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bbgem329 · 2 years

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If Only You Were Mine… Chapter Eight

Pairings—Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Summary

You’ve been in love with Bucky Barnes since the moment you laid eyes on him. That was five years ago, when your older sister brought him home for a Sunday lunch and introduced him as her boyfriend.

Warnings

MINORS DNI. 18++. Angst. Mentions of violence. Language. Readers family is shitty. Protective!Bucky. Nurse!Wanda. Pining!Bucky. Mentions of pregnancy.

Series Masterlist

—————

“You had one job. I understand why you did it, okay? I get that you were lost in the moment and you acted with your before you thought with your brain,” George huffed, hands tugging frustratingly on the end of his silver hair, “But this is our lives, James. You just put a bounty on all of our heads.” He threw his head back incredulously, eyes clenched as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “All of them.”

Bucky stopped his pacing in front of the window to cast an exasperated scowl in his father’s direction before he was walking again.

Five heavy strides to the left, turn, five more strides back, repeat.

He was only half listening, cerulean eyes trained on the metal gate at the end of the long driveway. He could deal with a scolding later, after Steve has delivered you safely to him. Although he really didn’t need one, he was well aware of the consequences of his actions tonight.

“Leave him be, darling.” Winnie Barnes whispered, passing her husband a tumbler filled to the rim with his favorite scotch. “He finally stuck it to them, something we should’ve done a long time ago.” She sank down beside him, fingers brushing soothingly along the tensed muscles of his back, a tender kiss pressed to his flushed cheek. “Whatever ramifications arise from this, we’ll get through together.”

“If I may,” Natasha piped up, kicking off the bookshelf before making her way around the leather settee. “We’ve already got the ball rolling on a case against the Y/L/N.” She plopped down beside Winnie, both hands wrapped around a warm mug of tea. “I’ve taken it on myself and with the help of Sam we’ve built quite the case. The contract was easily approved for a void,” She shot George a sideways glance, blue eyes narrowing slyly, “But I’m sure you knew it would be, Mr. Barnes.”

The silver haired man raised a brow, chuckling slowly, “Of course I did. The contract was a mess—nothing but bullshit.” He nodded, grin falling solemn as his eyes flickered to the roaring flames in the fireplace. “That’s not what concerns me.” He slumped back on the settee, gulping back a generous sip of the throat burning scotch. “They’ll come for us. Y/F/N isn’t the man I once knew. His business isn’t as pure as it used to be.” He scrubbed a hand down his face, nails scratching along his trimmed beard. “He has connections to some very bad men and his own hands are stained with blood.”

Bucky interest was piqued.

He shuffled closer, brows furrowed, lip trapped between his teeth, and arms crossed over his chest as he stood beside the couch, eyes flashing from his father’s defeated form to the front window.

“Then we dig.” Natasha declared, leaning forward to place her mug on the coffee table. She straightened up, lifting her chin defiantly. “I’m assuming you have dirt on him. Let’s dig up some more.” She glanced back at Bucky, apprehension crossing over her face and he gave a single stoic nod. “Things already don’t look good for him with the faulty contract—foraging Bucky’s signature and threatening all of you. We’re already a step ahead of them. We need to keep it that way.”

“I would also like to figure out why the fuck they treat Y/N like shit.” Bucky added quietly, perching himself on the arm of the settee. “Something must’ve happened or-” He shook his head, gnawing on his bottom lip as he combed his fingers through his hair. “You don’t just hate your own child without reason. She didn’t do anything so I want to know why.”

“Well, we don’t have much of a choice,” George huffed, throwing back the last sip from his tumbler, tongue darting out to lick the remnants from his lips, “But if we’re going to do this—go after them, we need to tread carefully. Winnie,” He turned back to his wife, intertwining their fingers before lifting it to his lips, pressing gentle kisses to her knuckles. “I think you should take Y/N and the girls north. As soon as possible.”

Winnie shifted nervously, spine straightening, lips pursed, and soft, blue eyes wide. “You really think that’s necessary? I don’t think we should be apart.”

“I do.” George mumbled with a frown, dropping her hand in favor of cupping her cheeks and placing a tender kiss to her forehead. “You have no idea what he’s capable of, the lengths he’d go.”

“Up north?” Bucky inquired, brows furrowed as he racked his brain for what that could possibly mean.

Upstate New York or further?

Would that mean being apart from you again? Because he would not stand for that.

“We have a cottage upstate.” Winnie replied, rising from her seat with George’s empty glass in hand. “We’ve kept the location discreet. A safe house of sorts.” She offered him the smallest of smiles as she refilled the tumbler halfway. This time she poured one for herself, needing something strong to take the edge off, ease the dubiety weighing heavy on her chest. “Just in case—for times such as these.”

“Why haven’t we gone there before?”

But before anyone got the chance to respond, headlights flashed through the windows and the sound of tires screeching to an abrupt stop resonated outside.

Bucky was on his feet and racing out the front door without another thought. He hurried down the front steps, eyeing a tousled, flush faced Steve as he hopped out of the driver's seat.

“She’s in the back.”

Bucky's brows furrowed further, the crease between them deepening with every step towards the SUV. He didn’t have time to question before Becca slipped from the passenger seat, tears spilling rapidly down her cheeks, gasping out choked sobs.

“What the fuck happened?” Sam hollered, rushing down the front path, meeting Becca halfway to guide her into the house. “Who did this to you?”

It was then he noticed the gash on the left side of her forehead, fresh blood trickling down her reddened cheek and temple, and he felt his heart lurch painfully in chest.

Fearing the worst, he broke into a sprint, rushing around the driver’s side to where his best friend was leaning through the opened door and into the back seat.

“Steve?”

“Buck, come help.” There was a frantic edge to his voice and it left Bucky’s gut churning and his mouth running dry.

“What’s goi-” His mouth fell open at the sight of you lying limp on the cold leather seat. Completely frozen as all too many feelings and emotions came rushing to the surface. Before he even realized what he was doing, he was shoving Steve out of the way and taking his place in the opened door.

“What the fuck? What the fuck happened? Who the fuck-” Bucky swallowed hard, inhaling sharply as he ran his fingers along your pliant body and up to your pale cheeks. It was then that he noticed the hand and fingerprints painted along your throat. “Oh my God.”

He lifted the back of your head, finding it almost impossible to breathe at the sight of you looking nearly dead. He’d think you were if it wasn’t for the way your chest heaved and lips parted with every stifled breath.

When he slipped one hand off the back of your head, intent on double checking your pulse, he found a layer of flesh blood coating his palm and fingers.

“Steve, what-” He growled out, anger swirling in his dark eyes as rage bubbled within his chest. “What happened?”

“We need to get her inside.” Steve urged, hands steady on Bucky’s trembling shoulders. “I’ll explain everything, okay? Let’s just get her inside.”

Bucky nodded, lip caught between his teeth as he ever so carefully lifted your body from the car, one arm beneath your knees and the other supporting the tops of your shoulders as your head lolled against his chest.

Wanda, Natasha, and Sam were gathered at the doorway, parting so that he could carry you in. He ignored their frantic gazes, words, and questions as he headed straight for the stairs. He didn’t think twice before turning in the direction of his old room, shouldering the door open, and setting you gently on the bed.

Wanda appeared beside him, already in nurse mode, and with a towel in hand. Bucky gently lifted your head, allowing her to press it to the gouge at the back of your head. He perched himself on the edge of the bed, taking your small, cold hand in his much larger one, and pressing kisses to your fingers as Wanda scurried out of the room murmuring something about ice.

He didn’t spare a glance at Steve when he entered the room, eyes trained solely on you, brushing his knuckles along your cheek. “What happened?” His voice was low and deep.

The underlying outrage was clear in Bucky's tone alone. Steve rarely saw this side of his best friend—only when it came to protecting the people that he loved. The very same he’d use on anyone who dared pick on Steve when they were still boys. Only now it was darker, much more menacing—a guarantee to bring whoever harmed even the slightest hair on your head, an grievous amount of pain.

Steve knew he had no other choice but to tell him, though he was afraid of how he might react. Not out of concern for Carly, she deserved whatever she got and then some, but for the sake of his very best friend.

Bucky would blame himself.

Spend today and the rest of his days, punishing himself for allowing this to happen to you.

All of this because he’d slipped up—had a moment of weakness, a quiver in his strong facade.

“It was Carly.” Steve admitted quietly, hands stuffed deep in his pockets as he rocked nervously on his heels. He witnessed the moment in processed in his brain, numerous emotions washing over his face.

Mostly anger in the tick in his jaw, an ounce of shock in the cock of his brows, and a whole lot of guilt swirling in his wide, blue eyes.

“She was on her when I got there.” Steve sighed, scrubbing his hands down his face, head tossed back to the sky as he fought to collect himself. A sight he never wanted to see again but would forever be engraved in the forefront of his memory. “I’ve never seen Carly like that. There was-” He took a deep breath, shaking his head, “There was no remorse, only hatred on her face. She was sitting on Y/N’s chest, almost bouncing on it, both hands wrapped around her throat.” He paused, carefully selecting his next words, “She kept screaming ‘You ruin everything… I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you’. Becca hit her head pretty hard, and was knocked out cold for a few minutes. She was still waking when I got there, just screaming at the top of her lungs.”

“What did you do?” Bucky inquired, voice cracking slightly as he ran his fingers over the inflamed marks on your neck. There would be bruises in a few days and the grooves from her nails would most likely scar. He cleared his throat, finally lifting his head to gaze at this friend, standing tensely across the room.

“I ripped Carly off her, tossed her back into the wall.” The blonde swallowed thickly, “Must’ve knocked her out because she didn’t stir. Not while I was getting them out.”

Bucky’s heart clenched for his friend. Steve was a great guy, the best he ever knew. He would never lay a hand on anyone, let alone a woman, unless he felt he had no choice. It was obvious it wasn’t sitting well with him.

Bucky was both sorry and thankful he’d done it for you.

Steve had saved you.

Bucky didn’t hesitate as he stood from his seat and barreled into his best friend, embracing him in a much needed, heartfelt hug.

“Thank you.” He whispered, patting and brushing his hand soothingly along the expanse of his back. “You saved her, Stevie. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for that. Thank you.”

Steve relaxed into him, arms wrapped securely around his friend's waist, grounding and steadying himself in the brunette's hold. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone but I couldn’t just let Carly kill her.” He sniffled softly, pressing his face into Bucky's shoulder, “She was going to kill her. I had to stop it.”

“You did the right thing, pal.” Bucky mumbled, tightening his hold. “Thank you for looking out for her. You didn’t have a choice and you did as I asked. She wouldn’t be alive if you hadn't.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner.” Steve breathed out, shaking his head. “I didn’t know if I should take her to the hospital. I was afraid they’d come for her there if I did. And didn’t have my phone on me, I realized too late that I’d left it in Nat’s purse. I couldn’t call-”

“Hey, hey,” Bucky interjected when he picked up on the growing panic and distress in his friend's tone. He drew back, planting his palms on either side of his shoulders. “You did good.” He made sure to keep his face calm, expression sincere. “You did the right thing, okay?” He offered him a small, encouraging smile, giving his shoulders a light squeeze. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. You did exactly what I asked and more.”

There was a commotion outside, pulling the two apart before Becca burst through the door. Her eyes were wild, frantically scanning the length of the room. A throw blanket hung over her trembling shoulders, her chest was rising and falling with panicked breaths, and a bandage taped over the wound on her head.

Wanda and Winnie appeared behind her in the doorway, attempting to coax her from the room.

“The doctor will be here soon, darling.” Winnie tried, slipping a hand down her arm, tugging her gently towards the door. “He’ll take care of both of you—clean your injuries and check you over.”

“Why don’t we change out of your dress? Hmm?” Wanda offered softly, rubbing a hand down her back, “Get into something a bit more comfortable?”

When she laid eyes on you, she made to move towards the bed but was hindered by Bucky as he pulled her into his chest.

“Let me go.” She hissed, wiggling in his tight hold. “Let me go. Let me see her.”

“Not until you calm down. What’s going on?” Bucky breathed out, cradling the back of her head as she began to cry again, “Y/N will be okay. The doctor will make sure of it.”

“You don’t get it.” She choked out, tears spilling down her cheeks. She stopped struggling in his embrace, falling limply against his chest, her tears soaking his dress shirt. “I should’ve known. I should’ve helped.”

“It’s not your fault, Becca.” Bucky assured her, combing his fingers through the ends of her hair.

Something he used to do to sooth her when she was little. During those times she’d wake him in the dead of the night because she couldn’t sleep. He’d allow her to slip in beside him in his twin size bed and play with her long dark hair until she fell back asleep.

“No one expected Carly to react like that. You couldn’t have known.”

“Y/N pushed me behind her.” Becca sobbed, body shaking furiously against his. “She… When Carly lunged it sent me flying back and I hit the head on the corner of Y/N’s desk.” She whimpered, chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath, gasping between each word. “If Steve—if he hadn’t come, she would’ve died because I didn’t have the chance to stop her. I couldn’t have stopped her. My head-”

“Shhh.” Bucky shushed her, rocking her from side to side in an attempt to sooth her. Her cries heightened when she talked, her side of the story could wait until she was calm. She was inconsolable right now. Far too wound up and the trauma too fresh. “You’re okay. You’re both safe now.”

“I was a coward and-” Becca froze, lifting her head from where it rested on his chest. Sentiments filled with horror as she gazed up at him. Her mouth opened and closed, the grip on his shirt faltering as what seemed to be a terrifying realization poured over her. “Oh my god.”

“What?” He asked, voice barely above a whisper. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest, dread pooling in his belly over such a sudden change in her demeanor. He’d never seen his sister act like this. The look she was giving him sent shivers racing up his spine and his blood running cold as a million possibilities raced vigorously through his mind. “What is it?”

“She was-” Becca gulped, face paling significantly, “Y/N hasn’t been feeling good.”

Bucky raised a brow, tongue darting out to lick anxiously along his lips. Waiting impatiently for her to continue.

“For a few weeks now.” She stuttered out, eyes wide as they flickered to your unconscious form on the bed. “Since you both, ya know.”

“Get to the point, Becca.” Bucky prompted, eyebrows furrowed and lips pressed into a thin line. He wasn’t at all sure what Becca was getting at but if her reaction was any indication, it wasn’t good. It left a bitter taste in his mouth and anxiety building rapidly throughout the front of his chest and stomach. “What’s wrong?”

“I think-” Becca swallowed harshly, fresh tears springing in her swollen eyes, “I think Y/N is pregnant.”

Bucky stumbled back like he’d been slapped clean across the face. Face paling ever so slightly as the revelation reached his ears.

“What?” He managed out, bracing himself on the edge of his old dresser, hands pressed firmly to the dark wood, and head hung in defeat. He took shallow, shaky breaths willing his heart to steady and slow its rapid, quick thumping within the cavity in his chest.

“I think she’s pregnant.” Becca replied, louder and more sure this time.

And just like that Bucky’s whole world turned upside down and inside out.

—————

Bucky sat on the floor across from his bedroom door, back pressed against the painted gray wall. He’d been sitting there for over an hour, waiting patiently for the doctor to finish up his assessment. Glaring heavily at a piece of wood that separated him from you, because if he stared hard enough maybe it would splinter into two and show him you.

I think Y/N is pregnant.

He turned the words over in his head for what seemed like the millionth times. His mind was a muddled mess over the admission. Running through every possibility, whether it could be true.

Thinking back now, to that unforgettable night, he realized he hadn’t used protection nor had he bothered to ask before spilling his seed deep within you.

The cognizance left shame and guilt rising from deep within.

It was injudicious of him.

He should’ve asked. Should’ve made sure.

The lack of consideration and responsibility made him sick, stomach churning distressfully over the thought of unknowingly impregnating you and then leaving you as he had. The notion that he’d returned to Carly, fully intent on settling with her, even if it wasn’t by choice and was meant to keep you from harm's way, leaving you heartbroken and possibly pregnant, had a new-found self hatred rising to the forefront of his mind.

Bucky had fucked up, and he wasn’t at all sure what he could do to fix it.

He wouldn’t blame you if you hated him now, wanted absolutely nothing to do with, and were perfectly content with never seeing or speaking to him ever again.

But he would try.

He’d do whatever it takes to keep you.

Even if it takes days, months, years. He would wait and he would fight.

Because you are worth everything to him.

He’d risk it all just to make things right, to have you by his side for the rest of your lives.

I think Y/N is pregnant.

Bucky would be lying if he said he hadn’t hoped for this one day—You, the mother of as many children as you’d willingly give him.

But not now, never this soon.

It used to be a dream, forever out of his reach. Now that it was right in front of him—a probable chance to have exactly what he wanted in life, he wasn’t sure how to act or what to feel.

A baby.

A life made of half him, and half you.

It was just as terrifying as it was invigorating because this wasn’t the time, nor the place. In the midst of this chaos and trepidation, wasn’t what an innocent newborn should be brought into or raised within.

It wasn’t fair to either of you—his girl and an unborn child.

You both deserved better.

But if you’ll allow him, he would try his hardest to do you right and keep you safe.

Because the idea of losing you for good, allowing you to slip right between his fingers was a fate worse than death in his eyes.

And if you were really pregnant, carrying a child made purely from your earth-shattering love, he’d have all the more reason to pursue this fight against your family.

Now he had far too much to lose.

Bucky let his mind wander, indulging for just a moment in the idea of you being pregnant with his child.

Belly growing swollen and round, hips widening, breast heavy, and a natural glow glistening across your skin. He couldn’t help but crack the smallest of smiles at the fantasy painted in his head.

He could picture you now—a brilliant smile etched across your sleepy face as you rocked and soothed a tiny, pink, swaddled up newborn. Or a sleeping, drooling infant strapped to your chest as you moved fluidly around your kitchen, humming along with the soft music playing on low from the speaker of your phone. Or you chasing after a chubby, bright eyed, giggly toddler.

You would make a fantastic mother—from every kind bone in your body, to the purest of hearts, you were meant to be a mom someday.

And he’d be incredibly lucky to experience raising a family with you—considering it to be his greatest honor.

Bucky was pulled reluctantly from his thoughts as the bedroom door swung open.

He jumped to his feet, hand stuffed into his pockets as Becca slipped into the hallway, the door closing softly behind her.

A natural flush had returned to the apples of her cheeks, sentiments calm and at ease, and her eyes were no longer riddled with the fear and concern they’d held when he was guided from the room an hour and half earlier.

“She’s okay.” Becca whispered with a small smile running her hands soothingly along the tops of his arms.

Bucky breathed out a sigh of relief, head thumping as he relaxed back against the wall and the unbearable tension lifted from where it resided heavily on his soul.

“She’s awake and lucid.” She added quietly, bowing her head as she gnawed on her bottom lip, “But she isn’t ready to see you.”

His heart clenched at the declaration.

He wanted nothing more than to see you, talk to you, hold you. Make sure that you were okay with his very own two eyes and explain himself.

Bucky had a lot to expiate and mend, and he desperately needed to fix things immediately, but he understood your reasoning.

Although it hurt, he knew it was nothing in comparison to the pain he’d brought on to you. For the last few months and for however long before that, in the five years since he’d met you, he’d provided nothing but heartache and agony—countless let down after left down.

