greedily on his perfect face as she took the envelope.
“Oh.. are these--?”
“Tickets to my match on Sunday yes...” He smiled. “ I’m hoping you’ll be there.” 
I felt my lungs expand as I took a deep breath to calm myself down. The urge to screech like a banshee was increasing by the second. 
“Oh, I’ll be there for sure. I’ll be cheering you on from the front row, Jungkook !!” She all but bounced on her feet, looking positively giddy with excitement as she bowed to both of us and literally floated away. 
I waited till she was fully gone before turning on him. 
“There better be another envelope in there with my name on it.” I gritted out. 
Jungkook grinned wide at that, eyes dancing with mirth. 
“In my jacket? Not really. But there’s something much better in my pants with your name on it. Want me to whip it out for you baby?? “
He grabbed the edge of his belt buckle, tugging the leather out of the hoops and I glared at him. 
“You are out of your mind if you think I’m going to be okay with you letting everyone watch you fight but  me. That is just unfair and uncalled for.” I snapped. 
Jungkook was still tugging on his belt, but he paused to give me a look.
“What’s in it for me?” He said softly. 
I frowned.
“What?”
“I’m not going to enter a deal without an equitable pay off....Its obvious that you’re really turned on by the thought of watching me fight . So unless you give me something I’m thirsty for.... I’m not going to indulge you,” He said casually. 
I laughed in disbelief. 
“There is literally nothing I’ve denied you in bed , you're crazy to even suggest -”
“I haven’t fucked your ass yet.” He said casually. 
I could feel myself turning red.
“No.” I hissed. “ Absolutely not.”
“Why the hell not?” He frowned.
“Because it fucking hurts. I’m not going through that again.” I snapped. 
Jungkook groaned like he was in actual pain. 
“Baby, its hardly my fault you’ve never slept with a real man before me, is it? Why should I deprived the pleasure of fucking your ass just because those buffoons didn’t know how to do it right?” Jungkook’s voice was dangerously close to a whine and I resisted the urge to throw something at him. 
“I don’t fucking care...its a no. So drop it. ” 
Jungkook narrowed his eyes. 
“Fine. I’ll drop it. For now.” He muttered and then made a big show of thinking, “ alright fine. How about you let me tie you up.”
I stared at him.
“You literally do that every time we have sex.” I pointed out. 
“And I get to use my toy box.” 
I blinked.
“Your toy box.” I said , confused. He grinned mischievously. 
“You know the one...Big mahogany box  underneath my bed. The first time I showed you, you kind of screamed and called me a monster?” He grinned wide.
i had a brief flashback of an assortment of whips, floggers and gags. 
I shuddered. 
Nope. 
This wasn’t working. 
“How about this.... Either you get me those tickets or you don’t get to fuck me. At all.” I smirked.
Jungkook hummed.
“Why would you punish yourself like that love?” He drawled. “ You can’t live without my dick, the sooner you accept that the easier life is going to get for you.” 
The audacity of this bitch. 
I walked right past him , ready to stalk out,  but his hand shot out, gripping my elbow and pulling me into his embrace.
I struggled against his hold, but he brought both arms around my waist, flexing his muscles so I could feel just how futile it would be to try and break free. 
“Come on baby, walking out in the middle of negotiations...that’s just really poor etiquette. Think of the poor hostage....” He pouted , doe eyes wide and I nearly caved. He had no fucking business being sexy  and  cute. 
I laughed in disbelief.
“Hostage??....are you talking about your fucking ego....?” I stared right up at him , tilting my face when he moved to kiss me. His lips latched on to my jaw instead, tongue licking the skin there gently as he hummed . 
“No...I’m talking about my dick.” He grabbed both my elbows, swinging me around like I weighed nothing, one arm holding me in place as he pressed up against my back, hips rolling so I could feel the hardness of his dick right against the swell of my ass. “ Dude’’s feeling pretty darn trapped right now. Poor thing just wants to get inside you and ruin you baby, why you making it so hard for him...?” 
I elbowed him sharply, vindicated when the sharp edge of it caught something hard and fleshy. Jungkook grunted in discomfort but didn’t let go of me. 
“My little hellcat. “ He bit down on the juncture between my neck and shoulder, “You know why my dick is hard?”
“To match your cold unfeeling heart?” I snapped and he moaned in mock hurt. 
“Not fair baby...I have the kindest heart... Soft heart, hard dick....That’s literally my entire persona.” Jungkook nuzzled my neck .  
I fought the urge to laugh . 
“So why then? Because I’m within ten feet of you? Isn’t that all it takes usually?” I muttered, wincing a bit when his teeth sank in a little deeper.
Jungkook let out a soft chuckle.
“Normally I’d agree but today... I’m so fucking hard because you looked like you wanted to claw Sana’s face off when I gave her those tickets....” 
I flushed.
“Well, I just don’t think I should be the only one not allowed to see you fight.” 
“Or maybe you just hate the idea of any one else getting to touch my dick...because like I said...it’s got your name on it right baby?” Jungkook laughed against my ear and I blushed . 
“I still think its rude that you don’t let me come to your matches.” I grumbled. 
“And why do you think that is, baby? Why do you think I’m so adamant about you not being anywhere near me when I have something important to do...”
I didn’t reply, eyes fluttering shut when he suckled on the skin near my neck. 
“Its because I’ll probably lose..” He growled into my ear, “ Don’t wanna get knocked out in the first round because I was too busy staring at your pretty, pretty face and delicious fucking body... My only distraction, my  favorite  distraction.”
  I felt myself melt like an ice cream cone in the fucking sun. 
“Oh, fuck you....you honey-tongued son of a bitch...” I choked out, unable to fight the wide grin that was taking over my face. 
Jungkook chuckled in victory, hugging me tighter.
“So tell me.... Can I tie you up tonight? Get some of my favorite toys...Want to play in your sandbox....” He leered and I laughed despite myself. How could this man make the most innocent of phrases sound so fucking sexy.... 
“Only if you let me pick the toys.”
Jungkook let go of me and gently turned me around. He was frowning deeply. 
“Babe you don’t even know what their called.” He complained.
“But I can gauge how much damage they’ll do and that’s more important to me.” I pointed out. 
Jungkook gave me a thoughtful smile.
“Hmm....fine... But I get to offer the choices. “ He said softly. 
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Okay, in that case you need to let me see every single drawing you’ve made of me... right now.” I smiled.
Jungkook grinned, already grabbing my wrist and tugging me back to his desk.
“Deal...but I’m gonna need you to sit on my cock and keep it warm while I show them to you..... okay?” 
I glared at him but he was already moving to the wide , comfortable chair behind the desk. He sat on the chair, manspreading and unbuckling himself before wriggling the slacks down past his waist and tugging his boxers down. 
I watched him reach in to pull out his hard cock ,  pumping the hard length of it a couple of times before smiling at me expectantly. 
“Horny bastard.” I muttered under my breath, before letting him maneuver me into his lap, fingers slipping up my skirt and tugging my panties aside , before lining himself up against my center. 
“Ready baby?” He kissed my cheeks fondly and I nodded lowly. He pressed a couple of fingers against my slit, dipping in just enough to make sure I was wet enough. I wasn’t dry per se, but it still stung a bit when he drove himself in with one swift stroke. 
“Oh, fuck...” I groaned when he entered me , the rock hard length of him cleaving my insides and making my tongue go dry. I clenched down on him, thighs beginning to tremble already. I gripped the edge of the table in front of me. 
“Maybe I should call Sana in now.? Huh baby...that’ll show her who this dick belongs to, right , angel?” He whispered against my ear and I moaned, a gush of arousal staining my thighs at his words., Jungkook laughed knowingly, wrapping an arm around my waist to keep me still before rolling his hips gently and settling inside me. 
“So baby, which ones do we start with.... Solo shots? ones with me....? There’s one of me fucking your pretty pink hole, maybe that’ll change your mind about letting me take you in the back...”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author’s Note : I’m stopping here because the next chapter is just like 5k of porn and I wanted it to be a standalone chapter. 
Comments are love , Feedback is really appreciated. Send me your thoughts, ideas or even just scream about how hot Jungkook is....anything works. 
taglist : @veronawrites @aamxxrii  @brooky95
@apollukee
@ladyartemesia
@yoongisdragon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ if you guys wanna be on the taglist just lemme know...
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Text
Breathe In
Pairing: Cullen Family x Female!Reader (Platonic), Quileute Pack x Female!Reader (Platonic)
Summary: Reader is the youngest addition to the Cullen family. Being a human with severe asthma causes your family to be extra protective, especially if they aren’t always around to help.
Word Count: 4128
Warnings: fluff, angst, near death experience, brief mentions of self-degrading thoughts
A/N: This is my first time posting my writing so feedback would be greatly appreciated! (Main account @hi-my-name-is-riley )
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Being adopted into the Cullen family was nothing short of a blessing.
They quickly became the family you never had but had always wanted. Early on, you found yourself gravitating towards Emmett and Edward, the two quickly became your best friends.
It was not long after you had been adopted that they told you their secret. The revelation came after you saw Emmett uproot a literal tree and throw it at Jasper, who walked away completely unscathed.
The family made you feel loved. Your brothers were protective of you, as were your sisters. Carlisle would always find time to talk to you about school and how you were adjusting, while Esme kept the kitchen stocked with your favorite foods.
Being the only human in a family of vampires had its ups and downs. For instance, you always had help with your homework, and Alice was a fantastic stylist. On the other hand, you were still human, and that brought along human problems. 
When you were first adopted into the Cullen family, Carlisle was sure to inform everyone about your pre-existing health problems. 
Mainly, your asthma. 
You were diagnosed with asthma at an early age and had been able to use your inhaler and nebulizer, or breathing treatment, as you fondly called it, since before you could remember. But, just because you were used to your crappy lungs, didn’t mean that your new family was.
It wasn’t until a few months after you had been adopted did you have your first severe asthma attack. 
You were lounging on the couch doing your homework when you felt a tickle in the back of your throat. Hoping it would go away, you cleared your throat and drank from your water bottle, ignoring the occasional faint wheeze. 
Your chest gradually got tighter and tighter over the next couple of minutes, a wheeze now accompanying every breath you took. 
Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward, who were spread out around the room doing various assignments, looked at each other than at you in concern. They had heard you have small asthma attacks, but they had never heard you wheeze this bad.
“Y/N, are you okay?” Rosalie asked softly.
You were about to respond when your breath got caught in your throat. You made a choking sound before a cough violently ripped its way out of your mouth.
Cough after cough escaped followed by desperate gasps for air; your body jerking in tandem. Reacting on instinct, you scrambled for your backpack, ripped it open, and grabbed your trusty inhaler.
Within seconds, you were surrounded by your siblings, including Alice and Jasper who came running as soon the coughs started. They watched with pity as your face turned bright red, sweaty, and your eyes filled with tears. They asked you questions, but you were too focused on your breathing to answer. All they could do was watch.
It felt like hours until you were able to take a breath, but, once you could, you took a puff from the inhaler. This went on for several minutes, violent coughing and harsh breaths followed by the use of your inhaler. 
When the coughs started to subside, you looked up at the worried faces surrounding you, “Will one of you please help me to my room?” Your voice was hoarse as you gasped out the question. 
Strong arms lifted you from the couch and carried you at a human pace towards your room.
A pained look flashed across your face as you were hit with a second round of coughs, and you took another puff from the inhaler grasped tightly in your shaking hand. 
Emmett helped you onto your bed before sitting against the headboard and pulling you into his chest. The rest of your siblings filed into the room, eagerly waiting for any command or request. 
“There is a blue bag in my closet with a grey machine, some tubes, a mouthpiece, and medicine in it. Ple-” before you could finish the sentence, the bag containing your nebulizer was sitting in front of you. Blinking away the dizziness, you got to work setting it up. With shaky hands and a pounding head, you went through the motions that had become muscle memory: plug the tube into the nebulizer and the compressor, rip open the liquid capsules, squirt the medicine into the cup, hold the mouthpiece between your lips, plug in the nebulizer, turn it on. 
You paused as another round of coughs shook your body, you looked at Edward who understood what you needed and plugged the machine into the nearest outlet and flicked it on. 
The familiar taste of vaporized medicine hit your tongue, and you collapsed into Emmett’s chest, feeling the exhaustion deep in your bones. His cold, granite-like body cooled down your blazing skin and helped you stay elevated. As if reading your thoughts, he placed one of his hands on your forehead while the other combed through your hair.
“I thought Edward was supposed to be the mind reader.” You mumbled over the mouthpiece. 
“Shhhh. Just relax and focus on breathing.”
You nodded and closed your eyes, the whirring of the nebulizer lulling you into a light sleep. 
~~~~
“How long has it been running?” A voice from over you asked.
“About fifteen minutes. But she put two of these capsules in.”
“You should’ve seen it, Carlisle. She could barely breathe, but she managed to put the machine together in moments while we all just watched.” Emmett’s chest rumbled under your head as he spoke. 
“If you thought that was impressive, wait ‘til you see me do it when I’m having an asthma attack in the dark.” You joked, the mouthpiece still in between your lips. 
“How’re you feeling Y/N?” 
Opening your eyes, you saw Carlisle sitting at your side with Esme not far behind him. You allowed Carlisle to remove the mouthpiece and click the nebulizer off. 
“It’s nothing I’m not used to.” You dismissed, “What are you doing here, aren’t you two supposed to be at some fancy doctor event?”
“You gave your siblings quite a scare,” Carlisle chuckled. “They called saying you couldn’t breathe and we left immediately.”
“But I had it all under control, there was no need to come home.”
“We didn’t know that Y/N.” Rosalie snapped, concern swimming in her eyes, “We just sat around and watched, not being able to do anything, as our baby sister couldn’t breathe!” 
“What she means,” Alice shot Rosalie a look, cutting her off, “is that none of us knew you could get that bad and it scared us.”
“I could hardly read your thoughts,” Edward mumbled. When you looked at him confused, he explained, “You were so focused on your asthma that your mind went into autopilot. I had no idea what you needed or how to help.”
“I’m sorry.” You mumbled, feeling guilty.
“It’s not your fault. It’s ours for not being properly prepared.” Esme insisted.
“Why don’t you get some sleep, and, in the morning, we’ll have a family meeting on how we can help you in the future. Alright?” Carlisle asked. 
You nodded, and your guilt was replaced with sleepiness thanks to Jasper. You cuddled further into Emmett’s chest, who chuckled and resumed petting your hair. You drifted into sleep after your parents and siblings had wished you a goodnight. 
Unbeknownst to you, your family had all stayed in your room as you slept, not able to bring themselves to leave your side after the evening you all had.  
~~~~
When Carlisle asked what triggered your asthma, your family was surprised at your answer. 
Exercise? Asthma Attack. Allergies? Asthma Attack. Cold Weather? Asthma Attack. Laughing? Asthma Attack. Sneezing? Asthma Attack.
Lungs couldn't make decisions, meaning Alice was unable to see when or where you would experience your next asthma attack. If there was one thing your family despised more than anything, it was not knowing when you could be in danger. So, after that night, they had gone a bit overkill with the asthma thing.
While you taught your siblings and Esme everything they needed to know about your asthma (how to work your nebulizer, the importance of staying elevated, keeping your body cool, etc.), Carlisle managed to get an inhaler for each of your siblings on the off chance that you lost or misplaced yours, and there was an emergency.
These small pieces of life saving plastic became their prized possessions. At any given time, they had an inhaler on them, even when they weren’t with you. They carried them while hunting, shopping, in class, working on their cars, etc. 
Bella had even mentioned how, on multiple different occasions, she had felt the hard plastic of the inhaler in Edward’s pocket while they cuddled. (Talk about a cock block)
In the beginning, it was overbearing. You couldn’t blame them for being worried—you knew that seeing you that night had terrified them. That being said, having five inhalers shoved at you every time you so much as breathed funny got very old very fast. 
It took some time, but, after constantly reminding them that you had your own inhaler and promising them that you would go to them if it was an emergency, they eventually settled down. 
~~~~
It was a beautiful spring afternoon. It had rained the night before and left nothing but sunshine and a cool breeze. Your family had plans to go hunting that day—which meant that you and Bella were going to spend the day at the reservation. You enjoyed spending time on Quileute land. It meant you got to cook with Emily and mess around with the other wolves.
When word of the Cullens adopting a human reached them, they insisted on seeing you once a month to make sure that you remained human. You were nervous when you first met Sam and the others, your family telling you all about their secret and the treaty. But, to nobody’s surprise, you all got along amazingly—Sam, Emily, Paul, and the rest of the pack treating you like family. The only member of the pack you didn’t get along with was Jacob. Your family meant everything to you, and you were not a fan of Jacob’s need to be involved in your brother’s love life. But, for the sake of the treaty, the two of you acted civilly towards each other.
Edward had pulled up to the treaty line with the usual pained expression on his face. Jacob stood against the hood of his car on the other side of the line with an excited smile. Bella and Edward quickly said their goodbyes before she hopped out and went towards Jacob. Edward watched on with jealousy as he read Jacob’s thoughts. 
“Don’t worry Eddy, nothing will happen while I’m here. After all, I’m still a minor.” You teased him, leaning over the center console. 
Edward chuckled. “You’ve been spending too much time with Emmett.”
You shrugged, not agreeing or disagreeing. Just as you were moving to sit back and get out of the car, Edward’s arm grabbed yours. Turning back, his eyes bore into yours.
“Be safe and have fun okay? We’ll be back in a couple of hours. Carlisle, Emmett, and I will have our phones on us so do not hesitate to call. Do you have your inhaler?” 
“I have my inhaler, phone, and I’ll do my best to stay safe. You don’t need to worry about me.” 
“I always worry about you.” He huffed and kissed your temple.
You smiled at him, “Love you too. Now, go kill something big!” You exclaimed, sliding out of the car and heading towards Jacob and Bella. You didn’t need to turn around to know that he was rolling his eyes. 
Jacob pulled up to Sam and Emily’s house. The car was barely in park before you jumped out and scurried towards the house, Bella and Jacob’s banter making you nauseous. The house was abnormally quiet when you walked in, the only sounds coming from the kitchen. 
“Emily?”
The clamoring of pots and pans came to a stop, Emily peeking her head around the corner, a big grin plastered on her marred face, “Y/N, you’re here!” She pulled you into a hug, “The rest of the boys are out patrolling and enjoying the nice weather, but you’re just in time. I was about to start making muffins!” 
You were easily the closest to Emily, the two of you quickly bonded over your mutual love of cooking and baking. Time flew by as you and Emily gossiped and cooked up a storm, making enough muffins, cookies, casseroles, and trail mix to feed the pack. Before you knew it, the front door was opening and Sam, followed by Embry, Quil, Jacob, and Bella, stepped into the house. Greetings were thrown around before the boys dug into their food. 
You took a seat across from Bella, between Quil and Embry. You watched the two boys with a look of disgust as they tore into the muffins. Sam, Emily, and Bella laughed at your face, bringing the attention to you. 
“Got a problem Y/N?” Quil asked, purposely smacking his mouth near your ear.
You shoved him away, “With you? No. With the way you eat? Absolutely. Just ‘cause you two are dogs doesn’t mean you have to eat like it.” You teased, attempting and failing to hide your growing smile. 
The two wolves made eye contact over your head, exchanging silent words. 
“You asked for it,” Embry exclaimed before him and Quil attacked your sides, tickling you. 
“Say uncle!” 
“Never!” You squealed.
This went on for what felt like hours before Sam heard you begin to wheeze, “Boys stop torturing the poor girl and eat the food she helped make for you.” His command brought their actions to a halt. 
You sent the alpha a grateful look as you attempted to catch your breath. A wheeze had begun to sound from your chest. It was accompanied by a familiar tightness that didn’t immediately worry you but made you hyperaware of where you placed your bag. 
Just as you started to feel comfortable, a different set of hands grabbed your sides. The surprise of the attack combined with the onslaught of fingers tickling your sensitive sides caused your wheeze and chest pain to come back with a vengeance. You couldn’t see who the culprit was, quickly becoming overwhelmed with the burning in your chest as coughs and laughs competed to escape your body at the same time. 
“Paul stop! She’s having an asthma attack!” Bella’s voice echoed in your ringing ears. 
The hands on your sides retreated. Before you could register what was happening, your chair was turned around and Bella was crouched in front of you. 
“Hey, hey, you’re gonna be okay. Where is your inhaler?” 
Taking a deep breath you managed to wheeze out a response, “M-my bag.”
You heard the sound of what you could only assume was the contents of your bag being dumped onto the table as you did your best to take steady breaths. Despite your attempt, coughs kept escaping. 
“It isn’t in here, Bella! What do we do?” 
Panic started festering in your stomach. How could you be so stupid to forget your inhaler? You swore you put it in your bag!
Bella stood from her spot in front of you, combing her fingers through her hair while she thought. She knew second hand how bad this could get, and Bella didn’t want to take any chances. Not only were you her boyfriend’s baby sister, but she considered you family, and when the two of you were on the reservation, you were her responsibility. The two of you looked at each other and you nodded, silently giving Bella the go-ahead. “Hand me my phone, I need to call Edward. Emily, take my place and try to get her to match your breathing.” 
Emily kneeled in front of you and looked at you with sympathy.
You avoided looking her in the eye, too embarrassed that she, and the other wolves, had to see you like this. You weren’t a pretty sight, bright red, sweaty, heaving for air, and sputtering out skull rattling coughs. 
As if sensing your embarrassment, Emily rubbed your back comfortingly, reminding you of Esme. She muttered what you could assume were words of support that you couldn’t hear over the ringing of your ears.
On the other side of the room, you faintly heard Bella talking to Sam. You only managed to make out a few words—“Emmett”, “inhaler”, and “treaty line”, but that was enough to make your panic slightly subside. You were going to see your family soon, and everything would be okay.
Next thing you knew, Sam, Bella, Paul, Quil, and Embry rushed out the door and piled into Sam’s car. Jacob picked you up bridal style, Emily making sure you were secure before he sprinted out of the house in the direction of the treaty line. In a last-ditch effort to calm your lungs, you did some breathing exercises that Carlisle taught you to no avail.
Your cough continued to get worse as Jacob ran, your face slowly going from red to a light purple as you struggled to get enough oxygen. Jacob’s hot skin pressed flush against your own, combined with your gasps for air, made you feel like you were burning alive.
You had never experienced an asthma attack this bad before. 
At that point, you were barely coughing anymore, just desperately choking for air. All you could think about was your family. 
Esme didn’t deserve to lose another child. 
The blue skies and green treetops blurred as tears started to stream down your cheeks. You were terrified that you wouldn’t make it to the treaty line. Panic overtook you as dark spots clouded your vision, and you continued to heave for air. You closed your eyes, accepting that you were going to die from an asthma attack in the arms of someone you didn’t even like that much.
“We’re almost there, little Cullen, don’t give up on me yet.” You could only respond with more pained sounds causing Jacob to mutter some swears before pushing himself to run faster. 
