#forbidden knowledge of the grimace

[knightscendant]

one sip of the grimace shake, but at what cost

[dustofthedailylife]

That Which Is Forbidden

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Pairing: Alhaitham x (gn!) Reader

Summary: Forbidden knowledge forever alters the memory and personality of a person and drives them insane. Everyone in Sumeru knew as much. Yet you conducted research on it anyway.

Tags: Angst, no comfort, hints at lore theories (see end note), depiction of psychosis due to the contact with forbidden knowledge

A/N: Help... this was just supposed to be a short drabble once again... but here we are sjdksdjl. Anyway, I just had this brainrot and it ate me up then had a writing frenzy and this is the result. Enjoy reading, haha!

You had been absent from the Akademiya for the last couple of days. At first, Alhaitham thought it was just you being neck-deep in some research again, as that wasn't an unusual occurrence. But after more than a week had passed without a single word from you, he was beginning to worry.

Sure, you were ambitious, but you were also a really affectionate person who usually took time out of their day to stop by to bring him some pastries from Puspa Café or just to visit him every now and then. And he would lie if he said he wouldn't enjoy your presence.

He decided to stop by your home after work one day. He knocked on your door once. Twice. But no one answered.

Looking through your window revealed nothing but an empty and all-engulfing darkness inside as well. No lights were on and it looked downright abandoned.

He tried to turn the doorknob of your front door and, to his surprise, it wasn't locked. He peeked inside and was immediately overcome with a bad feeling that made his stomach churn and the hair on his neck stand on end.

Paper was scattered all across the floor, the tap in your kitchen was running and letters that had been thrown through the mail slot piled up behind your door as well. Just, what happened here?

He crossed the living room, went to turn off the tap, and looked for any trace of you. That was when he heard a barely audible whimper come from the direction of your bedroom.

He immediately darted to the door and flung it open. But what he found made his heart shatter into a million pieces.

"No, no, no." he repeated like a quiet mantra of denial.

The walls were covered in cryptic words you had written on there with chalk. You were cowering in the corner of the room, rocking back and forth with red, glowing eyes as you held your head between your hands. Tears continued to stream down your face that was contorted into a pained grimace while whispering one sentence over and over: "The world is a lie."

He took a glance at your disorganized desk and spotted a document titled The Origins Of The World We Know.

He had seen this many times before. It was one of the most common fields of forbidden research people tried to conduct. Each and every one of them thought it wouldn't drive them to madness and they all ultimately failed. Driven to insanity by their ambitions and hubris. Gaining knowledge on things they shouldn't.

He walked over to you, pleadingly called out your name, and tried to grab your hand in an attempt to get through to you. In order to convince himself there was still something of you left in the husk of the person he perceived in this dark room.

"Hey, look at me! I know you can hear me. It'll be alright. We can fix this. I can fix this... please..." he pleaded.

But he knew it was a lie. A futile attempt to convince himself he could get you back. To make the heart in his chest hurt less. To prevent the tears from falling that he was dangerously close to spilling.

"You idiot. Why did you do this?", he quietly sobbed.

He knew would never get you back. Never would he see your smile, hear your horrible jokes or experience your enthusiasm for your projects again. He had to call the Matra, he knew he needed to, but it was as if his feet were cemented to the ground. And all he managed to do was stare at you in disbelief with a vision blurred by tears.

You were gone. Gone to where he couldn't follow. And he had to come to terms with it.

It was at that moment he realized that this was what it felt like to grieve for someone who was still alive.

End note: The sentence "The world is lie" that Reader says here is a reference to the lore theory that Teyvat is nothing but a "simulation". An artificially created world by some entity. Some things that could undermine this theory are for example that it is always a full moon at night or Scaramouche claiming the "sky is nothing but a gigantic hoax" in an event very early on in the game. Basically some "Trumanshow" type of stuff.

Do not repost, copy, translate or edit - © dustofthedailylife || reblogs, comments, and asks about Genshin or my fics are always greatly appreciated and motivate me! Maple dividers are mine - do not copy.

[tieflingtareon]

Resistance Is Futile | Wyll x M!Durge Oneshot

“This is wrong.” Wyll knows it deep within his bones, and it does not need to be said, yet it does all at once. It was wrong, to curl up in the arms of Bhaal’s Chosen. The one who damned the Sword Coast he had sworn to protect.

“Shh…Rest. Your mind is far too active for the hour it is.” All Wyll could see when he closed his eyes was blood and gore, caked upon hands that once held his own so gently in a dance. Even now, they cradle him like he was something precious, and not just another body he could ravage with his blade. It churned his stomach, and he was forced to pull away, sitting up with a shake of his head, falling forward into his hands and digging the heel into his eye like he might be able to squash the memory, the knowledge that he was no longer the man he knew.

“You accepted him. After all that talk of resisting, of being better, you faltered when it matter most.” Wyll grimaced. “I can’t say I haven’t done the same…but this is- this is madness, my love. Pure madness. You have become your Fathers slayer - do you intend to damn the city like you once planned? My home?”

“Never.” He sat up beside him and gently took his hands in his, warm and large, forehead gently knocking against one horn. “This city is our home. I will help you return it to glory, Wyll. I will.”

Wyll closed his eyes, unable to bare the gentle affection, knowing what cruelties laid beneath. What urges would manifest and bite him in time. There had been rebels once. Bhaalspawns who ignored Bhaal’s call. He still believed that perhaps he could still be the man he travelled with. The man he’d fallen for. If he could keep resisting, Bhaal’s Chosen or not…maybe not all was for naught. Maybe he could still have his love.