You needed time and at the moment he had plenty to give you. All the pain he’d inficilated and caused was far too new and fresh.

“Oh.” Bucky swallowed down his reluctance, nodding apprehensively, his own swollen lip caught between his teeth. “That’s-” He cleared his throat, “That’s okay, understandable.”

“She just needs time.” Becca assured him, and he found nothing but promise and certainty in her sentiments. “She’ll come around.”

He nodded solemnly, head bowed in shame.

“And is she…”

“Yeah.” Becca breathed out, struggling to suppress the grin tugging at the corner of her lips. “Yeah. She’s pregnant.” Her shoulder lifted in a lazy shrug. “Around nine weeks, give or take.”

She’s pregnant.

A turmoil of emotions and questions flashed swiftly through him.

Fear, worry, excitement, hope.

He didn’t know how he should feel, what to say, or what to do. Where they went from here or what this meant for the both of you.

But there was one thing he knew for certain, he’d take care of you.

Bucky had a lot to amend for but he’d do it.

Whatever you asked of him. Anything and everything to earn your forgiveness.

For you and his unborn child.

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Tag list

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fics-n-stuff · 3 years

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Deep Breaths

For @inquistitorebony, see request here

Pairing: Kaz Brekker × Reader

Summary: Y/N's anxiety gets the best of them on a job, but thankfully Kaz knows how to handle it.

Word Count: 3.4k

Warnings: Panic attacks, brief violence, fake blood, explosions

A/N: Ahh I'm so sorry this took me so long to write!! I had writer's block and I thought I was getting out of my slump but then it just got so much worse again. I had to try so hard to get this finished and I genuinely can't tell if it's good or not, so I really hope you enjoy it 🤞🏽❤

You knew the plan. At least, you thought you knew the plan. You could never be sure with Kaz. Regardless, you were in place where he’d told you to be, weapons concealed in your outfit and Jesper at your side.

“This is crazy. You realise this is crazy, right?” You said, peering around the corner of the alley to get a view of the bridge and the crowds of locals and tourists alike.

“Everything we do is crazy.” Jesper replied with a smirk. “That’s what makes it fun.”

Sometimes you had to wonder how you ended up here, working for Kaz Brekker of all people. The answer to that question was that Jesper had dragged you into it, but then came the question of how the hell you and Jesper had become friends in the first place. That answer was more complicated.

The university of Ketterdam was where your parents had sent you to keep you out of trouble, to get an education so that you could do something useful and conventional with your life. Unfortunately for them, you only succeeded in getting yourself into trouble. Jesper had been the root of that. He was the one who had encouraged you to join him and a group of students on that first night out in East Stave.

You’d managed to stay in university longer than him, but the pull of adventure that the Barrel offered eventually got the better of you. When Jesper fell in deep with the gambling halls and turned to Kaz and the Dregs, you had followed after him for no reason other than the thrill. Which was strange, considering the immense anxiety that you carried through life.

Jesper had questioned it at the time, and sometimes continued to question you on it, but you couldn’t explain it to him. The type of thrill that your exploits with the Dregs provided wasn’t the type that triggered your anxiety, generally speaking. Talking to people was your weak point, fighting or stealing from them was usually fine.

Kaz had been skeptical about you at first, but Jesper was adamant that he should bring you onboard. It wasn’t long before he came to see that you certainly had your uses and you worked in a team, especially with Jesper at your side. He never mentioned your anxiety, but nothing slipped past Kaz. He definitely knew even before he had witnessed the full effect of it, and you had noticed long ago how he tended to keep you off of jobs that might cause you to panic.

“I see the signal from Nina.” Jesper said, eyes on a flash of light coming from a window up the street. “Get ready.”

“Born ready.” You smirked.

“I’ve been rubbing off on you. I’m not sure I like what I’ve created.” He commented, and you rolled your eyes.

“Distraction time, Jes.” You said, bursting a capsule of fake blood between your teeth and slamming another one against you chest before stumbling out of the alleyway. Your nice, white shirt now had a fresh red stain, blood running down you chin, and you looked just like a well-to-do tourist who had run into the wrong crowd.

“Help!” You heard Jesper shout in Zemini right behind you, and eyes began to turn in your direction. “We’ve been attacked!”

“Somebody get help!” You followed up in a fake Zemini accent, which Jesper had earlier remarked upon as being scarily accurate. It was right then that the stadwatch patrol that you had been sent out to distract in the first place rounded the corner. “Guards! Help!”

The stadwatch turned to the source of the commotion, and rushed immediately over to you. That was something that they wouldn’t do if you were dressed in your regular Barrel attire.

“In Ghezen's name, what happened?” One of them exclaimed. Jesper began rambling in Zemini, doing a very good job of acting frantic with his hand on the tailored bruises around his eye and over his cheek. You caught a glimpse of Kaz emerging out of the next street down, completely unnoticed thanks to your distraction.

“Do you speak Kerch?” A guard asked you after being unable to get anything helpful out of Jesper.

“Yes, yes I speak Kerch.” You answered, straining your voice as if you were in pain. “They came out of nowhere, attacked us and stole our things.”

The guard reached out to move your shirt, and you let out a scream of pain to deter him. It worked and he jumped back, eyes wide and afraid.

“We need to get you to a medik.” He said quickly, and you nodded. You turned to Jesper and recited the Zemini sentence that you had practiced all morning, just incase an onlooker happened to actually be Zemini.

“Give me some help, I can't walk like this.” You said. He nodded, shaking his arm out of the grip of the other stadwatch guard and reaching out to pick you up. Practically effortless with all that farmer’s strength.

“Alright, follow us.” The guard said, but as he took the first step there was a deafening bang and a huge plume of smoke from the street around the corner.

Perfect timing, Wylan.

Panic overtook the street, the stadwatch guards turning their attention from you to the smoke rising over the buildings. They started shouting to the people around, trying to keep them calm.

Another blast sounded, and now people were running. Jesper set you down, and you patted over the pistol concealed in your jacket just in case.

“Let’s get moving.” Jesper said, as quietly as he could for you to still hear him over the commotion. You nodded, your heart beating fast as people stormed past you. You didn’t like big crowds, and there were more people here than it had initially appeared. There was a handkerchief in your pocket, and you took it out and wiped the fake blood off of your face.

The two of you began following the flow of the crowd, when suddenly there was a flash of light and a cloud of dust flew towards you as another blast went off up ahead.

That wasn’t part of the plan.

Your heart jumped and your breathing immediately quickened as the people who had been running that way now pressed back towards you. Jesper grabbed your arm, seeing the panic that was beginning to fill your eyes. The explosions weren’t creating any damage, just a loud bang and a lot of smoke, but these people didn’t know that and they wanted to get as far from them as possible as fast as possible.

“We’ll go around.” Jesper said, tugging on your arm to pull you after him as he made a beeline for the nearest alleyway.

Your heart was pounding in your ears as you let Jesper drag you through the alley onto the next street across, which was just as crowded with panicked people. He pulled you along behind him as he wove through the crowd towards the rendezvous point, your mind spinning and your chest tight. You didn’t even realise that you were there until he pushed you back against a wall and moved you to sit down on the ground.

“Hey, Y/N, look at me.” He said, a firm hand on your shoulder. “Deep breaths, okay?” He turned to look over his shoulder at Kaz and Wylan. “What happened? Why was there a third explosion?”

“Things didn’t go exactly according to plan.” Kaz replied. “We had to prolong the distraction to get away.”

“I always keep extra equipment on me; I gave it to Inej and told her to set it off further up from the bridge if we ran into trouble. It was the best option we had.” Wylan added.

“Right, well, tell that to Y/N's anxiety.” Jesper huffed.

“Jesper, you and Wylan have to keep going.” Kaz said.

“What? Look at Y/N, I’m not leaving-"

“Now, Jesper, or all of this has been for nothing.”

“But Y/N was supposed to come with us.” Wylan fretted.

“You’ll make it work. Now go, I’ll deal with Y/N.”

“This is my best friend, Kaz.” Jesper said, leaving your side to approach Kaz, practically squaring up to him. “This isn’t a problem you can solve with planning and scheming, this is a serious human issue and you don’t have a great record with those.”

“I have it handled, Jesper.” Kaz responded firmly.

“Go, Jesper.” You spoke up, elbows rested on drawn up knees, your chest rising and falling heavily. You nodded. “I’ll be fine.” He looked at you, concern on his face, but eventually sighed and nodded back.

“Alright.” He said, stepping back over and lightly patting your head comfortingly. “Come on, merchling.”

Jesper and Wylan moved on to the next step of the plan, leaving you and Kaz alone. He took a seat on the floor against the wall opposite you in the small space, his bad leg outstretched in front of him and his cane resting across his lap. You looked at him, the edges of your vision still blurry.

“I apologise for not warning you ahead of time.” He said after a moment. “I should have accounted for the fact that such a surprise would have a negative impact on you.”

Kaz was generally cold – unaffectionate and pragmatic – but you had a suspicion that he’d always secretly had a soft spot for you. He was considerate of your feelings; he was even almost nice to you when nobody else was around. You quite liked the Kaz that you got to see. It was different to the Kaz that Jesper always complained about.

“What could have possibly given the impression that I was impacted negatively?” You managed to joke, but you choked on your laugh as your body desperately tried to fill your lungs.

“Hey, look at me.” Kaz said before you could start hyperventilating again. “Put your knees down, open up your chest.” You complied, and your body thanked you for the action as some of the strain in your chest alleviated.

“Sometimes I wonder why the hell I put myself in these situations.” You panted.

“I did warn you against it, but you seemed determined to follow in Jesper's footsteps.” He replied. “You’ve made a pretty good go of it regardless. Hold your breath for a second, you’re still breathing too fast.”

You followed the instruction, drawing a deep breath and holding it in your chest for a few seconds, and when you let it out your breathing was slower.

“This is stupid.” You muttered. “I should be over this by now, it’s pathetic.”

“No it’s not.” Kaz said plainly. “It’s something you’ve experienced for a long time, it’s not just going to go away.”

“No one else let’s their problems get in the way on a job.”

“That’s not true, it just happens differently. You still have some fake blood on your face by the way.” It would be dry by now, no point trying to wipe it off with a handkerchief, so you simply shrugged.

“What does that mean, ��it happens differently’?”

“If you pay close attention you’ll notice.” He answered vaguely. “Though, I know you’re very aware of the hurdle that the gambling halls pose to Jesper. That’s caused some trouble on jobs in the past.” You chuckled lightly, nodding in agreement.

You sat in silence for a while, focused on evening out your breathing. Kaz wasn’t good at dealing with emotions so you would expect that he wouldn’t be very good at dealing with your panic attacks, but actually his straightforward approach was pretty effective. Maybe his voice was just so commanding that even your anxiety couldn’t help but do what he said.

Generally, Kaz acted like the panic attack wasn’t happening. Just like today, other than to give you an instruction to calm you down he would just talk to you like he normally would. It was usually helpful, a good distraction or something like that.

There was one time, however, that Kaz had been more worried about you than you had thought was possible. It hadn’t been on a job, just a normal night at the Crow Club. You had been trying to drag Jesper away from the cards table when a fight had broken out. Being a member of the Dregs, and so technically a sort-of employee of the gambling hall, you had stepped in to try and break it up.

You weren’t intimidated by the fact that one of the men was at least twice your size, you had held your own against that before, and knowing that there was security that would step in soon had you assured that all would be fine. But when you placed a hand on one of the men’s shoulder – not the big guy, one of the other men in the fight – to try and stop him from going towards the man he had decided was his enemy, he had turned on you with such speed that you had no chance to defend yourself before his hand closed around your neck.

Your memory was a little spotty from that point on. You remembered being slammed against a wall, maybe even lifted off the ground. Jesper drew his gun, and you’re sure that if shooting customers wasn’t so frowned upon that he wouldn’t have hesitated to fire.

It didn’t last long. His outburst had effectively ended the fight that had been taking place and turned the attention of every assisting party to you. The man holding you had been taken down by a few swift hits from the hulking Dregs member that Kaz liked to have as security, and by that point Dirtyhands himself had been drawn out of his little office in the back by the commotion.

To hear Jesper tell it, it was like your body hadn’t realised that your airway was no longer being compressed and you just weren’t really breathing. Kaz had instructed Jesper and the security guard to get you up and into the back office before demanding an explanation from the person closest to him.

You didn’t see Kaz break the man’s hand with his cane, but you remember hearing the scream.

Once it was just you, Kaz and Jesper in the office, Kaz’s demeanor changed instantly. Not that you were really cognizant enough to notice right away, but Jesper wouldn’t shut up about it for a little while. What had seemed, while out on the floor of the gambling hall, just to be a Barrel boss squashing a disruption to his business and doling out payback on behalf of a friend turned into seething rage, which in turn became a constant look of concern as he intently watched Jesper coax you to start breathing properly.

Jesper had business to attend to later that night, so after a while it was just you and Kaz sat in the office. He fetched you a glass of water and sat with you until you were feeling better, never taking his eyes off of you. You had told him about your anxiety, but until then he had never seen it in full effect.

Since that day he had been more in tune with that part of you, learning how to tell when you were having a bad day and remembering what kinds if things made you panic. If he caught you when your anxiety was spiking he would stay and just talk to you. It was nice of him.

“Sit up straight.” Kaz said, and you were snapped out of your thoughts when you felt the tip of his cane pressing gently against your shoulder. You realised how far you had curled in on yourself and leaned back against the wall. Kaz had drilled it into your head that opening up your posture would help you breathe better, but sometimes you needed reminding anyway. “How are feeling?”

“Better.” You mumbled with a slight nod.

“How are the edges of your vision? Still fuzzy?”

“A tiny bit.” You answered, trying not to smile at the fact that he remembered how your vision went fuzzy when you had a panic attack. “If I ask you a question, will you answer me honestly?”

“Sure.”

“Why do you bother with me?” The question had been weighing on your mind for a long time, but in the past few weeks it had felt like it had been pressing for you to actually ask. You thought that Kaz liked you, but at the same you couldn’t think of a reason for that to be true.

“What do you mean by that?” Kaz asked, his head tilting a minuscule amount and his brow furrowing ever so slightly in curiosity.

“I mean, why do you keep me around? Why do you bring me on jobs? Why do you bother learning how to take care of me? Maybe at first it was for Jesper's sake but surely that can’t be the case now, so why?”

Kaz watched you for a moment, folded his hands in his lap and cleared his throat.

“You’re a valuable member of the team.” He answered matter-of-factly. “You work well with others, you’re a fast learner, you seem to genuinely enjoy being a member of the Dregs most of the time. As for why I’ve learned to take care of you, well, what kind of a leader would I be if I didn’t? You know me, I like to know everything that there possibly is to know when it comes to my business and my team.”

“Right.” You nodded. “That makes sense.”

“You don’t like that answer.”

“What?”

“I know you well enough to know what your face does when you’re unhappy.”

“I’m not unhappy.”

“Don’t lie to me, Y/N. What is it that you wanted me to say?” His question made you feel suddenly quite embarrassed, and you averted you eyes with a shrug.

“I don’t know, I guess I just thought that maybe you actually liked me. You know, as a friend.” You mumbled. You glanced back at Kaz long enough to see the corner of his mouth twitch upwards.

“If I told you that I liked you, would it make you feel better?” He asked. He wasn’t being sarcastic or mocking you, but you still became even more embarrassed.

“Forget about it, it doesn’t matter. I’m feeling much better now so we should probably start moving-"

“Y/N.” Kaz interrupted, and you froze mid-motion of standing up. “I do like you, but I don’t have friends.”

He moved to stand up, and you finished getting to your feet. You watched him use his cane as leverage to get up off the floor, and if it had been anyone else but Kaz you would have offered a hand to help him up.

“You do too have friends.” You replied with a tiny smile. “You, Jesper and Inej are a trio of best friends if I’ve ever seen one.”

“I thought Jesper was your best friend.”

“People can have more than one best friend, Kaz.”

“The more friends you have, the more leverage your enemies have against you. That’s why I don’t have any.” He stated, taking the first step. You assumed that you would be heading to where he was supposed to meet Nina and Matthias. He was late – just how late you weren’t sure, the passage of time alluded you during panic attacks – but they probably weren’t all too worried.

“I think you just tell yourself that we’re not your friends so that you feel better about having a weak spot.” You said, teasing slightly. “Do you like me as much as you like Jesper?”

“I like you more than Jesper. You’re less of a thorn in my side.”

“Aw, Kaz! That’s so sweet.” You smiled. He scoffed.

“I take it you’re feeling better?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“Good.”

“Can I ask you one more question?” You inquired, and Kaz sighed before humming an agreement. “Do you maybe like me for a different reason than that I’m less annoying than Jesper?”

There was a beat of silence, and Kaz inhaled.

“I enjoy having you around.” He answered vaguely, but you could see in his eyes in the sidelong look that he gave you that it was deeper than that. You smiled, satisfied and not needing to push.

“Good. Me too.” You muttered, and the two of you continued walking, side by side.

#kaz brekker #kaz brekker fanfic #kaz brekker fic #kaz brekker oneshot #kaz brekker x reader #six of crows #shadow and bone #shadow and bone netflix #six of crows fanfic #jesper fahey #kaz brekker x y/n #kaz x y/n #dirtyhands #bastard of the barrel #grishaverse #leigh bardugo

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cassanovancats · 3 years

Text

felicitate. one.

WARNING: JJK spoilers. canon-typical violence.

prologue < current > two

Nov. 2016

“Didja hear about the new transfer student starting today?” Panda asked, poking his head into your room. You push him out of the doorway and lead the way outside where you collect Inumaki and Maki to walk to class together.

You hummed slightly before answering, “Not really. Nii-chan said he wanted to surprise us with him.”

“He stuffed four - four, you guys! - of his classmates into a locker.”

“Killed them?” Maki asks, shifting her weapons case to sit higher on her shoulder. Inumaki leans over, interested.

“Nope! Only ‘severe’ injuries,” Panda explains, using his claws to make quotation marks around the word severe.

“I wonder what his lineage is. If he’s a transfer then he probably doesn’t have an inherited technique. Maybe we both can train together!” Your steps get a little lighter at the thought of adding to your harem. Maki glares at you as if she heard your thoughts and gives an audible hmph.

“If he’s cocky about being the strongest at some bumpkin junior high, I’ll rough him up.” Maki declares. “I bet you’re too tired to even train today, (y/n).”

“Salmon.”

You gasp dramatically. “Even you, Toge-kun? I can’t believe my favorite partner would do me like that. You both know it’s a Monday, I only did five kilometers this morning, thank you very much. And if you would actually join me sometime, you would understand that’s an easy distance.” You toss your hair and point your nose upward sarcastically.

Inumaki rolls his eyes, “Bonito flakes.”

“What he said,” Maki nods. “It's bad enough you convinced Gojo we have to run laps to warm-up before training.” You pout at such blatant rebuffs. Another failed attempt to get a workout buddy. Not that any of your classmates were weak, quite the opposite, they just kept training to what they saw as most essential - cursed techniques and fighting.