You were teetering on the edge of consciousness when you were passed into a pair of cold arms, goosebumps breaking out on your skin from the drastic temperature change. A piece of hard plastic was placed between your lips, the familiar taste of albuterol on your tongue. Despite your instincts to inhale, new coughs pushed the medicine out over and over again. 
The sound of screeching tires and muffled voices registered in the back of your brain. You felt your body being rearranged, your back pressing up against a familiar hard figure before the plastic was placed back between your lips. 
“C’mon Y/N. Please breathe.” 
You did what the voice said, doing your best to breathe in when it told you to. 
You weren’t sure how much time had passed before the ache in your chest started to subside. Opening your eyes, you took in Carlisle’s relieved face. Your father was kneeling in front of you with one hand cupping your cheek, the other holding your inhaler to your mouth, giving puffs every sixty seconds. 
“There you are.” He whispered. 
Looking around, you noticed your back was against Emmett’s chest, his hands on your neck and forehead trying to cool you off. Edward was kneeling beside you, your shaky hand held firmly in his own. Behind him stood Bella, worry evident on her features. On your other side, a few feet away, on the edge of the treaty line, were the wolves, all in varying degrees of distress. Paul looked the worse out of all of them with tear streaks staining his cheeks. 
“Breathe in,” Edward whispered. 
You did as he said and Carlisle gave you another puff. 
“Can you say something please?” Emmett begged after another moment, fear obvious in his voice. 
In all your time with the Cullens, you had never heard Emmett sound that desperate before, and you felt guilty knowing you caused it. You swallowed hard, throat raw, “I-I’m sorry.”
You spoke at a barely audible level, but that didn’t stop the supernatural creatures around you from letting out huffs of relief. 
“You have nothing to apologize for darling.” Carlisle’s thumb wiped away your tears.
“Your inhaler fell out in my car. You couldn’t have done anything.” Edward informed you, lightly squeezing your hand. 
“It’s not your fault Y/N. It’s mine, I’m so sorry.” Paul apologized from across the invisible line. 
Growls emanated from your brothers, their dark eyes trained on the shifter. You could feel the tension between your brothers and the wolves, but Carlisle was quick to stop anything from getting out of hand. 
Handing the inhaler to Edward, Carlisle stood up and headed towards the wolves. Their conversation was quiet and short, Carlisle no doubt expressing his gratitude towards Jacob for getting you to your family so fast and then telling Sam that he’d send you with an extra inhaler to keep at his house next time you visit the reservation.
You looked at your brothers in confusion when they softly chuckled at something Sam had said. Turning around, Edward looked at Bella, “Giving commands to pack alphas now, huh?” 
“Badass,” Emmett smirked. 
“She’s family,” Bella said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 
You went to speak when another round of unforgiving coughs racked your body. A whimper escaped your lips at the agony that accompanied it. Carlisle was in front of you in an instant. Edward gave you another puff, your hands still too shaky and weak to hold the inhaler on your own. 
“I want to go home.” You whispered as tears fell down your cheeks.
Emmett pressed a kiss to the crown of your head before gently standing up, taking you with him. You looked over his shoulder and gave a feeble wave bye to the wolves, who returned your wave with soft smiles and small waves of their own. 
Carlisle opened the door to Edward’s Volvo for Emmett and you while Edward started his car, and Bella took the passenger seat. He made sure you were comfortable before closing the door and speeding over to sit in the backseat with you. Edward toed the line between safely speeding and recklessly driving as he expertly swerved through the winding roads. 
Sat cradled in Emmett’s lap, coughs continued to plague you. They weren’t as bad as earlier, but they still hurt.
“Esme, Rose, Jazz, and Alice already have your breathing treatment and anything you could possibly need set up and on hand. You’re safe. Everything is going to be okay.” Emmett muttered, saying the last part for both your benefit and his. 
It wasn’t long before Edward pulled up to your family home. The car door was yanked open and you were taken into Jasper’s arms who sped you into the living room. He set you gently on the couch, handing you the mouthpiece of your breathing treatment before clicking it on. 
Looking around at your family, you couldn’t help the fall of fresh tears. 
“Oh, honey,” Esme muttered before taking the spot on your right, tucking you into her side. Carlisle positioned himself on your other side, rubbing your back.
You couldn’t help the thoughts and feelings that plagued you as you looked upon your perfect family. 
You’re a burden. A hassle to be around. They shouldn’t have to worry about a weak human like you.
Before you could begin spiraling to a truly dark place, Edward broke the silence, “Don’t think like that,” Your eyes locked with his, “You aren't a burden and neither is your illness or humanity. You’re our family, and nothing will change that. We love you.”
Your siblings echoed his remarks, and Esme squeezed you closer, kissing your temple. “You brought a light into our family that wasn’t there before. No illness is going to change the fact that you have blessed this family, and if you don’t believe me, then I’ll just have to convince you.” 
“I love you mom,” You whispered, tears freely flowing down your cheeks. It was the first time you had called her that, and it was a moment that none of you would forget. 
 With a soft smile, you snuggled closer to your mom and attempted to fight the exhaustion that plagued your mind and body in order to finish your breathing treatment.
“Go to sleep Y/N. We aren’t leaving any time soon.” Jasper joked.
You nodded, and, with a little help from Jasper, you dozed off in your parent’s arms, the mouthpiece still between your lips. 
You couldn’t have asked for a better family. 
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Note
Now... lets imagine something: Peck slowly falling for his new coleague/assistant because she is the only person who is nice to him/tries to know him better in all of Omega.
At the end of Forsaken they're both going for that island and god knows what will happen to them 🥴
🧿👄🧿 I seriously had to put my phone down for a second and take a BREATH because this ask is just that powerful 😭😭🙏🏻 Ofc I had to write a whole ass fic, so sorry this took some time but I want you to know that ily Peck anon 🥺💝
That assistant part is HITTING tho, I must say. As the great Paul McCartney once sang in Temporary Secretary: "Mister Kravchenko Marks can you find for me, someone strong and sweet fitting on my knee" 😌
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This is going to need chapters, so here's the first.
Temporary Secretary | Chpt 1
Dr Peck x fem!reader
Chpt 2
Tw: language and a little bit of medically accurate grossness around Peck's post gouged out eye, but really nothing serious at all tbh
The wall clock ticks away, slowly counting off the seconds, minutes, and hours in the lab. Dr William Peck alternates methodically between scratching away on the giant chalk board, and keying information into the nearby Omega terminal.
It's been a few weeks now since he's been ordered to find a way to deal with the Forsaken threat. What a fucking project, huh? And if that's not bad enough, they're already barking up his tree for some progress and results.
He may be a world class genius, but that's not exactly the same thing as a miracle worker.
Peck itches the small strip of skin under his eye patch band. The Colonel has already made it abundantly clear as to how Omega repays failure. Suffice to say, he's in a hurry to meet their demands. Ludicrous as they are...
As he toils away, he hardly notices the metallic grating of the laboratory doors. However, the sound of Kravchenko's voice certainly doesn't escape him, "Doctor, a moment please"
The Colonel does not make requests, that much he knows. He bites back a snide remark and turns his attention around. Kravchenko is accompanied by a single guard and a young woman dressed rather nicely. She seems to be either shy, or a little afraid. Too early to tell.
Kravchenko gruffly motions you forward, "I'm sure you've read my message from yesterday, and as promised here is your new assistant. I trust this arrangement will speed along results for Omega from you soon"
With that, he takes a few files for his own documentation and leaves. Damn. He didn't read anything about a "new assistant". Although, he did find it a little suspicious when he came to see a new desk in his lab all of a sudden this morning...
Whatever, he has better things to be doing right now then getting to know this Soviet drone.
You introduce yourself while the doctor works with his back to you.
"Uh huh, that's great"
A little taken aback by his response, you try one more time to be polite and ask if there's anything you can do for him. He's silent for just a moment this time, perhaps actually considering the statement.
"I don't know, why don't you make some fucking coffee or something. Black. No sugar. And don't burn it", he barely gives you the time of day as he scribbles away at some equations.
"Of course, doctor"
The rest of the work day drags on... You spend most of it milling around the room or straightening and re straightening your desk as the doctor conducts his test runs and completes his calculations.
You didn't get anything even close to a thank you, but at least he drank the coffee.
To your credit, you stay long after what is necessary and don't leave until you're dismissed. Peck of course continues his work, long into the night after you're gone.
The florescent lights around him blaze on, so that you'd hardly know it's after midnight. He takes a break from his chalk and his keyboard to head into his little side office. Peck removes his eye patch with agitation, tossing it aside onto his fine oak desk as he struts to the small powder room tucked into the back.
He jerks the faucet on and grabs some gauze pads from the jar nearby. Fuck, his eye has been seeping for over an hour. He sneers into the mirror, quiet the contrast to the gentle swipes of the warm, wet gauze he uses across his closed eye.
Sticky, cloudy clumps of mucus and blood come away from the wound. It's wouldn't be as bad as it is now if he'd do this regularly, but... God does he hate doing it. It's funny how this alone is enough to make him question if all this is worth it.
A normal person may soon be able to get over the loss of their eye, but someone like him needs to be able to take in an much information as he can. Sometimes he questions if he really is working slower because of it.
No, he knows he is.
In this line of work, even the few seemingly inconsequential seconds it costs him can make all the difference.
When it's all cleaned up, he looks at his reflection, both eyes open. Surrounded by all the quiet, he thinks of his Martha. It's been a long time since he's thought of her. She left him, you know. At least, that's the part of the story he prefers to focus on.
But there's so much he misses about her.
She was the worst when it came to feeding his ego. She'd tell him all the time how smart and how handsome he is. He cups a hand to the side of his face, long thick fingers tracing their way down from his missing eye to his puffy, baby face jaw.
Statistically speaking, that's a lie. There's loads of studies and research to show that in truth, he's average looking at best. Hmp, that was perhaps the one area of knowledge he chose not to correct her on.
He wonders if she'd say those things to him now.
Probably not.
She's the reason he did all this in the first place. All he wanted was to give her a better, nicer life. She'd always say things are better then she could ever have dreamed of, but he never believed in "good enough". There's always room for better.
He thought she'd understand, but... Well. It would appear he miscalculated. By then, it was too late.
Is it wrong that he just want to forget her? A few months ago he sent her some flowers and a card for Valentine's, just a little "I'm sorry" or something. She sent them back. Accompanied by a polite and almost cheery little note explaining that she was seeing someone new and didn't feel right accepting them.
That's just like her. So fucking sweet and considerate.
Coming out of his thoughts, he puts on a fresh eye patch in place of the old one on his desk, currently saturated with gunk. He watches his reflection with something like distain.
He never deserved her.
Besides, clearly she's moved on. Why shouldn't he?
He can't seem to find an answer to that. Eventually, he summons the strength to trudge back out to the lab. The sooner he gets back to work, the sooner he can stop thinking about all this.
Instead, he reflects back on today. That was a neat miss run in with Kravchenko this morning. He wasn't exactly looking forward to whatever punishment would be awaiting him for not staying on top of work related updates like that.
Either way, when he pulled up with you in tow, it was bound to be unexpected regardless considering he'd never made any mention of needing help or an assistant before. He works best alone. Besides, he doesn't need anyone messing up his work flow or peace and quiet.
Although... He has to admit, he hardly noticed you all day. And that coffee was really good too. Maybe the Colonel is right. Maybe it would be nice to have an extra set of hands. And eyes.
Plus, now he can focus on the important things, instead of menial tasks and housekeeping.
...Not that it's all that neat around here to begin with.
You arrive in the lab right on time that morning. The heavy metal door beeps open in response to your ID as you push your way in. To your surprise, the lights are still on as though they've been that way all night.
"Hello?", perhaps the doctor came in early? You venture a little further in to find a lone figure face planted on the big, metal desk by the chalk boards.
Dr Peck snores softly amidst a mountain of papers, his lab coat discarded over the back of his chair. In truth, you're hear to help speed him along yes, but also to keep an eye on him and make sure he stays working. But... He's only human.
You click off about half the florescents, creating a soft dim in the room. Your heels click quietly as you make your way across the tile floor, coming to a stop right behind the doctor's chair. You pull his lab coat up over his shoulders and turn to go make some coffee, black but with a pinch of sugar, since he seemed to like it so much yesterday.
Well, as much as the infamous Dr Peck can like anything that isn't his own.
In the meantime, you decide to straighten up some paperwork around the lab and get to sorting his emails and calls.
You even wash his crusted up eye patch from these desk. He'll probably be needing a clean one today anyway.
And by the time he wakes up... There's a fresh cup of coffee waiting for him.
31 notes · View notes
dwaynepride · 4 years
Text
how was i to know?
summary: reader has a weird dream about gibbs.
have you ever done anything for the ‘ya know what kind of wood this is’ Gibbs dream that both Quinn and Palmer had?
words: 1700
warnings: slight nsfw
tags: @fairytale07​ @jrenn10​ @f4nboi​ @purplestarsr5 @ladyzombiielove​ @littlemiss3ma @minikate--24-05​ @consultingdoctorwholock​ @kittenlittle24​ @24601error-prisonernotfound @andreasworlsboring101​ @dressed-up-just-like-z1ggy​ @ms-allenbrown​ @ikbenplant​ @dylpickles1267​ @diaryofafan17​ @specialagentlokitty​ @pageofultron​ @stanathanxoox​
a/n: it’s been a while since i’ve posted. this isn’t beta-read so ignore the typos. be free, my thots.
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Your eyes just weren’t focusing anymore.
It’s been hours (don’t ask how many) since you’ve sat down at your desk to read over case files. The bane of a federal agent - chained to their desk and forced to go over every scrap of evidence and testimonies to find anything useful and it’s the burden placed squarely on your shoulders for today.
Usually, you have tricks to help when the words start blending together. Getting some coffee, going for a walk, visiting Abby because she’s the physical embodiment of caffeine and normally wakes you up.
But nothing helped. And the words kept swimming over the screen.
You’re not learning anything new from sitting here. But with the team hitting a roadblock in the case, what else is there to do? 
Again, you start reading the paragraph that you’ve been trudging through for the past twenty minutes. But this time, as your focus wavers, it’s not because of the headache or the tension in your eyes. The sudden presence on your right is what stops your reading. It’s warm. All-encompassing. Brings over the soft smell of sawdust and aftershave and as soothing at the presence is, it’s a shock to you.
Because you could have sworn you were alone in the bullpen - staying behind while the others went off to find new leads.
Your eyes move off the computer screen, meaning to glance over to the presence. But you never see their face because they’re suddenly leaning in. Hovering over your shoulder, shrouding you from the harsh office lights, and you reckon if you take in a big enough breath, you’d be able to feel the warm presence pressing against your shoulder.
Their face was a mystery, and yet, you can feel a pair of eyes watching you - hard, steely, freezing you in your chair.
And without warning, a hand comes to rest on the surface of your desk, next to the keyboard. A worn, scarred hand that you recognize with a jolt. The named of its owner lies on the tip of your tongue, but it never comes out - like a secret you’ve sworn to keep.
His fingers curl a bit, knocking lightly against the top of your desk. The sound could’ve easily been mistaken as the pounding of your heart, if one listened close enough.
“You know what kinda wood that is?”
The voice mumbled against your ear is low and deep. Sounding like a bass drum and its sound reverberates through your body and you’re pretty sure it’s the reason why your hands are suddenly a little shaky. 
“W-wood?” You manage to echo back. A single word, hoping for clarification because your brain is moving at a snail’s pace. You’re simply too preoccupied on the warm, wet breathing that wafts over your neck.
His fingers start tapping against the desk in some unknown rhythm. And your eyes watch them move, entranced, and you keep telling yourself to look away and focus on something else but it’s much too easy to just keep staring. “Yeah. You outta know.” His voice is closer. More hushed. And that’s because his lips are right against the shell of your ear and his breath is blazing hot.
And through it all, you can catch the faint scent of bitter coffee and it only makes your skin tingle even more.
You suppress a shudder, if only to deny him the satisfaction of feeling it.
His presence somehow keeps growing larger - more encompassing, like a storm cloud rolling over the city. The words on the monitor; they don’t exist. There’s no more Naval Yard or team of federal agents or a whole case to solve. 
It’s just you, him, and the hard, cold press of the wooden desk keeping you here. 
Finally, you turn your head towards him. Words form on the edge of your tongue - stern words of annulment and to tell him you’re too busy for his games.
But then you meet his eyes. Head on - and they give you pause. Frozen in place, as if the icy blues really could chill you to the bone. So close, you could catch faint flecks of gray and gold floating around in the ocean of light blue and this time, it’s impossible to push down the shudder.
Now, his breath wafts over your lips slowly in his careful exhale, sounding almost disappointed and you’re shocked at how much that thought troubles you.
“Want to get a closer look?” He mumbles, eyes falling blatantly to your lips before coming back to meet your gaze.
A closer look? Damn him. 
This must be some kind of sick game for him - to see how far he can push you before you bend to him. He knows the implications of his question. You’ll start imagining yourself bent over the desk, looking closely to study the wood and its rings and texture. Everything he wants you to look for. Your mind will wonder, and suddenly, the image of him fucking you, hard and purposeful, over the desk pops up and you’ll never be able to get it out of your head.
And it works like a god damn charm.
His head tilts to the side, eyes softening to look amused. Probably because he notices you’re panting lighting and can feel it against his lips. “I can show you, if you want,” he murmurs. Still acting innocent. Still keeping with this game.
You breathe in because your head starts getting dizzy from lack of oxygen, but that proves a fatal mistake. 
Because the air itself smells like him - like coffee and smoke and old cologne and it goes straight between your thighs and you find yourself craving the feel of his scarred, worn-out hands on your skin. “Gibbs…”
His name comes out weak, like a shiver. And when he hums in response to it, you can nearly feel the vibration through the air and pulsing against your body. And slowly, carefully, his hand comes up to touch your shoulder. The first real, raw physical contact and you wait for it with baited breath. Suddenly craving it more than the air itself.
As it connects, you expect a soft sort of seering feel. Like a branding iron. Instead, it’s a hard and sudden shove that seems to rock the entire world.
It’s so hard, your eyes snap open instantly, sucking in a gasp of air like you’d just been held underwater. Those cold blue eyes that had so easily frozen you solid were gone, replaced with the familiar scene of the office doused in the light of a sunset. 
The stifling presence of Leroy Jethro Gibbs was also gone - in a way, you were grateful for the freedom. It was much easier to breathe now, that’s for certain. But the second thing you notice upon sitting up in your chair isn’t as appreciated.
Your body is humming. Heart pounding a million miles a second. And your skin...it’s almost painfully sensitive. So much so, even your clothes rubbing against it is almost too much to bear. For a moment, you can still feel Gibbs and his warm breath and the remains of his touch. 
But the worst realization is the deep throb between your legs. Aching and pulsing for something - or someone - that will never come. Your thighs shift together, hoping to ease the feel but the friction only seems to make it worse.
“You fell asleep.”
That’s his voice. 
Your head whips up to find Gibbs standing by your desk - watching you, his eyebrows pinched together and standing in nearly the same exact spot as in your dream and it’s a shock that you even realize that.
Immediately, you let your gaze fall - everything is throbbing just a little too much to meet his eyes. “And you were making some noises,” he continues. “You good?”
“Yeah,” you answer immediately. Too quick, you realize. Gibbs may not believe the dream was simply nothing, and it’s proven when he takes a small step closer to you. His shoes nearly nudge against yours, and you can’t stop yourself from tucking your feet under the chair away from him. 
His eyes are still on you. It takes an enormous amount of effort to keep your breathing steady and to stop the light shake of your hands to even pretend everything was normal. “You sure?” He asks. And this time, his tone is different. Just slightly - it wouldn’t even had been noticeable if dream-Gibbs hadn’t spoken so softly right in your fucking ear.
You need to get a fucking grip.
It was just a dream. A vivid, extremely hot dream. But a dream nonetheless. Not real.
“Very sure,” you reply, forcing your tone to sound more confident that you feel. It’s still impossible to meet his eyes - you know they’d be every bit as frosty blue and cool as in your dream, so you just spin your chair to face the desk. “You just woke me up from an intense dream.”
Gibbs hums a bit at the explanation. “Gonna tell me about it?”
“Definitely not.”
Out the corner of your eye, Gibbs just shrugs before turning back to his own desk and sitting down. Now that his whole focus isn’t on you, the rest of the world start to filter back in. The golden light of a setting sun coming in through the windows. The ambience of the office, winding down from a long day. Gibbs sipping his coffee. 
It gets easier to slow your beating heart. To ignore the slow, steady throb between your thighs. 
And carefully, you glance up across the bullpen to Gibbs. His eyes are on the monitor, paying you no attention.
“Gibbs.” That is, until you say his name carefully. Like an experiment. 
And when the shock of his eyes hits you once again, it’s nearly as powerful and earth-shaking as it was in the dream. But this time, you hold his gaze. Because there’s something you need to know before you can put this dream behind you and get back to work.
Your hand comes up, knuckles rapping lightly against the wooden surface of the desk. It sounds louder than it should. 
“Do you know what kind of wood this is?”
252 notes · View notes
idrellegames · 3 years
Note
Hi! First of all, I really admire the work you've put into this story. You've taken a lot of care in crafting the world of Rona, its characters, and the MC themselves, and it really shows! The game is super intricate and impressive and I can't wait to see what you do next!
Now that I've gushed over you a bit, on to my question: what tools or programs have you found helpful in organizing and writing Wayfarer?
Chapter 2 will be next! 😅 The game is very big and I'll be working on this for a couple more years before it's complete (there's 3 acts and each act could be a game on its own, but I want to preserve the player's stats without having to use an export/import system, so it's staying 1 game for now).
As for your other question, I'm going to put my answer under a cut because it got pretty long ahaha.
This might be a bit disappointing, but I don't use external tools or programs to help me with the writing process. I have my own organization system that I've developed over years of writing which I prefer over using tools like Scrivener, Campfire Blaze, or World Anvil.
I did use World Anvil for about six months when I first started worldbuilding, but I got really frustrated with the free version of the application (the online editor lagged, constant ads and popups). I didn't like it enough to check out one of the paid tiers to see if it was better. I find, too, with tools like World Anvil, that the templates can be quite overwhelming when you're starting fresh. There are questions for everything and I found myself getting stressed out that I couldn't or didn't want to completely fill a template in one go. Some of the templates were useful in that they asked worldbuilding questions that I hadn't thought about, but overall it was too much for me.
For my actual process, I do a lot of my initial worldbuilding and outlining by hand. I have a whole binder dedicated to that that's subdivided into different sections depending on what the notes are for (worldbuilding, magic systems, plot outlines, etc). I have a beat chart that maps the game's entire plot and main story beats and branches, and that exists primarily as a hardcopy. I haven't found a flowcharting application I like yet (I've tried so so so many 😅), so I still find outlining is easiest to do by hand.