It was a damningly hopeful thought. One that may very well be the end of him one day. Yet he still held faith in the stories of romance, forbidden or wrought with pain. He wanted this to work. He…he couldn’t afford for this not to.

“Damn it all!” Wyll pulled away abruptly and stood, pacing a few steps before crossing his arms, unable to look at him. He could only stare at the stone beneath his feet, trying not to let his grief overwhelm him. It wasn’t grief for the now, but for the future. The grief he knew he would feel much more potently once all his fears were proven right and his hand was forced to choose between his love and his city. Both held his heart in a vice. Their importance to him was indistinguishable, woven too tightly into the valves of his beating heart. To choose one over the other was to kill a part of himself he wasn’t sure he’d ever get back.

“…I can’t understand why. Why you would return to him. We were so close-“

“You would do anything for your father. To regain his love. Do not hate me for choosing mine.” His love narrowed his eyes at him. “Especially when faced with his wrath. You saw what he did to Orin.”

“We could have found a way. We could have freed you. We’re strongest together - you know this. I wouldn’t have let him hurt you.”

“You are but a mortal man, Wyll. You are not a god, even if you are…more divine of heart than any god I could conjure to mind.” He sighed softly and stood, reaching for the other with gentle hands, coaxing the devil-changed man to face him. The look in Wyll’s eye was more heartbreaking than any tragedy he could write upon the earth with his blade.

He looked so conflicted, yet hopeful. Yearning for the gentle touch to his face, leaning into his hand even as his face screwed up like he was in pain.

“Damn it…I hate this. I want to hate you. This would easier if you were just…another enemy. Another devil I was pointed towards, another foe that needed to be slayed - you’ve put me in a position where I feel like the ground beneath me is breaking. Cracking.” His voice cracked upon the very word. “So rarely do I falter…”

“I’m sorry. I’m still myself, even…even if Father has claimed me. Please try to understand.”

“I can’t. I can’t understand choosing the god of murder over freedom.”

“You chose your fathers city over freedom. It’s not much different. You damned yourself so he could come back to a city unscathed, to his people unharmed. I damned myself so I could live to fix what I broke.”

“And what will happen, when you do unravel all the plans Bhaal gave you? You think he will be happy?”

“I think the city will be safe. I think you will be safe - and that’s enough for me. Whatever the punishment Bhaal bestows upon me once the brain is dead…That will be dealt with when it comes.”

“Gods above…” Wyll shook his head softly, gaze full of sorrow. “I thought I understood my father when he sent me away. Casting out his only son, the one who brought a devil to his door…But if his heart that night hurt half as much as mine does right now - he’s either a heartless man, or far stronger than I ever will be. I cannot banish you from my side, from my arms…from my heart.”

Wyll lowered his head in shame, his eye shining with tears before he closed them and rested his head upon his lovers chest.

“Gods, forgive me…”

Warm arms encircled him and Wyll relaxed despite his mind screaming that that was the wrong choice. After several years upon Mizora’s leash, it was hard to tell anymore where the line in the sand must be drawn, he supposed.

One day, he would be forced to choose. His love or his city. When that day came, he only prayed he was killed first so he would not have to make that choice, or see the ruins which his hearts choice would havoc upon his home.

[joethehoeee]

Halloween art 2023 🎃

Part one 1

(Even if it's a little late-)

Sooo, I was a little inspired by @megan0013, who made a small post about Strickler being a priest....

I LOVED THE IDEA. And I love the forbidden lover trope-

Soo:

My beloved Barbara as the most beautiful witch in this world. (Ngl I am really proud of that picture.) I would let her test magic on me.

And my sweet avocado (who sadly isn’t an avocado in this AU...at least not now) as a priest. I would commit my life to him.

Context:

Walter is a very commited priest, he believes in what the church told him to believe in...until he meets a very sassy witch. At first He obviously wants to tell everyone but something.... something holds him back. He decides to learn more about witchcraft and general witches since he never actually saw one. He forms some sort of friendship...maybe even love, wich he hides from her in form of snarky and hateful comments. It's all "just for more knowledge" as he tells her. After a few months, he starts opening up and actually giving in to his feelings. But the church gets behind his little secret and they do not approve. And we all know what they want to do to witches...

"You know...I think you startet to like me, priest Waltolomew~" A cheeky smile formed on the witches lips, her tone teasing. The man next to her rolled his eyes and lets out an annoyed huf, yet the tip of his ears reddened in what seemed to be embarrassment. "You need to call me that, need't you?" He mumbled sarcasticly, he hated when she used his full name.

But why? She is just some witch. A disgusting sinful creature. Why would I get embarrassed by something impure like her? Sure she is still a women...a beautiful one in particular- NO. She is a demonic monster... "boop!" He was pulled out of his thoughts as the soft texture of her gloves brushed against his skin, her forefinger booped his nose and he couldn't help but stare at her in disbelieve. "What-?!"

Suddenly the witch barked out a laugh. "You should see your face! It's hilarious!" Her face grimaced, trying to kopie his surprised look until she couldn’t hold her laughter back. Totally caught of guard he looked at the witch in utter irritation...wich soon changed in anger. How could that disgusting little demon do something like that?! No respect at all and...and-

Then she started giggeling, her beautiful form was Illuminated by the moon. His eyes softend, his form relaxed slowly and he let's out a small sigh. He couldn't hate her...as much as he tried to with his insults and his negativ view. He reached into his robe and pulled a small golden glowing thing out. With one swift move, he almost shoved it into her face, holding it there. "Take it." He whispered, looking away from her.