“You wouldn’t want them on your run anyways,” Panda says, trying to cheer you up, “You’d just leave them in the dust and end up alone on your trail anyways.” You chuckle at the annoyed noise Maki makes and move to enter the classroom first. As always, you claim the desk furthest from the door and closest to the window. Inumaki sits next to you, a habit from when you both met as children at clan meetings, Maki next to him, and Panda by the door.

You toss your jacket across the back of your chair and breathe in relief. The terrible things were so heavy and while it was great in the winter, November was still too hot to be covered in fabric. You smooth your skirt across your thighs to cover more skin and turn to ask Inumaki a question about the homework when Satoru slams the door of the classroom open. “Transfer student incoming! Let’s get this party -,” he trails off seeing the bored look on everyone’s face, “-started? (y/n), explain why you’re not totally pumped.”

You raise an eyebrow, “Are you asking as my brother or my teacher right now?”

“I heard he’s a punk. I have no interest in being nice to that kind of guy.” Maki interrupts.

“Salmon.”

Satoru pouts when you nod and Panda remains silent. “Whatever.” he turns and cups his hand around his mouth to yell at the closed door. “Come on in now!”

A deep sense of dread settles in your stomach when the door inches open. You and Inumaki share a look and he is already reaching to push up his sleeve and pull down his zipper. The boy who walks in is hunched in over himself and would be cute if not for the enormous curse hanging onto his back. The monster sneers with elongated teeth over his shoulder while he makes his introduction. Although neither makes an offensive move, every student makes one choreographed movement to circle around him in a defensive measure. Maki thrusts her blade into the blackboard behind Yuta Okkotsu. “Don’t you know you’re cursed?” She sneers at him down the staff, “We learn about curses here. It’s not a place for people who are cursed.”

Satoru doesn’t move an inch when he begins the spiel you’ve heard a million times: where curses originate, how sorcerers exorcise them, and how Jujutsu High trains each generation of sorcerers. It’s clear he didn’t explain this to Yuta, as the already pale boy becomes almost translucent. You take a step back, still hesitant about what must be a special-grade curse, but trusting that your brother would never endanger you. Well, at least not to the point of possible death. If he brought Yuta to your class, there must be a reason.

But then two giant arms emerge from the blackboard to grab Maki’s weapon from her hands. An ominous voice that makes you suddenly nauseous warns, “Don’t bully Yuta!” The arms swipe your friends onto their backs in one smooth movement. Panda thumps against the wall and Inumaki slides across the floor, hitting his head on an upturned desk. Maki stumbles backwards, shocked at the easy strength of the curse.

“Stop!” The technique you borrowed from Inumaki forces everyone in the room to freeze and you fall to your knees coughing, suddenly exhausted. Your brother breaks your hold and moves away from where he leaned against his desk when he first entered the room to offer you a hand. You stand on shaky legs as he explains how Yuta came to be cursed. Satoru allows you to clasp both hands onto the one still supporting you, allowing his technique to be borrowed and releasing the hold you had on your classmates.

You move to stand with them in solidarity as they gather to their feet. Maki takes the role of your pillar, allowing you to stand slightly behind her and grip the back of her jacket, while Inumaki hands you a cough drop from his pocket. You nod a thanks, still unable to speak. God, you need to train with his technique more. He can get at least three strong commands out before being incapacitated.

“They’re going through a rebellious phase, so let me introduce everyone. First is my precious lil sister, Gojo (y/n). She copies techniques by touch, so ignore how handsy she gets.” Satoru smiles and winks behind his blindfold, “Maki Zen’in. Cursed tool user; she uses special tools to exorcise curses. Cursed speech user Toge Inumaki, (y/n) copied his technique in that little show. His vocab is limited to rice ball ingredients. And Panda.” He points at each of you as he travels down the line. Yuta moves to join where the four of you had previously stood united against him. “Wow! Five first years! That's the biggest class in a while. Yaga must be so jealous the great Gojo-san can recruit so many talented young ones.” Satoru mimes wiping a tear from his blindfolded eyes and you roll your own at his self-praise. Yuta nervously (maybe curiously? nervous is the most common reaction) eyes Panda.

By now, you can mostly stand on your own, but gesture for another cough drop from Inumaki. He indulges you, though reluctantly. You make a mental note to buy a pack to refill both your own and his pocket stashes. But first, an afternoon practical where you’re paired with your brother. A pairing which means you two will just take the Gojo family card for a trip around whatever district you’ll be traveling to. Not that you’d ever complain about that. Inumaki and Panda are paired together, which leaves Maki and the new kid. Yuta moves to stand in front of Maki (and you, by default, since you’re still slightly hidden behind her) and says quietly, “I’m, uh, looking forward to working with you.” He manages a shaky smile.

Maki narrows her eyes. “You were bullied, right?” He visibly shakes but doesn’t respond. “Thought so. You’re totally bully-able. Probably because of the curse. You act like such a good person but it feels fake; it feels gross. You’re being protected, why act like a victim?” You elbow her side with a frown but she carries on. “I bet you’ve been passive your whole life. No goals. No aspirations. Jujutsu High ain’t that easy.”

Panda takes a step to stand firmly next to Yuta and places a giant paw on his shoulder. “That’s enough, Maki.” Inumaki agrees sternly.

“Fine. Whatever,” she scratches at her head, embarrassed at being reprimanded by each of her classmates. She is the first one to leave the room, not waiting for Gojo’s dismissal. Not like each of you don’t know the routine for missions.

The class begins to trickle out slowly and you hesitate before grabbing Yuta’s wrist to tug him gently back into the room. “I wanted to apologize. Maki isn’t always nice, but I promise she’s one of the kindest souls I know. I’m glad you joined our class, Yuta-san.” You smile in a way you hope reassures him. You walk away quickly, hoping to still have time to grab a pair of shorts from your dorm. You think you might just let a curse kill you if you have to fight in a skirt again after accidentally flashing your underwear at Panda last mission. Due to leaving so fast, you miss the sight of Yuta’s frozen body burning up in a deep blush.

The six of you arrive at an elementary school without any more fights in the car. Just a thick, awkward silence. Yuta seems sweaty and is constantly wiping his palms on his pants as the group approaches the building. Gojo-sensei gives the usual mission brief, explaining how children have recently started going missing and two curses are responsible. Team Panda will be responsible for one, Team Maki for the other. “And what will Team Gojo be doing?” Maki asks, raising a sarcastic eyebrow.

“Keeping an eye on the perimeter, of course! (y/n), if you will.” You nod and begin the chant to create a curtain.

“W-what is that? it’s turning to night!” Yuta yells.

“That is a curtain. It’ll make you guys invisible to the outside world and reveal the curses inside.” Gojo-sensei pats Yuta reassuringly on the shoulder. You follow him to stand outside of the curtain. Before it closes your classmates in, Gojo adds, “Don’t go dying on us now.”

You snort and hit your brother's arm. “You shouldn’t scare him like that. Poor boy looked like he was going to faint. So, are we leaving or actually keeping an eye on them?”

“I’m curious about how Rika will react when Yuta is in actual danger. Let’s wait,” he replies. You nod and move to sit cross-legged on the hood of the car while Satoru leans against the side. “...This also gives time for your precious Nii-chan to catch up on gossip. Has sweet Toge caught onto your crush yet?”

You flush and cross your arms across your chest. Moving to angle your body away from him, you pout and petulantly say, “There’s no crush. We’re just good partners. He's the only one of my classmates I can actually take a technique from, so of course I spend time training with him!”

Satoru smiles and hums, “No need to be so defensive. You know I approve if there was a crush though, right?” You just nod, relieved he was letting it drop so easily. “Although, your poor brothers might get jealous if we get even less time with you. We’re your best partners ever, after all.”

“Of course, Nii-chan. You know Team Gojo is undefeatable,” you say. Suddenly, both of you startle and whip your heads towards a point behind the curtain. Even without copying Satoru’s six-eyes, you can see the sudden burst of cursed energy. The wave of power makes you so nauseous, you turn your head and gag slightly.

“Freaky,” Satoru chuckles. “So that's the true identity of special grade cursed spirit Rika Orimoto. Women sure are scary.”

“If he lost control of her, something must be wrong,” you hop up from your seat and step forward to dismiss the curtain.

Yuta steps through the curtain right as your hand reaches out to dash the veil away. The sight startles you. He's covered in the usual grime from missions but it’s how he collapses on top of two children he obviously carried out and the unconscious Maki draped over his back that scares you. You move to untangle the limbs and check Maki for injuries while Satoru steps forward, in teacher-mode again, and says, “Welcome back. You did it.”

You stick your hand out impatiently gesturing for the first aid kit kept in the car. When Gojo places it in your hands, you rush to tourniquet Maki’s leg where there’s an obvious gouge in the flesh. Gojo continues to talk with Yuta, likely a debrief, while you move onto the two children. Neither has any wounds that you can treat - they’re obviously cursed but that requires Auntie Shoko’s technique. You report all of this to your brother and he instructs the driver to be sure to take everyone back to school. He tells you to be sure to help ‘Ieiri-san’ with the children, and while you wrinkle your nose at the formality (Auntie Shoko has never separated her role in your personal life from her role in your training), you easily agree. With some effort and not much help from an exhausted Yuta, you manage to get all four into a car. You slide into the passenger seat and nod to signal the driver to start the car.

After copying her reversed healing cursed technique, the pair of you don’t take long to heal the children and Maki. Maki regained consciousness while you were working on her, nearly kicking you in the face. She gave you a short debrief of what had happened and, knowing she was now okay, you took great delight in teasing her for messing up her first chance to impress your new classmate. “Oh man, Toge-kun is going to love this. I can't believe Miss ‘I’ll rough him up’ got swallowed! You completely fucked up a first impression,” you cackled and dodged her kick. Shoko gave you an exasperated look from across one of the kid’s hospital beds.

“Leave my patients alone, (y/n). Go tell your idiot brother everyone is fine.”

taglist: @rowanthefox

#felicitate #cass.writes #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk x reader #inumaki x reader #yuta okkotsu x reader #inumaki x reader x yuta #female!reader #jjk spoilers #jjk volume 0 spoilers

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beyondspaceandstars · 3 years

Text

While You Sleep

Chapter 13

Relationship: Bucky Barnes x Reader Warnings: sad. this chapter is sad. Summary: Soulmate!AU - Throughout life, you’re given glimpses of your soulmate through dreams. As you sleep, memories flash in your mind showing you the life your soulmate has lived. Everyone around you raves about how their soulmate reads great books or volunteers in their spare time. But you can’t relate as your dreams end up being more like nightmares. Through initial images of death and violence, you come to learn your soulmate is the Winter Soldier.

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

You were sitting at a stool in the compound’s kitchen when a familiar face walked in. Bucky had eventually explained to you that this was a sort of “headquarters” for the team. You felt a bit foolish having realized you never kept up much with these mighty heroes but you were eager to learn now. So far, you hadn’t encountered anyone you didn’t personally know on this famed team. Even now your eyes landed on the welcoming yet worried face of Steve.

“Morning,” you said, waving your fork before stabbing some of your scrambled eggs. Bucky had insisted on cooking for you despite your assurance you were fine but his cooking skills were....subpar. Still, nothing was inedible and you needed your strength back.

Steve reciprocated the greeting, saying your name with much excitement. “How are you feeling?” He added while making his way to the coffee pot. You chewed your eggs borderline viciously as you debated on an answer.

“I’m okay.” You gave a shrug, staring down at your plate. Part of you wanted to let more out but you ignored it.

Steve came back around to the counter, standing on the other side across from you. He held his coffee cup firmly, nervously almost. You could feel him watching you. That excitement he had said your name with felt like it was evaporating from the room slowly.

“That’s… good,” Steve said. “If you need someone to talk to we have plenty of resources and - and I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

You peaked a glance at him, confused. You placed your fork on the counter. “Sorry? Why are you sorry?”

“I worry I led them right to you,” he explained, “like you two were separated for a reason.”

You frowned. You hadn’t thought about this - heck, you hadn’t thought about blaming anyone other than the disgusted men with such joyous evil looks in their eyes.

“Steve, I don’t think there was any way anyone could’ve prevented this.” You pushed your plate of food away. “They had their sights set. They had a plan, an optimism. It may have just been the soulmate experience in this case,” you sighed. Steve mumbled your name, shaking his head, but you continued, “And that’s fine. Love doesn’t come easy, right?”

“Being kidnapped is not part of being in love.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t have an ex-assassin for a soulmate.”

Steve’s jaw went slack. You were staring him down now, practically begging him to say one more thing.

“It’s going to be okay,” Steve finally settled on. Ever the cool, calm, and collected star-spangled man. “You will recover and it’ll never happen again, we can promise you that.” His voice was serious as if every word ended with a period. You felt tears starting to well in your eyes. You wanted to say something, maybe ask for a hug or just… you didn’t know what, so you just sat there, slumped in your chair like a defeated puppy.

“Everything okay here?” A sudden voice made you jump. You and Steve turned towards the kitchen doorway where Bucky was standing, arms crossed, worry etched all over his face. It seemed to become his permanent expression now. Even when it was just you two, he always appeared on edge.

You nodded, turning back to collect your plate and take it to the sink. “We were just chatting.” You didn’t see the look you just knew Steve and Bucky were sharing.

When you turned back around to face the pair, Bucky had crossed the room, almost close enough to now be hovering over you. You flinched when he went to put a comforting hand on your shoulder. You didn’t know why as you clearly didn’t think he was a threat but hadn’t you seen how threatening he could be? You lowered your head, fighting off the thoughts. He wasn’t like that to you and he had proven it time and time again. Why was it suddenly different?

Before either of the men could comment on your sudden hesitation, you said, “I’m going to go take a shower.” They just nodded, letting you exit.

***

When you got out of the shower and back into the room the team had lent you and Bucky for the time being, Bucky was waiting patiently on the bed. You lingered around the space, picking out some pajamas to wear, acting as normal as you could. You took in the space, still amazed by it. It was fairly large with top-notch amenities, including a luscious bed, spacious dresser, and television from technology you weren’t sure existed for the general public. It even had access to your own grand bathroom, saving you some war flashbacks of the communal restrooms at college.

You dipped back into the bathroom and got changed. While your intimacy with Bucky hadn’t been on the shy side, you weren’t in that kind of mood right now. Rightfully so, you would say.

Emerging once more, you noticed Bucky had made a sort of resting area for you on the bed. Your side was surrounded by blankets upon blankets and soft pillows. He even had a movie queued up for you two to watch. He laid waiting, his eyes practically begging you to come to him. After giving your hair a final wring, you gave in and crawled into the soft bed, letting all of you just melt into it.

“How are y-,”

“Bucky,” you sighed, turning towards him. He was laying on his side, staring down at your curled-up form. “Please don’t ask how I am.”

He nodded. “I get it, doll. I’m just worried about you. You seemed alright yesterday but today…” Yeah. You’d taken a dive. Your whole mood had shifted. Heck, your views on the world had shifted. As dramatic as it seemed, you were having a hard time snapping back. You weren’t even gone for over two days and yet the smallest thing...

“I think it’s just all settling in,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe it was just shock yesterday or something but realizing what all happened… Gosh, this probably seems so foolish to you.”

Bucky began shaking his head profusely. As gently as he could, he took your hand in his. You welcomed the action as you shifted under the makeshift mountain of blankets. “Don’t do that, honey. Don’t try to dismiss it or think what you’re feeling is foolish. You went through something so terrifying. You’re allowed to react to it.” He took a deep breath. “When we talked yesterday, I think I thought maybe they hadn’t gotten to you. That nothing had happened that would leave you torn up but you saw… a lot.”

You knew he wasn’t talking about just being exposed to Hydra and their twisted selves. “I did,” you hesitantly agreed. “And I fear it’s going to take a lot to recover.” Your words felt like you were delivering punch after punch to Bucky but where were you going to get if you weren’t honest?

“Anything you need, sweetheart,” he mumbled, his thumb drawing soft patterns on the back of your hand, sending shivers through you. “I’ll do anything to make it better.”

You nodded, averting your gaze to where your hands were connected. Your hand was so tense but you hadn’t even realized you were squeezing his. You relaxed it slightly and Bucky’s motions stopped.

“Bucky,” you mumbled, “can I ask you something?”

He hummed in response.

“What do I offer you?”

You could feel Bucky’s eyes staring you down. No doubt a concerned frown was playing on his lips. “What are you getting at here, honey?”

You shifted uncomfortably. “When I was… you know… the - the older man said that he didn’t understand why we would be paired together. They were determined to figure out what I offer you. What makes me so special.” A beat. “I really don’t know the answer.”

Bucky sighed, shaking his head. You glanced up at him again, his eyes now holding a different kind of anger. You felt bad for doubting yourself but the insecurity from the words of some random guy settled into your brain.

After a thoughtful moment, Bucky spoke, “I don’t think you’ll ever fully understand what you give, not just to me, honey, but the world. You’re so fearless. You’re incredibly understanding. Not to mention how compassionate and bright you are…” His voice cracked slightly, breaking your heart a little. “You force me to remember that I’m not alone and I don’t have to be. And I just really hope I do the same for you.”

You could feel your own tears forming as you shifted just a bit closer to your soulmate. You weren’t quite touching but you could still feel his presence. It was as comfortable as you could get right now and Bucky seemed to respect that.

“I hope I’ll be okay,” you confessed. “Eventually.”

It quite amazed you how fast stuff could change within yourself. You woke up from being rescued with the more extravagant hopes and overwhelming relief of just making it out alive. But then you remembered the price of you making it out alive. What you had to witness to get there. And then the thoughts of actually being back in that position rushed over you. Needless to say, it was weird. Simply weird. Unlike anything you had encountered before.

Bucky soon nodded, encouragingly. You hated putting anything else on him but he had become part of the memories now. It was one thing to see him in dreams and another to watch it just feet away from you.

With a choking sob, he said, “Me too, doll.”

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tallstars-rewrite · 3 years

Text

Chapter 35

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The town was worse than Talltail could have ever imagined.

He was bombarded on all sides by horrible loud screeches and rumbles and a cacophony of twoleg voices that seemed to bother Jake far less then they did him. It took all the willpower he had to not to flinch and cower at the roars of monsters that passed down nearby crisscrossing Thunderpaths. And I thought the one Thunderpath near the moor was bad!

He could make out countless different smells, but he didn’t recognize any. It was all too tangled up. Occasionally he caught a whiff of rat, but it was always covered with the sour stench of twoleg rubbish and wet gravel.

“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” Talltail hissed to Jake as they padded quickly down the hard flat twoleg paths, uncomfortably boxed in on either side by high house-like structures.

“I do, I’ve been this way before. It smells weird because humans throw trash down these alleyways, but they don’t walk down them very often. We’re going to ask some um...friends of mine the safest way to the park. I know the general area it’s in, but I've never tried to actually go there before, and I’d prefer to avoid crossing roads if we can.”

They turned down another alleyway and Talltail froze when he heard a sharp rattle as one of the twolegs bins was knocked across their path, clanging hard against the ground. An angry looking dark ginger molly leapt up on the bin, a growl rising in her throat. Talltail bristled as from behind her, three more cats stalked towards them with flattened ears. They were covered in deep scars from past scraps. Talltail was taller than all of them, but that didn’t make the odds much better.