Updated versions of those notes exist in subdivided folders in my massive Wayfarer folder on my desktop. The folder is a hub for everything related to the project, with subfolders for things like image assets, promotional posts, Patreon content, screenshots, CSS & Javascript files, the game's text, and the game's Twine archives (organized by month) and story files.
The game's text is written in multiple word documents compartmentalized by scene, and then stored in a chapter-specific folder.
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I like to compartmentalize things because it's easier for me to tackle it. If I work scene-by-scene (and often times, those scenes are further broken down into specific beats), I can focus on just the issue at hand, rather than trying to think about the whole scope of the chapter all at once. It also makes it easier for me to find mistakes and fix them.
My Twine library is similarly organized into compartmentalized story files. Even though it's a pain in the ass, I prefer working in the Twine editor rather than using Visual Studio Code and its Twee extensions (though I usually edit my CSS and Javascript in Notepad++). I may change how I handle my workflow eventually, but this is what's comfortable for me right now.
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Because I have separate story files, I use the Tweego compiler to put all the relevant files together and combine them into a single .html file for publishing.
Thanks for the ask! 💗
Pre-Launch Wayfarer AMA
31 notes · View notes
burnedbyshoto · 4 years
Text
that final phone call
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— Miruko is one tough rabbit, but eventually even the toughest of people need a helping hand. — 
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pairing: usagiyama rumi (miruko) x fem!reader
warnings: angst, cursing, blood
word count: 5,836
a/n: this is for the bnharem angst april collaboration!!! here for the best girl miruko. I would die for her and yuh, im so tired its 5:40 am and I just finished this LMAOOO and its scheduled for 9am posting. lets hope for the best, enjoy bbs. angst masterlist here.
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Riiing.
“Pick up…”
Riiing.
“Don’t ignore this…”
Riiingggg.
“P-Please pick up,” Rumi mumbled into the phone, her head spinning, her breathing weak and faint. “Pick up the phone, y/n…”
Riiing.
“Please…”
Riiing.
Rii—
“H-Hello?” your tired voice answered, and just like that, warmth flooded Rumi’s chest. She had to resist the urge from cringing; there was no reason to cringe, she berated herself, accept your feelings Rumi. “If this a prank call, I swear—”
“Y/n,” Rumi finally whispered, the energy that always existed within her fading quickly.
She didn’t need to be in the same room with you; she already knew what you were doing. How your back stiffened at the sound of her voice and how your stomach clenched, remembering what had happened two months ago.
“Why are you calling?” you said so emotionlessly that it was a sucker punch to Rumi’s stomach. A sharp reminder of what she did to you, of what had happened because she was weak. 
A ragged breath escaped Rumi’s lips while she closed her eyes, her head laying against the cold concrete, listening to the lull of the line.
“I needed to hear your voice…”
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One and a half years ago.
Usagiyama Rumi, better known as the Number Five Pro Hero Miruko was — to put it lightly — a powerhouse.
Known for her almost brash entrances, sturdy legs, and quick temper, it made sense as to why she wasn’t known as the Bunny Hero. She wasn’t soft enough to be a bunny, nor was she meek or gentle. No, Rumi was a hurricane of energy. She was fast, vibrant, and deadly. She was unmatched in her field of expertise, and she had no problem demanding people know that about her. She dived into her work, no matter how big or how small she handled everything with her fullest capability.
She was obsessed with her job because she always had something to prove.
But even a workaholic such as herself needed a break — or at least time outside of her uniform.
It was nearing midnight, and Rumi was strolling the dark streets of Hiroshima, her hands shoved into her jacket pockets. At the same time, she observed the neighborhoods she protected. It was a Saturday night, meaning that street life was quite busy. After working for two months straight without a single day off, her office staff had forced a two-day vacation on her. Still, it didn’t stop her from scouting these blocks for any sign of criminal activity. 
But she stilled when she heard loud arguing many alleys ahead, and with an excited smirk, Rumi took off.
It took her approximately thirty seconds to travel an entire block and into an alleyway where a large and burly man was arguing with a small woman. Rumi stilled, her eyebrow quirking in her confusion, what was going on?
“You have to let me in!” you insist again, your nose scrunching in your annoyance, your chest puffing out, and your eyes blazing. “I have reason to believe that there is a drug-pushing gang in this very club!”
Rumi shifted closer to you, and this now apparent bouncer who was looking less than impressed with you. A drug-pushing gang? She had been trying to find intel on that gang but had been coming up dry, she wanted to know more, to find out more. It seemed that it was her lucky day that she wasn’t relaxing at home because it seemed that you had information she could use. It was ballsy of you to show up at a hideout with such demands… she liked that. Rumi’s eyes looked over at you, and her smirk turned into a grin.
You wore a charcoal grey pantsuit, a white shirt underneath the opened blazer with the first two buttons undone. Her eyes noticed the scruffed up short heels you wore, and the way that your hair was in a chaotic bun. How amusing.
“Oh yeah, little miss nosey? And who the hell do you think you are exactly?” he sneered, taking an intimidating step forward.
The bouncer was easily twice your height, and Rumi watched you, expecting you to take a submissive step back, but was surprised to see you hold your ground.
“The investigative journalist for The Daily Hiro!” you inform back, your eyes daring him without a single bit of nervousness in their blaze. 
The bouncer opened his mouth, obviously ready to kick your poor journalist ass when another voice from the alleyway spoke up.
“She is not an investigative journalist,” the voice clipped, evidently very annoyed with your words. “She’s an intern. She makes coffee runs and edits my works, ignore her.”
Rumi’s eyes shifted on an angry reporter she knew by name. Hirano Naoko. A ruthless reporter that she often found herself at odds with because he didn’t agree with her... enthusiastic approach to being a hero.
A pained yelp escaped your lips when he grabbed your bicep and pulled you to him.
To an average person, there would be no way to hear the conversation between the reporter and the intern. Still, Rumi was not an ordinary person, after all.
“I thought I told you to take witness’s statements,” he hissed pulling you away into the darkness. “Not stir up fucking trouble! Drop the fucking gang shit before you get wrapped up in things you don’t want to get caught in.”
“But you don’t understand Hirano-sama, I saw—”
“I could give two shits about what you saw! That doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want! This isn’t some fucking cop show, grow the fuck up. You’re an intern, not a reporter!”
Rumi figured she had enough.
“Hold on!” she yelled, her voice bouncing off the walls of the alleyway, and all three heads snapped her way. Her arms folded across her chest while she tilted her head. There was nothing like the way all three eyes widening when they recognized the famed Rabbit Hero standing before them with a feral grin and civilian clothes. “I want to see if this intern is right, open the door, bouncer.”
The bouncer was like a mountain to the Rabbit.
Tall, muscular, and frightening in this dim and yellow light.
“M-Miruko!” he stammered, his fingers searching for something, and Rumi lowered her stance. Was he trying to inform them that she was here? “What a pleasure seeing you here!”
Then she heard it, the familiar noise of shuffling plastic. He was trying to alert someone.
In an instant, she was before him, her heel slamming onto his chin and sending him flying, knocked out cold.
“This is why we wear heels,” she snickered, watching the mountain of a man crumble to his face. How weak, pathetic. Her attention turned to you, the intern who looked both ready to pass out from this scare and vibrating with excitement. “Intern, you promise those villains are in there?!”
Your eyes flutter, and Rumi takes you all in. Strands of hair fall over your eyes, your painted lips pulled into a large ‘o’ from your shock, but there was that confidence in your eyes that made her lick her lips in anticipation.
“On my life.”
Rumi snickered, now that was an answer she wanted to hear.
And as a one-woman show goes, she flung open the door and, in under twenty minutes, single-handedly brought down the most extensive drug unit within Hiroshima. She had defeated them all, leaving her with significant cuts on her cheeks and arms, a fat lip, a broken heel, and bruises on her toes. But damn did she feel alive.
Rumi watched with a broad grin when the twenty-three men were put into police cars, their injuries far worse than her own. How amazing was that! Months of worrying disappearing on a leisurely night stroll! She couldn’t have done it without… her mouth frowned.
She did it with help?
Her eyes flew over to you, an intern, talking to the cops with a whole file that seemed to come from nowhere with incriminating evidence against this group. Rumi shoved off the medics that were applying more useless bandages on her and walked over to you.
“Oi, intern!” she called, and both you and the police officer turned around. Thankfully, the police officer was either done interviewing you or smart enough to leave once Rumi approached with her trademark grin. “You did good work out there.”
“Miruko-san, oh, um, thank you!” you smiled in return, bowing in greeting when she stopped in front of you. “Congratulations on closing that case!”
“How did you crack them? I’ve been working on finding them slip up for months now, but you figured it out?” Rumi asked, her arms folding and head tilting. “What did you see that I missed?”
Rumi could hear your heart stop and watched the way your eyes widened significantly. “O-Oh, well, I don’t know… I guess I have a knack of being at the right place at the right time?” you laughed, rubbing the back of your head. “To be honest, it was probably more important to me than it was to you… so I able to crack it before you?”
“What makes you say that?” Rumi asks, unsure if she should be offended or not. “Are you trying to say that I’m not working hard enough?!”
“Oh my god, no!” you panic, your hands out in a motion of retreat, your head shaking quickly. Rumi wanted to open her mouth and grill you for answers, but there was something about you that made her hesitate, that made her still. You shrug your shoulders, your hands clasping together. “My future career was riding on this case. The company thinks I’m a nutjob, so if I could prove my ‘conspiracy theories’ were right, I could finally be appointed a job as a journalist!”
Rumi hummed, taking a step closer to you, enjoying the way that your heart sped up when she did so, her head tilting in her amusement, “Well, you did what you had to do, congrats.”
“T-Thank you!” you brighten at the praise, and Rumi does everything she can to not throw an arm around you.
“Usagiyama Rumi,” she introduced herself to you, her hand extended.
You stared at her hand as if she was some goddess instead of a person. But that fire that had interested her well before that erupted back in your eyes. You extended your hand, grasping hers firmly.
“Y/l/n y/n,” you grin, and it’s at this very moment that Rumi solidifies that she indeed likes you.
You were a quiet fire, unlike her own raging one, but she was no idiot. You were something that would burn the entire world down because no one would see you coming, and she liked it.
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Six months later.
“RUMI!” your voice shrieks from the kitchen. “HAVE YOU SEEN MY LAPTOP?!”
Rumi was soaking in a bath right now, her eyes closed while absorbing the warm water. Two weeks of straight and intense battles had left her body a bit beat up, but hey, she was currently in her girlfriend’s apartment presently being taught how to relax. 
Yes, shocking, her girlfriend’s apartment.
It took a solid week for Rumi to realize that she had feelings for her, something that took a while for her to sort out because she thought she was mentally ill for a second. Nevertheless, her good friend Hawks laughed in her face about how she was not dying but instead just having romantic feelings for you. After that, it took two seconds for her to confess and three minutes for you to say yes. 
It was very new for both of you, but Rumi was very pleased with where everything was going at the moment. Dating certainly wasn’t something on her radar for years now, but for some reason, that fire that burned through your soul was enough to pique her interest.
“Check under the bed!” she called back, listening to your feet shuffling against the wooden floor to get to the bedroom.
“Aha, I found it!”
Rumi cracked open a single eye to watch you waddle into the bathroom with the laptop in your hands and a wide grin on your face.
“So, I’m a junior journalist now, nothing too big or fancy, but… I think I have something outstanding in the making!” you excitedly inform her, throwing open the laptop while sinking to the floor next to the tub. 
“I thought you said bath time was a no-work zone,” Rumi teases her lips perking and her red eyes drilling into your own. 
An embarrassed look flashed across your face, but as you always did, you stood your ground and challenged her.
“I can give my information to a hero who wants it then!” you huff, moving to close the electronic device. “Like you care about my rule, anyways!”
“What a brat!” Rumi barks with laughter, her shoulders rolling in the warm and murky water. Her eyes watched the way her long white hair gently flowed in the water, something you had pointed out looked like moonbeams one night. It had been stupidly stupid, and she would forever remember the way you curled in a ball at your embarrassment. “Tell me!”
Snickering, you nodded, your fingers moving quickly against your keyboard while you searched for the document.
“I have information on the soon to be most dangerous crime group out there,” you inform her, your voice taking on a serious note when you look up at her. “Name it, they’ve done it, and worse yet, they’re a cultish family.”
Rumi felt a chill run down her spine at that information. That wasn’t a title you gave out quickly, nor with such confidence. Together the two of you had taken down four villain groups, and some of them had been nasty fuckers. 
“What’s their name?”
“They go by the name Shinseina,” you inform her, your knees pulling up to your chest, the laptop balanced on your knees to show Rumi your document. “I got one tip about two months ago, and that’s all I’ve managed to find on them.”
Rumi stared at the document.
‘Organization Name: Shinseina
Symbol: A Black Sun
Number of Members: ???
Warnings: ???
Leaders: ???
Location of Base: HQ thought to be in Hiroshima, the possibility of there being more is very high
Crimes: Quirk canceling drugs, quirk enhancing drugs, murder, gang affiliation, rape, robbery, theft, illegal quirk usage, money laundering, and 12 more.
Number of Heroes Killed: 16+.’
Two months of hard work, and that was all you had managed.
Rumi didn’t even need to use her quirk to hear your hammering heart, this was obviously upsetting you.
Sighing, she pulled her wrinkled hand out of the tub to motion for you to place the laptop away, her eyes holding yours when you do as commanded. “Come here, loser.”
“That’s rude,” you grumble, but still, you slide to the edge of the tub and watch Rumi.
Rumi sits up in the tub, her lips pressing against yours in a sweet embrace.
Your eyes flutter close at the feeling of her soft and smooth lips against yours. The slight coldness of her skin from just sitting in this water, sending a pleasurable shiver down your spine. Rumi chuckled, and the next thing you knew, she was dragging you in.
Rumi relished in the way your pitched screams echoed off the walls, your denial of being brought into the water was useless. Eventually, she pulled your fully clothed body into the lukewarm water with her, and your cries of disapproval faded into beautiful laughter.
Your cheeks burned while Rumi’s fur stood up in triumphant victory.
“I told ya, squirt, I don’t lose.”
You slammed your head against her collarbone, moaning loudly in your defeat, “I hate you!!!”
“Sure, you do!”
Rumi could only dodge out of your way when you went in for a weak attack. It was okay though, she thought, teasing you again for your weak punch. She would always protect you.
Her eyes rapidly blinked when those thoughts fully sank into her mind.
Excuse me?
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Six months later.
“An obstacle course?” you repeated, your eyes looking at the bouncy house that was apparently a place for a date. While you pursed your lips, Rumi looked back at her friends who seemed excited. “I’m sorry, but in what world do you expect me — a journalist — to be able to keep up with you Heroes?
Rumi once again turned back to look at Hawks and his intern, who both seem ready to compete. So she turned back around to face you and nodded in egotistical confidence. Your mouth dropped when she finished nodding.
“The only time I exercise is when I chase after people who run away from me!” You cry, obviously not at all prepared to compete against people who practically worked out for living!
“Don’t worry, they won’t use their quirks, and this is a team obstacle course!” Rumi laughs, her arms flexing to show you that there was nothing to worry about. She would make sure you both won even if that meant she would have to carry you to the finish line. “I won’t let you get hurt,”
She knew you wouldn’t like the idea of it; after all, you hated losing. But you were not one to back away from a challenge, and Rumi loved that about you.
“Fine,” you huff, turning towards the obstacle course.
With a loud hoot, Rumi bounced after you, an arm wrapping tightly around your shoulders.
“This’ll be fun.”
The objective of the course was to get across some pretty insane things together. There was a maze, obstacles to climb over, crawl over, powerfully slam through, all leading up to a freakishly tall wall to go down a slide, which was the finish line. Rumi was brimming with excitement, if she had to launch you across the course, she would. No way in hell was she going to let Hawks of all people beat her.
Shoes came off, and Rumi bounced on her toes at the entrance. She was shoulder to shoulder with both you and Hawks, and her eyes were on the finish line. She was going to win with you, that was the truth.
The employee working the festival stand sighed, staring at the four of you and getting an okay from his coworker.
“You both need to be at the final obstacle at the very end, but only one person needs to cross the finish line to be the winner,” he explained, and his hand raised for a countdown. “Ready?”
Rumi turned toward you, her hand reaching out and grabbing yours and placing a reassuring kiss on the back of your hand.
“Set.”
“Stop being so gay, Rumi, how embarrassing,” Hawks teased to her right.
“Suck my lesbian ass, pigeon.”
“Go.”
Rumi took off instantly, tugging you along with her, and before she knew it, the two of you were on the course. It was actually going better than she was expecting, you weren’t as incapable as you thought. You were able to keep up with a bit of struggle, but Hawks had smacked into a wall earlier, so she wasn’t concerned.
Obstacle after obstacle, the two of you conquered until you reached the wall.
Rumi looked back and noticed that Hawks and his intern were still stuck on the second to last course. That maze had been pretty bullshit.
“I’ll climb first!” Rumi explained, and you agreed with a pant.
Rumi turned back to the wall and began climbing the poorly reinforced steps that were there. It was obviously constructed to be able to withstand a child’s footing and not anyone over the age of seven. So as it was already stupidly tall, it was a struggle to climb.
Rumi was almost to the top when she looked down at you. You were a few steps down, your face twisted in your attempt to concentrate, your arms wobbling under the strain of trying to support yourself. Her attention snapped over to Hawks, who seemed to be scaling the wall, and her eyes widened. 
She needed to win.
She scampered up a few more steps before a cry came out.
“R-Rumi!”
Her focus slammed back to you and the way that your fingers slipped from the grasp, and in slow motion, you tumbled. It was without a doubt that this fall wouldn’t have hurt you, not a chance in hell would you have been injured, but Rumi’s instincts took over, and before she knew it, her arms were wrapped around you.
The trampoline bottom crashed onto her back, and you slammed onto her stomach.
Rumi had caught you.
She groaned at the discomfort caused by this action but lay still her hands stroking your cheek. Your eyes were wide, staring up at your girlfriend in complete shock. 
“Are you okay?” Rumi asks in a rare moment of softness. “You weren’t hurt, right?”
“Why did you jump after me?!” you yell that amusement she loved so much burning brightly in your gaze. “I wouldn’t have been hurt, you dork!”
“I promised I wouldn’t let you get hurt,” Rumi insists, rubbing her nose against yours. 
Once again, she can hear your hammering heart, and it relaxes her.
“But you let Hawks win!”
Rumi blinks at the realization, and suddenly the wheels in her head are turning rapidly.
“Would you ladies mind moving? The champions are ready to visit other stands unless you don’t wanna hang with us anymore!” Hawks calls out to both Rumi and you.
Rumi watches silently when you push off her, pressing a grateful kiss to her lips before responding back to the Pro Hero. 
“Oh, Hawks! Has Rumi told you about the new detail about the Shinseina case I’m working on?” you called off, skipping to catch up with her friend that she had allowed to win.
Rumi gave up a victory for you… she threw it away to save you from nothing… she thought that there were things about you that she loved. It didn’t sit well in her chest, and she watched with a twitching nose when you exited the course with that captivating bright smile. 
She couldn’t be in love… no, there was no way!
Love made you weak! Love made you insignificant! Love was a demonstration that you weren’t strong enough on your own, and to Rumi — no, to Miruko — that wasn’t okay.
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Four months later.
Rumi at the edge of your bed, her head down, ears wilted, nose twitching, and face clouded.
What the fuck was wrong with her?
“Bunny?” your tired voice called out in the silence of the night.
The noise surprised Rumi. It had so quiet until then, and it had completely caught her off guard. Her! The Pro Hero with some of the best ears around! Who could hear the quietest things meters away!
“Are you okay?”
Rumi wasn’t okay.
“I pulled a kick today,” she whispered to you, her hands shifting into fists on her lap. She shook with rage, her body trembling like a leaf.
“Is that a… a bad thing?” you yawn, shifting on the bed and finding her body, relaxing at the heat she gives off.
“Yes.” Rumi snaps, her body stiffening against your touch. “Yes, it’s obviously a bad thing.”
“Why?”
Why?
Rumi’s eyes concentrate on her bruised thighs, her frown increasing. How could she tell you the truth? How could she say that you were her weakness?
For years she had been a headstrong hero, someone who didn’t think but reacted. She lived her life to the fullest every day, and she gave it her all every chance she got. It applied to her social life and her work life, especially her work life. She wasn’t one to laze about; she would die on the job if she had to, and her opponents always knew that, but lately, things had changed. 
She found herself praying to some god about making sure she lived through these battles so she could go home to you. She prayed that someone else would find the Shinseina and bring them down so she wouldn’t be taken down. Being weak wasn’t a problem; after all, she was motherfucking Miruko, so she was used to building on her weaknesses, but this was different. No matter what she did, she couldn’t love you any less. Fuck, did she love you.
She loved the way your eyes narrowed whenever you interviewed people. She loved how you were quickly gaining traction in the media for being the best investigative journalist ever. She was so in love with you, and that’s where the problem was. Her love for you was so pure, so genuine, she wanted to give you the fairy tale ending. She tried to think before she acted, and villains were starting to notice.
Villains were threatening to hurt you, and Rumi was trapped.
“We need to break up.”
You weren’t expecting that, not in the slightest.
“W-What?”
“I don’t want to be with you anymore,” Rumi lies, and she feels you move away from her body, and it takes everything in her to not cry.
“Why not?” you ask, your voice steely smooth.
“You were access to the information I wanted. My office team is ass, and you were always getting your hands dirty with cases I needed to solve. But it seems that you’re nowhere near close to figuring out the last group I care about,” Rumi wills herself to say, her ears moving back up to show that she wasn’t lying. “I pretended for a year to be in love with you, but I can’t anymore.”
“Y-You’re not a great liar,” you state, challenging her false words.
Rumi loved it when you challenged her, but there was no time for that. So with a tight chest and flaring red eyes, she snapped around towards you, lips pulled into a snarl.
“Do you think I’m lying, y/l/n? I stuck around because you made me stronger, but now? You’re no better than the dirt on my shoes. Pathetic, useless, and a disgrace. I don’t need you anymore, so I’m cutting this off because I don’t want to pretend anymore.”
Standing up, Rumi storms over to the door, ready to leave.
She wishes she could say that it ended there, but it didn’t. Not even close to being done.
You spat acid at her, and she returned it at the same toxicity. Over and over again, the two of you verbally battled. False emotions taking the better of you both until you were in her face, tears streaming down your face, fingers shaking in her face.
“You are a fucking coward, Usagiyama,” you sneer, the effect only dramatized by your red eyes and deep eye bags. “Get over your stupid fucking commitment issues, being apart of a team i-is not weak! I’m here to make you stronger, not for you to want to be a one-man squad again! You’ll die alone that way!”
“I know being apart of a team isn’t weak,” Rumi states, her heart long frozen over. “I just don’t want to be apart of yours anymore.”
A humorless laugh escapes your mouth, and you shake your head, “Don’t show your face here again, if I see you, I’ll call the cops.”
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“— and Miruko, you’ll enter first. You’ll be alone for about five minutes if that’s okay.”