"But that's your cross necklace...isn’t that super important to you...?" Her face turned serious, a soft breeze making the cross jiggle lightly. "Take.it." Was is only answer. "But-" He forcefully pushed it into her hand. "I said TAKE IT!" His voice almost sounded like a growle. "The church is searching for you. Leave now or they will get you. I wanted to hand you over but...I can't..." He didn’t dare to look at her face. "Take it. May god be with you...may this protect you. May I protect and be with you."

Soft lips meet his cold cheek and a big red blush spread over his cheeks. As he turned, he sees this beautiful creature holding herself to not fall from her broom. "Thank you." The cross in her hand glowed as she put it around her neck. "We will see each other again, my sweet Waltolomew. I knew I could trust you...even if it's hard for you to trust me." She smiled sadly, and flew away...letting him stand there...alone.

They would see each other again...

Not in the way they wished.

Well... I hope it's okay...It should explain their dynamic but I am still a little sick. Got a BIG cold and I am seriously done with thinking.

However closeup:

[oldestenemy]

the deathless, the undying, and the unwilling divine - part 2

Part 1

“What is this thing—if it’s not Malistaire.”

The wizard lets out a low sigh at Duncan’s question, grip tightening on their new staff. “It is Malistaire—but he’s not back, he’s not alive, and he’s not in his right mind.” Not that he had ever been in the time the wizard had known him, unless of course they could count those few hours while helping the Professor. “Morganthe learned how to summon his spirit back while she was on Khrysalis, a Priestess of the Black Sun taught her—she’d used it on the king of the birds on Azteca and I didn’t think anything of it until—” Until they were showing Cyrus. Until they went back to Azteca and carved their way brutal and bloodied to the great statue that would carry them to Xiabalba. Until they realized too late how much was at stake—and how much was already lost.

“—It doesn’t matter.” They continue, “I should have told you—I didn’t want to believe it was him—and then I didn’t want to believe he was still lingering after I killed Morganthe. I wanted it to be done, I wanted to shut the book, I wanted to believe I could take a moment and rest before my own mistakes caught up again.” The words are hollow and flat. They’re trying to answer without letting the rage leftover bubble up again. It’s barely contained beneath the facade of dissociation. “I’m sorry.”

They arrive back in Nightside, the wizard opens the portal behind Mortis, and step through into Dworgyn’s homeworld.

The night is chill, and darkness presses in around you.

Darkmoor smells of damp dirt and rotting foliage. That serves a little to ease the wizard’s coiling nerves. It smells almost like the forests of Grizzleheim. Old and earthy, even similarly and unfortunately tinged by the sharp sourness of wet fur.

A hunched over frog greets them all, introducing himself as Renfield. He explains that the grounds on which they stand are the home of Lord Shane Von Shane.

Sure.

That’s a name.

Why not.

Evidently it’s one the wizard should know, because Marla immediately pushes forward looking wide eyed with delight. “Von Shane as in, the vampire—the original? The monster that the vampire spell—and monster mash for that matter—pulls from—” She asks Renfield, one hand already digging towards her bag for a notebook. “—this is his castle, does that mean there are still remnants of his family and legend here?”

Renfield smiles wide and toothless, his mismatched eyes blinking off time. “More than legends, Seeker. Lord Von Shane himself still resides within these halls, ever cursed to walk eternity with his beloved out of reach.” Renfield points to the castle doors, “I expect you will discover much about him and those he has twisted on your journey through this place. I shall accompany you, once you make it to the far end of the observatory.”

“Wow, wow—” Marla looks back at the others, “—I know it’s not why we’re here but this could be incredible to learn about.”

Penny matches her with a smaller smile, “It sounds like we’ve got a side quest.”

“On the contrary!” Renfield’s voice cuts over her, “Lord Von Shane guards the upper halls himself, and will likely attempt to deny you entry into the deeper parts of the castle.”

“Thank you,” The wizard tells Renfield, “We’ll meet you on the other side of the observatory.”

They’re left, five students alone outside the castle doors.

“How exactly are you going to get us all in?” Malorn asks as they stand just at the edge of the entry sigil. “We don’t—we can’t have you exploding into that, beast, thing, again.”

The wizard grimaces a little, but pulls the Shadow Point from their bag. “This is embedded with shadow magic.” There is no response to those words, understandably. Shadow magic is forbidden knowledge, hidden away on Khrysalis. Even Ambrose had been concerned about the necessity of its use. “Shadow is—” they pause, holding the blade across their palm, “—it’s like astral magic, like the dark spaces between worlds, it’s made to bend the rules of reality until they break, to twist things and empower spells. But all of it comes with a price. I used too much without paying while we were in Nidavellir—the creature you saw, the magic that threw me into the wall, that was backlash, damage and payment for what I did. I’m hoping if I can channel it through this—” The tap the flat of the blade into their hand, “—I can avoid burning myself up with it.”

“Hoping,” Malorn echoes “as in you have no idea if it’s going to work.”

The wizard shrugs, “I don’t usually have any idea if anything is going to work before I do it.”

It’s the truth.

They spend so much time pushing forward and through things that they rarely have time to think and plan any of it out.

“And what if it doesn’t work?”

“Then I make sure to summon something during combat that will deal backlash before the duel ends.” They’re pretty sure that will work. It’s going to hurt, but it should at least keep them away from a repeat performance of what happened with Archmagus Lorcan.

They kneel in the damp earth, pulling the point of the blade through and carving out the shape of another entry circle just behind the four main ones. Once the shape looks correct, the wizard presses their fingers to the edge, willing magic to the surface, feeling the chill well up in their eyes as the fifth circle alights and connects to the other four, bleeding purple against the white.

“Ready?” they ask, pushing back up and wiping starlight away from their eyes.

Four nods.

Five pairs of boots stepping into the entry sigils.

The soft tone of the countdown, and then momentary darkness.