“Hey, you! We told you not to show your stinking muzzle around here!” the ginger molly hissed.

Jake flicked his tail in casual greeting and Talltail stared at him in shock. These cats looked like they were about to pounce!

“Hey guys! Been a while, huh? It’s really good to see old pals again.”

The smallest of the cats, scraggly brown tom, growled and stepped closer.

“Don’t call us pals dog-breath, we ‘aint your pals, and we warned you what would happen if you showed up again!”

Jake cocked his head “I thought it was something like you’d tell me to get lost? And I’d love to get lost, but I just need to ask a quick--”

“The warning was implied!” the tom spat.

Jake sniffed. “Well, it wasn’t implied very clearly,”

“Jake, for StarClan’s sake!” Talltail hissed.

“Aw, come on. I thought we got along well last time!” Jake went on, ignoring Talltail’s warning.

The alley cats just snarled and their claws unsheathed, scraping threateningly on the stone. Talltail instinctively put a paw in front of Jake, a low warning growl rising in his throat in response.

“Who’s this string bean supposed to be?” the red molly scoffed. The fact that she had to look up at him didn’t seem to bother her much.

“He’s a real clan cat, you know. So um. I wouldn’t attack him. We’re both trained to fight,” Jake stuttered. “But really, I don’t think this needs to come to violence--”

“I knew it! I knew it was one of those forest freaks!” a muscular gray tom spat, “So you’re a traitor as well as a pest now, are you Jake?”

“Traitor? That seems a bit excessive.”

“We’re sick of you so called clan bastards, why don’t you tell your other rat faced friends to go back to the woods before we rip your fur off?” the gray tom yowled.

“Friends?” Talltail narrowed his eyes. “Clan cats don’t come through here.”

‘Don’t play dumb!” the tiny tom hissed. “We know you been pestering Bess and them. You’re not getting them in the park either so don’t even bother! The duck pond is off limits and we’re guarding it now, so--”

“Shut up Roach!” snarled the molly, swatting the little brown tom on the head. “Just spill out everything, why don’t you!?”

“I have no idea what other clan cats you're talking about,” Talltail said. “I haven’t had any quarrel with Bess before. You must be mistaken.”

“The only thing we’re mistaken about,” the red molly sneered, “is having not ripped you apart yet. You’re outnumbered. One less clan rat sounds good as far as I’m concerned, and one less freeloading pest who fancies himself an adventurer at that!” she added to Jake.

“Try it,” Talltail arched his back and unsheathed his claws. “You outnumber me, but at least the first one to pounce will regret they were ever kitted.”

The four rogues didn’t back down, but they didn’t advance either. Some looked between each other and shifted around. Talltail was counting on them not having coordinated team tactics like he’d been taught in WindClan, and none of them seemed sure how to go about deciding who would be the first to attack. But he wasn’t sure how well he’d be able to back up his threat when one of them eventually did. He tensed when he saw the molly and the big gray tom crouch.

“You don’t want to do this, Bel!” Jake said poking out from behind Talltail “I mean it, don’t you want to know the real reason I came here? You’ll regret it if anything happens to me!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” The molly apparently called Bel hissed.

“You know I get around,” Jake suddenly sounded very serious, catching Talltail a bit off guard. “I know a lot of different cats around here, a lot of cats who would be very displeased if I suddenly turned up missing, and I know you don’t want trouble with them. I came to deliver a message that could be life or death for you.”

Bel’s stance changed slightly as she shifted uncomfortably. “What message? What’s this about? You’re not working for the group on the other side of town or anything are you?”

Talltail was as caught off guard as Bel. Jake didn’t look at him, but he curled his tail briefly around Talltail’s back foot, and flicked it to the side. He was certainly trying to tell him something.

“You want to hear it?” Jake lowered his voice as the rogues were looking increasingly uncomfortable.

“I-I guess?” Roach whimpered.

The gray tom shoved his companion. “Don’t act like such a kit!”

As soon as the others briefly turned their attention to the small squabble, Jake rammed himself into the silver metal bin beside him, the cat on top of it yowled in shock as she was taken down with it. It bashed the gray tom on the head and clanged to the ground as the other cat toppled on top of Bel.

Jake turned on his heels and shoved Talltail along. “Time to go!” he yelped, and Talltail followed without a second thought, sprinting back down the alley.

The clutter behind them as the rogues tried to detangle themselves certainly offered a good head start, which they probably needed as Talltail quickly realized Jake wasn’t the fastest cat on his paws. The trained runner had to temper his pace a lot to not leave Jake in the dust, nevermind that he didn’t actually have any idea where he was going. Jake directed him down one pathway, then another, scattering some bewildered pigeons, and at last they broke out of the narrow passages and were running on hard flat stone. Talltail saw twolegs turn their heads and make noises at them, but they shot past too fast for them to do anything. Thank StarClan twolegs are slow!

He thought surely the cats chasing them would stop when they left their alley, but to his dread, they were still coming.

“Where you goin’ clan cat!?” he heard the red molly yowl. “Not as tough out here, are you?”

Talltail gritted his teeth. Jake wasn’t going fast enough. “We’re not outrunning them,” he hissed between breaths. “We’ll have to try something else.” Jake didn’t have time to respond before they found themselves pinned in a dead end alley.

“Oops,” Jake gasped.

Talltail didn’t bother stopping, instead shouting, “when they start this way, run back towards them!”

“What?”

“Just trust me!”

Talltail reached the back of the dead end-alley, hearing their pursuers triumphant yowl at seeing them cornered. Talltail didn’t pause, he wheeled around, leaped up the wall, and used it to springboard backward straight at the nearest rogue. Bel yowled in surprise at his speed and sudden turn as she was slammed to the ground, knocking her head hard on the pavement. Talltail leaped at the gray tom behind her without missing a beat and barreled him into a twoleg bin, knocking into the other molly as they stumbled into a stinking bag of rubbish, which promptly toppled onto them. Jake ran past, but there was another rogue left in his way. Talltail went to leap after Jake before they could touch him, but the molly he’d knocked down recovered and was lunging for his throat. He barely pulled his head away and heard her teeth snap shut hard a hairsbreadth where his neck had just been, and swiped a blow at her muzzle in return. The tom left in the rubbish pile leapt onto his back and struggled for his neck. These cats were shockingly eager about this fight.

Luckily the gray tom’s grip was poor, the momentum from the jump making him lose his hold and slip off the other side with a frustrated snarl, leaving red lines in Talltail’s back as he did. What I wouldn’t give to have thicker fur! he thought with a muted hiss of pain as he kicked the tom in the face and took off.

Jake had run right into the last little rogue. For a moment, Talltail was panicked as the attacker reared up with claws flashing. But apparently they were caught off guard when their opponent didn’t rear up as well. Instead, Jake ran head first full speed into their belly, bowling right over them and kicking them in the muzzle with his hind paws as he scrambled to keep going, looking back to see Talltail catch up to him with ease.

“I know where to go!” Jake gasped.

Talltail was unsure, but he was in no position to disagree. Jake turned sharply to the right down one last alleyway and Talltail reacted swiftly, following him through a small hole in a fence that blocked the way. Talltail had some trouble getting his shoulders through the hole, wincing as the fence scraped at his scratches. He felt teeth snap at the hairs on his tail as he pulled himself free. Jake leapt up and knocked over stack of boxes and crates that had been left in the alley outside a door. They clattered over the hole, and Talltail heard a hiss of pain as something heavy fell onto the head of a cat that had tried to crawl after them.

“Come on, that won’t hold long,” Jake said.

Talltail couldn’t help but be impressed with his friend's confidence. He’d never imagined how Jake would react to danger, but he was certainly one brave kittypet. The side of the stone twoleg den that cornered them had a hard broken tube that led up to its roof hanging down. Jake clambered up it and Talltail followed, anxious that it wouldn’t hold their weight as it creaked. Midway up, Jake leapt over the next hard metal fence that was blocking the other end of the alley, landing heavily on the other side while Talltail landed softly beside him. They headed back down into a different, much more quiet alleyway, and Jake disappeared through a small opening into what smelled like an abandoned dusty twoleg den. At last they stopped.

“Alright, I think we lost them,” Jake panted. “I never smell any cats in this building, I don’t think they’ve found the opening.”

“I guess you really do know your way around here,” Talltail replied, giving his sore shoulders a brisk lick, “I never would have found it either. Are you ok?”

“Are you?” Jake fretted padding around him, sniffing his scratches. “That was incredible how you took on two at once! I didn’t get any claws in me, luckily Roach is such a slow slug.” Jake hung his head, looking guilty. “I’m sorry, those guys are usually all bluff and no teeth. I didn’t think they’d react so badly! They normally don’t really like fighting at all unless they have to, it's why they always stay together and act all tough to scare cats away instead. But they've never actually attacked me before. I’m so sorry I put us in danger...”

“I’ve had way worse,” Talltail assured him, and began licking the scratches. They weren’t bleeding much anymore, and stung less than his old wounds. “Those rogues weren’t right...They weren’t just territorial, they chased us so far and were going for our throats! Are all town cats so aggressive?”

Jake curled his tail around himself. “Maybe some cats, but not all of them. I don’t know... Something seems to have riled them up. They have even more battle scars than I remember.” To Talltail's surprise, he sounded sympathetic. “It’s hard for them where they live, even the housefolk tend to treat them poorly. I think they’re always scared they can’t trust anyone.”

“Or maybe they just really really don’t like clan cats.” Talltail flicked his tail. “That has me worried… I haven’t heard of clan cats coming up here. I have no idea why they would. We’re not supposed to mess with outsiders at all. And what's more, they know where the loners I'm looking for are. And...apparently want to protect them from clan cats?” That is going to be very inconvenient, Talltail thought, though he tried to keep his irritation subtle.

“Would other cats from your clan have a reason to search for them like you do?” Jake asked.

Talltail shook his head. “I would have noticed if someone else left, and no other clans even knew about the visitors. Except ShadowClan I suppose but...I don’t know why they would feel the need to come after them once they had left. What would be the point?”

“I suppose we’ll figure it out when we find them!” Jake shrugged. “It’s a mystery. I’m a little intrigued now. It’s still a serious matter of course,” he added quickly. “But talking to Bel’s friends wasn’t a total waste. Those cats are apparently staying at the duck pond...I know that’s somewhere in or around the park, so we at least have a specific place to aim for. It might be harder to get in if they are being protected though. Hopefully Roach was just exaggerating.”

“We’ll have to cross that log when we come to it.” Talltail said.

“Thank you though,” Jake mewed sheepishly, “For trying to protect me with those guys. If they were really that mad, they probably would have attacked sooner no matter what I said if you weren’t there making them nervous.”

“Well yeah, it’s--” part of him said protecting others is what the warrior code teaches us, but he trailed off. “It was the only natural thing to do. By the way...What was it you were threatening to say to them, about...what was it, knowing other cats in town? You were really bold considering how outnumbered we were.”

Jake chuckled. “Oh all that? I have no idea, I was bluffing!”

Talltail stared. “You looked so convincing, even I believed you! You were bluffing?”

“Completely, I was scared out of my mind. I have no idea what I was saying. I don’t know any cats on the other side of town, I just assumed they must have rivals based on how they act, and I know they don’t want to get into any big group fights. So...I just tried making up something that sounded threatening. I think it’s more about the confidence than how plausible the story is. I mean really, can you imagine me joining a rival alley gang?” He was purring in amusement, and a little bit in pride.

“Well.” Talltail found himself purring too. “Good improvising on your part, I suppose. You certainly caught them off guard.”

They settled down in the old building, and Jake passively groomed the cuts on Talltail’s back.

“You know,” Talltail said “I should really apologize to you.” “What for?” Jake stopped mid lick.

“I keep assuming you’re going to be...I don’t know, helpless or something because you're a kittypet. My clan says so many things about you, but you aren’t really like that. You’re capable, and so much more...I don’t know, just more.”

“Well, I have been told before that I can be ‘a lot.’ But I was barely more than a flea-brained kitten when you knew me before, getting stuck in bushes and whatnot. I don’t blame you for worrying about me. But...still, that means a lot coming from you. I don’t know if anyone’s ever thought of me as capable. More as a nuisance that gets into trouble.”

“You might get yourself into trouble, but you have always apparently gotten yourself out of it. That’s something.” Talltail pointed out.

Jake seemed very pleased with himself and Talltail felt his chest rumble in a faint purr. He was surprised that crouching here in this dusty dark twoleg den, he felt more at ease then he had in awhile.

***

The ease lasted until it started to get dark, which didn’t take long, and Talltail became more aware of unfamiliar sounds. Whenever he dared let his eyes droop, he kept hearing scratches and creaks and wondered if they were enemy cats, or worse. Who knows what creatures lurked in the strange towering noisy labyrinth of twoleg territory?

“I think it should be safe to go out now. They’ve surely given up,” Jake said.

Talltail looked at him with a start. “Go out?”

“Well yeah,” Jake blinked at him. “You’re in a hurry right? It might be better to travel the town at night, there'll be less housefolk to run into at least, since I know how much you don’t like them.”

Talltail didn’t like the idea of going back out, but was he seriously about to let cowardice stop him now? Jake wasn’t scared at all!

“R-right. No, you're right. Let’s go.” he stood up too quickly and Jake looked up at him curiously.

“You alright?”

“Yep! Why wouldn’t I be? Let's go wander about the town and find a...what did you call it?”

“Duck pond.”

“Duck pond. Yes.”

Did Talltail know what a duck was? It’s...a bird? RiverClan has them. But I don’t think I've seen one in WindClan territory. I’m going to look so stupid if I don’t know what a duck is, i’m supposed to be a wild expert and--StarClan, I don’t want to go back out there! But I can’t just sit here forever and let him know what a coward I am either!

“Talltail?” Jake’s voice came from the small hole entrance they’d ducked through. “You coming?’

“Ok, yes. I’m coming. We are...going out now. Off we go.” Talltail walked stiffly over, shoved himself through the hole, and promptly jumped half a tail length in the air at the screech of a distant monster, its roar echoing off the cold stone walls closing in on him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to tell me what’s wrong?” Jake nudged him

“I really don’t want to bother you, Jake,” Talltail muttered, forcing his fur flat.

Jake chuckled. “But I want you to bother me! I get told at least once a day that I bother someone, so if anything, I deserve to be bothered right now. And you seem different.”

“What do you mean I seem different?”

“Well...I am used to you looking a bit anxious, especially when you talked about stuff troubling you in your clan, or about your dad. But you seem...I don’t know, more tense now. More serious. It feels odd for you. I know we’ve both changed, so it’s to be expected I don’t know you perfectly or anything but...I don’t know, I just want you to know you can talk to me! I may not be able to help with your whole quest or even understand what it is, but what's the harm in letting it out? I’ve got no cat to tell, and you’ll be rid of me again soon anyway, if you want to be,” he said quickly.

Talltail gazed at him and found a small purr hung in his throat for a minute. Jake really was always watching him closer than he knew. He almost reminds me of Briarpaw with that...I bet they would get along. He pushed the thought down before homesickness could grip him again.

Talltail sighed. “I’m just tense because, well….it just feels so closed in here, it’s near impossible to run from anything without tripping over rubbish. I feel trapped, I can’t see far into the distance for everything blocking my way, and I don’t recognize a single scent! I suppose I'm not good with adjusting.” He hung his head. “All my training couldn’t have prepared me for this place. I feel like a stupid kit.”

Jake headbutted him gently. “You’re not a stupid kit, you’re just in a new place! I know how that feels, and that’s why I'm here. Just follow me, I’ve got an idea of where to go.”

Talltail was reminded of why he had visited the former barn cat so often in his youth. There was an ease he felt with Jake that he didn’t often get elsewhere. They walked down the passageway, and Jake seemed confident enough to put some of Talltail’s anxieties at ease. At dusk there were less twolegs around for them to dodge, but Talltail still flinched when monsters roared past on the nearby Thunderpath. Their terrible eyes were all the more blinding in the dim light.

“Since you’ve told me that much,” Jake began, “maybe you could tell me what exactly your mission is? I still don’t know why you left your clan. I know you're looking for those ‘visitors’ or whatever they called themselves but, for what exactly?”

Talltail still wasn’t sure he wanted to go into it, but Jake was doing so much for him. Surely he owed some explanation. “Things were hard at home. My um…” he took a breath “My father died almost the same time you left.”

Jake gasped. “Oh no! I’m so sorry! What a rotten time for me to leave, that’s awful... What happened?”

“Don’t feel bad, you didn’t even choose to leave. It was...a tunnel collapse.”

“But I thought he was a tunnel expert?”

“He is,” Talltail said quickly. “Or he was. It wasn’t his fault.” He felt a growl rising in his chest. “It was one of those rogues. He was snooping in the tunnels doing something he wasn’t supposed to, I know he was, but I still don’t know what. My father went in after him, and Sparrow came out, but my father didn’t.”

“That sounds...suspicious?” Jake guessed.

“Yes! Yes it does!” Talltail cried. “But they all insisted it was an accident, and my clan just let them go right after!”

“So it’s Sparrow you want to find, then.”

“Yes, I need to…” Talltail growled in frustration. “I can’t stand that he just walked away without even admitting it. I want to know why it happened, someone needs to make him pay for it.”

Jake was eyeing him as they walked. “Are you going to hurt him?”

“I...don’t know,” Talltail said curtly. “But you’ll have gone home before that anyway.”

“Right…” Jake trailed off.

Talltail felt himself bristling defensively, “You don’t know what it’s like to lose someone that meant so much to you. My father always told me to take action when things went wrong, and I can’t let him down again. At home...at home I wasn’t doing it. I just couldn’t be the warrior my clan deserved. So I left, and I have to do this now.”

“What do you mean you let your father down?”

“My...relationship with my father was complicated.”

“Did he want you to leave?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. It’s impossible to know, that’s just the problem.” Talltail felt antsy frustration itching at his paws. “He wasn’t always a great cat, and he was hard to get along with. But he…cared. He was good at heart, if not on the outside. One of the best warriors in the clan. I know it’s difficult to understand--” he was cut off as a particularly loud and massive monster roared past, kicking up filthy water that splashed on his whiskers. Although they were several fox-lengths away on the hard side path, Talltail jumped, and immediately got even angrier that he had been so easily startled at all.

“These stupid StarClan forsaken monsters!” he yowled.

“Hey, Tall?” Jake pressed his nose briefly to Talltail’s shoulder “I have another idea, a path away from the sidewalk. Come on.”

Talltail followed Jake with his head down, trying to calm his emotions. Why did he feel so angry and guilty trying to explain his mission to Jake? I shouldn’t feel guilty about this. Sparrow deserves to be punished. Jake wouldn’t understand that, and I don’t expect him to.

Talltail kept the fluffy ginger tail in sight while he was led up another broken metal tube that went up much higher than the last one they’d climbed to get over the fence, scaling up the side of the building.