Rumi looked up, her mind freed from her daydream about what was happening.
It was two months since she had broken up with you, and things had only taken a turn for the worse. She threw herself into work. Overusing her quirk in ways that over-injured villains who were petty thieves, or underusing it in ways that she kept landing herself in the hospital. To put it simply, the rabbit hero was a mess. 
“Yeah, got it,” she nodded.
Things with the Shinseina ended up being brought to the light finally by you. You had noticed a slight clue in your office that had been undetected and ended up having you thrown into the Witness Protection Program due to the severity of the secret. But still, you provided an updated and completed information:
‘Organization Name: Shinseina
Symbol: A Black Sun
Number of Members: 237 thugs and lower cult members, 57 leaders and mid cult members, 12 senior members of the cult, 1 leader.
Warnings: All have dangerous quirks that can be used for assassination.
Leaders: Hirano Naoko
Location of Base: HQ - Hiroshima. Other sites detailed in the secondary report.
Crimes: Quirk canceling drugs, quirk enhancing drugs, murder, gang affiliation, rape, robbery, theft, illegal quirk usage, money laundering, and 12 more.
Number of Heroes Killed: 84’
“Hey, you get one call on this, we don’t want them finding anything on us in case we fail,” the leader spoke to her. Miruko breathed in deeply, accepting the cellphone that was given to her.
“Got it, thank you,” she muttered, and with that, they headed out.
Five minutes, that’s all it was.
Five minutes for Miruko, the Rabbit Hero, was nothing. Especially when she was zipping through room to room, taking out cult member after cult member. Everything was a blur, and she could only see her streaming hair following her like moonbeams in her wake.
Moonbeams…
Rumi thought of you, your face when you were happy when you were sad, and that night you broke up. Her lip trembled when her foot connected with someone’s chin sending them flying. Panting harshly, she stood in a room full of unconscious cult members. She had three minutes before backup would storm through the door, but which door to—
“SHIT!”
She just felt the impact. An intense tingle, similar to a severe electric shock coursing through her body. Rumi realized then that thousands upon thousands of circuits have just been broken, and it was burning her up. The heat was nothing she could have ever imagined, festering strongly in her bleeding wound. But there was still no pain when her foot connected with the man’s throat, instantly knocking him out. 
He had snuck up on her, his quirk concealing him even from her rabbit ears.
Rumi whimpered when she fell to the ground, blood pouring from her wound despite her best efforts. He had managed to land seven blows on her, and the world was darkening quickly.
Three more minutes until they came, but she could call them now…
When Rumi collapsed on the floor, her vision swam when she pulled out the phone, a warm and sticky puddle forming underneath her, staining everything that was white about her. Rumi’s fingers punching in the number she wanted to call.
Riiing.
“Pick up…”
Riiing.
“Don’t ignore this…”
Riiingggg.
“P-Please pick up,” Rumi mumbled into the phone, her head spinning, her breathing weak and faint. “Pick up the phone, y/n…”
Riiing.
“Please…”
Riiing.
Rii—
“H-Hello?” your tired voice answered, and just like that, warmth flooded Rumi’s chest. She had to resist the urge from cringing; there was no reason to cringe, she berated herself, accept your feelings Rumi. “If this a prank call, I swear—”
“Y/n,” Rumi finally whispered, the energy that always existed within her fading quickly.
She didn’t need to be in the same room with you; she already knew what you were doing. How your back stiffened at the sound of her voice and how your stomach clenched, remembering what had happened two months ago.
“Why are you calling?” you said so emotionlessly that it was a sucker punch to Rumi’s stomach. A sharp reminder of what she did to you, of what had happened because she was weak. 
A ragged breath escaped Rumi’s lips while she closed her eyes, her head laying against the cold concrete, listening to the lull of the line.
“I needed to hear your voice…” 
“Do you even know what time it is?” you almost growl, and that fighting spirit sends a warm feeling in Rumi’s chest. “What in the fuck do you need?”
“It’s two a.m., I know that, but I need you right now,” Rumi staggers into the mic, your spirit bleeding through the call. 
The line goes silent for a bit, and Rumi’s eyes feel heavier with every passing second. She wants to tell you she loves you, please give her the chance to say it.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t go back to you anymore,” you curtly respond. “You made sure of that.”
How ironic, Rumi thought, because now she would never go back to you anymore… never…
“I know,” she hoarsely responds back, her mouth trembling and tears slowly pouring from her eyes. It hurt so much, how horrible it was to go out because of stab wounds. Of all ways to go out, she never expected it to be like this, nor did she expect it to be done with regret in her actions. Because fuck, she regretted how she ended it with you. She regretted letting you go. She thought of your face and how you looked the first time she admitted she loved you, of how dorky you were for your first anniversary. How your eyes glowed whenever you corned the people you were investigating with something that seemed straight from a story. “I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry, y/n…”
“Are… are you okay, Usagiyama?”
“I love you…” she whispered before the phone fell from her fingers, crashing onto the bloodied floor.
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You stared at the phone, confused. 
Frowning you placed it down, the call had ended, but why was she calling you?
How this stupid bunny pissed you off sometimes. Turning your phone back on, you went to recent calls and recalled the number she had reached you on.
Riiing.
Riiing.
Riiing.
“Sorry, but the number you’ve tried to call is no longer available, please try again. Thank you!”
Beep.
You frowned a pit forming in your stomach, but you put your phone away, and for some reason, you couldn’t fall back asleep that night. 
It was eight in the morning when your phone blew up, and with a heavy hand, you grabbed your phone and looked at the billowing messages. And at the headliner, your stomach dropped to your toes, and bile climbed to your mouth.
‘RABBIT HERO: MIRUKO KILLED IN ACTION DURING Shinseina RAID!: It’s being reported that she was stabbed several times while alone, and while she was given a phone for backup, she used it on a call they cant trace.’
You couldn’t read it anymore, your heart hammering erratically while a blood-curdling scream escaped your mouth.
She was gone, she had called you last night to say goodbye, and you didn’t give her the time of day. She was gone, and you would never get the chance to convince her that having a life partner wasn’t weak.
Usagiyama Rumi was gone, and no amount of hoping, praying, or crying was going to bring her back to you or to redo that final phone call.
1K notes · View notes
wylanvnneck · 4 years
Note
Hi hi! Congratulations! Can I ask for a Jurdan shot with the prompt in miscellaneous, *kiss post break up*? Thank you 💖
Miscellaneous Prompt #4:  *A kiss post break-up that neither was expecting but both needed* (action prompt)
Fandom: TFOTA
Ship: Jurdan
Masterlist | Prompt List
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Jude relished the burning sensation in her thighs as she completed her third round of the massive fountain at the center of the park. The early morning air was cool and the sunshine was just starting to heat up the place, creating the perfect setting for her usual morning jog. This particular spot was practically deserted, the only sound to be heard was the chirping of the birds and the light rustle of the trees and this type of peace was precisely what she needed before yet another tough day at work where she’d have to deal with her asshole colleagues. Well, just the one colleague. Cardan Effin’ Greenbriar.
The thought of his smug face and ludicrous cheekbones was enough to make her quicken her pace, a bead of sweat making its way down the side of her flushed face. Thoughts of his betrayal flood her mind and she wonders how she could ever have thought of him as roguishly charming. The man was a scoundrel, a blackguard. He was also not worth thinking about. She pushes the image of his floppy black locks and dark eyes away from her mind and runs even faster, leaving all her problems behind. This moment is cathartic, it was escaping all her turmoil, it was freedom and she relishes it.
Suddenly, she picks up on the sound of a twig snapping nearby. Out of the corner of her eye she spots a figure moving behind her, walking slowly and close to the trees lining the pathway, as if they didn’t wish to be seen. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion and her mind whirs, defensive martial art positions running through her head. From a young age her father had instilled in her the dangers of being out alone in deserted spots and the importance of always watching her back and she’s now on high alert as the figure behind her seems to be trying to move even further into the trees, still only a few feet behind her.
Thinking fast, she turns at the next corner and ducks behind a thick tree to the side, crouching her body behind it. The wood is scratchy under her sweaty palms and her heartbeat is racing at a mile a minute, the tension cutting through her body like a sword. Her surroundings seem sharper, more vibrant in her anxiety and soon enough she hears the light footfalls of someone approaching the turn. Seconds later, the figure is almost right in front of her, stopping when he realises that she’s no longer on the path. Finally she manages to get a good look at him and when she does she can’t help but let out a shocked gasp.
“Jude?” Standing right there in front of her with a bemused expression is Cardan Greenbriar, her colleague and ex-fling. She refused to think of him as anything else. “What on Earth are you doing?”
“What am I doing? You’re the one who’s been following me like some perverted creep.” Stretching herself back to her full height she steps away from the tree and onto the path to face him, her eyes narrowing and her blood pounding. How dare he act as if she were the one acting bizarrely.
“I-” The tips of his ears turn red and his hands wring together, “That’s fair I suppose. I was just umm…”
“Yes?” His blundering manner is uncharacteristic and confusing. Usually, he was the most overly confident bastard out there. Cardan Greenbriar was the suave type of guy who always knew exactly what to say and when, a talent that made him extremely useful as Head of Sales for Elfhame Enterprises, the company owned by his father Eldred Greenbriar, where they both worked.
“I simply wanted to talk to you alone for a bit but I figured that you’d avoid me at work and avoid any calls and texts from me too so I thought I’d come meet you at the park on your daily jog instead.” The words come out in a fast-paced stream, nearly unintelligible, his cheeks now red as well.
“Let me get this straight, you wanted to talk to me alone so you decided to stalk me at the park on my morning run and nearly give me a panic attack in the process?” She almost can’t believe her ears.
“When you put it like that it sounds wrong!” He huffs.
“How exactly am I supposed to put it, Cardan, that’s exactly what you did!”
“Alright so I may have lost my nerve and decided to trail you for a bit before approaching you. I realise now that that was a dumb idea.”
She resists the age to facepalm. “You think?”
“Look can’t we just put this all behind us?”
She lets out a long-suffering sigh whilst bringing her hands up to lightly massage at her now throbbing temples. “Okay, you said you wanted to talk? About what?”
The entire time that they'd been talking his stare had been trained somewhere near her chin, but now he raises his gaze to directly meet hers. “About us.”
“There is no us.” He’d made certain of that.
He takes a step forward, eyes blazing and she takes a larger step backwards, determined to keep her distance.
“Jude, you have to give me a chance to explain, you owe me that at least.”
“I don’t owe you anything.”
There was no possible explanation that he could give for what he’d done. They hadn't always been at loggerheads, her and Cardan. At least, they hadn’t been for some time until the last week. When Jude had first joined the company last year, she’d despised the overly arrogant son of Eldred Greenbriar, thinking of him as the rich, self-entitled jerk that she was forced to work with.
Then a couple months in, he managed to persuade her to go on a date with him, one date and then if she didn’t want to agree to another he’d get the message and move on. So she’d gone, expecting to hate every minute of it, except that she hadn’t. They’d actually gotten along surprisingly well, he’d taken her to a chill little Diner, not the over-the-top fancy restaurant that she thought he’d pick and he’d opened the car door for her like a gentleman. They had chatted for hours about their multitude of shared interests and drank Carlton beer and drunkenly waltzed together along the floor and it was perfect and wonderful and crazy.
After that they became an item, they would share heated interludes by the otherwise deserted office printing machine in true cliché Office Romance fashion and they’d even kissed under the mistletoe at the office Christmas party and things were going great, until one day, Jude overheard a conversation between him and his brother, Balekin Greenbriar, Eldred’s right hand man and future heir of the company.
She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, she was only coming into Balekin’s office to hand over a file when she’d recognised Cardan’s voice saying her name. She would never forget the words that she had heard him say. ‘She’s a distraction...only a pointless fling....thought it would be fun to get under her skin....you know I like a challenge’.
The memory of those words alone are enough to bring back the hurt that had ripped through her when she had stood motionless on the other side of Balekin’s door, desperate to get away but trapped by her own denial and desire for self destruction.
Now she watches as he agitatedly ruffles his unruly black locks in front of her. “I swear to you, what you heard me say to Balekin, I didn’t mean a word of it.”
“Then why would you say it?” She’s torn between turning tail and leaving him there, turning her back on him for good or staying and waiting for his explanation, waiting to hear his reasons, why he’d done this to her, to them.
“You don’t know my brother, Jude.” His voice, his expression, his everything is bleak and open and vulnerable, begging for understanding. “He takes pleasure in destroying the things I love. It’s a game to him, one he’s been playing all my life, taking away what stops me from being miserable, and I couldn’t let him do that with you.
“Not with you,” he repeats, stronger. “You’re too important. So I knew I had to convince him that you meant nothing to me.”
Everything about his demeanour suggests sincerity and it definitely seems like he’s telling the truth and she wants to believe him, to trust him, she really does.
But she’s been hurt before and she doesn’t think she could chance being so again.
“I can’t trust you.”
“Yes, you can. You can choose to.” He steps forward now, close, so close, unrelenting.
She rises to the occasion and raises her face to meet his, a scant inch between them. “No, I can’t. I won’t.”
It’s a standoff now, neither willing to back down. The sun has made it’s way much higher in the sky and the yellow sunlight is beating down on them, the heat adding to the fire that has ignited between them.
“Stop being so stubborn, dammit,” he bites out, frustrated.
“Make me,” she sneers.
She doesn’t know how it happened, nor how she didn’t see it coming, but in the very next second Cardan’s lips are on hers, moving furiously and his arms are on her waist, holding her against him in an almost punishing grip.
It appears that he hadn’t quite seen it coming either because he pulls away from her before she has time to process more than a tingle running up her arms, his dark eyes wide and pupils dilated. They’re both breathing fast now, so close that they share breaths. They stare for a moment.
Then, with lightning speed she throws caution to the winds and wraps her arm around his neck, crashing her lips to his once more and this time she registers that his lips are soft under hers and he tastes like hot chocolate and breath mint and it feels glorious. It’s only been a little more than a week since they’d last kissed, but it felt like an eternity.
Minutes, hours, or days later they break apart, gasping for air and clutching at each other, neither one willing to relinquish their grip. Cardan rests his forehead on hers and looks at her with a startling amount of adoration and she knows right then and there that, scary as the thought is, she would forgive him anything, including this.
“Give me another chance?” He asks, pleading.
“Yes,” she breathes before reaching up to lose herself in kisses once more.
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I’m not entirely happy with this one tbh, but anyways here you go @franktastic-fangirl, thank you for sending in the prompt and for the congrats!🌻
Tagging my taglist (although I’m not entirely sure that I want y’all to read this, lol)- @cupcakesandkittens ​, @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln ​, @thewickedkings ​ and @kittkatandbooboo ​💕
Please let me know if you’d like to be added to or taken off of my TFOTA taglist :)
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softbiker · 4 years
Text
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Pairing: Steve x Reader, Bucky x Reader (not Stucky)
Word count: 3k
Warnings: maybe a couple curse words? I don’t remember. Lots of coffee
Summary: Steve is fond of a particular barista. Bucky has a favorite customer. Let’s see where this goes! 
A/N: Somewhat inspired by real life events, this is (hopefully) going to turn into a new series! No idea where I’m going with it or how often it will update, but let’s have fun and see where it goes! As always, let me know what you think and thanks for reading <3
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It’s July - early morning and already hot - and the door squeaks loudly somewhere over her shoulder as she preps a fresh batch of coffee to brew. She doesn’t look up or turn around, intent on her task, but she calls a distracted “good morning”, along with her coworkers. The humid morning air has left a sticky fog on the windows and doors, on skin and clothes, and it follows them inside, in spite of the air conditioning. She’s already regretting the long-sleeved shirt she plucked from her laundry pile, though it was the only passable shirt she could find and still be in dress code.
“Hey, you got front?” Bea, her supervisor, pipes up over the headset. Her head bobs over the open door of her bar fridge, where she’s counting milk.
With a nod, she turns back around from the brewing machine, putting on her customer service smile as she sees-
“Oh, morning, Steve,” she laughs, her smile blooming genuine. “I barely heard you come in, sorry.”
“No worries,” Steve smiles. His eyes look tired, but she knows hers are as well - it’s 6:30 in the morning and they’re already into their work day. He ducks his head, leaning a hip against the front counter. “I’m quiet, I guess.”
“What can I get for you?” she asks, tapping away at the screen to open her till. “Just the americano with stevia and almond milk?”
Steve chuckles and blushes under the dark stubble on his cheeks, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. It strains the seams of his plain white t-shirt, stretched too tight already across his broad shoulders.
“I’m predictable, huh?” his nose scrunches as he asks, and she drops her eyes back down to the screen in front of her, displaying his order as she rings it up.
“Nothing wrong with that,” she shrugs, pursing her lips in an effort to contain her smile. “Anything else for you?”
“Uh, yeah actually, can I get an iced coffee, too? With a little bit of cream?”
“Sure thing,” with a couple of swipes at the screen she’s got the order rung up. She pushes it through, prompts him to swipe his card, and glances down towards the bar, wondering where her coworkers have suddenly disappeared to.
“Well - I guess I’ll get those ready for you,” she quirks an eyebrow at him as she makes her way down towards the espresso machines, with Steve following along, separated by the counter between them. He watches, her head down, labeling a cup and pulling espresso shots, turning for a stevia packet.
“So,” he clears his throat. “How you been?”
“Oh, you know,” she shrugs. “I’m here - and it’s 6:30. And hot.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he laughs. “Tell me about it. I’m already sweating.”
“Same here!” Her face disappears as she bends down to dig in the fridge for a tetra of almond milk. “I mean, I really played myself today - wearing long sleeves. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Wow, rookie mistake,” Steve shakes his head.
She slides the americano out at the end of the bar, after adding a cardboard sleeve to protect against the scalding heat of the water. Their eyes meet over the drink, his fingers just slightly brushing hers even as she spins away and grabs the cup for his iced coffee. Conversation lulls; he clears his throat, takes a small sip of the drink and enjoys the slight burn on the tip of his tongue. She’s fast and smooth, never quite looking at him but never turning completely away from him; he’s in the corner of her vision and she’s the center of his. The cream swirls downward into the iced coffee, softening the color and the taste - though Steve has never been a fan of cold coffees, but he knows how Sam takes it.
“Here you go,” she holds out the iced coffee with a polite smile, plucking a straw from the caddy next to her and extending it in her other hand.
“Thank you-” he trips over whether or not to say her name; he wants to say it, and it’s written right there on her apron, offered on the tip of his tongue. He’d like to taste it. But the leap of familiarity scares him, as it has the last two months he’s been coming in here, and he swallows down the letters. Settles for an answering smile.
“Guess I’ll see ya tomorrow?” he half-jokes, coffees in hand, backing towards the door one step at a time. He watches her head bob as she ducks down to grab a rag out of her sanitizing bucket; she wrings it out and wipes down the counter, sparing him a lifted eyebrow, a sly sideways glance.
“Maybe-” she smirks, swiping an already clean spot on the counter before dropping her rag back in the bucket. “I might be off tomorrow.”
“Might be?” Steve’s head quirks to one side. “You don’t know?”
“Well…I asked someone to trade shifts with me so I could have the weekend off…” she sighs and crosses her arms. “But I haven’t heard back from her, so it’s probably not happening.” Her wry smile is accompanied by a one-shouldered shrug. “It’s just as well, though. This place would probably fall apart without me.”
“Oh, definitely,” he chuckles. “So I guess, maybe I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Have a good one, Steve!” she waves as he ducks out the door, bell jingling overhead at his departure. It really is hot today - her cheeks feel warm. Her whole body does, actually; but the cafe is quiet and empty now, the sun just rising over the buildings outside, and she gets a sip of water from the cup she keeps stashed under the front register.
“So how’s your man today?” Bea jokes over the headset. Looking over, she can see Bea’s mirthful expression peeking around the corner from the back of house where she’d been washing whip canisters.
“Yeah, when are you and Steve gonna go out?” Ally’s voice joins in the teasing, innocently sarcastic in her trademark way.
“Come on, guys,” she huffs, glad that neither of them is out front on the floor, where she was unable to hide her smile. “Steve is just a customer. He’s just another nice regular, that’s all.”
“Uh huh. That’s why you giggle every time we bring him up?”
“I do not!”
“Well, you just keep telling yourself that,” Bea smirks, banging through the back of house door with an armload of milk. “But you should know that store is taking bets on when he’ll finally ask you out.”
She chooses not to answer, just rolls her eyes and heads out the front door to set up the patio umbrellas. It’s July, early morning and already hot, but at least there’s a breeze out here - enough to cool the blazing in her cheeks even as she wrestles the umbrellas open to shade the outdoor tables. Her mind drifts away, to Steve’s easy smile and Steve’s breathtaking eyes, and the way he always dropped a dollar or two in the tip jar. Not to mention, the stretch of his white tees across those ridiculous shoulders.
Well, anyway. He is a nice regular. That’s why she enjoys him coming in every day, that’s all.
**********
“She there today?” Sam smirks as he eagerly plunges the straw into his iced coffee, swirling the cream into its depths. He waggles his eyebrows at Steve’s flushed cheeks while he takes the first satisfying sip.
“Yes.” Steve clears his throat, keeping his eyes down on his own drink. They’re sitting in Steve’s office - well, Steve is sitting, safely behind his desk. Sam posts himself in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his feet crossed. He watches his friend’s flustered fluttering behind the desk - Steve shuffles papers, taps on the keyboard of his computer to open his email, moves his coffee to one side of the laptop and then the other.
“Well?” Sam prompts, gleefully swirling his iced coffee, listening to the ice rattle before taking another loud slurp. “You ask her out yet? Give her your number at least?”
Steve scowls up at his buddy over his laptop screen.
“Sam you don’t get it-” he huffs. “This girl…she’s - God, she’s so beautiful, Sam. You know how many guys must hit on her every day? In a town like this?” He shakes his head. “I’d just be another asshole to her; she’d file my number away with all the other guys she’s not gonna call.”
“Whatever, dude,” Sam rolls his eyes. “That’s just an excuse for you to not take a chance on it. You just gonna keep going in there early in the morning and wasting money on coffee you used to brew at home?”
Steve doesn’t dignify that particular dig with a response, instead choosing to take a large swig from his coffee - he had to admit, she made a damn good cup. Simple as it was. But he knew, as many excuses as he made, he was addicted to more than just the espresso; her sweet smile perked him up in the mornings the way caffeine just couldn’t quite cut it.
He’d been going into the cafe at the crack of dawn for at least a month now. Sam practically begged him once to go out for an iced coffee, an early morning at the end of May, and with a sigh he’d agreed, though he complained loudly about wasting money on expensive coffee shop brews when he preferred to make his own in the coffee pot sitting three feet away from his desk.