The wizard and their companions find themselves on the other side of the castle doors.

“Young Wizard,” Malistaire’s voice greets them as their vision refocuses. He stands at the far end of the stairs, skeletal, green tinged, and dark winged. “I did not expect you to have the courage nor strength of character to come this far—clearly you did not have it to come here on your own.”

The wizard feels their throat constrict, any thought of reply vanishing as soon as it had come.

“Such words will serve a fitting epitaph, for every one of you whose ego climbed so high as to think you could face me here. There are always things in the dark, larger and more formidable than we first believe.” Can a skeleton sneer? He almost seems to. “Let us see how long your light lasts.”

Malistaire vanishes in a cascade of green and black sparks.

Nobody moves.

The wizard can’t even hear any of them breathing.

“Right,” It’s Marla who speaks first, “that was awful, but we can’t just stand in the entry hall all night.” She takes a few slow steps forward, the wizard just behind her, when another figure appears at the top of the stairs.

“I am Lord Shane Von Shane—”

Yes yes, the wizard wants to say, we know, we aren’t here for you. But they suppose if they are allowed companions, it stands to reason Malistaire would place barriers at every step forward. This proves even more correct when Von Shane steps aside to allow a werewolf to come bolting down the stairs past him.

“—Howling Cheney, rip the Wizard’s lungs out.”

And there is not much time to think on anything else.

The duel is waiting.

The challenge has begun.

Read the rest whole series here <3

[dxy-drxxm]

"So, you want me to get you to Sumeru? To look for ██████?"

"Yes, Captain Beidou," Yelan replied, adjusting the jacket resting on her shoulders. "In fact, I'd like it if you can also tell me if they came to you for a ride. You know them, right?"

Beidou seem to pause at this, her arms crossed as she watched the navy bluenette come on board of the Crux. After a while, she nodded, but her face seem rather solemn.

"That... I do," she began, her eyes shifting as though she was recalling a faint memory in her mind. "They were an interesting stowaway back at Fontaine, when it wasn't how it ran and when they were doing their job for the Hydro Archon there."

Yelan's eyes narrowed at the mere mention of the archon, but said nothing as Beidou continued.

"Hah, but when they stopped working for her, they told me all about it. They even said that they only stopped working because of that kid."

... Kid?

"And... Who is that kid, you mentioned?"

"Who? Oh, its ██████—"

—what in the archons?!

Yelan grimaced when she heard Beidou utter a name that... Seemingly she couldn't hear herself. What came out of her mouth was the sound of static, like something was stopping her from hearing who was with them.

This... Doesn't seem to be normal. What is going on?

"Miss Yelan? Are you okay?"

"Ah? Yes, I'm fine," the woman answered, though she held back on saying that she was, in fact, not fine.

Something is stopping me from hearing that, but... Maybe I'll investigate on it at another time.

"So, you said that it was... them?"

Beidou— almost as if not noticing or maybe perhaps acting robotically that she didn't utter the forbidden name— nodded, letting out a laugh as she did so.

"Those two got along great! It's rare to see them separated when they were at the Crux. Ah, it's just a shame that they're both not on the ship anymore after the decree was lifted in Inazuma."

The Vision Hunt Decree... Yelan mused. Indeed, that is what they mentioned to me when they came here. But...

"I see..."

... Perhaps the trip to the land of knowledge will be beneficial. I just need to be cautious with my questions from there.

[lustrumlane]

Aurelius ; an accusation or wishful thinking? [ re: Edith, Uroro, Ephemerael ]

As Edith—and later, the elf—speaks, a familiar chill begins to settle in his gut. It's a full body freeze, muscles locked with tension, and the insides of his gloves become slick. 

'Mr.■■■■■■■■■■■■, what happened on December 10th, 1963? Do you want to give your statement to the officer? The reporter? Some other shark who smells the blood in the water? Just tell the truth, son, and it'll all be over soon. That knife can slide clean and pretty across your throat and you can go ahead and get strung up and move down the abattoir line and you can smile because this is it this is what you are to us and you'll never be anything else so just get it over with.

Confess.'

But what is there to confess?

Aurelius exhales, attempting to smooth the tension across his face.

"A tempting theory, Mrs. Davis. But you'll find me hardly more capable than Mr. LaCunas." He smiles, a rictus grin, and presses a hand firmly into the scar on his hip. The indent is palpable beneath his clothes, accompanied by a jolt that spreads down his leg. Grimacing, he leans against the podium. "I have an old injury that makes that sort of...goat-esque athleticism quite daunting. In any case, I have an alibi which several people might attest to. But I have no qualms bearing my unmarked flesh as physical witness, should any request it."

His eyes fall on Ephemerael, Uroro's words sinking in. Of course. Of course he'd failed to consider the fae creature, in all her kind's trickery. Although the evidence is circumstantial, it proves tempting enough to act as a lead.

"Speaking of alibis, I don't believe we've heard yours Ms. Glymmerplum. I don't mean this as an accusation, of course; it's merely the smart thing to do in a situation like this."

Which is why he'd worked so hard on his back then. Questioning her makes the back of his throat taste sour and metallic, bad memories now seen through the other side's eyes. Wasn't this wrong?

A catechism:

A: This is different.      Q: How?

A: Because this is life and death.     Q: Is that all?

A: No.      Q: What else?

A:She—it—is not human.

Remember the Deep One. Remember the too-human voice and the too-human pleading. The monstrous often wore the guise of man. Carry that knowledge with you and feel no empathy. Press it down into that forbidden space all other delicate emotions fester.