“This is a bit tricky, just don’t look down,” Jake said. Talltail was content to oblige as he was already terribly worried the creaking pipe wouldn’t hold his weight. Luckily it did, and after carefully heaving himself over the ledge, he found himself on the top of the building. The noise of the town seemed much farther away out here. He felt a fresh breeze for the first time in what felt like ages.

“It’s so much more quiet up here,” Jake said, and looked sheepishly at Talltail. “To tell you the truth, I think I strained my paw while we were running earlier. It might be best to rest for a while, if that’s ok with you.”

“Yeah,” Talltail breathed, letting his fur lie flat now that they were out in more open air. “I suppose that will be alright.”

Jake padded to the top of the slanted roof and curled up beside a stone structure sticking out of the top. Talltail settled beside him. He eyed the kittypet, with his bright orange fur turned a cool reddish tint in the fading light. Jake hadn’t been limping before, so far as he could tell.

“You don’t have to lie to protect my feelings,” Talltail sighed. “I’m sorry I got so worked up. It’s just...everything is so overwhelming here. It’s so loud and my nose and throat feel clogged.” He looked down miserably. “I’m used to knowing every paw-step I walk like it’s a part of my own body. Now I don’t even know what’s around the next corner.”

“A cat can get used to anything, and I'm sure that’s true for you too.” Jake said. “I figured you would like it up here. It’s not the tallest house, but you can see so much more of the town.”

It was true, the town was lit up with balls of pale gold light down every road and inside windows as well.

“It’s so pretty at night,” Jake breathed. “Like stars on the ground. It’s one of the things I like about housefolk. Their lights make everything feel warmer to me.”

The lights went on a long way, and further still until they faded and Talltail could see the calm dark silhouettes of the forest he left behind. Just a little behind the trees would be the moor too, he was sure of it. Everyone he knew was beyond that treeline, too far away to see him. A pang of sadness struck him then.

“Are you thinking of home?” Jake asked

“Are you inside my head?” Talltail asked with an amused twitch of his whiskers.

“No, but I know homesick when I see it. It sounds like you miss it.”

“There’s no need for me to be homesick. It’s not my home anymore.”

Jake hummed in thought as he looked up, and Talltail followed his gaze. ”So… Not that I want to push if you don’t want to talk about it, I mean, you can push me off the roof if I end up sticking my paw in my mouth…”

“I’m not upset at you. It’s just...been a lot.” Talltail sighed.

“Well, you must have loved your dad a lot to go through all of this for him.”

“Not as much as I should have.” Talltail wound his tail around his legs and stared at his paws. “It’s part of why I have to do this now. If I had a chance to do what he wanted back then, I’d do it. No matter what. Maybe I wouldn’t be such a mess now if I had.”

Jake rested his chin across Talltail’s back. His tail shifted restlessly as if he couldn’t quite figure out what to say to that. “Well...I never met him, but I’m sure he’d be proud of you just for caring so much. It takes a lot of courage to travel so far alone.”

Talltail almost laughed at that.

“What’s funny?” Jake asked.

“I wouldn’t call myself courageous. I never told anyone this...I was too ashamed. But I’m sure my father died hating me.”

Jake lifted his head up. “Why would he hate you? Why would any cat hate you?”

“Because I failed him. I was always…” Talltail shook his head. The words were caught in his throat the more he tried to remember. “I just wasn’t what I should have been. Maybe I could have tried to fix it if it weren’t for Sparrow. But now there’s no way I can. That’s why I had to leave and focus on this instead. It’s not much but it’s...something.”

“Well...maybe you can go back afterwards? I mean, what else would you do when your mission is done?”

Talltail didn’t reply for a long time. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “But whatever it is, it’s not going back to the moor. I made my choices.”

It was hard to envision anything after. It was too hard to think of. He had only one goal ahead, and it demanded all his attention. Jake eventually accepted that he was not likely to get more about this out of Talltail tonight.

“Don’t you believe that there are cats in the sky?” Jake asked instead, after another moment of silence.

“Not exactly. Just their spirits. It’s what happens when you die, or when clan cats die at least. The clans all share the stars, and up there every clan cat looks the same. All warriors who served their clan and earned a place in peace watching over their old home. It’s kind of nice how...the stars look the same here. Even though everything else is different.”

I don’t know if StarClan watches me here...but I'm glad they’re still there in some way.

“I think of that every time I look at them ever since you first told me about it,” Jake mused. “The idea that there’s another world up there, looking down while you look up.”

“They’ve been there forever, never changing, and they’ll be there countless moons from now.” Talltail said quietly.

“Well whatever they are, they sure are pretty.”

With a big yawn, Jake lay his head down and Talltail lay his down beside him, quickly finding himself matching Jake’s quiet purr. He was more grateful than ever to have some cat beside him again, while the cold chilled his fur and his warm nest on the moor was so far away. But Jake was here and, apparently, happy to be bothered by him.

But I can’t stay with Jake, came a voice in the back of Talltail’s head. His purr petered out. That’s not why I’m here. This can only last so long.

chapter list / previous / next

#canon typical violence #FRU35 #chapter 35

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writingbywatson · 3 years

Text

Mine (Sukuna and F!Reader)

Summary: Sukuna never believed in reincarnations but maybe he needs to change that Warnings and Notes: Reincarnation AU, goreish theme, languang, violence (this is Sukuna were talking about). A/N: I don't even know why I wrote this, I don't even like Sukuna with that being said, yeah excuse grammars and spelling errors.

“Who would have thought that I’ll get to see you again,” Sukuna stated in a mocking tone, he squatted down to your level observing how your chest rose and fell. “Huh, you're smart aren’t you?” he mocked, grabbing both sides of your face forcefully. “You knew you wouldn’t survive my attack and you decided to pause your entire being moments before my attack,” he laughed after that. “You are still irritating just like back then, L/N.”

He first saw you back in the old times of Japan, you were picking flowers and with that action alone he found you irritating. “You're a sorcerer aren’t you?” Sukuna asked, appearing in front of you, your eyes widened for a second most probably due to surprise rather than fear, which was odd he didn’t smell fear coming from you. “I am but you don’t need to worry, my ability doesn’t allow me to kill,” she answered and went back to picking her flowers. There was a growing irritation inside Sukuna, ‘what kind of human was this ignorant?’ he wondered. He watched as she kneeled down and continued with what she was doing. “Oi,” he called out.

“Yes?” she answered and looked back at him, a sharp wind gust passed her.

“Oh you dodge that?” Sukuna mused in amusement.

A cut that was horizontally placed on her left cheek appeared, “that would have decapitated my head,” she answered with a laugh.

The irritation only grew, “I could do that right now you know.”

She smiled and Sukuna could only describe that smile as a peaceful smile. “You can’t,” she answered, clutching the flowers to her chest, with her free hand she dusted her dress. “Because today isn’t the day that I die,” she declared.

“Huh?” Sukuna mused.

She smiled again and bowed, “thank you for allowing me to pick flowers,” she replied with a bow. She stood up and turned her back towards him.

That wasn’t the last time that they saw each other.

The second time he saw her, she was kneeling down picking up flowers again and she was humming, it has been a few days after their first meeting.

“Do you really want to die?” he asked as he stood behind her.

“Today isn’t the day that I die Sukuna-san,” she answered humming.

“Oh how do you know that?” he asked.

She looked at him and smiled, “I just know.”

Sukuna raised his hand and two sharp gusts of wind passed by her side, she dodged again and Sukuna couldn’t help but to wonder what kind of ability she had. It was a rare occurrence that someone can dodge his attacks and very rarely does this happen twice. “Oh no, the flowers,” she mumbled. “You have no fear of death don’t you?” he asked, not even masking how pissed and annoyed he was. “I’m not scared of death, everyone goes there eventually well…” she looked back at him, “not everyone,” she added smiling. She stood up again, “I’ll be taking my leave now,” she bowed and turned her back on him. She hummed as she walked away.

The third time she visited, Sukuna decided to observe from afar. “How is it that a pesky little human like you is able to dodge my attacks?” he wondered out loud. Humans annoy him, they pretend to be the most superior out of every creature in the world, what annoys him more are humans that pretend to be brave at the face of death but their you were, ‘I’m not scared of death, everyone goes there eventually’ your words were on repeat on his mind. He could smell it, you weren’t scared of him and your words were true, to him it felt like you accepted death a long time ago. “An anomaly among humans,” he mumbled as he looked at your form standing up. He wondered if playing with you would be worthwhile.

“Oh, hello Sukuna-san,” she greeted him, her back facing his as she tended to the flowers.

“How did you know?” he asked, sounding annoyed.

She chuckled, “I have gotten used to your presence,” she answered. “No other aura screams murder anyway,” she continued with a laugh.

“What’s your ability?” he asked, ignoring her cheerful banter. “No one should be able to dodge my attacks the way you do.”

“Does that anger you?” she asked back.

“What do you think?” he asked back.

She stood up and smiled at him, “I think it does anger you,” she laughed. “Sadly, I cannot reveal my abilities because if I do, I know you're going to find a weakness and that won’t be too good considering I like the flowers here,” she continued.

“I want to kill you,” Sukuna answered.

She laughed, “I know you do.”

He glared at her but she didn’t seem scared. “Oh, you weren’t here the last time that I visited, were you busy?” she asked.

“You have the nerve to act friendly,” Sukuna spat out. “You annoy me, I want to kill you so badly.”

She laughed again, “am I high in your kill list? What an honor,” she commented.

Her smile was annoying, everything about this woman was annoying.

“But, don’t worry you won’t be able to kill me today because today isn’t the day that I die.”

‘Because today isn’t the day that I die,’ it wasn’t the first time that Sukuna has heard those words from her and he couldn’t help but to wonder, why she can say those words so surely. Today, he watched again from a distance, her face was at peace, a peace that one could only find in a cold corpse. “Uraume,” he called out and his monk companion showed up behind him. He noticed how his companion immediately noticed you, “shall I kill her?” he asked.

“No, find out who she is and what her ability is,” Sukuna instructed.

“Wouldn't it be easier to just kill her?” Uraume asked.

“Did you hear what I just said?” Those words alone would make any demon and human tremble.

“I apologize, I shall see what I can do,” Uraume answered with a bow and just as quickly as he came, he disappeared.

“Your friend came to visit,” she greeted him when she approached her. “It’s not very nice to send demons on people,” she added.

“Your death is scheduled in two weeks,” Sukuna stated. “So you're just a pathetic human who's making the best out of your limited time,” he added. “Pathetic.” He was irritated, Uraume didn't even told him what her ability was.

She laughed, “for a creature like you it might be but to me it's the greatest time to be alive. I can experience things that I couldn’t in the past.”

“Huh, then why are you wasting your time picking flowers?” Sukuna asked.

“I like flowers,” she answered. “And before I die I want to see what Sukuna-san is.”

“Pathetic human,” he spat out and turned around walking away. He stopped in his tracks and looked back at her, “I’m not going to waste time on you anymore,” he declared and continued walking away.

“I have additional information about the human,” Uraume stated, appearing behind Sukuna with a slight bow. “I’m not interested anymore,” Sukuna waved the younger looking demon away. “Her name is l/n f/n, the reason for execution is because she killed her entire clan,” Uraume proceeded, not minding the four limbed demon. Sukuna caught himself blinking after he heard. “Are you sure?” he asked remembering how she looked like a stupid human contented with picking up flowers for her counted days. “Yes, I heard she turned herself in as well,” Uraume answered.

Sukuna couldn’t help but to laugh out loud, he couldn’t believe that a mere human managed to hide their killing intent away from him. “Well, isn’t that interesting,” he mused after laughing. And all this time he thought that she was a stupid little girl. “You may leave,” he instructed. Uraume nodded but before leaving he said, “please be careful, I do not like whatever that girl has going on.”

After knowing what happened, Sukuna went to see her again, this time the amused smile on his face is very visible. “You little bitch,” he greeted. “So you have dirt on you, huh?” he asked. She looked at him for a second and a flash of realization came to her face, “so you find out…” she mumbled and went back to her flower picking. “It’s amusing really, someone like you able to kill an entire clan,” he egged. “What was the reason? huh? “ he continued. “Did you just wake up one day and decided to kill them? A revenge plan? A disagreement? Come on, tell me, you finally become amusing.”

She stood up slowly and looked at him, her eyes showed a hint of annoyance, “it was none of those,” she answered. “I…”she looked down, “...no, you won’t understand,” she continued shaking her head.

“Come on, tell me y/n, we’re both murders at this point,” he mocked.

“We are however our difference is that you kill for fun and I kill for a purpose,” she countered. “Huh?” Sukuna mused, “So are you saying you're the hero of this story?” he asked. “No, I’m saying that, I’m not like you,” she answered.

The gust of wind was sharp but it never touched her. “You are annoying,” Sukuna commented. “You and your ideals, maybe I should just kill you here.” “No, you won’t be able to because today is not the day that I die.”

Four days, that was the longest time that Sukuna didn’t see her. Sukuna didn’t mind, he found her annoying anyway. When the sun was about to set, she did arrive but there was a bruise on her left cheek. He raised a brow when he noticed it, a slap, that’s what it was and yet he wondered how someone who is able to dodge his attacks refused to dodge a simple slap.

“I will be quick with the flower picking today, the sun is about to set,” she stated kneeling down.

“Did you kill the person who slapped you?” he asked.

“No,” she answered instantly. “I don’t kill just because I can,” she continued, not meeting his gaze.

“So it was a human,” Sukuna concluded. “Probably not a sorcerer huh,” he continued.

“The general of the a- no, forget it. I feel an ominous aura,” she answered.

“Ominous? Do you think I’ll kill a bug for you?” he asked.

She looked up to him, “I don’t know and that’s what scares me the most.”

Sukuna didn’t exactly plan to kill that day, no-no, he just happened to pass by some humans but after the humans attacked him, he couldn’t resist the urge to commit murder. He was familiar with human custom and once he saw the seal that this man was carrying, he became intrigued.

“Ah, so you're the man who slapped her,” he mused, squatting down and the man in front of him couldn’t help but to cower in fear. “You look pretty ordinary, are you a sorcerer?”

“N-No!” he stuttered. “P-Please don’t k-k-kill me! I’ll g-g-give you anything!” he begged.

“Well, that’s pathetic,” Sukuna commented as he stood up, “I thought you would stand your ground, guess not,” Sukuna shrugged. “No wonder you choose to hit someone smaller than you, much less a female,” he continued. “Oh well, what’s another human’s death?”

No one should harm her, only I'm allowed to do that.

There was a growing feeling inside Sukuna, truth be told he got pissed when he saw her bruise and there was this feeling of wanting to see her cower in fear at the sight of him. The thought of being able to be the reason why she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night because she fears that she would be next gave Sukuna a thrill. He couldn’t remove one thought as well, the thought of using her in every possible way. “Ah,” he realized as he stopped tossing the head of one of the soldiers. “I want her.”

“Did you do it?” She asked him looking at him, the emotions on her eyes he can’t quite point out what they wanted to convey. Truth be told, Sukuna wasn’t listening but rather he was looking at her wondering, “if I say I did, what would you do?” he asked in a monotone voice. “Are you going to ask if I did it for you?” he continued.

He scuffed, “let me guess, you’ll be happy if you say no because that means your hands are dirty but if I say I did it for you, what will you do?”

“I-”

“I don’t even know why you're asking me this when I have important matters to attend too,” he saw the spark of curiosity in her orbs. “And that matter is whether or not making you my slave while you are alive or dead would matter?”

“Ah! There you are y/n,” he called out in the middle of the courtyard, hundreds- no, thousands of bodies lying there motionless. It was raining that day and the rain water washing away the blood towards the lowest part of town would make it look like a river of blood. He saw her expression, it wasn’t peaceful and he couldn’t quite pinpoint out what it was. “What’s the meaning of this?” she asked.

“I’m solving your problem, tomorrow is your execution day, right? And the day that you die is tomorrow, now… that won’t happen anymore because I killed everyone.”

“Why would you do this?” She asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? I want you and I want to be the reason why you die, not some pesky little humans,” Sukuna answered, walking towards her, he stopped in front of her and grabbed both sides of her cheeks forcefully with one hand. “I want to use you in every possible way, my plan was to originally kill you and bring you back to life as a demon like me but that won’t be fun won’t it? Because I know, you’ll lose all your memories if I do, so I let you live until I get tired of playing with you.”

“What if I say no?” She asked and even up to this point there wasn’t any fear on her.

“I’ll just drag you with me,” the demon answered with a smile as he squeezed her cheeks tighter. He wondered what would happen if he squeezed harder, would her head cave in? She slowly placed her hands on top of his, they were shaking and he wondered, was it because of fear?

She slowly pushed herself away from him, he tried to grab onto her tighter but to no avail, he was losing his strength, she freed herself from him and took a few steps back to catch her breath. No, he didn’t lose his strength. “Y-YOU! WHAT DID YOU DO?!” He screamed.

“I stopped you from moving,” she answered looking at him.

“That’s not possible!” He snarled at her.

“To me it is, afterall, I can control time,” she replied. “Everything leading up to this moment, I have foreseen when I placed my ability on my brain and eyes, I was able to dodge your attacks because I knew you would do them,” she explained.

Suddenly, humans wearing both black and white appeared on the scene. He knew what they were, they were sorceresses and judging by the aura of the courtyard they were powerful once.”You planned this,” he realized.

“I approached you because I wanted to take a glimpse of who you are hoping that somehow you can change,” she stated. “But you are too far gone,” she continued.

He laughed, “so you aren’t going to die tomorrow?”

“No, I am still to be executed but today isn’t the day that I die.”

He felt tremendous anger inside of him. “Then why help them?! What’s the point?! If you come with me, you can live!”

“Because I want a world where humans don’t fear, and you are that fear.”

She turned around, “it was nice knowing you Sukuna-san, I hope when we meet again, we are on the same side.”

The moment that he laid his eyes on her during the introduction, Sukuna was surprised by how similar they are. But he didn’t think much of it, humans are bound to look like another human at sometime. But when they were attacked by another demon and she was able to subdue it, his host asked what kind of ability it was. She smiled at him and said “I can control time!”. That was the moment that he took over and he was surprised because normally he wouldn’t be able to do it, but what was it that allowed this to happen? Anger? Revenge? Lust? Obsession? When he managed to end the demon in front of him, he realized what it was, and it was all of that.

“Oh! Itadori-kun, I didn’t know you were this strong,” she commented.

He couldn’t help but to chuckle, “don’t think it was that human who did this,” he replied as he spawn around. “Long time no see, y/n.”

“W-Who are you?”

Sukuna didn’t believe in reincarnations but judging by how she looks exactly like her and her ability although it was weaker compared to the past, he thought that maybe he should change that idea. He scuffed squeezing her face harder, “I could still kill you right now, I just have to wait for this stupid ability of yours to stop working. But where’s the fun in that?” He laughed. “I’ll make sure you’re mine in this lifetime, y/n, I’ll make you fall into your knees and beg me to just kill you.”

#jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen imagines #jujutsu kaisen imagine #jujutsu kaisen scenarios #jujutsu kaisen fanfic #jujutsu kaisen headcanons #jjk #jjk sukuna #sukuna

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miracleonice87 · 4 years

Text

Make You Feel My Love with Nathan MacKinnon

a Nathan MacKinnon song fic

a/n: season outcome, timing, and stats = totally fake. based on Nate’s public mentions in past interviews of seeing a sports psychologist, which is really inspiring to me. seeking professional advice is a GOOOOD thing! also, wasn’t originally intended to be a song fic, but Adele’s version of Make You Feel My Love (originally by Bob Dylan) came on while I was finishing it up, so I went with it! last note: pretending Tyson never got traded to the Leafs is the best part of writing hockey fanfiction. 🥺

summary: Angry/Sad Nate loses in the playoffs and takes his frustrations out on his girlfriend Sam, who gets comfort and advice from his teammates and friends.

warnings: swearing; isolated, individual outbursts of anger but NO physical violence; mentions of counseling/therapy and the practice of sports psychology (obviously, like I mentioned, this is a good thing but just something to know); crying Nate (I feel like that deserves a warning)

_____

Deflated, I sat in a bulky black chair in the team family room deep in the recesses of the Pepsi Center for several minutes after leaving the wives and girlfriends suite, needing a moment away from prying eyes and cameras to process what had just occurred.

The Avalanche had been one of the highly favored teams in the West all season long, yet had just been swept in the second round of the playoffs. My boyfriend, Nathan MacKinnon, widely regarded as one of the best players in the NHL, had totaled only one point in the 11 playoff games the team had played this year, earning a single assist on a Mikko Rantanen goal.

Needless to say, that hadn’t been sitting right with Nate.

He’d been short with me since the first few games of the postseason; even shorter than he typically got when he was in a drought. I had tried to give him space, but he snapped about the smallest questions I asked or requests I made of him: what he wanted for dinner, or to be sure he called to wish his sister Sarah a happy birthday. He sometimes mumbled an apology in my general direction, but more often than not, he simply left the room in a huff. I tried my best to be patient — to give him space.

It was abundantly clear that the pressure that always loomed heavy over Nathan like a thick, dark cloud had now intensified. I knew, without him ever verbalizing it, that he felt more burdened than ever before to live up to the hype — to the expectations he had for himself, and to those placed on him, either explicitly or implicitly, by the entire hockey community and the media.

When the rain is blowing in your face

And the whole world is on your case

I could offer you a warm embrace

To make you feel my love

I sat still with my head in my hands for what seemed like forever, until sweet Mel Landeskog, whom I had become so close with over the last four seasons of watching our significant others play together, came and rubbed my back gently through the custom Avs denim jacket that hung on my shoulders. I lifted my head to look at her, a sympathetic smile etched on her beautiful features.

“I’m sorry, Sammy,” Mel offered. “I know he’s gonna be so hard on himself. But he had such a great season — he needs to be proud of that,” she reasoned. I nodded.

Mel was right. He had had a truly remarkable regular season — he had scored 95 points in 82 games after a enduring a considerable slump for much of the previous year. This year stood in stark contrast to last. He had been riding high for many weeks; that is, until playoffs hit.

I stood to wrap Mel in a hug, appreciative of her gesture of support but unwilling to reflect on Nate’s play right now. “Thank you, Mel,” I told her as I squeezed her tightly. “I’m gonna miss you so much this summer,” I added, gesturing to the car seat on the floor beside her. “And Nate and I will both miss that little one, too,” I said as I blew Linnea a kiss, making her giggle, a welcome sound after a heartbreaking display on the ice. Mel glanced down at her baby daughter, beaming.

“I know, honey. We’ll miss you too. But it won’t be long until we’re all back here together, plus we’ll see each other for a couple of these bachelorette parties and summer weddings and get-togethers, yeah?” she said with a nudge.

“Yeah, that’ll be nice. Until then, you guys be safe,” I told her. With one last hug and quick kisses to each other’s cheeks, Mel picked up Linnea in her seat and exited the room. I realized that she and I had been the last two wives or girlfriends to leave, with most of us having exchanged quiet goodbyes in the suite before making hasty escapes to the parking area to console our respective sad hockey players.

With a groan at the depressing thought, I pulled my jean jacket tighter to my torso and walked slowly out the open door.

When the evening shadows and the stars appear

And there is no one there to dry your tears

I could hold you for a million years

To make you feel my love

The locker room doors stood maybe ten yards down the hall. The usual rambunctious ruckus that so often echoed off the cinderblock walls was tonight exchanged for a thick silence. It seemed that most of the guys had already left, and those who remained were noiseless. I softly greeted a few of the familiar men who made their way out the doors, offering only a sad smile and a few words of comfort to each, knowing that they weren’t in the mood to engage. They were, however, still polite, with several of the players embracing me briefly or kissing my cheek as they left the building.

Gabe Landeskog was among the very last to leave the room, unsurprisingly, as he was ever the responsible and respectable captain. He spotted me immediately and enveloped me in his strong grasp.

“Hi, friend,” I whispered into his shoulder, worried that my voice would break. “Hi, söt flicka,” (sweet girl) he countered.

“I’m sorry, Cap,” I told him quietly. He pulled back and shook his head. “Don’t apologize. Wasn’t our year,” he replied with a shrug. “As you can imagine, Nate is taking it pretty hard...” his voice trailed off. “I just want you to be prepared,” he finally added, carefully.

My stomach knotted. I tucked some of my hair behind my ear and swiftly licked my lips, feeling anxiety pool in my gut.

Gabe placed a firm hand on my shoulder. “Just remember it’s not you he’s upset with. It’s himself,” he said softly. I quickly glanced up at him and nodded. “Thank you,” I choked out. “Now you better get going. You’ve got two beautiful girls waiting for you,” I told him, feigning a bright grin. He tried to mirror my expression, but fell short. It was unnatural to see such sadness in his normally joyful visage. He squeezed my upper arm.

“That I do,” Gabe agreed. “We’ll see you soon, Sam.”

“Okay,” I whispered. “Bye, Cap.” He gave a solemn nod and disappeared down the hallway.

My unease only multiplied after my exchange with Gabe. I began to pace slowly in a circle. I jumped a few moments later when the door flew open with a screech, Nate emerging from behind it, a bitter, dark expression on his face.

I greeted him softly, tentatively, reaching a hand toward him.

“Nate, baby, I —“

My boyfriend brushed past me in a flash, causing a literal draft of air to hit me as he held up his hand, never even making eye contact with me as he practically stomped down the corridor.

My blood ran hot — how dare he not acknowledge my presence after I had attended how many home games, and even road games, supporting him and cheering him on, no matter what? And that was just this season — what about the three prior? Why was he shutting me out? My heart thumped against my ribcage.

“Nathan,” I called, my voice firm this time, whipping around to face his back and then fumbling with the chain of my Louis Vuitton bag as it fell from my shoulder. Discombobulated, I threaded it back over my arm clumsily and took two hurried steps in Nate’s direction, but he was already out of sight.

Just then, I noticed our close friend Tyson Barrie standing a few feet behind me. I could infer from the way he was approaching me gingerly, which was highly unlike him, that he had witnessed our exchange, or the lack thereof. I sighed and pressed a hand to my forehead, his hand coming to grip my other elbow.

“Sam, sweetheart... you okay?” Tyson asked softly. Hot tears pricked my eyelids, but I refused to let them fall, blinking them back with a sniffle. My hand fell back to my side — I was shaking now.

“I knew he would be mad...” I began. “But what the fuck, Tys?” My voice wavered.

Tyson instinctively pulled my waist to his side, giving me a quick, protective kiss to the temple, before pulling away and offering me his hand.

“Come on, I’ll drive you home,” he volunteered. With another sniff, I shook my head. “No, it’s okay, Tys. I drove, thank god,” I spat. “Besides, you’re dealing with the same disappointment. You need to go home with Em and unwind,” I insisted, smoothing one hand over his suit jacket. His head dropped and he offered a weak nod.

“I guess. But listen, if he’s still not acting right, call me, okay? You know you can come over. You’re always welcome, especially when he’s being such an ass,” Tyson said, the end of his sentence turning into a growl. We both sighed; I nodded.

“Thanks, Tys. I’ll let you know. And listen, I’m sorry... about tonight. I know it hurts,” I told him, hugging his neck with one arm. He spread his fingers over my back and gave me a squeeze before stepping back to look into my eyes.

“It’s just hockey,” he said quietly. I smiled weakly and nodded once. “Bye, Sam. See you soon,” he said, rubbing one hand over my shoulder as he turned and made his way down the hall to find Emma.

If only Nathan shared his friend’s logic and sentiment.

I dropped my head back at the thought, tears once again collecting in my eyes. I forced them closed in an attempt to stay composed. With another sigh, I slowly started toward the private parking garage where my vehicle waited.

Unsurprisingly, as I stepped through the glass door and into the garage where I spotted my Audi, the spot next to me where Nate’s Porsche had been was empty. I unlocked my car, tossed my bag and scarf into the passenger side, and slammed my door shut before giving the steering wheel two firm bangs with the palm of my hand. My body still hadn’t stopped trembling.

I'd go hungry; I'd go black and blue

I'd go crawling down the avenue

No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do

To make you feel my love

I rested my forehead against the leather steering wheel for a moment before drawing a breath and finally backing out of my spot and exiting the garage, apprehensive of the scene I might find at the condo Nathan and I shared.

_____

I stepped through the front door tentatively, chewing on the inside of my lip. I was careful not to make a sound, walking on tiptoes to avoid clicking my heeled boots on the white tile floor. I dropped my purse onto the table in the entryway and reached to hang up my keys on the rack by the closet when I heard the distinct sound of glass — a lot of glass — shattering.

I froze.

The plans I had formulated in my head during my drive to confront Nate as soon as I arrived home suddenly seemed too unnerving to carry out.

My knees were nearly knocking together as I zipped through the living room and tucked myself behind the wet bar in one corner of the room. I hid myself in a partially-enclosed area where the wine and beer fridge stood, then felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket. I fumbled to answer it, not wanting to make too much noise.

Sidney Crosby, the onscreen caller ID read. I tapped the green button.

“Hello?” I was caught off guard by how frightened my own voice sounded as I answered.

“Sam, hi. Are you home?” Sid’s usually calm and collected tone was now bathed in concern.

“Hi, Sid. Yeah, I just got home. He’s, uh... it’s not good,” I said quietly, glancing at the staircase as I heard another thud upstairs, this time what sounded like a pair of shoes against Nate’s closet wall. On the other end of the call, Sid heaved a heavy sigh.

“Yeah, I figured,” he said tensely. “I tried calling him thinking I might catch him on his way home and talk him down a bit, but he ignored my call. I’m sorry, Sam. Are you alright?”

I glanced down at my free hand which rested on the oak wood of the bar. I was still trembling, my fears of coming home to chaos having been realized.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” I choked out, lying through my teeth. “It’s just hard to watch.”

A deep hum of understanding came from Sid’s throat. “I bet. Have you talked to him?”

I shook my head, despite the fact that Sid was nowhere nearby to see the gesture. “No,” I vocalized weakly. “He uh... he kinda... he didn’t wanna talk to me at the arena... I don’t think.” I fiddled with my promise ring on my left hand as I made the admission. It didn’t even sound like Sid was breathing on the other end of the line.

“You’re telling me he blew you off?” he asked gruffly. I could envision Sidney running a hand over his face before gripping his neat curls atop his dark hair, as he often did when frustrated. I opened my mouth to confirm, but couldn’t actually bring myself to do so, knowing what his reaction would be. I also didn’t want to confess to the commotion I had just heard upstairs, knowing that it would further upset my concerned friend, on my behalf. Instead, I let my silence do the talking.

“Goddammit, Sam,” he growled. “I’m so sorry. He’s young. He- he... I used to do this shit, too,” Sidney admitted with a quick breath. “It’s bullshit. He’s just angry with himself and he’s taking it out on you and it’s not fair. I had hoped I had set a better example about how to deal with these things when they happen... but apparently not.”

A couple of hot tears fell to my face as I responded. “This isn’t your fault, Sid.” He retorted immediately, “Well, it’s sure as hell not yours, either.”

We both sat in contemplation for several moments, neither sure of the next step to take. Then, Sid decided.

“I won’t call him again because he needs to talk to you first. But I am going to text him and urge him that he needs to let you in,” Sid insisted. “He needs to let somebody in,” he repeated. “And it needs to be you first.”

More tears were falling now, and I glanced up at the chandelier overhead and pulled my phone from my ear for a beat to try and settle myself. I wiped at my face with the bottom of my thumb.

“Okay,” I finally whispered. I hadn’t ever really cried around Sid, and while he was one of the nicest and most genuine human beings on the planet, I knew he wasn’t quite accustomed to emotional encounters like this one, and I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable by letting him hear the sobs that were bubbling up in my chest.

“It might not feel like it right now,” Sid broached, speaking in a soothing tone reminiscent of my father’s or brother’s when trying to console me. “But you’re right where you need to be. So is he. He needs you, Sam.”

I've known it from the moment that we met

No doubt in my mind where you belong

“Sam?” Nate suddenly called out from the balcony above me, his voice not sounding heated, but doleful instead. From where he stood upstairs, he couldn’t see me.

“Was that him?” Sid asked. “Yeah,” I said softly, somewhat in response to both men. “Good. He’s coming around. Trust me. I’ll let you go. Text me later, eh?” Sid requested, sounding slightly relieved. “Yeah, I will. Promise. Thank you. Bye,” I said hurriedly before ending the call.

“Sam?” Nate’s voice echoed off the walls once more, sounding desperate this time. My pulse quickened.

“Yeah. I’m coming,” I said softly. I stuffed my phone back into my pocket, took a steadying breath, and turned to walk upstairs and face him.

By the time I arrived on the second floor only a handful of moments later, Nate was already back in our bedroom, seated in the oversized Queen Anne chair near the center of the room, elbows on his knees, chin almost to his chest. I was shocked to hear small sobs escaping his lips. He glanced in my general direction, not meeting my eyes, and cried harder.

“I can’t even look at you right now,” Nate finally spoke, somewhat coarsely. My heart seemed to shatter right then, and I felt my body steel in self-defense, preparing for war.

“I can’t even believe how I treated you back there. I’m such an awful fucking human. I’m a monster. I’m so sorry,” Nate added tearfully, catching me off guard.

The storms are raging on the rolling sea

And on the highway of regret

The winds of change are blowing wild and free

You ain't seen nothing like me yet

I immediately let out three sobs that seemed to have been lodged in my throat for almost an hour now and, in an instant, closed the gap between us. I dropped to my knees in front of him and laid my head in his lap, hugging his calves. Never before had we shared such an intensely emotional moment. Above me, he covered his eyes with his hands and drew shallow, gasping breaths in an unsuccessful attempt to calm himself.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” he cried, not touching me of his own accord. “I’m so sorry.” I picked up my head and looked at him, urgency coursing through my veins. I needed him to come back to me.

“Nathan, baby, hey,” I coaxed, rubbing his big thigh with my hand, which looked so small in comparison. “Look at me. Please? I need you to.”

After a beat, Nate finally lifted his head from his hands, his pale skin slightly splotchy and tinted red, blue eyes shimmering behind more tears that threatened to fall.

“There’s my handsome man,” I said softly, combing my fingers through the neat hair near his ears, watching him slowly return to me.

“Hey, I want you to listen to me, okay? Tonight you’re allowed to cry it out, or punch our pillows, or run on the treadmill all night to blow off some steam. And then I’ll give you a couple more days to swallow this. But after that? We’re gonna check in with Dr. Butler, both of us, so she can give us some ways to cope with this.”

Nate’s shuddering breaths had finally started to slow as I spoke, referencing one of his most trusted allies, the Denver-based sports psychologist he had been seeing now for a few seasons to help him deal with not only hockey-related challenges and mental blocks, but also general anxiety, in order to boost his mental health. I was careful not to allow my tone to come across as if I were babying him, but instead offering comfort and, more importantly, suggesting help. “Because tonight? These last couple weeks? This can’t be it. We can’t deal with things this way. I don’t want you shutting me out, or Sid, or your family, okay? You wouldn’t let me do that — I’m not gonna let you,” I added.

Nate nodded quickly. “Absolutely, babe. I was just gonna say, as soon as I heard you on the phone downstairs, it really just hit me. I realized I needed to text her and set up an appointment,” he told me, his voice no longer shaky. “And that I needed to apologize to you,” he added softly. I nodded, and he grabbed my hands, pulling me to my feet and then back down to lie in his lap. I threw my legs over one arm of the chair and settled against his chest.

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to find comfort in Nate’s heartbeat for a moment, as he pressed soft kisses into my hair, before I looked around the room, assessing the damage. I noticed that his suit coat lay crumpled in the middle of his closet floor, his shoes having bounced off the wall there as I suspected, and they sat out of place atop his neatly assembled collection of footwear. Across from us, I noticed the source of the shattered glass — a shadow box display from Nate’s unforgettable rookie season hung just slightly crooked on the wall, the glass in the front completely broken out, save for the shards along the inner edge of the frame.

Nate followed my gaze to the mess and sighed. “I’m really sorry about that, Sam,” he said, shame creeping into his tone. I nodded knowingly. “What did you throw?” I asked. “That puck they gave me from the last game of the regular season. It was on my dresser when I set my wallet down and it just set me off,” he admitted sheepishly. “It was stupid.”

“Yes, it was stupid to break something that’s valuable to you, but it’s not stupid, what you’re feeling,” I told him firmly. “Besides, we’ll get a new glass panel and it’ll be good as new.” His grip around me tightened, appreciative of my response. “Thank you,” Nate whispered into my ear. I turned to kiss his lips slowly and deeply. He finally pulled back, only to murmur, “I don’t deserve you. I’m so grateful I have you.” I smoothed my thumb across his cheekbone. “I’m always going to be here for you, Nate,” I promised. He gave me one more solemn kiss.

“Listen, I’m gonna carry you into the bathroom so you don’t even get close to any shards of glass, and I’ll clean all this up while you run us a bath,” Nate told me. “I’ll join you soon. I think it’ll be good for both of us, eh?” I nodded, wrapping my arms around his neck as he easily picked me up bridal-style and headed toward the en suite.

Things were far from perfect, but I was prepared to do everything in my power to get us as close as possible. From the change in his demeanor, I knew Nate was, too.

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true

Nothing that I wouldn't do

Go to the ends of the Earth for you

To make you feel my love

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echo-three-one · 3 years

Text

The Bounty Hunter - Part 2

A man in a new town. On the hunt for the most elusive fugitive of all time. Watch him discover more about the town and the general mess his assignment brought him.

Trigger Warnings : Implied sex, violence and such. This is the Wild wild west, what would you expect?

Also leave a comment in the tags if you enjoy it. I swear, It fuels me to keep writing.

Part 1 /Part 2/ Part 3

Part 2 - Karim, Night Raids and Red Flannels

Alex had no other plans for the rest of the day so he decided to lean on at the back of the Saloon to smoke, to ease off the tension he's feeling. Barkov is going to be one of the hardest hunts he's assigned to and the solid lead from the mohawked bartender felt particularly right. He tried to conceal the feeling of nervousness as he inhaled the cigar, and released a puff of smoke in the air.

Tomorrow, he's going to check out the abandoned mines. A few days of planning would soon follow as he would soon face his greatest adversary yet.