The bell dinged over the door, the sun already streaming through the windows at the early hour, summer flushing full and bright. Familiar coffee shop sounds and smells carried across the empty cafe as he strolled in, hands in his pockets, taking in the quaint tables and mismatched chairs, an overstuffed sofa invitingly empty in one corner. Cute. He shuffled towards the counter, not really looking, till he heard a voice welcoming him in and-
She turned around from the brewing machine behind her, smiling soft and brilliant, her eyes a 6 am combination of sleepy brightness, caffeine buzzing in her own veins already.
One hit. That’s all it took to get him hooked.
*********
Her shift couldn’t have ended soon enough. The bright sun and gorgeous summer weather had her itching under her apron, aching to get outdoors in spite of the heat. Every few minutes it seemed she turned to the register to check the time, or slipped her phone from her pocket. Never quite time, never quite close enough. Until-
“Okay, if you’ll just wipe down the bar, you’re good to go,” Nat sighs as she ties her apron, looping the strings around her waist and knotting it in the front. Nat usually takes afternoon and evening shifts, so they haven’t gotten to know each other well, but there’s something about the redhead that she both likes and fears.
With a little whoop of joy, she whirls around to her bucket and grabs the rag for the last time (today at least) and wipes away the splashes of syrup, coffee, and milk that have accumulated over the course of her shift. The counter is a little sticky, but a little elbow grease dissolves the tacky syrup puddle, and with a flourish she stows her carton of coconut milk in the fridge under the counter, tosses her rag back in the bucket, and flashes a peace sign to the other baristas on the floor.
“Alright, I’m out you guys!” she calls, already tugging her apron over her head. Her tote bag hangs on a hook in the back of house, and she rolls the apron up into it before stepping over to the computer to clock out.
“Whatcha doin’ this afternoon?” Bea is off now as well, having handed off the keys to Nat, and was tucking her own apron into her backpack, her Juul sticking out of one corner of her mouth.
“Mm. It’s such a beautiful day…” she sighs. “I think I’m going to go read at that new place I like, get a cold brew, maybe sit outside.”
“Leaving this coffee shop and going to another one?” Bea laughs, taking a hit off her vape, a little cloud puffing in front of her face. She’s not supposed to have it inside the building, definitely not supposed to use it inside at least, but the current manager hasn’t quite worked up the nerve to tell her to stop, so she carries on as she pleases.
“Gotta support local business.” She swings her tote bag up on her shoulder, regretting her habit of stuffing it so full that it’s uncomfortably heavy, and then she’s on her way out the door. “See ya later!”
Besides being a proud supporter of local businesses, she’s also totally addicted to the Garage - the other café and pub she frequents whenever she gets the chance. Their cold brew? Smooth and chocolatey. Their patio? Perfectly shaded and comfortable. Their vibe? Grunge-y without being dirty, hipster without being pretentious. She’d loved it from the first moment she stepped inside on her afternoon off, looking for an iced drink and a cozy spot that wasn’t her own home. What she found? A near-perfect coffee shop with amazing sweet potato fries.
“Oh, hey welcome in!”
Well. And there’s that, too.
“Hi, Bucky - how’s it going?” she smiles at the barista and bartender behind the counter, who is currently stocking the pastry case with an assortment of mouthwatering scones. His hair is swept up in its usual bun, and his mechanic’s shirt is tucked into a pair of black jeans, the short sleeves rolled over his biceps to reveal one flesh arm bearing a full sleeve of tattoos, and one gleaming polished prosthetic.
“Oh, it’s going,” he shrugs, a little bashful. He wills his eyes back down the the pastries at hand, though it’s hard with the way she smiles, hands in the back pockets of her shorts as she approaches the counter.
“Been busy today?” she asks, giving the menu a customary glance, though she’s too far gone on their cold brew to ever order anything else.
“Not too bad, no,” he shakes his head, sliding the glass panel behind the pastry case shut and tossing paper box from the bakery in the trash bin. “Little bit of a rush earlier around lunch, but nothing like what you guys get in the mornings.”
“Oof, for your sake I hope not,” she shudders. “The morning rush is wild, you’ve got no idea.”
“Oh, I’ve got some idea, I’ve seen that drive thru line,” he smirks, leaning his elbows on the counter. Unconsciously she takes a step closer, leaning against the other side of the wood, a mere couple of feet between them.
“I’m literally triggered by the words ‘drive thru’,” she says, with an exaggerated eye twitch that makes him laugh.
“Alright, alright, I won’t bring it up again, my bad,” he raises his hands in supplication, an almost prayer, watching her nose wrinkle and rearrange the pattern of the freckles there.
“Well, anyways, can I get a cold brew, please?” she sighs, looking at him under her lashes.
“You got it,” he nods, tapping the counter. “Perfect day for it, too.” They both glance out the wide front windows of the café, where the patio furniture is arranged under a well-shaded awning strung with criss-crossed globe lights. In the midsummer afternoon, it’s a perfect place to be lazy in public, to sip a drink and read, to pretend to be the sort of person who gets to do those things in the middle of the day.
“It is,” she sighs, looking wistfully at the patio.
“You can go on and get a seat,” he lowers his voice as a couple new customers shuffle into the café. “I’ll bring it out to you.”
“Oh, you sure?” She glances around, noticing that he seems to be the only staff member here. Their shop is laughably less busy than hers, able to survive on a single barista for any length of time during the day, but she still doesn’t want to make more work for him. “I don’t mind waiting.”
“Nah, it’s no problem,” he smiles, dimpling his scruffy cheeks. “I’ll have it out in a minute.”
She’s back out the door and at her favorite table; he can see her from his place behind the bar, with her feet tucked up on the sturdy outdoor ottoman, her bag stuffed under her chair and book already cracked open in her lap. She’s not looking at the page, though - the beautiful day seems to distract her, as she lifts her face into the breeze and stretches her legs out further across the ottoman, spreading out to catch even more of the sunlight.
Wanda hip checks him as she breezes through from the kitchen, having come in through the back door.
“Your girl here today?” she teases, raising one brow suggestively. Bucky scowls at her, embarrassed and flustered and a little guilty.
“She’s not my girl, Wanda,” he corrects her. “She’s just a customer.”
“Pretty regular customer,” Wanda shrugs.
“Doesn’t mean anything. We’ve got plenty of regulars.”
“No other regulars that you look at like that.”
He doesn’t respond. Turning his back on her, he takes a straw from the condiment bar and grabs the cup of cold brew he just poured, and stalks around the counter towards the door.
Wanda stands in the kitchen door, a bin full of dirty dishes under her arm, and watches as he crosses the patio, tucking one hair behind his ear and smiling at the sweet girl with the book in her lap. The girl smiles back, squinting in the bright summer sun, and laughs at something Bucky says, while Buck ducks his head and shoves his hands in his front pockets. He lingers, lingers far longer than required for delivering a single cup of cold brew.
Yeah, sure. She’s just a regular, alright.
171 notes · View notes
ruubles · 3 years
Text
A Bundle of Crimson Roses (Pt.3)
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Pairing: Chuuya Nakahara x Reader
Warnings: Cursing , Alcohol , Suggestive Themes , Gore , Blood, Violence
Word Count: 6790
Y/N) stood at the back of the gazebo, her body leaned atop the white wooden rail as she stared out across the well maintained garden. Flowers twisted in the moonlight and swayed in the gentle breeze, rose bushes stood without a branch out of place and recently pruned, and the fountain brought a continuous stream of sound. These little details had been the focus of her attention, the only thing dragging her mind away from the bodiless head sitting on the ground behind her.
She hadn’t brought herself to do anything with it yet, leaving it there in hopes that maybe it was just a hallucination, but the longer she stood the more the realization came crashing down. In her time under the Port Mafia she’d seen, and done, horrible things that were considerably worse than this. Even so, she was shocked that someone would risk their life to get the corpse only to leave its head behind as a warning. 
That’s what this was. A warning.
A warning to stay away. A warning to not track these people down. Whoever had been responsible for this murder was dangerous and they wanted the mafia to know that. They not only created a drug that could remove someone’s ability, but they went through all the trouble of tracking the victim down to keep this information from them. It was a basic strategy but well thought for this situation. As long as they left behind as little traceable evidence as possible then it would be near impossible to find the culprit.
“Fuck. That sure explains the missing body.” (Y/N) had lost herself in thoughts of the situation and hadn’t noticed Chuuya’s approach. She didn’t bother to turn around and listened as he approached her, his steps were shallow light as he took the longest route around the head. After a moment she felt him beside her, his arms crossed and laid on the railing. “You should have told me you found something, I was still searching the house!”
He huffed a little as he spoke, eyes focused ahead just as hers were. “Sorry, I guess I got caught up thinking about something. I haven’t had a partner in quite some time.”
“Tch. You don’t have to apologize, I’m not used to a partner either. Last time I had one, it was that shitty Dazai.” 
(Y/N) chuckled, her grim face shifting to one with a slight smile. She shook her head at the mention of the suicidal man, he was quite the topic in the Port Mafia, even after he abandoned them. “I was never that close with Dazai, but I knew of him through a friend. It would seem many people perceive him in different ways.”
“Many people don’t like him, and I couldn’t agree with those people more.” Chuuya turned to look at (Y/N), finally acknowledging that she had at some point turned to face him. Her (E/C) eyes met his and he could see that glint in them, not the one of seriousness from this morning, but the playfulness he’d seen in her last night.
“Who are you Chuuya Nakahara?”
The question was a strange question, similar to the ones he’d been asked when they first met only twenty-four hours before. “That’s a dumb question for someone Mori spoke so highly of.”
“I’m no fool Chuuya Nakahara, I’ve looked into the case files of almost every high ranking member of the Port Mafia. You are the person with the least amount of information. I was able to get more from Mori’s own public file than your private one.” (Y/N) backed away from the ledge and took a few steps away from Chuuya, carefully watching her movements to stay a good distance from the head. “I’m working with someone who I know nothing about. Mori knows you’re loyal to him, but I have no reason to believe that you wouldn’t shoot me if the opportunity provided itself.”
“Now why would I do that? Mori made you my partner, and I’m not going to disobey a direct order from him.” Chuuya scoffed and turned to face her. “Plus you’re one to talk about minimal information when your file doesn’t exist. I may not be the most strategic person in this mafia, but I do like knowing who I’m dealing with.”
“It would seem we’ve hit a roadblock then. My files, both public and private, were burned upon request and I assume the missing information from yours is also ash.” (Y/N) stepped towards Chuuya, their eyes locked in a challenge with one another. Her eyes changed rapidly to a dark piercing gaze, as if the trust she’d gained for him had drained at a rapid pace. “I have no doubt that our partnership will be beneficial in this case, but if neither of us trust one another then I see no reason for us to be friends.”
~x~
Chuuya’s eyes remained glued to the road ahead, his ears honed in on the quiet breathing of the seat diagonal to his own. If he focused he could see the faint outline of a person in his peripheral vision, but their body still remained shrouded in darkness. (Y/N) had chosen to sit in the back of his car, to the seat opposite of her was a bloody bag securely buckled down. 
They hadn’t spoken even a word after their show down in the gazebo, perhaps newfound apprehension had been built between both parties. Few people knew of Chuuya’s past, but he understood that the mystery made any relations he had with another person difficult. For all (Y/N) knew he was a treacherous fiend that would stab her at moments notice. Though that statement applied for him as well, he had done his digging in the hours before he’d seen her standing alone outside and the stories of her did not disappoint.
The woman without a face, that was the constant whenever they mentioned her. He hadn’t a clue what it meant but whatever it was made her dangerous. Far more than most people of the mafia. Tidbits of information wormed their way into his mind, some of which were likely untrue, but the more he learned the less he really knew. From what he’d been told she’d joined the mafia at a fairly young age, just a little bit before the Dragon’s Head Conflict, and during the conflict was when her true strength had come to light. Mori promoted her just after the whole fight started, but he told no one but Daza and a few people who knew of her.
“Tomorrow I propose we go to the scene of the fight. We could likely find some bullet casings or leftover blood. It could be a lead for where to find these people.” Chuuya could see in his eyes that even though she was speaking to him, she hadn’t turned away from the window. 
“We could go in the morning and-”
“Afternoon.” She cut him off. “I have business to attend tomorrow morning and I would much rather not be forced to reschedule. My apologies for cutting you off, but please continue.”
Chuuya rolled his eyes but made no comment on her rude interruption. “Then we can meet up tomorrow afternoon; Do you need a ride?”
(Y/N) hummed to herself for a moment before answering him. “If it isn’t too much trouble. My business is at a bakery on Southwest Street: Kim’s Kreamy Delights. They have some of the best sweets I’ve ever tried, I’m a big fan of their Dasik, but Mrs.Kim only makes them on Lunar New Year. When it’s not around that time, I usually get a kkwabaegi.”
“You seem well acquainted with sweet treats, I assume you know that they aren’t healthy.” Chuuya’s comment was somewhat judgmental, but it seemed to fly over (Y/N)’s head. Her mind still focused on the warm treats she would get whenever she was in town.
“I know that, but I do things for the enjoyment of myself. We are members of a mafia Chuuya, I’ve never expected to live a long life, nor a happy one. If you wish to judge then do so but I will not be changing my habits based on your criticism.” He had thought she hadn’t noticed the backhanded rudeness he’d displayed but it seems as though she had. 
There was a strange silence that fluttered through the air of the car as the light of the city finally made its way through the car's windows. Slowly the trees on the outer rim of the city turned to buildings and the streetlamps illuminated the faces, every post passing by in a fleeting second before another one replaced the eerie orange light. Chuuya’s car sped down the street, not one to abide by normal street laws, and every sharp turn brought them closer to the mafia’s headquarters. 
After a couple of minutes he pulled up in front of the towering building, its floors spiralling upwards into the stars. Several windows could be seen alive with a blazing light, not a strange sight considering many of the mafia’s business matters occurred during this time of night. Usually Chuuya would be in there monitoring what went on in every crevice of that building, but instead he was heading home to an empty apartment where he’d be receiving regularly spaced messages updating him on what was going on. It had been Mori’s order for him to get some rest, but the work of a mafia member was never done when night fell.
“Are you sure I can’t drop you off at the place you’re staying at? I don’t mind driving a little further.” Chuuya had extended his offer not because he was kind, but because Mori had been clear that someone should be looking out for this woman. He’d gone as far as assigning Hirotsu to monitor her, there had to be a reason he’d want someone of such importance to watch out for someone as capable as an executive.
“I’ll be fine, but thank you for the offer. There’s some papers I want to take a look at before going to my residence.” (Y/N) opened the door of the car, bringing both her legs out onto the sidewalk with a gentle click of her heels. She hesitated before turning back around. Her hand latched onto the top of the sheet that they had used as a handle and dragged the head towards her. “I truly am sorry for my words earlier. One of my bad habits is trying to forget my past, and I let that get to me. If it’s okay, I would like to take back my rude words.”
That was surprising. In the garden, (Y/N) had been so serious and gave off the same feeling that Mori gave off whenever someone questioned his authority. She was authoritative when she spoke of her burned files and her going back on her word of their relationship being nothing more than partners was something he hadn't expected. Thirty minutes ago he’d fully been prepared for her to be just another person he sees at work, but yet here she was apologizing. Every time they spoke it was like talking to another person, but this is the one who he’d met that had no apprehensions brought about by their job; This was the woman who was behind the mask of the mafia.
“I’m not one for friends.” (Y/N) had tried to hide the slight slump of her shoulders at his words, but he noticed the slight change before she stepped out of his car. She closed the door without turning around and began to walk towards the building's entrance. Chuuya rolled the window down and called out. “But I would like to try one of those kkwabaegi you were telling me about.”
She stopped her motions and turned to face him with the smallest of smiles on her face. “You butchered that name.”
“Oh shut up!” He snapped before rolling up the window and speeding off. (Y/N) watched as his car went down the street and eventually turned the corner. Her (E/C) bleary with a tiredness she’d held for so long. They were far from friends, but in the mafia did anyone really have a friend? A life like theirs was not made for relationships greater than the ones they formed at work and that was a fact (Y/N) had learned a long time ago. She didn’t expect anything from Chuuya, but she hoped that maybe when this was all over that there might be someone who wants her to stick around.
“So are you enjoying your new partner?” The voice was deep and sudden, there had been no one around moments before. (Y/N) showed no surprise of this person's newfound presence; She had known the moment he had appeared behind her. “The kids aren’t mad, but they are expecting you to take them out for ice cream. You’d better not disappoint them or I’ll pour all your wine into a bush.”
“Oh come on Isaac, I may not be the most caring person in the world but I wouldn’t disappoint those kids. Not again.” (Y/N) turned to face her friend. Isaac stood with his head turned up as he let out a puff of air and watched as it turned white and then disappeared. He wore the same outfit he wore whenever he was bartending: A dark gray button up tucked into a pair of pitch black jeans, simple but with the added spice of five undone buttons to reveal a well sculpted body beneath. He was a person of habit. “Did you just finish a shift?”
“No? What gave you that idea?” They walked side by side to one another, Isaac’s hand buried in his pocket as they approached the building. 
(Y/N) stopped in her tracks, a deadpan expression replacing the sly smile she’d worn moments before. “You cannot tell me that outfit is the extent of your closet.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean!” Isaac snapped, hand pulled from his pocket as he balled his fingers into a fist. “I have better fashion than you Ms.I-Dress-Like-An-Cubicle-Worker.”
“Oh quit it, you’re acting so childish, Isaac.” (Y/N) shook her head and walked into the building, neither of the guards questioning her presence much. Her comrade followed her lead and stayed close as though fearful of being found for being out of place. “I thought better of you.”
“Oh shut it you hag, let’s just get this over with.”
~x~
“I doubt there’s anything left at the scene of the fight. Especially if you say it's a city owned warehouse.” Isaac sighed and fell back on his chair before continuing. “They’re easy to access and I doubt that someone willing to go through all the trouble of disposing the body wouldn’t clear that place out.”
Mori sat at his usual spot at the head of the table, silent as he listened to both (Y/N) and Isaac shoot ideas off one another. He seemed enthralled in his own thoughts as he considered a plan of action. They all sat close to one another, Mori at the head of his table with one of them sitting in a chair on either side of the table. So close there was no need for their voices to be raised and that meant that anyone outside would have a hard time listening in.
It was strange for someone so strong and hated like Mori to allow an outsider like Isaac to ever be near him, but after all Mori had done for them both he trusted them more than a lot of the members of the mafia. (Y/N) was his executive and by extension Isaac was loyal, though he would not hold his tongue around him like she would.
“(Y/N), you must have an assumption as to who is behind this. Please clarify who it is.” Mori wanted to hear all the information, even if it might be wrong.
“Is that really even a question, Ougai? You’ve had the same assumption considering you didn’t only bring me back here, but you called a meeting with my old partner.” (Y/N) was apprehensive to continue, her idea had a lot of backing and would likely be true. For now it was only that, an idea, but the more they investigate the closer she’ll get to the life she used to have. “I think it was them. That old man is smart and a drug like this isn’t far from something he’d do.”
Isaac gritted his teeth, trying to find an argument for why it wouldn’t be them. Anything to keep the idea of them coming back out of his mind. They’d spent so much effort to escape their past and join Mori that even a possibility of the past coming back to haunt them was pestilent. “There wasn’t anything left with the part of the body they left behind. It’s protocol to leave them with every single body, you know that.”
“Of course I do, but there are exceptions to that rule! Given a direct order from him you don’t have to-”
“And if it is absolutely impossible, I know.” Isaac cut her off to continue his idea. “Something like this, so large, the old man wouldn’t want to let anyone take credit for it. He wants people to know it's them so they’ll be afraid.”
“There were roses in her garden.”
“You said she had a garden full of flowers of all kinds.” He argued back, hand hitting the table a bit too harshly. “A couple of roses bushes doesn’t fucking matter!”
“Enough.” Mori interjected. He’d taken both Isaac and (Y/N) in at a young age, but they both had a tough time before he found them. They may not have been together these past few years but they are still better partners than any two people who ever graced the mafia. Above all Mori sought to keep things neutral between them both so that they wouldn’t say anything they’d regret when things calmed down. “We have to think rationally and take a moment to talk it over. Neither of you are foolish, I’ve seen the things you can accomplish together but tensions are high right now. For now we assume it’s  one of the recent organizations who have stood against us.”
It was silent for a moment as the pair thought things over. They’d lived a long life with shared pains but they both had managed to come out better for it. Isaac was raising five kids and smiled everyday as though it were his last, on the other hand (Y/N) buried herself in work and drowned herself with expensive delicacies to erase it all. They were like family and neither of them would blame the other for how things went after Oda’s death.
“If it’s not?” Isaac’s voice was low and gravelly as though he were on the verge of tears. It was weak and pitiful, but it explained exactly how they were feeling. “What if it is them, Mori? Do we fight them? We won’t win that.”
“It isn’t them.” (Y/N) cut in before Mori could say a word. “It can’t be. We went through so much to slaughter them during the Dragon’s Head Conflict. The numbers don’t lie, nearly every branch was pruned because of us. To come back now, and with enough people to even consider facing the Port Mafia, is impossible.”
Isaac slid his chair back and stood up, dark eyes more gloomy than they were glossy. “You seem to forget (Y/N), pruning is done to help a plant grow.”
~x~
Chuuya looked from his phone to the fancy hotel he’d parked across the street from. His eyes held hesitation as he scanned across the messages on his device one final time. Part of him wanted to ignore the messages and just go home, but doing this had become a ritual. A guilty pleasure that helped calm his riled nerves.
‘I don’t have work tonight if you want to drop by our special spot.’
‘C’mon Chuuya, at least let me know if you’re going to show up. I need to know if I should open the champagne sooner rather than later.’
‘Fine. I’ll be waiting, but until then let me leave you with a special present.”
‘Attachment: 1 Image’
Chuuya’s eyes scanned across the image once again, to say it was scandalous was an understatement. There was no face presented in the image, instead the picture captured a woman’s body adorned in a set of elegant hand-woven red lace lingerie. He wasn’t unfamiliar with the outfit considering he’d been the one to take it off her many times before.
Their relationship was nothing more than a late at night call whenever they needed to relieve some stress. Neither of them knew much of the other, their names had come the first night they’d grabbed a drink and their sexual desires came soon after. Though there were a few things he noticed: Her schedule was not linear, he’d get spontaneous messages throughout the month asking if he were free. Most of the time he could clear just a bit of time and make his way here to meet with her for a few hours.
They’d been doing this for months at this point and he still couldn’t wrap his head around the stupidity of his actions. Everytime he said he would end things off and never see her again, then as though he were wrapped around her finger he would be back here: Car parked in the same spot as always and his route to the room the same. A member of the mafia took a risk two or three times a month to visit a woman whose life he hadn’t a clue of.
Using his memory, Chuuya made his way through the lobby, passing by a clerk who offered a knowing nod in his direction. It was the same thing time after time but that familiarity was something he clung to. No one questioned him. No one asked why he did something. No one looked to him for answers. It was the opposite of what he did for work, but it was so much more freeing. 
Taking the elevator up, Chuuya watched as the red numbers changed, going up one by one until finally the number fifteen. One final chime echoed through the metal cage and the doors slid open into a long spiraling hallway. Three steps out of the elevator, three doors to the right, and on his left. That path he’d memorized after his third meeting with this strange woman.