[altosk]

With Julius’ forbidden knowledge, Ludger pictures himself at Raven’s side, and… he’s there teleported there in less than a second. Though given how he showed up, he should explain before Raven freaks out, “H-Hello! Um, you might already know me if you’ve visited Julius’ Tomato Specials. But in case you don’t, I’m Ludger, co-owner of Nii-san’s food stand!” He gives the older man a bow in both welcome and apology.

“Anyway, I didn’t come here to spook you. I actually wanted to give you something before we both left! It’s my thank you for putting up with my crazy family–” For some reason, he can feel an intense stare trying to strangle him, so he add a small addendum, “W-Well, Rideaux isn’t exactly part of the family, but he somehow snuck in with us and we were supposed to keep him in check. It… didn’t really work out…”

“But I’ll stop rambling. Here, your present for being one of the most cool-headed, yet friendly person I’ve met!” The box Ludger hands Raven is shaped like the animal, except it’s got a couple feathers to resemble Raven’s signature ponytail. When opened, he’d see… a Askan Ray Single Malt Wine, courtesy of Hors’ finest winery from thousands of years ago. 

“There’s only about 10 bottles of this in existence, so we were saving it for a special occasion! And I think with all you’ve been through, I think you deserve this and more.” 

“Thank you for being you, Raven!”

　　　Spooking Raven was quite the understatement when the young man basically materialized at his side. His hand immediately reaching up, and clutching his chest like Ludger was about to cause his blastia to fall right out.

" woah—! ya need ta put a bell on yerself or somethin' if yer goin' around scarin' people like that! "

He gave a few nods as Ludger explained who he was. Oooh, right. Julius, the guy who had that stall that not even Raven was brave enough to face. He laughs.

" ahh so yer the infamous younger brother, yeah? "

Raven stops when Ludger mentions putting up with his family, and he's quick to wave him off. He'd gotten pretty used to crazy with his own little found family, and the man he kept at his side. Trying not to grimace at the name of Rideaux, but brushed it off none the less. In the end, no real harm really done.

" oh! "

Ludger surprises him again when he springs the gift out on him. Reaching out to take it in his hands, and give it a few tilts to examine it. He couldn't help but smile and laugh at the very notable resemblance.

" well, ya didn't need ta go as far as that, ludger, but I appreciate ya nonetheless. "

He opens it to peer inside and his eyebrows raised. Well— what a gift indeed! He'll share this with Alexei once they were back home, he thinks.

'thank you for being you, raven!'

Raven couldn't help the shocked expression that fell upon his face before it relaxed into another easy smile.

" thank you, ludger. for the gift, and for bein' apart 'a this unique experience in spring rise. perhaps i'll see you and yer brother around the next time. "

[silverfox579]

mod!harry potter x dc

Death looks away from the universe for one second to take care of some personal business. When they look back, the multiverse is broken. They decide to send their new bridge, the Master of Death, to go and fix it.

Harry did not sign up for this.

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

"So, let me get this straight."

Harry tried not to grimace. The blonde Brit who'd had the misfortune to catch Death's eye looked on the verge of an aneurysm—and really, he couldn't blame him. If he'd been told by an interdimensional sort of deity that all the suffering he'd endured throughout his lifetime was actually one giant mistake, he'd want to shoot the messenger too.

John Constantine, occult detective and twice-damned soul, massaged the side of his head. No one else could see Harry, but Constantine had applied a spell to freeze time the instant Harry had been dropped in—literally—so there were no other active humans in the rowdy bar save for the two of them. 

"You're saying this," the wizard said, waving his hand to gesture to...everything, "is because your boss...blinked. And their siblings, the 'Endless', fucked over the entire multiverse in the span of that one, single blink?"

"Er," Harry said. "Pretty much."

John leaned backward over the bar. He closed his eyes. "I can't do this sober," he declared, reaching out to rummage through the shelves behind him. "Morgana's left tit!" The bottles wouldn't move. Time being frozen meant that there were some...unique restrictions on the surrounding environment. 

John flopped over, splaying out on the bar. "Just kill me now," he moaned. "Why would you tell me that? Are you outta your bloody mind?!"

"I mean, the world was supposed to reach this stage eventually," Harry attempted to reassure. "So it's not really like, forbidden knowledge. The only difference now is that it's reached a point where Death can do something about it."

John shot him a dirty look. "I don't give two fucks. Bugger off, bitch." Then he flipped him off.

Harry sighed again and looked down at his very, very long list of souls. "I'll put you down for an IOU then," he said, scribbling down a note on the weathered parchment. "If you ever want to cash it in, just call for me. A reaper will connect your request to me."

"What do I even qualify for?" John's face scrunched. "A bloody get-well card?"

Harry perked up a little. "I have a brochure here—"

"Never mind." John slammed his face back down onto the bar. "Gewr outd."

Harry sighed.

The next home visit didn't go much better. Probably because he'd directly appeared in the person's home.

"Please just listen to me," Harry all but pleaded. "It'll be quick. Ten minutes, max. I promise."

Wally West couldn't do much more than cross his arms thanks to the sticking charms Harry had cast on him, but his glare was deadly enough to make him cringe.

"You get one," he said in a low voice, his wife guarding her heavy stomach with a wary look in her eyes. "And if it turns out to be bullshit, you won't get enough time to regret it."

"Congratulations!" Harry blurted out. "You're eligible for death benefits!"

Wally punched him.

"He punched you?"

"He punched me."

Superman laughed, his cape swaying gently in the wind of the barren planet Harry had taken him to...to avoid property damage and all that. "You must've really spooked him. Flash usually isn't one to punch and run."

Harry shot him a withering glare. Clark managed a sheepish grin.