"Hey." The same intimidating familiar voice from back inside the saloon called. Alex took another huff of his cigar and tossed it on the ground, stomping on it.

The woman, known as Karim, stopped in front of him, her arms rested on her hips. Alex took off his hat and nodded to her.

"Howdy." He said, smoke plumed from his mouth.

"Listen, new guy. I don't know who you are or what you're doing here. But I'm getting a strong feeling from you that you're trouble. So before you attempt to do anything, I'm just saying that the moment you disturb this peaceful town, you're going to be in a lot of trouble." She warned, her voice was intimidating.

Alex shot a friendly glare at Karim, but her shoulders were still stiff. Guess it doesn't work on all females.

"Look, uh. Karim, was it? I'm just here to enjoy the sights. I heard that this town once boomed with tourism so I traveled here." He raised his hands in surrender.

"Huh. By the looks of it, you're also a bounty hunter. And I doubt that your sole purpose is just vacation." She raised an eyebrow.

"Nevertheless, I'm keeping an eye on you. Any report the Sheriff will receive against you, and I'll personally kick you out of this place. I've had enough with the pillaging and you're just another problem." She added, as she went back inside the saloon. Alex was left to stare at her figure leaving the area.

He was left wondering about the pillaging, is there any way Barkov was involved in all of this? Or is this something else entirely? He was convinced this town held secrets of its own and he had a bad feeling about this.

He wanted to know more of the town, considering that he'll stay here for quite longer and as soon as he entered the inn, he was greeted by a pair of lovely eyes. The receptionist smiled at him, her stare never changed since he got there yesterday. Alex approached her, put down his hat and asked.

"If you don't mind, how long have you been working here?" The woman giggled and reached for his chin. He knew it. There was definitely something going on here.

"Funny story, cowboy. I own this place." She muttered, almost suggestively as she aggressively leaned in for a kiss, catching Alex off guard.

Alex sat by the bed's headboard, one leg up as his arm rested on it while staring at the dark outdoors. The glow of the moon illuminated his face as he was deep in thought.

"I always think men deep in thought are the sexiest thing ever." The innkeeper mused as she slowly got up, pulling the sheets to cover her body.

"Hmm" Alex chuckled as he felt her lean on his shoulders, her left hand trailed on his firm and hairy chest.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She asked, the tone in her voice was notably filled with curiosity and Alex didn't mind sharing.

"Was just thinking about the raids. When and why it happened." He said, turning to her who was busy admiring his physique, fingers dancing on each of his abs.

"Oh, those." Her fingers stopped as she left his shoulder. Alex felt like he triggered something in her, making him worry about asking.

"Well, it started around a year ago. This town was ransacked with everything. They would wreck the place, as if looking for something, but everytime we came back after evacuating, none of our valuables would get stolen. They'd just flip the whole place upside down. Even our money from the register would still be intact." She told Alex.

"Around that time, Karim and Sheriff Price stepped up and tried to defend, but they would always arrive by surprise and they'd beat us up without question." She frowned.

"That's why we have that huge bell there. The convoy could be seen from afar, giving us time to evacuate. Then the rumors started rolling that this town was abandoned. Tourism went down, the only thing keeping this place afloat are the people who didn't get the news of it being abandoned. And honestly, you are the only one keeping this inn afloat for this week." She said, Alex frowned at the situation this town was in. No wonder Karim felt tense upon his arrival.

"Then Karim came up with an idea. If a local would capture the greatest fugitive known ever, the bounty could boost back tourism. I know it's a long shot, and she barely caught a few ones but we have hope that she'll bring back the name of this town." She said, leaning back to Alex again. Her voice was filled with hope. And Alex now realized how Karim acted toward him earlier.

"Got any horses I could rent tomorrow?" Alex asked her.

"She's not for rent, but she could use a few rounds." She chuckled.

"Thanks… uh." Alex replied, stammering knowing he didn't get her name.

"It's Kate. Short for Catherine. You never bothered to ask." She giggled.

"Well in my defense, everything happened in a flash." Alex replied as their lips started to get closer.

"It's not my fault you're… magnetic." She mused, tapping his nose.

"Me? How so?" Alex asked as Kate straddled herself on Alex.

"What about that lovely girl from last night, then?" She mused, her forehead rested on his as her hands gripped his biceps tight.

"She was too drunk from all the drinks. I'd feel bad if I left her alone there." He replied confidently, his hands grabbed her waist. Kate just smiled and met Alex's lips, kissing each other under the faint glow of the moon.

"Are you sure she's fine with this?" Soap's low register was worried as Alex prepared the horse.

"Yeah. Hundred percent. Why? What's wrong with this horse?" Alex shot an inquisitive glare at the bartender, who happened to be off today. And they happened to wear the same red flannel and orange neckerchief combo.

"Oh nothing. Isabelle doesn't really go out that often like the old times. Guess she was ready to put her back to the road." Soap muttered, putting on his hat. Alex once again shot the same glare.

"Isabelle?"

"The horse. It's Isabelle. Kate got her when she was a pony. I remember playing with this pony as a kid. Endless hours of fun. He chuckled, taking a trip to memory lane. Alex somehow caught wind of Soap's relationship toward Kate.

"Soap." He tried snapping the man back to reality.

"Yeah?" He shook his head. "The real name's John by the way. Soap's only when I'm in that bar." he informed, making Alex nod.

"So John, you and Kate…?" he asked. John shot up an awkward glare, his hands shook dismissively.

"Oh no no no no. Never." He said shyly. This made Alex raise his eyebrow.

"Why not?"

"She's just a friend. Alex. I liked her at some point but it was best to remain someone close but not so intimate. Especially after her Dad died, imagine if I, her only closest friend, would show what I truly feel and lose her, where will she cling to?" He muttered. Alex thought of the situation. It wasn't in his authority to barge in to John's life choices, but considering that he's capable enough, and he knew what his choice meant.

"Okay. Now, lead me to that abandoned mine."Alex said, with enthusiasm as John rode his trusted horse.

"Alex, it's this way." He called, as Alex turned and followed John, making their way to the mines.

"Tell me more about the raids." Alex quickly caught up with John, thanking Isabelle for being a good girl.

"Well I scout the big bell every thursday. Did it last night hence I'm off today. But when the bell rings, most townies are advised to hide in their basements. We tried fighting but it's no use. These raiders don't give a shit about human lives." Soap grieved, continuing on to the mine.

"Since you insisted this would be a tour, on your left is Fool's Rock. It's the biggest single piece of rock you'll ever find in this area. Little is known about what rests on top of it as no one has ever made it that far." Soap pointed as Alex turned to the rock, all dusty and glimmering orange from the sunrise.

"How far is this abandoned mine?" Alex asked.

"Not far from the canyons. It would take about an hour or so. Hope you brought water." He chuckled as his horse sped off, causing Alex to quickly catch up on their way to the mines.

[To be continued...]

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

#alex echo 3 1 #horrayfic #john soap mactavish #codmw #thebountyhunter #farah karim

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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 4 years

Text

Apostate 1

Warnings: violence, further tags to be added in next chapter.

This is dark!(hydra!)Steve and explicit. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You notice something about Steve.

Note: Okey dokey. Here’s the long awaited Hydra Steve! There will be a second part and this will be reblogged with tags as well. Thanks to everyone for the encouragement. If y’all want the inspo for this one, here it is. Thank you. Love you guys!

Leave some feedback, like and reblog <3

It started with a look. Funny how the eyes could betray so much; elation, devastation, knowing. The dilation of a pupil, the glare of an iris as it caught the light, the dullness that could mute feigned surprise.

Steve was a bad actor, or perhaps it was an unusual slip. Perhaps there was more to the performance; a secret harboured so long it grew light and easy. That it no longer took great effort to carry.

Or maybe you just looked over at the right moment. Or the wrong, depending on your perspective. He blinked and nodded as he turned back to Tony. He pretended to listen intently as the man stood in his broken armor and recounted his struggle. Hydra agents had destroyed the vault before he could secure it. Your mission was both successful and catastrophic.

While you might have cut another head off the snake, it’s venom remained. All you achieved was the ruin of a city block. The collateral of property and even people. None had died but many were wounded.

You shook your head as Tony told of how the operative slammed the door closed and the muffled explosion saw to the erasure of thousands of documents. Those which could see the decapitation of Hydra and cauterise the necks before they could heal. But he was too late. You all were. It was as if they knew. As if they expected you.

You hung your head as the image of the golden avenger lingered in your head. He didn’t look very disappointed, only indifferent. You thought of the mission, his hair still askew and the dust still stained all of you as it mingled with your sweat.

You recalled how Steve appeared so conveniently from behind a pillar after your singular struggle with an enemy. Almost as if he had been watching. As if he were awaiting the outcome before he made his entrance. As if either way it unfolded, it would be a victory for him.

You must’ve been crazy. You were tired and the adrenaline hazed your mind. The win laced with such loss was hard to swallow. You were desperate for a reason and you could have pinned it on any in the room. It was always hard to accept that it just hadn’t gone to plan.

You peeked at him again. He rubbed his forehead and yawned. The lines deepened below his hairline and around his eyes. No, you must’ve imagined his apathy. It was so unlike him. It was your own subconscious telling you you hadn’t done enough. Your own doubts aimed at another to avoid your own culpability.

“Sorry, am I boring our resident centenarian?” Tony turned on Steve as he closed his mouth. “Where were you? I was calling for you.”

“I was doing my job, same as you,” Steve stood straight and regained his couple inches over Tony. “Seeing to my team, as I always do.” He looked to you. “Isn’t that right?”

You were caught by surprise. You gulped and looked around. Bruce and Clint were worn and barely seemed awake as they stood against the wall, Natasha shook her head and grumbled. “Tony, come on.”

“Come on what?” Tony spat. “He’s standing here like nothing happened. You need to lay down, old man?”

“Tony, it was all of us down there. We all came up short.” Natasha argued. “Hydra… they always have an exit plan. At least, we cut out part of the infection.”

Tony nodded and shook his head. He turned his back on the team and scoffed. “With nothing to show for it.”

“With no lives lost,” She insisted. “With an awareness that they are infiltrating our major cities. With an idea of where to look next.”

“Chicago? Boston? Los Angeles?” He sniffed and pushed his hair back. “Where do we start, Romanoff? There’s six of us and how many of them?”

“Fury will--”

“Fury will complain about paperwork, about marching blindly against an unseen enemy,” Tony barked as he spun back. “Fury isn’t what he used to be. Maybe if we had the files, he’d budge but without them, we got nothing but breath.”

“Tony, she’s right,” Steve intoned. “We know where to look now. We’re not blind.”

“Where do we look, Cap?” Tony turned on him. “Hmm?”

“Right in front of us.” Steve’s jaw twitched. “They’ll be scattering, here in New York. We keep an eye out at the airports. See who’s trying to run and where. We go from there.”

Tony clamped his lips together and sighed. He shrugged and dismissed all of you with a flick of his hand as he crossed to the door. His metal suit retracted all at once and revealed the sweaty black clothes beneath. Showed him to be the man he was; exhausted and wilting.

“Keep your eye out then, Steve,” He snarled. “If you can keep ‘em open long enough.”

You all stood and watched him go silently. When the door slammed you glanced at each other. Tony’s frustration had mounted in the past months. As cells were uncovered in his city, you all witnessed his growing hopelessness. This was just another dent in his armour. Perhaps the deepest.

It was just as the myth went, you cut off one head and another grew. Soon enough, you’d find yourself in the teeth of one or the other.

💀

You couldn’t shake the feeling that something was out of place. Most of all, you couldn’t push away the thought that it was Steve. You kept replaying the scene in your head. A whole week later and it flashed behind your eyes every time they met his.

He hadn’t been concerned to find you sprawled across the ground with scraps of concrete and metal around you. A dead man draped over you as his life bled out. And you thought of the yawn that riled Tony. Even as the accusations flew, Steve wasn’t bothered. Not enough to get defensive, just enough to try to coax Tony onward. Past this blip. Past this misstep.

So you got in your head to follow him. At first, you kept to his movement in the Tower. His meetings with Fury, with Stark, his little run-ins with his respective colleagues, his training. The usual. Nothing to fuel your suspicions, only to further dismantle your paranoia.

Yet it lingered.

Then he left for a mission. You couldn’t follow him there, you had your own work. So you passed the days he was gone in paperwork and reconnaissance around the city. Your thoughts of the first avenger faded and a semblance of normality returned until he did.

You saw him in the halls with Fury. The General was visibly unhappy, not that he was ever overtly cheerful. You turned the corner before you could reach them and listened. Even when the matters should be private, Fury’s anger often precluded him from a hushed conversation. Neither men seemed concerned of being overheard.

“This is all you have to show? It’s nonsense.” Fury said.

“It’s coded,” Steve replied dully. “Don’t you have a team that can crack it? You’re telling me Tony in all his genius can’t decipher a few backwards letters.”

“It’s a single sentence, Rogers,” Fury snorted. “Maybe even half of one. This isn’t a cryptogram.”

“It’s what I got,” Steve huffed. “You sent me in alone, what did you expect?”

“You’ve marched into worse on your own,” Fury growled. “And done more than a single fucking slip of paper.”

“Rich.” Steve retorted. “Tony watches as a whole vault of intelligence is nuked and I bring you back something, anything, and I get lectured like a child.”

“Tony called for back-up, several times, we have the logs, Captain,” Fury sneered. “Including those of your radio silence.”

The air was still as neither man spoke. You could barely breathe.

“I wasn’t the only one out there,” Steve said quietly. “I wasn’t the only one with a radio. I’m not the only one who lost.”

“But you’re their leader,” Fury returned. “So you need to start acting like it and get your shit together.”

The words were punctuated by sudden footsteps. Fury’s boots clicked away as a shadow neared you. You slid along the wall and dipped into a closet as Steve’s soles scuffed closer. You pulled the door closed quietly and watched through the crack as he passed. He swore under his breath as he punched his own hand.

He stopped, just beyond your door and his steps came to a stop. You heard a soft rustle and swallowed as you listened. The faint ring of a line trying to connect. It stopped and Steve’s voice startled you as it cut through the air.

“Chicago.” Was the only word he said.

Your brows drew together and the low hum a voice replying in a single syllable was followed by the bloop of the call ending. Steve let out another heavy breath and continued down the hall. Your heart raced as you waited several minutes before emerging.

What the fuck was that?

💀

Steve once told you not to bring your work home with you. You thought it was laughable coming from him and it still was. You stood across the street from his building. You followed him there from the tower. It was difficult to tail a target trained to look over his shoulder at all times.

You hid in the mouth of the alley, pressed to the wall as you stared at the front doors. What were you going to do? Watch them all night? Wait until the morning when he left? It seemed all a bit preposterous now that you stood there. This was Steve Rogers. A war hero. The first avenger. The saviour of the world.

As the streetlights flipped on, you checked the time and resigned yourself to fleeing with tail tucked. You shouldn’t have followed him. You were being silly. You let your imagination get the best of you. Read into a yawn and a slight tic. Maybe you were due for a vacation.

Then the doors opened and you fell back into shadows. Steve wore a plain grey hoodie and track pants. He stretched his legs before he hopped down the steps. You watched as he bounced in place before setting off in a jog. He was that type. Running around after dark to clear his head.

You waited until he reached the end of the street before you stepped up to the curb. You stared after him as he disappeared around the corner and you crossed between the cars parked along the road. You strolled up the stairs to the front door of the apartment and swept through the door. You scrolled through the buzzer directory until you found him. Not so obvious as the rest; the initials S.R. beamed back at you on the screen. You took note of the apartment number and walked back out.

You checked your phone as you came around to the fire escape. You figured at least twenty minutes before he returned, likely longer. Closer to an hour, if anything. You took a running start and hopped up to grab the bottom rung of the ladder. You hauled yourself onto the metal platform and started up the steps. You stopped at the first empty apartment.

You tapped on the window and waited. Nothing. You tried the window but it was locked. You took out your pocket knife and poked along the frame. You jammed it between the wood and heard the metal clasp snap. You slid it up carefully and slipped inside, closing it quietly behind you.

You found your way to the door and into the hall. Another floor up and several apartments away. You raced up the stairwell and came out on the next level. You counted your way to his door and listened through the wood. You stirred around in your purse and pulled out the multi tool gifted you by Tony.

Don’t take your work home with you, the words echoed again.

You glanced around before you picked the lock swiftly. You eased the door open, careful not to grind the aged hinges. You walked lightly down the short hall to the living room. Frame pictures along the wall placed precisely, a leather chair and patterned couch more suited to another era. No television, only a shelf of books and aged magazines.

You stopped. What exactly were you looking for? You edged around the coffee table and examined every inch of the room. Nothing out of place. You passed by the kitchen and down the hall that led to the bathroom and bedroom respectively. The glow of a screen came from the latter. You frowned. The laptop shone beside the small lamp on the desk.

You looked back into the living room and took a breath. You tapped your toe softly before you entered. You went to the desk and clicked the touch pad. The screensaver washed away and you stared at a plain desktop. Not even a password. It felt all too obvious. Too easy.

The hairs on your neck stood. You peeked over your shoulder. Nothing. You turned back to the laptop and opened the explorer. The files revealed nothing but encrypted Shield docs. You clicked out as a notification popped up in the corner. An email with no sender. You opened it before you could think.

It was gibberish. Coded words. You shook your head and brought up the camera on your phone. You took a picture of the message and and marked it unread before you closed it. You held onto your cell and retreated.

You left the way you came, mindful to lock the door in your stead. You took a breath before you headed down the stairs and wove your way to the rear exit. You came out by a dumpster and set off behind the row of brick buildings. You dialed your phone as you turned into the alley that led to the next street. It went to voicemail and you tsked.

“Fury. We should talk. Call me as soon as you can.” You didn’t know what else to say so you hung up.

You looked to the front of the alley, the few dark figures that passed by. You would head home and wait for the call. You suspected your night was far from over. You started forward and your phone vibrated. You kept your step and lifted the screen to answer.

You were suddenly off your feet as an arm wrapped around you and a hand batted your phone to the ground. You were spun against the brick wall and crushed by an unyielding weight behind you, a knee against your thigh.

“Find anything good?” Steve asked and you tried to turn your head. He caught it and slammed it into the wall, sending stars through your vision. “Too bad you won’t get to share it.”

His thick arm snaked around your throat and he squeezed. You kicked out as you struggled and pushed both of you away from the wall. He barely stumbled as he kept you locked in and your head began to pound.

“S-Steve…” You rasped out.

“I told you, don’t take your work home with you…” His hot breath was the last thing you felt as your vision went black.

#Steve Rogers #hydra!steve rogers #dark steve rogers #dark!steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #dark steve rogers x reader #dark!steve rogers x reader #dark!fic #dark fic #fic #short series #two shot #mcu #marvel #captain america #au

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ayamari-no-goshi · 3 years

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Eidolon 13 | (T)

ff.net | AO3

Fandom: Danny Phantom (DP)

Summary: AU: What started off as the result of a simple act of rebellion ends up causing his life to spin out of control. How will young Danny cope with the results as well as a past that has a strange habit of coming back to haunt him.