With a deep breath Chuuya tried to prepare himself to end this debacle that could become scurrilous if things were to go wrong. He opened the door and slid into the room quietly as though trying to go unnoticed. The sound of a running shwoer gently swayed throughout the room and he knew that she was getting ready for what she presumed to be his imminent arrival. He slid off his cape and hung it on the coat rack besides the door, his hat following suit.
The water shut off and a voice called out to him from somewhere beyond sight. “Oh Chuuya~”
Her voice was sweet as it called, drawing out the a at the end of his name to grab his attention. Getting the message he walked from the main room into the small, but still fairly large, bedroom. There she stood, body wrapped in a white towel that barely covered the most private portions of her body. 
Alberta Einstein. She was a beauty to behold; her almond shaped eyes holding the deepest most dark irises you might ever see as if they were shadows coming to life with no light reflecting off of them. Long  white hair would usually be flowing down her back and sway gently every time she took a step. Her figure was lean but she seemed to have curves in places that would make any man fall in a matter of moments. Now, standing bare in a bath towel, she was ravishing. Droplets of water dripping from her body and onto the floor, running from her neck down to her towel, and more littering the floor of the bathroom.
“I wasn’t sure you would show.” Her feet sunk into the carpet as she walked towards Chuuya, imprints of water marking her chosen pathway. Once close enough, her hand danced around his top button before easily sliding it undone. Slowly she moved to the second button and slowly began to undo it as well, but she hesitated. “Something wrong?”
Her eyes danced up to meet his, a shade so dark that his light blue eyes could never fathom their depths. “We should stop this.”
“You’re quite right, Chuuya. This relationship is going no where and it never will: We’ve been having casual sex for months but neither of us have caught an ounce of feelings.” She leaned into his lips, heat fanning across his face as she spoke, still continuing to fiddle with his buttons. “But isn’t that the fun part, my dearest Nakahara? Life isn’t about love even if people wish it was; It’s about enjoying yourself so much that you can’t possibly find it in your soul to frown.”
She leaned in and finally met his lips in the softest most gentle kiss she’d ever given to him. Her lips were warm as she pressed her body flush against his. With quick hands she undid the buttons at a much faster pace than the one she’d set before. Chuuya knew better than to let her do this once again but he quickly melted into her touch. Their lips entwined with one another as her mouth parted to let a gentle moan escape.
“I must say your sexual prowess surprises me. For such a short man you truly are skilled in bed.” She taunted his height, attempting to mask it with a compliment. They’d played this game time and time before.
“Tch. Same as always Ally, crude and judgemental so much so that you can’t even acknowledge your own shortcomings.” He moved from her lips to just under her ear, teeth grazing against her earlobe and sending a shudder down and throughout her body. “Last time we were together I specifically remember you getting so worked up that you could barely beg for more.”
She smirked and gulped down a large portion of air. Ally was not nervous, it was apparent on her face, instead she was excited. “That’s because I’m not a beggar.”
Chuuya had a response gliding across his tongue but before it could come out the incessant ringing of a phone bleared through the room. Ally let out an audible groan and pushed Chuuya away, hand lingering on his unbuttoned shirt for just a bit too long. Part of him wanted to pull her back but then he reasoned with himself and realized that his wish of ending things could still come true. With the interference of an outsider he had caught the slipup he’d made many times before.
“What the hell do you want, Thomas?” Ally snapped through her phone, she paced back and forth as she listened to the person on the other line. After a moment she stopped dead in her tracks. “You really are useless without me. Fine, fine I didn’t mean it.”
She turned to Chuuya and gave that smile, the same one he’d often give her when his work called him away from the hotel room. Though this time he was pleasantly surprised by the situation. Furthering contact with someone so wrapped in mystery was not beneficial in any way. If anything it was dangerous and reckless. She meant nothing to him and that feeling was mutual, so neither of them had any real attachments to one another. It was best to end things here so that neither of them had too many hard feelings when things would inevitably go bad in a few more months. Casual sex and a freind with benefits was the closest he’d ever get to a real relationship given his line of work, but even that was something he hadn’t saught after much in his time.
“I was busy.” She growled into her phone before taking a deep breath and calming her nerves. After a moment her resolve and anger faded in one swift motion and she sighed. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes, just wait for me in the meeting room okay?”
With a final goodbye she hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed. She followed suit with her phone and fell onto the white bedding, face smashing against the soft comforter they would usually be tangled in by now. “This is for the best Alberta. I meant what I said. My job isn’t the most lenient and I don’t need distractions right now, so this is my final goodbye to you.”
She turned to look at him, watching as he redid the buttons she’d worked to undo. Turning over she spread her arms across the bed and closed her eyes. A soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “That’s true, my job is also picking up pace right now. We have a big projecting starting and I’d hate to miss out on it because of an outside relationship. Perhaps when things settle down we could meet up again, relive the first we met.”
“That won’t be necessary, when I say final goodbye I mean it.” Her ears perked up and she sat up, realizing now that he had already left the room and slid on his jacket. She heard the door open and then once again his voice rang through her ears. “Find yourself someone who’s actually in love with you, okay? Someone who’s worth your time.”
With those final words, the door closed to the hotel room and she was left alone to her thoughts. Intrigued by the man who she’d enraptured by her beauty. She had no romantic feelings towards him, but she was quite sad that their days of booty calls would no longer be happening.
~x~
Chuuya walked through the halls of the Port Mafia’s building, against the order he’d been giving he returned to headquarters in hopes of catching Mori before he left. Though after travelling up to the top floor he’d come to the conclusion that his boss had already left. He’d likely have gone to get rest for the night or take Elise to do something better than sit around his office.
“Chuuya.” Kouyou’s appearance behind him was sudden, her steps quiet as ever as she approached with her usual long strides. Her dress swayed as she continued by his side. As usual she spoke and moved in a way so elegant that she resembled a goddess. “How is your evening? I could have sworn Mori told you to return to your residence.”
“It’s late Kouyou, you should’ve gone home hours ago.” Chuuya tried to divert the subject from his disobedience, but he knew that even so Kouyou would insist. She was a Port Mafia executive above all else but that did not mean she was heartless. It was fleeting comments that passed by ever so often that reminded him of this; She cared about him in a similar sense to how she cares for Kyouka. “Do you have any idea where Mori might be? It’s late but usually he wouldn’t have left by this time.”
“Last time I saw him, he was meeting with (Y/N) and that handsome young bartender. I always forget his name but he makes the most wonderful cocktails.” Her voice sounded nearly dreamy as she recalled the delicious drinks she’d enjoy ever so often. Kouyou was the type of person who could handle her liquor well, unlike himself, and he’d seen her drink a dozen fruity drinks without ever slurring a single word. It was honestly somewhat startling. “Though I do remember he stormed out and your partner followed close behind. They sounded as though they were having a heated discussion but I was too caught up in a phone call to hear much of what they said.”
“Isaac.” Chuuya said slowly , Kouyou perked up and turned to him with a soft questioning hum. “That’s his name. Why would Mori want to meet with a random bartender? I thought (Y/N) said she was going home.”
The woman next to him chuckled, she pressed the button to call the elevator before turning to him. “I have no clue why Mori would want to speak with that man but I assume he has a reason and we should not question him. As for (Y/N), I’m glad to see you’re getting along with her. You were quite opposed to your partnership during the meeting this morning.”
“Getting along isn’t the phrasing I’d use.” Chuuya grumbled, arms crossing as he turned to face the elevator instead of his mentor. “I don’t trust that woman. She’s hiding something and I’d rather not be staring down the barrel of a gun when I find out what it is.”
They fell into silence, neither of them knowing what to say. Chuuya wasn’t in the wrong for believing she was hiding something, no one who can switch their personality as quick as her is being genuine. Mori trusts her and that is abundantly clear but what isn’t is why he’d never heard of her. Another executive that no one knew of was strange to say the very least. For now he wouldn’t question her much, instead seeing what he can find out without her realizing he’s digging around for information.
Kouyou knew a little of (Y/N), Mori had told her some of the stories about the feats she’d completed during her time in Russia. She knew there was more to the story but if Mori had trust in her to stay loyal to them then it was not her place to question it. One thing was clear to her from the way that her boss spoke: (Y/N) was strong and she is not foolish, and keeping her hidden from everyone was a strategy of the finest creation. He hadn’t told her what his ability is but whatever it was it made her abnormally strong compared to a regular mafioso.
“Your accusation is likely true, she is hiding something from us but I believe that Mori knows exactly what it is. We’ve pledged our lives to the mafia which means we are to have faith in our boss.” Finally after what felt like minutes the elevator door dinged and began to open. “I have a strong feeling that you and your new partner aren’t nearly as different as you’d like to believe… Perhaps I’m just being foolish.”
“You really should be getting some rest, my dear (Y/N).” The voice of Mori coed from the elevator, his slender hands wrapped around her shoulders as he gave them a gentle squeeze. She tried to shrug him off but the further she got from his grasp the tighter his hold became. It was almost as though watching a father taking care of his young daughter, but below the surface they were hiding something. Chuuya and Kouyou had been so enraptured with their own conversation that they hadn’t bore witness to the quiet whisper Mori had slipped to (Y/N) before the doors were all the way open.
“Get off of me you old man!” She shouted, bringing her foot back on his before whirling around. Not noticing his presence, her back bumped against Chuuya’s chest. He stumbled a bit at the sudden added weight but his arms caught around her and steadied them both. Surprised, she turned to face her hero with an utterly sweet smile. “Oh? Hello Chuuya, I didn’t expect to see you again this evening. Did you not have plans to attend?”
Mori perked up at the mention of one of his executives, specifically the one he’d told to take the night off. “Plans fall through often, no big deal. I just thought I’d come to make sure that Mori had been given a full report on what we found.”
“There’s no need to worry Chuuya, (Y/N) has given me a full report and I have faith that your digging tomorrow will bring more information to light.” Mori straightened himself from the endearing man they’d seen moments ago. His voice had a cold demeanor as it always had when he spoke with them, though when he spoke with her it seemed he had a similar attitude to the one he used when communicating with Elise. “I have faith in the both of you to prove your worth as executives. May you prove my assumptions right that your partnership was not in vain, then perhaps I could be persuaded to give you both a raise befitting your work.”
(Y/N)’s eyes searched up Mori, her gaze travelling from his gloved hands up to his rigid smiling face. It was clear to her that he was faking every word and gesture as if hoping to give his two closest advisors a false sense of security. His whisper still rang in her ear, ‘For now, act as if our conversation with Isaac never happened. You are, and only are, an executive of the Port Mafia.’ The message was clear with what he wanted but the intent behind it was a mystery. Had he meant it as a form of comfort to remind her that her past was not to stop her from having a future, or was it a warning to keep up the act as a perfect mafia princess and play the diplomat role, perhaps it was neither and simply a reminder that her life has only ever been that of a pawn. Any way he went about saying it, there was obvious fabrication of joy in his face.
“Thank you, sir.” Chuuya took a low bow before his boss and Kouyou offered a small courtesy. “Though I would like to speak with you about a few things when you have the time.”
Mori looked from Chuuya to (Y/N) as though he were asking her what questions she’d brought about from Chuuya, but all she did was shrug in response. He would either ask about her past and her file or he would bring up the fact that their partnership was not in the best of graces. “I truly would love to speak with you about this Chuuya, but Elise has been waiting on me for hours! Tomorrow morning I should have a bit of free time if that’s okay.”
“That will be fine, thank you sir.”
“Now, as your boss, I must request that you all get some rest. Specifically you (Y/N). I know that bad habit of yours and I’d prefer it if it didn’t interfere with your work.” Mori’s words confused the two people who didn’t know much about her habits, but she understood it well enough. He had made a jab at her constant desire to work and the way she would stay awake until the point of utter exhaustion. It was a bad habit she’d had for a long time; But it was part of the reason she got so much work done. “Please do watch your phones in case there’s an emergency, but if there is not then enjoy your time off.”
Mori stalked away from the group and in the direction of his meeting room. “Well I should be going as well, I’ve got some place to be. May you both have a goodnight.” (Y/N) wasted no time in excusing herself from the situation, wanting nothing more than to find her way to a place she’d been meaning to visit since she returned to Yokohama.
“Do you need a ride?” Chuuya was not fond of (Y/N), and that feeling went both ways, but his partner had done nothing to wrong him yet. Until she did so, he would be kind and offer her a ride. Kouyou smiled to herself but used her fan to hide it; The gesture earned a glare from Chuuya. “I don’t mind, I’ve got a stop to make before I return to my apartment anyway.”
“That won’t be necessary, but thank you for the offer Chuuya.” (Y/N) stepped into the elevator and gave a small wave before the doors began to close and seal her away from them both. “Tomorrow afternoon, don’t forget okay?”
With that she was gone.
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https://spitefulqueenofdemons.tumblr.com/post/643713435650113536/sleep-deprived part 2
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Pushing Up Daisies chapter 3
Tw: language, murder, guns, cops, mentions of drugs
Word count: 1373
Summary: After having woken up tied to a chunk of concrete under water and doing an unspeakable act (for your survival??) You find yourself out of options and people to help. Well almost, the only one you think might be able to help is the one who got you in this situation in the first place
After a long shower and several hours on the internet searching for anything that could tell you what was going on. Apart from a few hundred movies and books with undead content the most concrete actual zombie anything you could find was mostly about the voodoo dust that people used to put others under control. And back in the 18, and 1900s people accidentally being buried alive. 
There was virtually nothing about zombies in Seattle. All you knew for sure was what had happened to you. You confronted Blaine, he grabbed you, shot you, dumped you in a lake and you woke up you dont know how long after underwater with no need to breath. 
As you thought and absently read yet another article about 'Haitian Zombies' you rubbed your hand against your wrist that Blaine had grabbed you with. The scratch marks on your arm were as faint as old scars but you could feel them still.
And just like that realization hit. The red eyes made sense. Blaine was a zombie, and that lady who was working the front counter probably was too. It had to be some sort of virus or something that could be transferred through scratch. The teenager in you was thrilled that zombies were real and not mindless corpses that just wandered around destroying everything it came across. Sure when you first emerged from the lake you couldnt control yourself and killed that poor innocent man but you were literally starving. 
Perhaps that was the down side. The hunger is enough to blind you from any moral standing. Even more unfortunate, you didnt know how long what brains you did eat earlier would keep you satiated and you didnt have a way to get more without committing more murder. You didnt know anything about the zombieism other than the scratch causes it. 
You really only had an one option. Go back to Blaine. He had options. Once you got there he could kill you, or turn you away, or kill you. You had gone in only, according to your microwave, 8 hours ago guns blazing accusing him of being a utopium dealer. How could you expect him to help. 
Now you also knew you couldnt go to the police. As an officer you knew they would either freak out or hide it. And by hiding it you knew that would mean hiding you, IE killing you and sweeping it under the rug. They might turn you over to some higher part of the government. The type that does a bunch of invasive and usually very painful experiments and research. 
You could just drop it. Leave town and change your name. But then again that brings up the issue of how will you eat? Murder is just too horrible an option for you. Grave robbing coukd be viable but half decomposed chemically drowned brain is almost as bad as the moral stand still of murder. 
Deciding on your course of action you breezed to your closet, choosing a simple black hoodie, dark jeans and boots, and a ball cap to hide your snowy hair to wear. You grabbed a glock 19. Not the gun you had when you went to visit Blaine in the first place. That one was gone, probably in Debeers' personal stash now. This time though if he pulled so would you. 
Without a vehicle, you assumed it would no longer be parked where you left it in front of MEATchute, you were instead forced to catch a bus to the opposite side of town. The open sign was off but you could see people behind the counter. It looked like they were counting the drawer.
You beat on the glass with an open palm, hard enough for it to make a lot of noise but not hard enough to shatter the glass. The older woman from when you first came was the one to open the door. She looked like she had seen a ghost, but still somehow like she didnt care. 
"Cant you read the sign? We are closed. That means you dont have to go home but you sure as shit cant stay here." She half growled. 
You rolled your eyes, half willing to punch her in the face if she wanted to get cocky. "Move. Wheres Debeers?" You demanded, eyes flashing past the stumpy woman and to the counter where a large man with dark hair stood sizing you up. "You," you said. You recognized him as one of the names that gave a name that then gave you Debeers. "You work for him. I shouldnt be surprised." 
He cocked an eyebrow. "Cissie, let her through." The man said. He looked like a knock off version of Patrick Warburton. "You are supposed to be dead little lady. You got lungs of steal or are you one of us?" 
You scoffed, wanting to hit them all. You knew it wasnt a part of the zombieism either. These fuckers were all instrumental in your death. That enough was reason for a slight beating. "I got nothing to say to you Julian. I'm here for Blaine and I'm not leaving till I get to talk to him." You demanded, stomping up to the counter. 
The man sighed as if this was one of the last things he wanted to deal with. "Well he isnt here but I'll call him. See if he wants to talk to you. Follow me." He said, gesturing to you. 
Not exactly happy, but pleased you were getting what you want, you followed the man behind the counter. He took you further into the building and finally into a room off the kitchen that actually looked like a real office. The large mahogany desk was a mess with files and papers, on top of them all was the stolen file from your apartment. There was a few random art pieces. 
"Wait here. Someone will be by soon." He instructed, leaving you in the room alone. Trusting that you wouldnt snoop. Normally you would but this situation was not the time. You needed help, and had already pissed off two of the three people you knew had a hand in that. Snooping through Blaine's real office would be like flipping the bird after you already spit on and slapped someone. Definitely not a good idea on your part. 
It took less than 20 minutes before the door opened again and a familiar blond haired blue eyed gangster opened the door. "Ah Detective. What an unpleasant surprise. I didnt know you walked amongst the undead." He said with an air of genuine shock. "When Julian told me I really didnt believe him. You took those bullets like a mortal. What happened?" 
You laid out your wrist on the desk, the marks almost completely gone. He crossed to the other side and sat down, moving the little lamp that was sitting at the corner of the table. He shone the lamp over my arm and the little pink marks showed up. 
Blaine 'tsk'ed. "Was it me?" He had a fake look of disgust on his face. "It was me wasnt it. Damn it, I knew I shouldnt have blown off my manicure appointment this morning." He shook his head. "Thats why you arent dead. You gotta be starving though. Would you like a snack? Pudding? Crackers and cheese? Brains?" He questioned. 
You looked at the mark on your wrist in the light, your jaw clenched a little. "No thanks I already ate, but that is part of what I would like to discus." 
At that his eyes widened with actual shock. "Um, you already ate? Did you kill someone or dig up a body?" When I didnt answer he nodded knowingly. "You killed someone. Oh I bet that was a sight. Sorry about the cinderblock by the way. I didnt think you would be waking up. Im sure it wasnt the best alarm." 
You scoffed, a little thankful he stopped asking about your food source. "Waking up underwater was definitely a new experience, but then again so far my whole evening has been new experiences." You told him. 
"Well, allow me to formally welcome you to the land of Zombies. I'll explain everything."
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Oh my gosh, you guys! First of all, I am so sorry @cpdfan231 that it has taken me so freakin’ long to finish your request (I’m still working on the other one) but I finally finished it and I hope that you enjoy it and that it was worth the wait! 
Also, I’m hesitant to say this because I’m terrible at actually posting/finishing fanfics when I say that I’m going to but apparently I can’t learn but I’m hoping that I will be able to post a prompt fic every Wednesday until the show starts...and possibly after that too. And for those of you asking about Dancing in the Minefields I’m gonna do everything I can in my power to finish it relatively soon!
Thank you all so much for the continued support and please enjoy!
@cpdfan231 requested #26 “can you two please get a room?”
you’re already mine
Hailey rolled her eyes, her arms tightly crossed under her breasts, “You know the drill. You either work for me or I file the those possession charges,” She narrowed her eyes, glaring harder to let Tyler know she meant business.
He fidgeted, scowling. Hailey shifted, her patience running thin, “So what’s it gonna be? You got ten seconds to let me know.”
Tyler threw his hands up, “Alright, alright.”
Hailey relaxed marginally, watching as her CI paced around his run-down house in aggravation before he stopped and looked at her in disdain, “I help you and I’m done, alright? You’ve had cops pounding on my door for the past six months and I’ve done everything you’ve asked of me so I’m done working for the police.”
She pressed her lips together, silently sizing him up. Tyler’s been one of the most ornery, hard-headed CI’s she’s ever had and he’d been a pain in her ass ever since she’d popped him with coke back in the summer. 
And truthfully, he had worked off the drug charge a couple months back but it had been like pulling teeth to get any information out of him and while the information had been useful, she wasn’t about to let him get off easily with that kind of attitude so she hadn’t said anything. 
Besides, as much as she’d fought with him, he did provide good info; Tyler was seemingly plugged in everywhere so she’d decided to keep him working for a little while longer but now she was more than ready to let him off the hook. She was way too tired of dealing with him.
“Okay,” She gave a short nod, “This one more thing but you gotta cooperate and you gotta give me everything.” Hailey leveled him with another glare to show him how serious she was, “This isn’t like those other things I had you do. You’re going to be working with my team, working for Intelligence and you’re going to have to wear a wire and you’re going to have to do exactly what I say. No funny business and then you never have to see me again, alright?”
Tyler gave her a smirk, “Well, I wouldn’t mind seeing you again just so long as it’s not in a police capacity.”
Hailey resisted punching him in the face. That was another thing; he endlessly flirted with her and it was most definitely unwelcome. Tyler was a selfish dead beat who hung out with criminals in Canaryville and that was the only reason why she made him a CI instead of charging him. And it was pure-luck that she caught him with possession in the first place; she wasn’t even supposed to be on duty when she’d snatched him up and she wasn’t about to waste an in with a no-snitch neighborhood.
Although there were times she seriously regretted it.
Hailey blew out a breath, spinning around to stomp out the door, throwing directions over her shoulder, “Be at the 21st district in an hour and be discrete about getting there.” Then slamming the door shut. 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Here’s your wire. We’ll be right outside, listening,” Hailey handed Tyler the piece of equipment for him to attach to his shirt. She glanced at him, “Make sure it’s hidden.”
Jay looked up from the tablet he was holding, “Usually we would have someone under to shadow you but it’s Canaryville and anyone we placed would stick out like a sore thumb so, you’re on your on to a point. Be careful about getting the information, don’t push too hard.”
“Talk for me,” Hailey messed with something on the computer she had on her lap. Tyler shot her a look that clearly said he wanted to be anywhere but here, “I am talking. I’ll get your information and then I’m done.”
Hailey shared a subtle look with Jay, sighing in annoyance, “Yes, Tyler.”
She closed the laptop and she and Jay gathered the stuff they needed. Jay motioned for Tyler to get up, “Alright, we’re set. We’ll drop you off at the diner.”
Jay grabbed the box of technology from her, slightly brushing up against her and giving her a small smile which helped ease the tension she felt in her shoulders. She restrained herself from wanting to peck him on the cheek because she knew Tyler was right behind them.