"To be honest, there isn't a lot I'm allowed to offer you," Harry admitted, shaking out the brochure with Clark Kent's benefits from his sleeve. "I mean, Ra already pretty much covered everything with you Kryptoninans. Indestructibility, laser vision, flight, the works. Is there anything else you want?"

Clark thought it over. "Not really," he admitted. "I'm happy with what I have. The simple life's all I've ever really wanted, y'know? Well, maybe not all the time, but it's good." He smiled. "I've had a good life."

Harry scrutinized him. Then he snapped his fingers. "I got it. How about this? I can give you this." He summoned a small glass cube, containing a single seed-like core in the middle.

"What's this?" Clark asked, holding the cube up to get a better look at it.

"That's Krypton."

Clark nearly dropped it. Luckily, he caught it before he did. "It's what?"

"To be exact, it's a world seed with a nearly identical formula to Krypton," Harry elaborated. "Here's a manual on how to raise it. Normally, it'd taken a few millennia to grow, but the version I gave you is already mature. It'll be around the size of a small moon, so pick a good spot for it, okay? It won't be big enough to sustain a whole population, but it'll show you some of the sights you missed out on." He dropped a thick tome in Clark's lap.

"I—" Clark stared at the cube in stunned silence.

"If you decide you want to return it, just call my name," Harry informed him. "Since I chose it for you, you'll get a free pass. Otherwise, just follow the manual, and you'll be good. Okay?" He didn't wait for a response. "Great! Looks like we're all done here then. I'll drop you back off."

"Wait—"

Harry snapped his fingers.

"I already told you," Jason Todd glared, "I'm not falling for your cheap ass scam. Go bother someone else. You're ruining my vibe."

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "I already resurrected your adoptive mom from the dead. How is that not enough proof I'm the real deal?"

"Yeah, for like five minutes," Jason scoffed rebelliously. Harry felt like strangling him. "Any scammer could do that."

Harry wanted to scream. "You know what? Fine. If you don't believe me, I will bloody prove it to you—"

[senatushq]

NAME. Vitoria Reis AGE & BIRTH DATE. 30 & October 31st, 1993 GENDER & PRONOUNS. Female & She/Her. SPECIES. Witch COVEN. Narcissus OCCUPATION. Narcissus Archivist & Museum Collections Manager FACE CLAIM. Camila Mendes

biography

Vitória is her mother’s daughter.

Born to the rumored crone of Narcissus, to the woman that hid away in the coven house to avoid overexerting herself lest her disguise fall apart, there is only one legacy she could ever inherit: that of hunger for something just beyond reach. Her mother sought immortality, sought to prove herself better than those that came before, but her daughter’s interest deviated from the Advocate’s best laid plans. 

Where her mother found her home in the school of Destruction magic, Vee found her calling in the delicate art of Illusion.

Where her mother took to blood magic like an eager adept as soon as she could, Vee’s clumsy child fingers slipped from the knife and she looked away every time the blade fell upon her skin. 

Vee is her mother’s daughter, but not in the ways of magic. 

Not in the ways that matter.

Where her mother sought power and dominion to replace the loss of control of a loss coven, Vee sought knowledge, the desire to distill the very essence of magic that danced at her fingertips far too powerful for her to care about power. 

Where her mother was hungry to prove she was more than her parents' mistakes, Vee hungered for the secrets lost to time, for the rituals forgotten or forbidden because she could not be understood. 

Where her mother feared failure and warned her against it by means of retelling her life, Vee learned an entirely different lesson: that mediocrity leads to abandonment, that imperfection leads to the all-consuming loneliness that had haunted her from the moment she had been born. 

Vee is her mother’s daughter, she inherited her keen mind, her overwhelming intellect. 

She did not inherit her hunger, that she got all on her own. A nasty viscous growling entity sitting at the pit of her chest as she struggles with the destruction magic her mother specializes in, a tepid angry thing speaking on the Pythia’s voice as her knife sinks into her skin and she grimaces at the pain that follows the rush of power. 

She will do it, because she must. She will use all the tools in her arsenal, because she fears her mother’s disapproval, the retraction of her conditional love. 

Vee is her mother’s daughter. 

She grew up learning magic at her feet, learned to walk to follow her footsteps lest she is left behind. Always rushing to follow her mother’s footsteps, too afraid to be left behind and thrown aside to take the time to look around, to find another path. Always rushing to practice at the schools her mother specializes in, even when her masteries lie somewhere else entirely. 

Vee is her mother’s daughter, looking at her like she is holding up the sky. 

She has crafted herself to be her reflection, carving away at her softness and ignoring the weeping wounds left behind as she hurries to fit the hurriedly constructed mold that she hopes will keep her within her mother’s grace. 

Vitória is her mother’s daughter, she loves her in the way a child loves their world. 

She doesn’t know if she trusts her the same way. 

personality

+ Ambitious. Analytical. Disciplined. – Selfish. Materialistic. Catty.

played by ori. est. she/her.

[corvidmagicae]

"and their pre-evolutions tried to eradicate them"

I'd love to hear more about this c:

　 　 “That's a long story. The short version is humans are fearful creatures that dislike what they do not know, and will try to gain absolute control over a potential threat, and failing that, remove the threat entirely.”

She's evasive on the question, but she's not wrong. A small grimace would be given, a pause before she'd backtrack through her words.

　 　 “The long version is that we were commissioned to build the blueprints for that device that was fired 3000 years ago. You don't think AZ just had that knowledge and man-power to do it all himself, did you? But really, you don't... really get to tell a king 'no', and expect to get away without consequences. It was only designed to bring a dead creature back to life - and we would have given him the precautions about why this is a bad idea - but honestly we should have seen it getting misused by the commissioner. Ever since AZ disappeared in the aftermath, we wound up becoming the scapegoats for the people's ire, and the resulting 'witch hunts' did a number on anything considered 'forbidden knowledge' and those who were said to hold it.”