Warnings: rated T for violence, mentions of death, kidnapping, and various other things

Chapter warnings: implied adult taking advantage of a child

Parings: hints of Danny/Sam much later on

Notes: originally uploaded to Ff.net. Cross-posted to AO3 and tumblr

Chapter 13: Perceptions

The pain was like nothing Danny had ever experienced. With each flare, his body became rigid in a desperate attempt to withstand it. He tried, desperately, to relax as the tension just added to the pain, but it was to no avail. The flares were coming in increasing intervals, and his body could not help but brace for them. It was made worse by the lingering burning sensation left from the previous attacks.

A scream escaped him as another flare, more intense than the last, forced him into an unnatural arch. He collapsed almost as soon as it was over. Gripping at the pristine carpet, he bit his lip to hold back another cry as an echo of the pain washed over him. It was difficult to tell how many of the painful flares had coursed through his body or how much time had passed since Vlad forced the unknown substance down his throat. All he understood was the pain was getting more intense, lasting longer, and affecting more of his body each time. Though he was not sure exactly how he knew, the pain he was experiencing had started on or in his skin and was progressively creeping inward, like a small camp fire slowly growing to its full potential.

He wanted to move, to run, to escape from the torture, but it was no use. The pain had left him feeling extremely fragile as if he would shatter if he attempted to move. There was no telling if the strange liquid along with the flares was actually doing damage to his body, or if his current predicament was benign. But it didn't matter anyways. Even if he did manage to move, he would just be struck down by another spasm.

Even if it did kill him, he was going to fight to the very end. He needed to know if Winston was okay, to apologize to his friends for being kidnapped, and to find out what exactly happened to his parents. He absolutely had to accomplish those before he died. There was no way he could ever face his friends and family again if he didn't.

…

Damn, it looked like he wouldn't be able to accomplish his goals after all. His body was beyond exhausted, so much so he could barely muster the strength to open his eyes. The linger burn still coursing through his abused body indicated he was still among the living. The slow and steady thumping of his heart and the rasps of his shallow breaths were the only sounds within the barren room. Each sound seemed to getting weaker as the moments crawled by, but it was difficult to tell just how much more his body could take before it just gave out.

His breath hitched as another flare engulfed his body, but it was different from all the previous ones. It was far more intense and showed no signs of stopping. His body was too overwhelmed by the sensation to even make a sound, and he briefly wondered if this was what dying felt like as the fiery pain seemed to be burning away what was left of his short life. Flashes of regret began to blend into his reality as a small part of his mind registered it was truly the end.

A strange tingling in his finger tips interrupted the pain and alerted him to a new sensation. An icy cold was beginning to seep into his hands. Did that mean the pain spasms were coming to an end? Relief washed through him but was almost immediately replaced by fear as he realized the cold wasn't a blessing. It had begun to snake its way into his body at an alarming rate, freezing the burning flesh and replacing the previously living tissue with frozen death.

The flaring pain did not dissipate as the coldness spread. Instead, it seemed to fight back against the cold to reclaim control. His body became a battle ground between fire and ice, living and dead, as the two forces warred back and forth. Cold tendrils grasped his heart and lungs momentarily halting them bringing more intense pain.

He grabbed at his chest and neck wishing there was something he could do as the fire intensified and tried to burn away the cold. His breathing quickened as he tried to keep himself from falling into the darkness which was gathering at the edges of his vision. The fire was back in control of his lungs, but it was losing ground. Within moments, the cold tendrils had wrapped themselves completely around them. As he took his last painful breaths before his lungs seized completely, he vaguely registered that the door to the room was opening as the blackness finally overtook him.

…..

Consciousness came back to him gradually. Better phrased, his concept of awareness returned. He knew he was curled into a ball while laying on something soft… a bed perhaps? He was stiff and wanted to move, but refrained due to a lingering notion… What was it…? Pain. He had been in pain before waking, but from what?

Slowly, he opened his eyes to find himself on a pure white bed with dark wooden posts. The room it was sitting in had little in terms of furniture and was also an unremarkable white color. Sitting up, his eyes caught sight of a stain on the carpet. An image stirred in his mind of a strange green substance spilling on it. Blood perhaps? No… his wasn't purely green; it was mixed with a human's red.

But wait… wasn't he human? He shook his head of the thought. It didn't seem completely right, but it wasn't entirely wrong either. He glanced at his hands in the hopes they held some sort of clue to his jumbled thoughts, but they were unremarkable: tanner than average will giving off a faint whitish glow.

Sitting up, he rested his face in his hands as he tried to piece together his jumbled thoughts. Most of his memories were blurs, flashing with momentary clarity before speeding away. Why wouldn't anything come to him? He knew someone who he didn't really like placed him in the room, but the reason behind it remained gone. Maybe some food would help him think better.

How had he not noticed how hungry he was until now? The feeling of emptiness in his stomach was enough to make him woozy. The feeling combined with a general weakness throughout his body made him feel hesitant to move lest he pass out again. Yet, he knew if he could make it to the center of the room there was something which would at least hold him over until he could find something more substantial.

Instinct eventually won out over his reason, and he forced himself to look for it. He tried to stand but nearly collapsed as soon as he started to put weight on his feet; whatever he had gone through before waking had really taken a toll on his body. Frustrated, he called upon the small reserve of energy held within his core to help take him to his destination.

Thinking it would be alright, he allowed himself to drop down to the floor, only to fall to his knees when gravity reasserted itself. Wow, he was weaker than he thought. Good thing the energy source was directly below him. He hesitantly placed a hand on the carpet above what he thought might be a large battery. He could feel it pumping out energy throughout the room under the floor and through the walls. Though it was difficult to tell exactly what the energy was, he knew it was somewhat dangerous to him. Perhaps it was designed to keep him in the room? Or maybe it was there to help prevent him from falling through the floor.

He could worry about the implications later. Right now, he needed to feed. Carefully, he pushed his hand through the carpet and wood underneath and allowed it to rest on the top of the machine beneath him. He could feel the energy start being directed from the machine and into his hand. He smiled in delight as the energy, which he now knew was electrical with some ectoplasmic properties, filled his body with power and lessened the hunger.

Vaguely, he wondered if it would be a problem if he continued to take the energy from the machine. Whoever had placed the machine there would probably be upset if it stopped working... So, he would only take a little bit more and then try to find another more viable source for later. It was a good plan, but a strange notion broke through his satisfaction. It wasn't normal for someone to put their hand through a solid object.

Panicked, Danny pulled his hand out of the floor and stared at it. He… he had just purposely put his hand through the floor! How did he…? Why did he…? He glanced down at the spot in question, hoping for some sort of answer. Nothing seemed out of place. Heck, if it wasn't for what had happened and the strange sensation telling him something was there, he wouldn't have even known the machine was just under the floor.

Confusion took over his thoughts as he rationally tried to understand how he knew it was there let alone take energy from it. He barely made any progress as he was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea. A groan escaped him as he could feel the sheen of sweat starting to form on his skin. Going from experience, he knew he was not going to be able to accomplish anything substantial until it passed. Danny took slow deep breaths as he propped himself against the bed as he attempted to wait it out.

Was this really going to continue to happen every time something weird happened to him? If so, he was really going to have to consider investing in Pepto-Bismol.

…

"Ah, I see you're awake," a cultured voice said in an offhanded way after the door to the room opened. There was a momentary pause before it spoke again, "Feeling under the weather? I can't say I blame you. Not only is your body adjusting to its new constitution, but ectoplasm isn't the friendliest of substances to ingest."

Danny could feel his eyes widen as he turned around to look at his captor. "Y-You knew about this…? W-what did you do to me?"

Vlad just smiled as he walked over and crouched down in front of him. "Of course I knew! We're the same breed after all." He then gently grabbed Danny by the jaw to prevent the boy from looking away. "I knew the concentrated ectoplasm would be enough to trigger a proper transformation. You should thank me; it would have taken you months to get this far."

"Transformation…? I don't…. What are you talking about?" He stammered as he tried to make sense of what the older man was saying as he slapped the man's hand away from him. Though he was feeling much better than he was previously, he didn't want to get too aggravated. There was no telling when his stomach was going to rebel against him again.

"You haven't realized it yet? …Or perhaps you've been too… occupied to even consider the differences in your body." Without a warning, Vlad then grabbed him by the arm and yanked him into a standing position before pulling him out of the room and down the hall. Danny barely had time to register the yellow and green décor of the hallway before he was shoved into what appeared to be an exceptionally large powder room complete with a full sized mirror. "Perhaps this will help make things clear, though I have to admit, I believed you were going to look much more impressive. Ah well, that will teach me to take complete stock in old legends."

Taking a few moments to make sure he was mostly fine before he gave the billionaire a puzzled glance. The man's response was to smirk and wave him towards the mirror and the reflection within it. Hesitantly, Danny complied though a few confused moments passed before he understood what he was truly seeing.

The boy in the mirror had a slightly tanned complexion combined with incredibly bleached (but was it truly bleached…?) snowy white hair with silvery highlights. The boy's eyes were an unnatural color; the same green of the drink Vlad had forced into him. The clothes were rather plain: straight legged black jeans with a couple accent chains and a black t-shirt with white trimming along the neck and sleeve edges. A white studded belt and black half-gloves with white cuffs completed the look.

It took him even longer to realize the image in front of him actually belonged to him. His immediate reaction was to look over his body to see if he wasn't hallucinating. How in the world did he manage to get into his current get up? While he didn't mind the overall effect (it was actually somewhat cool), he was a little more than creeped out by the implications. Glancing at the billionaire who was leaning against the door looking rather smug, Danny had to repress a shudder. No about of therapy would ever fix this.

"So… What do you think of the new you, Daniel?" Vlad asked him once he realized Danny was done taking in his new appearance.

"What do you mean 'what do I think'? How did you…? When did you….?" Danny's hands flailed as he tried to piece together a coherent question. Several more half-formed phrases were sputtered as slowly backed away from Vlad until he bumped into the sink.

The older man chuckled darkly as he watched Danny's frantic movements. "I assure you that the only thing I've done after giving you that drink was to place you on the bed. Nothing more, nothing less. Your current appearance is a product of your transformation."

"Transformation…? Is that what you're calling it?" Danny spat at Vlad as his suspicions began turning into horror. "Ugh!" Another wave of nausea overcame him causing him to stumble. Vaguely he understood his body still hadn't recovered properly which was being amplified by his panic. But, the majority of his mind just wanted to know 'why now'?

As he tried to recompose himself, his hand which was resting on the sink suddenly slipped. He was able to catch himself before he fell on his face, but quickly realized he hadn't actually slipped. Instead, his hand had decided it was a great time to become insubstantial and pass through it and part of the dark mahogany cabinet underneath. Panicking both from the event and the knowledge someone who was not a friend had witnessed the strange event, he tried to pull his arm free only to realize it had become effectively stuck.

"Panicking is only going to make the situation worse." Vlad's tone was rather matter of fact as he surveyed the scene. Danny couldn't understand how he wasn't disturbed by the sight in front of him, until he remembered Vlad wasn't just a man, he was a literal monster as well. The older man moved forward slightly with an outstretched hand. "Here, let me help you. There are several pressing matters awaiting both of us, and it saddens me to see you struggling with the most basic of your powers."

"Stay away from me! You're nothing more than a seriously crazed up fruitloop!" he shouted as he frantically tried to free his arm. Vlad paid him no mind as came over, gently grabbed his arm, and phased it out of the sink.

Under normal circumstances, Danny would have thanked the man for helping him out of such a situation. However, getting an arm stuck in a sink could never be considered 'normal.' "Get off me!" he shouted as he shoved Vlad, startling the older man. Knowing he had a chance, Danny made a break for the now unguarded door and ran down the hall in the opposite direction from where he originally came.

…

After turning yet another corner, Danny came to the conclusion he was hopelessly loss in a gigantic house belonging to a madman who was currently chasing after him. He wasn't even exactly sure how he knew the billionaire was in pursuit, but something in the back of his mind kept whispering that he needed to keep moving as Vlad wasn't too far away. It wasn't quite a flight or fight instinct as that wouldn't give him knowledge of which general direction Vlad was in, but he wasn't too sure what else to call it. Whatever it was, it was certainly useful. Even if he couldn't find the exit, he would at least be able to stay one step ahead of his pursuer.

… Well, as long as his energy held up he could stay ahead. He was still rather stiff from the pain and convulsions from prior to passing out. It also didn't help he was still nauseous, but it was starting to pass. He was pleasantly surprised. Usually, he wasn't very athletic, but he had covered an impressive amount of ground in the time he had escaped from Vlad. It was probably adrenaline, but he didn't care. Any little edge which could help him get away was very welcome.

He shook his head as he rested against a nearby wall as he gave himself a moment to relax and try to get all the images out of his head. Not knowing exactly what happened to him while he was unconscious was serious starting to freak him out, but he needed to keep his wits about him if he was going to have any chance of escaping.

A cold sensation interrupted his thoughts causing him to look to his right. Vlad was starting to get close to where he was again, but how was the man coming from that particular direction? Wasn't he coming from behind him a few minutes before hand? He shook his head again as he started sprinting down the hall. Fear was starting to eat at him as he ran. Vlad's presence seemed to get closer every time he came to another bend. It was almost as if he was moving through the walls…. It took Danny a moment to realize that was a very real possibility. If Vlad could pass through solid objects such as people, wouldn't he be able to do the same with the walls?

Danny skidded to a stop as he came to another crossway in the green and yellow decorated corridors. He was getting nowhere fast, and he only had moments before Vlad found him. Taking another quick break, he took the left hallway and started moving even faster than he had been previously. At the end of the hall was an open area, which appeared to lead to a large staircase. If he could get there, he would probably be somewhere near an exit!

There was only a few feet left until he would be able to see the new area clearly, meaning it would only take a few seconds, but his luck refused to hold out. He stumbled which caused him to fall face first to the floor.

….

Danny was incredibly disoriented as his vision cleared. He must have hit his head when he fell. Damn it! He had been so close! Wait, how long had it been since he fell? Had Vlad found him? Standing up, he found himself in a rather large room with the ceiling being exceptionally high. More than a little unsure where he was, he started looking around for an exit.

The walls of this room were even more unremarkable than the ones in the room he had been trapped in for a few days. Theses ones were a dull gray; no different than a slab of concrete. In fact, that maybe exactly what they were made of. There were no windows or apparent doors which made it feel more like a prison. Vlad must have found him and thrown him in to teach him a lesson. Damn it! How was he going to be able to escape now?

While he continued to look around, something hard stabbed him in the back. He was about to swat it away when a strange and unpleasant energy spread from the object's tip into his body. A scream escaped him as the energy burned and shocked him, creating a feeling almost equaling the pain of the spasms from earlier. Just as suddenly as they started, they stopped. Relief washed through him as he tried to recover, but it was short lived. Something hard hit his face and sent him flying into the closest wall about three feet off the floor.

Sliding down the wall was almost as bad as being hit. The wall had originally been a smooth texture, but his impact created several spider web cracks. To say the least, it was a very unpleasant feeling to slide over them as he fell to the floor. As he tied to sit up and figure out what hit him, something with that same pulsing energy as before came very close to his neck. He looked up to see a glowing green bo staff being wielded by what he assumed was a person. It appeared to have a woman's shape, but it was dressed in a protective suit… What were they called…? Hazmat…? Yes, hazmat… that sounded right.

The suit was a strange blue – gray color and skin tight. It had a hood which was pulled up over the unknown person's head, hiding the hair. Redish goggles completed the outfit and made the person's eyes seem inhuman and angry.

"Don't move!" the person hissed, moving the end of the bo staff a little closer to Danny's neck. "I don't know why Vlad sent you, but I am not going to let a ghost harm either me or my daughter!" The voice was harsh, protective, and unfamiliar, but it was female.

"Woah! Hold on a second!" Danny stammered as he eyed the glowing weapon in front of him. "I'm not going to hurt you! I didn't even realize you were here!"

The woman's eyes narrowed from within her goggles as she connected her staff with his skin once again. His screams only ended when the staff's strange energy was no longer coursing through his body. "Nice try ghost," she told him as she stabbed him with it again. "But I'm not going to fall for it! All of you are the same!"

"Wh-what are you talking about…?" Danny asked weakly as the weapon was removed. Not only were the shocks painful, but they seemed to be zapping his strength. "What ghost? I'm… I'm not a ghost!"

"Oh, and I suppose normal people have unnaturally white hair and glow?"

"Hey, that was something Vlad did to me…! Wait a minute… I'm glowing?" A memory from when he first woke up in the white room flashed though his mind. He glanced down at his hands and examined them closely. It was hard to see in the light, but there did appear to be a faint white glow around his hands. "Why the hell am I glowing? What was in that drink he gave me?"

"You didn't even realize…" the woman muttered faintly as she continued to stare at him. Her expression wasn't completely devoid of malice, but at least some curiosity had made its way into it. "You're either newly formed or a really good actor… Hmm… I've never gotten to study a newly formed ghost before…"

Danny tried to scoot away from her. He didn't like how this conversation was starting to go. However, he would probably still choose dealing with the woman with the weapon and questionable sanity instead of the creepiness that was Vlad any day. "Look, I really didn't mean to bother you!" he told be quickly as once again looked around for an exit, but it was difficult due to the woman's proximity to him. "I really want to leave as much as you seem to want me to, so if you could please just show me where the door is, I'll be out of your hair!"

The woman frowned at his words as if she was making sure she had heard him correctly. She once again put her staff underneath his chin. He flinched at the touch as he prepared for another shock, but none came. He opened his eyes to see that the woman was using the staff to help her get a clearer view of his face. What was it with people doing that to him? Was there something wrong with the way he looked? Well… that was a ridiculous question to ask with his current appearance, but at least the woman wasn't shocking him this time.

"Fascinating! Your form is incredibly similar to that of a human's, and you clearly still think like one."

"'Think'? What's with this think business? I am human!"

The woman seemed like she was about to say something else, but was gently pushed aside by a smaller form with long red hair. "Mom!" the figure warned as she glanced back and forth between him and the woman. "You're scaring him!" She then turned towards Danny, smiled, and extended her hand. "Here, I'll help you up. By the way, my name is Jazz."

============================================

Um, I'm just going to point this out now. I don't support Pompous Pep, at all, or adults taking 'advantage of children'. But with the way Vlad's acting and being very vague about the entire event, combined with Danny having no clue how he got the change of clothes adds up to Danny's suspicions. Honestly, I wasn't even expecting to add that bit in there until I started writing it and realized, "wow, this situation just suggests pedophile…. Vlad, you are a creepy man!"

Oh, and to explain the part where Danny woke up… I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the different aspects of ghosts, but it is not unusual to see electronic equipment act up or lose power when a ghost is present. Current belief is that the ghost will somehow barrow power from a device and use it manifest itself. Some can also draw on emotions (like Spectra), but those tend to be negative entities.

#Eidolon #my writing #fanfic #fanfiction #danny phantom #danny phantom au #dp #dp au #danny fenton #sam manson #vlad plasmius #tucker foley #maddie fenton #jazz fenton #fantasy #paranormal #supernatural

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