Jay headed out the door towards the parking lot and Hailey waited for Tyler to start moving as she brought up the rear, “I didn’t know you needed any help carrying boxes ‘cause I would’ve gladly helped you out. I can be chivalrous if that’s what you want.” Tyler threw smirk over his shoulder and in response Hailey gave him a not-so-light shove.
God, if she could only get through this one thing she’d be rid of him and his stupid, useless flirting.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
“He’s a real charmer,” Jay shook his head in disbelief.
Hailey glanced at him, mumbling, “Yeah, tell me about it.”
They had just spent the last ten minutes listening to Tyler flirt with a couple of girls who flirted back and then proceeded to meet up with his buddies where they took bets on which girl they thought would be better in bed. They then took it a step further by daring each other to get one of the girls in their bed before the week was out to prove the previous bet.
He was finally getting to the actual reason of why he was in that particular diner with that particular group of friends for which Hailey was immensely grateful for because she had been about ready to go in there and kick his ass if she’d had to listen to anymore of that crap.
“It’s safe to say I will be more than happy to let Tyler off the hook once all this is over. He has been so difficult and it doesn’t help that he flirts with me every opportunity he gets,” Hailey sighed, rubbing a hand over her face.
Jay pulled a face, “And just for that I don’t like him.”
Hailey had to let out a little smile, “What? You jealous?”
He grimaced even more when he saw Hailey chuckling quietly to herself, “I don’t like creepy guys who have a criminal background flirting with my wife.” 
He shot her another look, “Sue me.”
She wasn’t even trying to hide her snickers anymore and Jay scrunched his face up at her, grabbing the binoculars she held in her hands while pointing a finger at her, “Or any guy for that matter.”
Hailey quickly leaned over to drop a kiss to the corner of his mouth, “You’re lucky I love you.”
The air changed around them into a charged warmth. Jay looked at her with a soft intensity, “Yeah, yeah I am.”
The moment was broken by Tyler’s voice filtering through the van, asking some very pointed questions about the money heists Intelligence was chasing. Their eyes widened as they shared an alarmed glance. 
Hailey felt like banging her head against the side of the van, “What is he doing? That is the very opposite of subtle.”
Jay rubbed a stressed hand over his face, “What happened to ‘don’t push too hard’? He’s going to get himself made or us. We need to pull him.”
Hailey shot Jay an aggravated glance, “We can’t. He refused an earpiece, remember?” She motioned towards the diner they were parked outside of, “Unless one of us goes in there and somehow says the safe word without getting made and Tyler actually listens.”
Jay was already shaking his head, “No, it’s too dangerous. We let it play out unless the situation starts to flip and then we go in.”
The next few minuets passed in an anxious silence as they listened to the information Tyler was getting by doing everything they had told him not to do but there hadn’t been any cause for them to rush in guns blazing yet, so they were resigned to waiting.
It took a few more minuets of waiting until finally, Tyler was strutting out of the diner with an over-confident smirk. Hailey and Jay watched as he jogged across the street to the waiting van.
Jay swung the sliding door open and Tyler was greeted with matching looks of annoyance and condemnation, “What the hell, man? That was not what we talked about.”
“I got your info, didn’t I?” 
Hailey refrained herself from wiping that cocky look off his face. She turned towards Jay, having a brief conversation with their eyes before grabbing the laptop to put in notes. She felt Jay lay a soothing hand on her knee as he leaned past her to grab the other laptop and she could smell the comforting smell of his cologne mixed with their laundry detergent.
“Oh my god,” Tyler suddenly complained, rolling his eyes, “Can you two please get a room?”
She and Jay turned towards him with startled looks. Tyler rolled his eyes again, “Oh come on, you guys have been giving each other heart eyes ever since we left. The sexual tension or chemistry or whatever is so obvious and don’t think I haven’t noticed those little touches you’ve been giving each other.”
All Hailey could do was blink and Jay had the same expression of bewilderment on his face as they stared at Tyler, taken aback by his somewhat inappropriate statement.
Tyler sighed dramatically at the stunned silence before giving Jay a look, “Look man, if you don’t want to do anything about it, then step aside because I would gladly get a room with her instead.”
Jay’s face morphed into a possessive, angered look and Hailey barely had time to sling an arm across his chest so he wouldn’t pounce on Tyler. The guy may have deserved whatever Jay was about to do but Hailey didn’t want him to get in any potential hot water—it just wasn’t worth it.
“I would back off if I were you,” It was a deep growl, and normally Hailey would be somewhat put out that Jay was speaking for her but she had to admit that he was pretty sexy when he defended her like that. His jaw firmly set and warning in his eyes.
“Why?” Tyler asked lazily, “You two dating or something?”
Jay’s eyes narrowed and she could feel him straining against the arm she still had slung across his chest. Hailey sent him a warning look.
His eyes locked onto hers in an intense silent battle for a few long seconds till she felt Jay relent, his body relaxing slightly and Hailey knew she had won this round. She cautiously lowered her arm, her eyes still trained on Jay’s to tell him she was serious about him not beating up Tyler.
Hailey glanced back at Tyler who had been watching this whole exchange like one would watch a soap opera. 
Jay busied himself with packing up the few pieces of equipment that was floating around in the back of the van and she could feel the huffiness coming off of him in waves as he calmed himself down.
She was watching Jay warily as he slid the box holding their tech underneath the table attached to the van wall before looking up to meet Tyler’s stare.
“No, actually, we aren’t dating,” He snapped grouchily, “We’re married, so I would appreciate it if you would stop eyeing my wife like a piece of meat and cut out the terrible flirting before I really lose it and knock you into next week. Okay? Thanks.”
And with that, Jay got up, stomped to the front to slide into the driver’s seat. He then started the van and pulled out of their spot.
Hailey didn’t really know what to say, torn between wanting to laugh at Tyler’s shocked expression or scowl at Jay for his obvious display of displeasure.
She was saved from having to come up with something to say because Tyler finally picked up his hanging jaw to squeak out, “You’re married!?”
Hailey sucked in her bottom lip before releasing it, affirming his startled exclamation with an exasperated “yep”, popping the ‘p’. She turned in her chair, leaving her CI in state of shock behind her.
“Were you ever going to tell me?” Tyler’s wounded but still somewhat shocked voice piped up.
Hailey rolled her eyes both amused and annoyed at how Tyler was responding at the information Jay had given him, “Nope.”
She barely discussed her personal life with people she knew so she certainly wasn’t going to share it with a CI. Her marriage to Jay didn’t concern Tyler; he wasn’t worth being let in on the thing she treasured most.
****************
They dropped Tyler off a few blocks from his house, his eyes still wide as Hailey bid him farewell for the last time supposing he didn’t get into any more trouble.
Jay had glared at him until he was out of sight and Hailey shook her head, rolling her eyes at Jay’s expression. She didn’t say anything even though she thought his sulky behavior was a little much.
They drove back to the district in silence; Hailey sitting in the floor in the back packing up surveillance equipment as Jay stewed in the driver’s seat. He pulled into the large garage that was attached to the 21st district, parking the van with the other undercover vehicles.
Hailey unscrewed the last camera lens to put it’s case when Jay slid open the van door. She looked up, watching as Jay glanced around the garage as if he was making sure there was no one around and she noticed he had a determined glint in his eyes.
“Jay?” She questioned as he popped his head back into the back of the van, holding out his hand obviously waiting for her to take it.  
He wiggled his fingers, “Come on. Hurry!” 
Hailey gave him a puzzled look but scooted out of the van anyways, allowing to him to grab her hand, “What are you doing Jay? What’s going on?”
He didn’t answer her, instead he stole across the garage floor, tugging Hailey along behind him. She thought they were headed for the door that led back into the district but Jay bypassed it, heading down the short hallway that held supply closets.
“What the hell, Jay?” He just gave her a self-satisfied smirk as he did one last glance around before opening the door to one of the supply closets and nudging her inside.
To say she was confused would be an understatement.
Hailey turned around to see Jay shutting the door behind him, locking it. He approached her and this time the look in his eye was one she instantly recognized.
Her eyes widened, disbelief playing across her face, “Jay Halstead! What do you think you’re doing?”
At this point, Jay was so close to her, she could feel the evidence of where his head was at. He reached down to nuzzle her ear, “I’m getting that room Tyler suggested we get.”
Hailey tried to resist but with him so close and his scent intoxicating her, it was hard not to cave into the kisses he was giving her neck.
“Jay,” She hissed. Well, it came out as more of a moan but that didn’t stop her from trying to bat his hands away from where they were sliding up her shirt, “We’re at work!”
Jay lifted his head, coming to kiss her at the corner of her lips, “That’s never stopped us before.”
She wanted to glare at him but she was starting to lose control of herself, her hands roaming up and down Jay’s broad back. 
And it was true. 
Being at work had never stopped them before no matter how much she tried to protest these little escapades so she figured once more probably wouldn’t hurt them.
Well, what did you think? I tried to write Hailey’s CI kind of like Adam’s CI in that one one episode so I guess that’s where I got my inspiration from. I hope you liked it and maybe it made you laugh. Love you all!
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fanfics4all · 4 years
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Painless
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Request: Yes / No 
Requests are closed <3 Have a nice day/night
Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader
Word count: 3200
Warnings: SCHOOL BOMBING, CURSING, it’s criminal minds so read at your own risk! 
Y/N: Your Name 
PLEASE DO NOT STEAL MY WORK, I WORK HARD ON MY FICS AND IT’S NOT COOL TO STEAL SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK! 
If you want to be on the tag list for anything (My series fics, specific character fics, or just all of them) All you have to do is send me an ask and I will add you! 
Masterlist 
(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)
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Another day at work. Another day of someone dead. I thought as I walked into the office. I saw everyone was already in the round table room and sighed. Another case. I put my stuff down at my desk and walked into the room. I took my seat next to my boyfriend Spencer and gave a smile at everyone. 
“Does anyone remember this picture?” Garcia asked, bringing up a picture of a man and a girl looking distressed. 
“Hotch and I were there. That’s Principal Doug Gavens. We had to drag him to safety.” Rossi said, making everyone look at him. 
“High school bombing in Boise, right?” Emily asked. 
“School shooter and school bomber.” JJ said and it triggered my memory. 
“A kid named Randy Slade shot three students and then set off an I.E.D. in the cafeteria via cell phone, killing himself and thirteen kids total, but not before posting all his plans online.” I said and Garcia nodded. 
“It was one of those “Where were you?” events. My whole campus was glued to the T.V..” JJ said. 
“Last night, Principal Givens was killed by a bomb modeled exactly like the old one.” Garcia said. 
“It feels like the unsub wants to attack the man who kept the school together after the bombing. It’s a pretty symbolic target.” Morgan said. 
“And this week is the tenth anniversary of the massacre.” Hotch said. 
“And today is the first day of a four day event to commemorate the bombing at the school.” Garcia said. 
“Except commemorating it isn’t enough for this unsub.” Emily said. 
“No. He wants to relive it.” Hotch said. We gathered our things and got on the plane. We were all sitting down and going over the case files. 
“Perpetrators of school violence are often sophisticated with their weapons. Randy Slade carried his bomb in his backpack. This guy hid his in Givens’ clock radio.” Spencer said. 
“Yeah, and progressive. Each one tries to top the body count of the one previous.”  
“And they’re loners by default, not by choice. They try to join various social groups, but they get shut out.” JJ said. 
“Randy Slade wasn’t a loner at all.” Hotch said. 
“The family cooperated fully with us. He was a high-functioning psychopath, straight-A student, varsity wrestler, lots of girlfriends.” Rossi said. 
“With an above-average intelligence that made him incredibly resourceful. His explosive of choice was Semtex.” I said looking at the files. 
“It’s found at demolition sites, but it’s held under lock and key.” Spencer said. 
“Which made us consider the possibility of a partner. Never found one.” Rossi said. 
“Slade was too much of a narcissist to share credit. But he was also an impulsive teen, which is what bothers me about this unsub.” Hotch said. 
“His sense of control?” Emily asked. 
“And the end game that he’s working toward.” Hotch answered with a nod. 
“Slade’s pathology revolved around the big kill. This unsub could have done the same if he’d waited for the candlelight vigil.” Hotch added. 
“Which means there’s no blaze of glory fantasy here. This unsub has more bombs made, and he’s savoring the anticipation of his next attack.” Rossi said. After we talked everyone moved to their own spots to think and relax before we had the hard work to do. I sat next to Spencer and smiled at him. 
“This poor town.” I said and he sighed. 
“I know, but the odds are against them in this situation.” He said and I nodded. 
“I know, but that doesn’t mean it sucks any less.” I said and he nodded. 
“It’s a hard thing to deal with.” He said. 
“Yeah…” I sighed. We tried to keep our minds on things that would help us, instead of how much people were hurting right now. 
As soon as we landed we dropped our stuff off at our hotel then split up. Hotch and Rossi went to the station with Emily and Morgan. Spencer, JJ and I went to the crime scene. We walked inside and it was a mess, not shocking though considering what happened. 
“Okay, so the unsub has to be tied to the school somehow, right?” JJ asked. 
“Current student, alumni, family member who lost someone…” I listed off. 
“It could be Slade groupies celebrating his hero. He taped nails to the exterior of the bomb, specifically to rip open flesh. That’s a sadistic detail of Slade’s the unsub copied.” Spencer said. 
“Except he tricked Givens into blowing himself up. A groupie probably wouldn’t show that much self-control.” JJ said. 
“But someone with an ax to grind against the principal would. Maybe he’s a surrogate for the tomenters in high school he can’t punish.” Spencer said. 
“Who were yours?” He asked us. 
“I don’t even remember.” JJ answered. 
“You don’t even remember? Wait, were you one of those mean girls?” Spencer questioned. 
“No.” JJ said. 
“Valedictorian, soccer scholarship, corn-fed, but still a size zero. I think that you might have been a mean girl.” Spencer said. 
“Spence.” I said. 
“I was actually one of the nice girls, even to guys like you.” JJ answered and I shook my head. There was no stopping this now. 
“Guys like me? I’ll have you know that my social standing increased once I started winning at basketball.” Spencer said, I always forget that he coached basketball. 
“Oh yeah? You played basketball?” JJ asked. 
“Actually he coached it.” I answered. 
“You coached it?” She asked. 
“Yeah, I broke down the opposing team’s shooting strategy.” He said. 
“Is that why Morgan kicked you two out of the pool last week?” She asked. 
“Yeah, it took him three rounds to realize we were hustling him.” I answered with a laugh. 
“Huh.” She said and we went back to looking at the crime scene. As soon as we were done looking we got a call about another murder. So we made our way there. The three of us looked around and JJ decided to call Hotch and tell him.
“You’re on speaker JJ.” Hotch answered. 
“So, we might have another one.” She said. 
“Might?” He asked. 
“One of the North Valley alumni was killed in her motel room.” She answered. 
“No bomb or gun this time. Looks like he used his bare hands.” I added. 
“You got a name?” Hotch asked. 
“Chelsea Grant.” Spencer answered. 
The next day Spencer and I returned to the crime scene with Hotch. It was good to come back and look at it with fresh eyes. 
“The unsub crushed Chelsea’s throat so she couldn’t scream, then he pulverized her ribs, sending fragments of bone into her heart.” Spencer said. 
“Principal Givens was high-profile. Chelsea wasn’t. Right now the only thing connecting them is they’re both on the kill list.” Hotch said. 
“A list that Brandon kept secret for ten years, but he was in custody when this happened. So the question is, how did the unsub get the exact same list?” I asked. 
“Well, we ruled out a partner, but not conclusively.” Hotch said. 
“Slade made every part of his plan public. It doesn’t make sense that he would hide a partner.” Spencer said. 
“He didn’t want to share the credit. And this weekend is the partner’s best chance to claim it.” Hotch said. 
“Let’s go back to the station, we have a profile to deliver.” He said and we followed him. 
When we got back to the station we gathered everyone up and we were ready to deliver the profile. 
“Partners of dominant psychopaths are usually submissive, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be intelligent or that they’re physically weak.” Hotch said. 
“This unsub laid low after the bombing and successfully evaded police and FBI. That took cunning and patience, which he’s exhibiting now with his current murders.” Morgan said. 
“We think he fits the loner profile Slade debunked. He grew up in an abusive home, which kept him from forming the normal social bonds in high school.” JJ said. 
“We interviewed all the outcasts from back then. How did this guy slip through?” Chief Cole asked. 
“Even outcasts eventually form friendships. But this unsub was the outcast the outcasts rejected.” Spencer said. 
“Exactly, he won’t stand out in any capacity, and as a matter of fact, most of his fellow students probably won’t even remember graduating with him.” I said. 
“And that invisibility is what made him attractive to Slade. This partner wouldn’t steal the spotlight.” Rossi said. 
“Slade targeted the cafeteria because most of the names on his list ate there together during fifth period.” Spencer said. 
“So his hatred festered when the names on the list emerged from the cafeteria as media heroes. And now he wants to finish the job that Randy started.” Morgan said. 
“Emotionally, this weekend is more a high school reunion to him than a memorial. We go to reunions to show who we grew up to be. Often that means changing everything about who we were.” Rossi said. 
“Consciously or not, Randy Slade revealed clues as to his partner’s identity when he detonated his bomb. Agent Prentiss will be conducting cognitive interviews to see what the survivors might remember.” Hotch said. We answered a few questions the cops had then went on to try and work out who this guy could be. Emily was with the survivors now working on them. 
“So, as you can see from your board there, this kill list is weirdly similar to high school. 
“Group on is like the popular kids, prom court, football team, dean’s list. The Heathers, if you will.” Garcia said. 
“Kids in Slade’s social circle.” Hotch said. 
“What about number two?” JJ asked. 
“Uh, mmhmm, that would be the kids from the other side of the tracks, 180-degree difference, kids this close to getting kicked out, Stoners, burnouts, mental cases. Chelsea Grant is on this list.” Garcia said. 
“Maybe Slade targeted them because they disgusted him?” JJ asked while Spencer’s phone was ringing. We have been doing a lot of that since we got here. 
“But they didn’t threaten Slade’s sense of superiority. He wouldn’t have even cared about them.” Hotch said as we ignored Spencer’s phone. 
“So maybe the partner put them on the list. They’d be closer to his social status than Slade’s.” I said as Spencer’s phone stopped ringing. 
“Why would the-” Spencer was cut off by his phone ringing again. 
“I’m so sorry.” He said, taking his phone out and hung up. 
“Why would the unsub list kids that he fit in with?” Spencer asked, putting his phone away again. 
“Apparently that’s how this clique worked. The kids in it were meaner to each other than kids on the outside. Garcia, separate out all the kids who got into trouble regularly. Then eliminate the names that the partner put on the list. Now, who’s left that came to the memorial?” Hotch asked. 
“Right. Whoever made the list wouldn’t put their name on it. Uh… sir, I think- I think I’ve got him. His name is Lewis Ramsey.” Garcia said. 
“Where is he?” Hotch asked. 
“Uhh… According to his cell phone he’s at a local bar.” She answered. 
“Send it to Morgan’s phone.” Hotch ordered and called him. Morgan brought him in and him and Hotch started interviewing him. Once they were done they told the rest of us. 
“You buy it?” Emily asked. 
“He fits the profile, and the evidence points to him, but he seems sincere.” Hotch said. 
“He’s not the unsub. He was the partner, but look at how Slade added “All the losers in this Godforsaken school.” This capitalization isn’t an accident. Look.” Spencer said and wrote it on the white board. 
“L-S-R, Lewis Stuart Ramsey.” He said. 
“So Slade named his own partner.” I said. 
“Ironically, Lewis’ marijuana addiction saved his life.” He said with a nod. 
“Well, that puts us back to our original problem. If the unsub isn’t the partner, how did he get his hands on a list that Slade and Lewis kept to themselves?” I asked. 
“The only answer is that part of the profile is wrong. The unsub’s vendetta has nothing to do with the list. Did you get anything from Jerry Holtz?” Hotch asked Emily. 
“Only that he mixed up the cell phones that Slade used. It felt like he was making the story up, but I only had a hunch.” Emily said. 
“We need to find him now. There’s a connection to the victimology that we’re missing. Whatever he’s holding back might be the key.” Hotch said. We found Jerry, but he was dead. He was killed at the school. We made our way there and Emily met us there. 
“Jerry Holtz? How long?” She asked. 
“Less than an hour. Security guard heard the commotion, but the unsub was already gone.” JJ answered. 
“The only people who knew we were doing the cognitive interviews were the other survivors. The unsub must be part of that group.” Emily said. 
“Well, we don’t know that for a fact. He could have been lying in wait.” I said. 
“Look, Hotch wants me to go through the victims’ lives and find the overlaps. We can compare their histories with the unsub’s.” JJ said. 
“What else do we have to go on?” Emily asked, looking at Spencer and I. 
“Spence said the unsub would have broken his hand beating Chelsea to death. Did you notice anyone with a cast on their hand, someone who seemed hurt?” JJ asked. 
“No.” Emily shook her head. 
“I might know why.” Spencer said and we all looked at him. 
“This unsub doesn’t feel pain.” He said. 
“You mean he has pain asymbolia?” I asked and he nodded.
“We need to get back to the station. Spencer told them about his theorie and no one understood what he was saying.  
“In english for the other people in the room.” Morgan asked. 
“There’s a medical condition called pain asymbolia, where patients register harmful stimuli without being bothered by it. They’ve been documented holding their hand over an open flame because their brain doesn’t send pain signals to the central nervous system.” Spencer explained. 
“Sounds pretty rare. You sure the unsub has it?” Rossi asked. 
“The crime scenes prove it. Once Spencer said it, everything clicked. He displayed an unusual level of savagery towards his victims. And consider this, he smashed through a glass display case, but there were no cuts on Jerry. That means he most likely punched through it as a show of force.” I said. 
“Now, the only way the human body could withstand that level of pain is if he couldn’t feel it at all.” Spencer added. 
“It must take a major toll on someone’s emotional development.” Rossi said and Spencer’s phone rang… again. 
“A significant contributor to our sense of empathy is the way we personally experience pain.” Morgan said and Spencer silenced his phone again. 
“And the unsub didn’t develop his sense of empathy because it was cut off. Does every person with Asymbolia have this?” Hotch asked. 
“Actually, most feel empathy just fine, which makes me think the rest of our profile is still accurate. Loner, invisible, outcast, boiling rage- Son of a bitch!” Spencer said, pulling out his ringing cell phone and answered it. I notice Morgan trying to hide a smirk. 
“Hi! This is Dr. Spencer Reid. I actually can come to the phone right now with a very special message that your mother is-” 
“Reid.” Hotch cut him off and he hung up. 
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I don’t know what got into me. Where were we?” He asked, putting his phone away. 
“I’m going to have Garcia check medical records. Uh, what causes Asymbolia?” Hotch asked. 