A slight scoff.

　 　 “Course, there were tensions even before then. When your neighbor possesses things which you do not, and are more successful or well known, it's only a matter of time before rumors start spreading and you start being feared rather than adored. The resurrection machine getting misused was just the nail in the coffin, so to speak. What started as neighbors being side-eyed for doing things that were considered 'weird' by the rest of the community escalated into 'they're secretly associated with evil pokemon or other such entities and are out to get us, so we need to act first before they get the chance to'. The usual 'we're scared so we act without thinking' nonsense.”

[sleep-deprivedracoon]

When they get a tooth removed – Drugged AF HC’s

Note - Your genshin man just had to get his tooth removed. Drugged and out of his mind, he shows a side of him that you have never seen before.

I think I went a little too goofy in this part. No regrets though.

Characters - Venti, Kaeya, Diluc, Zhongli, Albedo, Childe, Xiao, Itto, Thoma, Ayato, Gorou, Kazuha

Warnings- Drugged state, inappropriate language, fluff, slight smut

Part 2:  Albedo, Zhongli, Xiao (Not a human…shhh) x f!reader

Part 1 can be found here.

ALBEDO

How did a homunculus manage to get his tooth infected? Thanks to Albedo’s experiments on himself, a combination of a rare strain of microorganisms with his alchemy caused Albedo to get a toothache. Upon inspection, Alice had determined that the synthetic human actually managed to infect himself. She helped him with a concoction to numb the pain as he planned on removing it himself. He asked you to record all your observations once he consumed the numbing medication. The removal of the tooth was a success, but the effects of the numbing medication were…. Questionable.

“Albedo…? What are you looking for?” You look at your man who was turning his lab upside down in search of something.

“My … tails…” He mumbled.

“Your tails?” You raise an eyebrow. Sure, he wasn’t biologically human but you were pretty sure that he didn’t mention anything about him having tails.

He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I want them… so bad.”

“Bedo… you don’t have a tail…” You approach your boyfriend and place an arm on his shoulder.

“Not my tail.” He frowns. His expression mirrored that of Klee’s whenever she was forbidden to go fish blasting. “Pickled lizard tails!!”

“The what now…!?” You look at him like he is crazy. “You know what, never mind the what... but why do you need them?”

“Because.. they taste so good…” He sighed dreamily. You swore that you could see some drool slip out of the corners of his mouth.

“Ew.” You grimaced at the thought of eating it but you knew that Albedo had an eccentric taste when it came to food. I mean, the man likes eating giant spiders for god knows what reason. “I think I saw them near Sucrose’s belongings.” You rummage around Sucrose’s stuff and find a jar of shriveled lizard tails in a liquid.

“MINE!” Albedo snatches the jar from you and smirks impishly. “Although, since you’ve been so nice to me and I love you, I can share a few with you.”

“You love me?” Your eyes widen. This was the first time he had said that to you. He was a man of few words after all. Your heart felt all kinds of fuzzy. Before you could respond, Albedo opens the jar.

“Hm. Why are you surprised?” He pulls a tail out and offers one to you. “You want some?”

“Uh… no thanks. I am going to go check some stuff near the frost-bearing tree.” You grab a bag and rush out. You did not want to see him feast on it.

“Ohhhh…. Bring me some spiders if you find any!” You hear him behind you. You run away as fast as you could, still ruminating about his nonchalant confession. Once the effects of the medication fades, you were curious to see how he would respond. After all, he asked you to take notes of your observations., didn’t he?

ZHONGLI

Thanks to his boss, Zhongli’s tooth was chipped in a weird manner. Hu Tao had accidentally smacked him in the face while exorcising a ghost. Because of the way it was chipped, the tooth had to be removed. Sure, it would grow back because Zhongli aka Morax aka The Geo Archon recovered very fast. But removing the tooth was not going to be an easy task which is why Madam Peng took over. Once the tooth was removed, the herbal tea given to him had numbing properties that made him act differently.

Your composed, knowledgeable, and dignified man was now crying on the floor of your shared space.

“Rex? What’s wrong?” You looked around to see if something was amiss. You see a broken teacup with tea spilled all over the floor. You bend down to pick the broken shards up.

“The tea… It’s gone…” You hear him sob.

“Darling, it’s alright. It’s just tea. We can make some more.” You try to reassure him. All this time, you had never seen him cry.

“It’s not just tea.” He looked at you like you had just stabbed him in the heart. “It is centuries of culture being passed down. The tea was a fine blend of fresh leaves from Pu-Erh with Qinxing flower essence. It was a cup full of healing and warmth. ”

Of course, even in his drugged state, he had to be a know it all. You try to stifle a smile. Once you pick all the shards up, you throw them away and mop the floor. Zhongli was still mourning the loss of his tea, although he had stopped crying.

You brew him some fresh tea as he is lost in thought, dozing in and out of consciousness. You were glad that he was getting some rest while the tea brewed. Quick brews were never his favorite. Once the tea is ready, you pour them into two cups and take it to him. The smell of the brew wakes him up.

“Tea?” He smiles radiantly as he rubs his eyes.

“Yes, tea.” You hand him the cup. “Please be careful with it, darling.”

He holds the cup with the utmost care, smelling the tea to savor it. “Oh sweet thing, what would I do with you?”

You assumed that he was talking to his tea and slowly take a sip from your cup. Before you could savor the tea, he plants a quick kiss on your lip.

“What was that for?” You swallow the remnants of your sip.

“As much as I love the tea that you make, I must admit… it tastes better when it is from your lips.”