“Ssss- Severe trauma produces lesions on the insular cortex, usually after a stroke but this unsub’s so young, it’s most likely caused by an external factor.” Spencer said looking at Morgan the whole time. 
“Like a bomb going off next to him?” Rossi asked. 
“Yeah, like a bomb going off next to him.” He repeated at Morgan. Morgan just smirked and Hotch walked off to talk to Garcia. 
“I will crush you.” Spencer whispered. 
“What?” Morgan asked. 
“What?” Spencer repeated and walked off. I looked at Rossi and shook my head with a smirk. 
“You two are seriously pranking each other while on a case?” I asked and Morgan just smiled. 
“I don’t know what you���re talking about.” He said and I shook my head again. I swear these two… 
JJ and Emily came by a little later with some new information. JJ was rearranging some pictures on the board. We looked on with confusion. 
“Recognize the top ten?” JJ asked. 
“No.” Hotch answered. 
“They were the students that went in front of the cameras after the bombing.” She answered. 
“I thought all the surviving students were interviewed?” I asked.
“After the initial aftermath, yes, but these are the kids that went on talk shows, traveled to other schools. My guess is that they didn’t self-select who made the cut.” JJ said. 
“Principal Givens did.” Hotch said. 
“That’s why the unsub killed him first. He was an outcast who wanted to fit in. Being a survivor should have been his golden ticket.” She said. 
“But he was excluded again, and that’s why he’s killing them.” I said. 
“Yeah. The rules of high school never changed, not even after a tragedy.” JJ said. Hotch’s phone rang and he put it on speaker. 
“Go ahead, Garcia.” He said. 
“Hey, listen up. I crossed-referenced student files with medical records. Now, there were six kids that were knocked unconscious in that blast, but only one fit the outcast profile. His name is Robert Adams, and he just used his credit card at a local restaurant, the address of which I just sent you right now.” She said. 
“I’m on my way.” Hotch said looking at us. Hotch gathered everyone up and JJ and I stayed back. When they came back Robert wasn’t with them. Hotch had to shoot him, there was no other way this was going to end. Once we got everything sorted we got on the plane to go home. I was sitting next to Spencer, who was resting his head on my shoulder while I read a book. We were sitting across from Morgan and Emily, Morgan was listening to music and Emily was reading a paper. He took his headphones off and we heard Spencer screaming from them. 
“Okay, kid, that was cute. But that’s all you got?” Morgan asked him, he was very clearly pretending to be asleep. Morgan’s cell ran and he answered it. 
“Hey baby girl-” He was cut off by Spencer screaming coming through his phone. Spencer had a smile on his face and Rossi held up a white napkin. 
“Uh-uh. Alright, Reid, it’s on. Just know that paybacks are a bitch.” Morgan said. Spencer just responded with snoring. I shook my head at the two of them. 
“You started this Morgan, it’s your own fault.” I said with a slight laugh. 
“Of course you’re taking his side, Y/N.” He rolled his eyes. 
“Well I am dating him, so yes I’m taking his side.” I said and Rossi chuckled. 
Tag list: @les-bio-lie @tashy-bear @ashwarren32 @hollie-blogs @schisbro87 @lover-of-books-and-teas @nerdygaloresposts @teenwolfbitches2 @genius2050 @drw0301bieber @softgamerking @lady-of-lies @simonsbluee @ravenmoore14 @maynardqueen101 @pettyjayy​ @reidssmile​ @currentfangirl-futuremedexaminer 
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Text
Two Fathers
More writing stuff. Not sure how far I was going to take this since no one is really interested.
The Netherlands
The roar of the crowd thundered over into the bright blue sky over the soccer stadium. Dominic was so high up in the stands that the players looked like tiny puppets running about the green pitch, following the rolling white ball and sprinting after it in white and blue jerseys. The match was 0 and 0 for the entire game. The goalies on both sides were too good. Neither team could slip in and score no matter how they tried. The sun was beating down on the exhausted crowd who was ready for anyone to score at this point. 
Dominic wiped his face on his shirt. Locally, he and his father were supposed to be rooting for the blue team. Not the white, but he really didn’t care. The important thing was being out having fun and sharing a beer with his dad on a summer day.
There wouldn’t be many more days like this. He’d gotten approved for a college in the UK and sitting in his room on the nightstand under a poster of a heavy metal band was a one way ticket to London. He had gotten a scholarship to study engineering and would spend the next eight years pursuing a doctorate. His hope was to become a civil engineer. His dream was to build and work on bridges. His father was an experienced crane operator. The idea of weight and balance and counterbalance fascinated him. And wouldn’t it be great if, after graduating, he and his father could work on the same project? The remotest possibility of that fantasy was a ways off. Even then, he would have to graduate early to make it out of college before his father retired.
The players charged towards the goal and the crowd roared encouragement, but again, the goalie caught the shot and the noise went down to a disappointed murmur.
Dominic’s father, a heavy set man in his early fifties, took him to games quite often. He was wearing a jersey for the team and a baseball cap that compressed his sweat soaked hair. He wiped his face with a cloth and stuffed it in his back pocket.
The weather was unseasonably hot. This wasn’t an area where most people were concerned about summer heat. In the past, if things got warm in the home, an open window and box fan would suffice. But now, the news was full of stories of the elderly suffering heat stroke in their homes and lying dead for days before they were found. In the city, venues like the soccer stadium were often the only relief from the heat. You could drive an hour out to get to the beach or thirty minutes in the other direction if you wanted to find a swimming pool. But in response to the heat wave, the soccer stadium enticed guests with free cups of ice and water and the soda fountains were a reduced price for season ticket holders.
However, the heat was starting to defeat even this strategy. Three times games were canceled because it was just too hot to be safe for the players. The result was a backlog of games, disappointed fans, and dodgy scheduling. If you didn’t have a ticket in advance, you would have a hard time getting one. People who had tickets for postponed games could redeem them for a future game. So now the empty seats were filled with fans who had missed games a week ago. When this game came up, his father was on the computer, spamming the refresh key until he managed to snag these seats. He kept them as a surprise.
The players filed out of the field for a brief time out. “All this trouble for a double-aught game.” Dominic said regretfully. “Did you want me to go get a refill?”.
He watched his father reach into his back pocket and pull out his cellphone and he saw his father’s eyes go wide. His face paled despite the summer heat. Dominic straightened in alarm. “What’s the matter?”
His father took one breath and then another. “There’s a problem.” He began and then stopped. “A big one. At work.”
“Are you serious? Ugh.” He rolled his eyes. “It really can’t wait?”
His father licked his lips and stared blankly at the empty field. His chest was rising and falling rapidly even though he wasn’t moving. A few more text messages came in but he didn’t look at them. He just put the phone into his back pocket, silent. It was like he had turned completely wooden.
“Are you alright…?” Dominic asked softly.
The man swallowed, his throat bobbing. He took a quick breath. “Yes. Well, then… I have to go.” He stood up, not looking his son in the eye.
“I’ll go with you!” Dominic rose but his father shook his head. 
“No. I’ll order an Uber for you.” He wrote down quickly on the back of a white paper napkin. “Here is the license plate number. It will be a red car with tinted windows.”
His father gave his shoulder a squeeze. “I’m sorry.” He said, before he hurried out of the stands and up the stairs.
The crowd of people, exhausted from the heat and the long game, filed out of the stadium. Dominic lifted his phone and checked for any missed calls or messages, but there were none. His father didn’t call him back or return his texts. His mother didn’t either. The stadium opened into a large plaza between it and the parking lot and lines of ice cream trucks had already started to attract customers. Normally, Dominic never would have passed up ice cream, but worry about what was going on at his father’s job kept him from joining the line. 
The Uber ride should be waiting to take him home. 
The sun was sinking lower in the sky, blazing a dull red thanks to the wild fires that were burning thousands of miles away.  The crowd thinned as he got closer to the curb where the rideshare vehicles were permitted to idle and wait for their clients. Dominic scanned the vehicles for a red car and found it.
He briefly paused and checked the license plate.
 “Dominic?” The man asked from the window.
He nodded. The driver got out and opened the backseat and then got back behind the wheel. Inside smelled of clean leather. It was cool, a welcome respite. “You know where I’m going?”
The driver had very broad shoulders and a square jaw and a short buzzcut of blonde hair. Despite the heat, he was wearing a blazer over his thin shirt.
“You’re in military training?” Dominic asked.
“You’ve got a sharp eye. Or is it that obvious?” The driver said as he turned the wheel of the car, carefully watching the road as they pulled away and started to drive through the expansive parking area full of gleaming cars. “I’m in the military now. Just making a bit of money while I’m on leave.”
“Military stipend not enough? Or does Uber really pay that well?” Dominic asked with a smirk. “Maybe I should sign up once I’m in London. For Uber I mean. Not the military.” 
He looked down at his phone again. There were no calls and texts but now that he was in the air conditioned space, he realized that he had no signal at all. He tried to text but the error popped up telling him his texts were not sent. He sighed. “What’s wrong with this phone?” 
He tried restarting it. He spent the time waiting for it to reboot staring out the windows at the line of people walking to their vehicles. A family with two children, one sleeping in a stroller and the other limp on his father’s shoulder, were getting into a minivan. The mother was on her phone. But when he looked down, his phone had restarted but once again had no signal. Maybe his dad had tried to call him but he was sitting on a dead phone all this time.
“Hey, can I use your phone?” He asked the driver.
“I’m afraid I can’t close the app or it will end the ride.” The driver said without looking back.
“Okay, I’ll get out and ask someone if I can use theirs.” They were already stopped in line to pay the toll to leave the parking lot, so he didn’t think anything of getting out to use someone else’s phone. But when he pulled the handle on the door, the door was stuck. “I think you have the child-lock on.”
The driver looked straight ahead, not acknowledging his words.
“Hey. Can you let me out?” The mother was getting into the van. She shut the door and the brake lights came on.
The man who was driving continued to look ahead, like he was some sort of robot and not responding to his commands.
“Hey! Can you not hear me? I said-...”
The man suddenly reached into his jacket and pulled out a black metal pistol. He pointed it at him without even turning around to look. The sight of the weapon sent a visceral fear through Dominic. He slammed himself against the door. “No! No!”
The muzzle flashed and something hit him. It stung, like a wasp sting he got at summer camp. 
“He shot me… He shot…” Dominic moaned.
The man put the gun away and turned around like nothing happened. Dominic felt dizzy and light headed. He turned to the window but no longer had the strength to call for help. His eyes slid shut and his world went from darkness to nothingness.
Dominic opened his eyes in a panic, immediately asking where he was. His mouth tasted like blood, his hands were tied to a post. He was lying on a bed. A piece of cloth between his teeth was so tight that it stretched the corner of his mouth. It hurt and bled. He jerked hard and the restraints around his hands tightened.
“He’s awake.”  A deep feminine voice attracted his attention. A woman in a black tightly woven combat suit stood up from a wooden chair that was placed against a stone foundation wall next to his bed. Her hair was dark and tied up in a ponytail at the nape of her neck that swayed between her shoulder blades as she walked. A black belt around her waist carried copper colored long, fang-like bullets. A long knife was at her hip. She wore black combat boots with thick treads that left a trail of wet tracks as she made her way to a door. She opened the door and a light lit up her face. Her nose was painted and long, her eyes dark and framed with thick lashes.
Above where she had sat was a thin dingy window covered with high grass. It was dark in this room save for the single bare yellow light bulb on the ceiling. His shirt was gone. His phone was gone. He gasped, struggling to breathe through his nose and around the cloth. He remembered being shot in the chest but he wasn’t even bleeding and there was no sign of any other wounds.
The man who had driven him and shot him cast a shadow as he walked in, swinging arms as thick as oak trees. He hadn’t noticed his eyes before, steely grey almost white. He was still in his cotton shirt but the jacket was gone and the holster was displayed with that same pistol. He pulled away until the zip ties bit into his wrists and his hands immediately became numb. He pulled and pulled as that man reached for his face. His thick fingers and cracked fingernails untied the gag. “Keep quiet and we won’t gag you.”
“What do you want? What … What do you want from me? My dad. He’s just a construction worker. He doesn’t have any money!” Dominic sobbed in fear. “Please. We don’t have any money!”
“Listen!” The man’s voice was sharp and cut through his panic. His face was inches from his and he could see a slight blond stubble and the remnants of a scar that crossed over his upper lip. That lip twisted in disgust revealing yellow teeth. His breath smelled like tobacco smoke. “The man you think is your father is not your father. That man ran away with you when you were young. We’re taking you back.”
“What?” 
“He was assigned to care for you as a toddler and escaped. I suppose he let his feelings get in the way of his duties.” The man reached up and adjusted the restraints to allow blood flow again. “Don’t struggle so much. You’ll cut your hands off.”
“No, you’ve got the wrong person.” Dominic blinked away the sweat rolling into his eyes. The returning blood gave him pins and needles as it pulsed through his wrists. The gag had soaked up all the moisture in his mouth. His throat was so dry he could barely swallow. He called out in a hoarse voice. “This is a mistake. My father can prove it. Just let me call him. Just give me my phone. Let me call him!”
The man and the woman looked at him with calm pity while he was gasping in panic. The woman crossed her arms over her chest. They looked at each other and Dominic held his breath.
“Let him talk to his father.” A low voice came from outside the door. The two people straightened up, their spines upright and stiff and they turned in attention. Immediately, the woman walked to the other side of the room where Dominic’s phone was on a charger.
“My phone isn’t working…” Dominic sniffed, suddenly aware he was crying.
“Your phone is fine.” She said. Her voice was soft and gentle as she approached him. “We jammed it to keep you from being tracked.” 
“Why?” He asked.
“I already told you.” She pressed his finger against the sensor to unlock the phone and scrolled down to his contacts. Then she held the phone to his ear.
The electronic sound of ringing could be heard through the earpiece and his mind raced. All he had to do was talk to his dad and he would clear all this up. But the phone just rang. As it did, another phone began to ring in the other room. It rang with his father’s ringtone, the song ‘Margaritaville.”
“Dad?!” His father’s phone was here? But he was supposed to have gone to work! Did they capture him here too? “Dad! You have to explain! Tell them… show them my papers!” He shouted at the door, towards the sound of the phone ringing.
Dominic looked at the woman desperately as she held the phone to his ear.
The deep voice from before echoed from outside the room. “Pick up the phone and talk to him. Tell him the truth.”
The phone picked up. He could hear his father’s voice both through the phone and in the other room, echoing each other. “Dominic. Are you hurt?”
“What is going on? Who are these people?”
The other end of the line was silent and no sound came from the other side of the room. Why wasn’t his father talking? He should be telling them that this is a mistake. He should be threatening them with legal action. He should be calling the cops. Why was he here? Were they holding him at gunpoint?
“You’re going to get through this…” His father’s voice was soft and soothing. Even in this terrifying circumstance where he’d been shot, bound, and gagged, that voice slowed his breathing.
“Dad. Tell them. Tell them, they’ve got it wrong…” More silence greeted him and his eyes wildly scanned the room. “Where’s mom. Do they have mom?!”
“Your mother is fine. She’s at home. Listen to me. No matter what… you’re my boy. Even if we’re not related by blood.”
Dominic’s panic increased and his voice cracked. “No. No you… you have to tell them. Did they threaten you? Do they have a gun to your head?! Why are you lying?”
“I’m not lying.”
“But you… you… you took me to the passport office, we… showed them the birth certificate.” The memory of the birth certificate came to his mind as clear as day. “Your name and Mom’s name was on it. Dad, what are you saying!” His teeth clenched and chattered. Their names were on the birth certificate. That memory was what he clung to as his world was coming apart.
“The birth certificate was falsified. It was a fake document.” His father said.
Dominic refused to believe that. His father had to be bluffing. He had to be buying time. On crime shows, experts say you should cooperate with captors until the police could be called right? The police were on their way. So long as he cooperated, the situation would not get worse and he would be rescued. He had to stay calm. “Right… a fake document.” He said. “Of course.”
He glanced at the woman. Her lips lifted in a slight smile but her eyes were sad. She huffed.
Even the burly man chuckled to himself. “You’re pretending to accept it to cooperate right? Your father is serious. It is a fake document.”
Dominics heart slammed against his chest but he took a deep breath. He lowered his eyes.
“Say goodbye to him.” The woman said.
Dominic didn’t want to say that because this wasn’t real. If he said goodbye, they might shoot his dad. “Um… Dad. So… when I was a toddler, you stole me right?” He asked, glancing at the woman who was still smiling. She gave a little shake of her head.
His father answered. “I knew who these people were when I accepted the job. I had a job to do. Raise you until you are old enough and then let them take you. But… remember when you were at summer camp and we dropped you in the woods?”
Dominic did remember. “Yeah… the time I got attacked by the deer?” 
He was only eleven then, but there was a tradition where young people at that age could be blindfolded, driven off into the woods and dropped off. They were given some supplies and told to walk their way back completely unsupervised. It was considered a right of passage. It was never good for a young child to be too dependent on their parents. Their parents weren’t powerful omnipotent all-knowing beings. Even at the age of eleven, a child had to know for themselves right and wrong, right from left. They needed to look at their parents and take their words with a grain of salt. Being without his father’s protection for the first time in those dark woods terrified him. When the deer burst from the underbrush, galloping straight at him, he screamed. The deer wasn’t attacking him. He’d just startled it.
Using the map and the GPS device, he’d found his way out of the woods. The feeling of seeing his father in the clearing, smiling proudly at him, his son, was a feeling he would never forget. After that, he realized that if he let go of his father’s hand, he could stand on his own and not die. He became a bold, independent youngster.
“Right. That was when they were supposed to take you.” His father said.
“But they didn’t take me.” He said.
“No. That’s because the GPS coordinates I gave you took you away from them. Remember, right after that? We moved across the country.” 
A feeling, cold like ice, began to run through his veins. Dominic’s eyes shifted from the woman who held up the phone for him to the other man’s face, to the light coming through the door where his father was. “But… you got transferred. It was a work transfer.”
“I was running away. With you.”
Dominic sighed, remembering this was a script. This was made up. They had guns to his father’s head. He was surrounded. If his father didn’t say these things, they would shoot him. “Right. But you’re giving me up now so you’ll be okay, right? They’re not going to shoot you, right?”
The man and woman looking over him exchanged glances. 
“Don’t shoot him. Please… Please!” Dominic begged.
The deep strange voice that commanded the two people in front of him came again. “If you agree to come peacefully with us, we will not shoot him. This man and his wife will live out the rest of their lives in peace so long as you cooperate.”
“Me?” Dominic asked. He didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to leave. But if his father was alive, then he could call for rescue. “Okay. I’ll go. Just let him go!”
The phone on his ear disconnected.
“Untie him.” The voice came again. “Let’s go.”
The man and woman undid his restraints and helped him off the bed. They kept their hands on his arms as they escorted him barefoot out of the room where he was held. When he stepped into the light, he was shocked to find that there were no gunmen. His father wasn’t tied to a chair. He was standing, still in the blue soccer outfit, with his baseball cap in his hands. He’d never seen his father look so shrunken. 
The man with the deep voice was sitting there, with a gun on a small table, one leg crossed over the other. He looked to be about the same age as his father, but was strongly muscled like the man with the buzzcut hair. The tan suit was fitted to his muscular frame with a white shirt, khaki pants and brown shoes. He spun a silver wooden cane in one hand. He leaned on this cane as he stood up. A golden chain arced from his breast pocket. He reached in and looked at the time before leaning on the cane to stand up.
This man rested his hand on his father’s shoulder. “That wasn’t so hard. Was it?”
His father’s hand suddenly moved to the man’s side, gripping the hilt of a knife, buried in that man’s side. “Dominic! Run!”
Dominic sprinted toward the exit, a stairway leading to a door. The door was like the stairway to heaven, the stairway to freedom, leading him away from this nightmare. He was lucky! The people standing next to him hadn’t grabbed him! He just needed to be fast enough!
His vision suddenly burst white. His feet left the ground and his shoulder collided hard with it. Pain silenced his voice and he could only grip his shoulder in agony. A heavy shoe pushed him to his back. The man with the cane was standing over him. Dominic had never seen such a cruel gleeful smile. Even though blood was spreading throughout the tailored suit from the stab wound, it didn’t affect him.
He reached down and his hand closed like a vice over Dominic’s arm. He picked him up to his feet and shoved him staggering back. He now rested the cane on his shoulder. It was clear he didn’t need it to walk.
Dominic’s ears were ringing and he realized he must have hit him in the head with the cane. The two people who had been standing guard over him made no move to interfere. Dominic looked to where his father was and found him doubled over, clutching his hand in pain. The knife was on the ground, but Dominic didn’t remember seeing his father get hurt.
“I said, if you cooperate… I’ll let him live.” The man lightly tapped the cane against his shoulder and looked at him with eyes like burning twin coals. The sight of those golden eyes sent a shock through him but they quickly extinguished themselves from burning bright to cold black. 
“What are you… you’re a vampire?” Dominic whispered. “An alien?”
“Yes… and no.” The man said patiently. “You’ll find out all these things once you come with me.”
“Dad?” He looked at his father, desperate for direction.
His father could only shiver in pain, holding his hand. “I am still… your father. Don’t forget that. Go with him.”
“He can’t protect you.” The man with the cane shifted his gaze to focus over Dominic’s shoulder. “But those two, they can. They will be your guard on your journey.”
Dominic looked over his shoulder at them. They stood, resolute, like soldiers at attention. “No this isn’t true!” Dominic didn’t care about what his father said now. He couldn’t go with them. If he left with them, he could never go back.  “No. No!”
He didn’t know much hand to hand at all beyond what he’d learned briefly when a self-defense instructor came to the camp. The instructor said always go for the crotch or the shins or the neck. These were places where even the weakest person could inflict disabling blows.
His knee rushed up to the man’s crotch but never made it. That cane slammed on his knee. Pain crashed into his brain and he collapsed to the floor, howling, rolling, unable to think or breathe. 
The cane cracked again against his ribs and he curled up to defend himself againt further blows. His father’s voice sounded. “Stop! Stop!”
“Shoot him.” The voice from the man with the cane was a cold command.
“No!” Dominic sat up only to be brought low again with a blow to his back, right above his kidneys. He fell again. It hurt so much he couldn’t move, he could only gape like a fish out of water, tears leaking from his wide open eyes.
His father covered his face with both hands, sobbing into them against the wall. The gun was still on the table. No one had reached for it.
“Are you ready to cooperate now?” The man with the cane said.
All resistance left Dominic. His father didn’t get up to defend him. He couldn’t run away or fight. The police weren’t coming. “It’s okay… we’ll get through this…” Dominic said quietly.
“Get him up. Let’s go.”
The two people described as his guard ignored his father and helped him up. He couldn’t take his eyes off his dad who leaned on the wall. His father’s hands lowered from his eyes and their eyes met for the last time. They were red rimmed and desperate, swimming with tears. They weren’t resolute. They had no hope. Looking into those eyes, Dominic understood that the truth didn’t matter. Maybe he was his father, maybe he wasn’t. In the end, there was nothing either of them could do.
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