XIAO

How does a Yaksha end up with a tooth being removed? The tooth enamel was degrading to a point where the tooth was getting infected. He blamed it on karmic retribution while you had a strong feeling that it had to do with all the snow that he was eating on your three-month mission in Dragonspine. Zhongli was more than kind enough to assist Xiao with his problem. Since no one knew how he would respond to pain, the removal happened away from the Inn and at Jueyun Karst. The process went smoothly thanks to Zhongli’s medicines. The medicine left Xiao woozy and he was a little more paranoid than usual. Deciding that using his powers to travel would be risky, the two of you take a walk back to the Inn.

As you walked through Liyue, Xiao kept you close. He held your hand tightly, keeping his eyes peeled for danger. Even at the slightest disturbances, he flinched and had his polearm drawn.

“Xiao, my love. Everything is fine. You are worrying too much.” You squeeze his fingers to reassure him. “And even if something did happen, you know I can take care of some demons.”

“It is not the demons… It is… it is..” He looks around to make sure no one is listening to you.

“It’s alright. There’s nothing here now. You can relax.” You smile.

“You don’t understand… He’s coming for us…” Xiao whispers.

“Who is?” You whisper back.

“The dumpling monster.” Xiao looked pale.

“The…. What now?” You were confused.

“Shh…” He places a finger on your lips. “He comes after those who hate dumplings.”

“So… let me get this straight. You’re saying, there’s a monster out there who is coming after people who do not like dumplings?” You say that slowly so that he realizes how ridiculous it sounds.

“Yes. I heard the cook in the Inn say that there’s a monster of a dumpling that turns even a dumpling-hating person to appreciate it. Tch. Disgusting.” You see him shake the disgust off him like a cat.

You laugh hysterically, confusing the poor man.

“Oh…. My… God…” You rub the tears from your eyes and catch your breath. “Xiao! That’s not what it means. It just means that the dumpling is so good that people enjoy it. There’s no monster.” You hug him as you continue to laugh.

“No monster… So … I don’t have to eat dumplings?” You feel him relax in your embrace.

You let go of him as you continue to laugh. “Of course not, you big dummy!” You see his face had turned into a shade of pink.

“Stupid humans and their phrases.” He crosses his arms.

“Hahaha… Dumpling monster.” You shake your head at him. He flicks his hand, summoning a gust of strong wind that pushes you into a small pond nearby.

“You’re annoying.” He grumbles. “We’re never talking about this again.”

“Meanie.” You stick your tongue out as you get out of the pond. You hold his hand again as the two of you continue to walk. “No matter what kind of monster it is, Xiao, I will protect you.”

He squeezes your hand gently as he mumbles. “Shut up.”

[lily-drake]

Identities

Okay, she could do this.  Keeping this from her host parents would be easy.  They didn’t really care what she did as long as she was responsible and safe…..ish.  Her dad and siblings though….that was a whole other issue.  How was she supposed to keep this from them?!  She looked over at the small floating creature in front of her, and while she knew that she could do this, she desperately wanted to let her family know.  They were out of Paris, they could help her with the detective work, and she could have an excuse to go to the cave to train more often.

“Can I please tell-“

“No Marinette, you can’t tell anyone!”

“But they’re heros too, and they aren’t in Paris!  They are our best bet at ending this quickly!”

Tikki seemed to consider it for a few moments before ultimately shaking her head.

“I’m sorry Marinette, but I don’t make the rules.  You can’t tell anyone.”

Marinette felt annoyance and frustration course through her.

“Then who does make the rules?!”

Tikki shook her head,

“I can’t say.”

Marinette groaned and she really needed to let her frustrations out on something!  The gym should still be open right, maybe she could take it out on a punching bag.

Then her computer started ringing.  She looked over and saw the icon she set for Babs.  Quickly clicking the accept call button Babs and Tim popped onto the screen.

“So we may have set up something on the cameras in Paris.”

“Barbara began with a hesitant smile.”

Marinette smiled and sighed as a plan popped into her head.

“Yea, it’s crazy right?”

-.-. .- .-.. .-.. / --.. .- - .- .-. .-

Her fingers tapped near the mic on her desk as she leaned on her open palm calmly.

“A year after I came here there’s new heros and a villain that controls your emotions!  None of you are allowed to visit until it’s dealt with.”

.- .-.. ... --- / -. . . -.. / -.-- --- ..- / - --- / -.- . . .--. / .- / - .- -... / --- -. / - .... . / -.-. .- -- . .-. .- ... .-.-.-

She picked up a pencil and fiddled with it, tapping against her desk and twisting it between her fingers.  She glanced over at the little fairy that was staring wide eyes at the screen unaware of the secrets she was silently telling.

“Yea, that would be bad, especially if The Demon Spawn and Jason went.”

... --- / -.-. --- -.-. -.-. .. -. . .-.. .-.. . --..-- / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -.-- --- ..- / ... . -. -.. / ..- ... / -.-- --- ..- .-. / .. -. ..-. --- .-. -- .- - .. --- -. / ... --- --- -. ..--..

Tim tapped his finger against the desk calmly, though he looked slightly panicked.

“Yea.”

The word had a double meaning, and Tikki was none the wiser.

________

It had been a year now, and Marinette was now the official Guardian.  She had worked with Zatara with learning how to use her magic, and found out Wonder Woman had knowledge through her mom, who once was a past Ladybug herself.  Thankfully everything in Paris was kept on the down low and the rest of her family knew nothing.  She did not want Dick’s mother Hening, Jason was even worse.  She shivered at the thought of telling them now that she was so far in.

But now she made the rules.  Master Fu was gone, and it was her decision on what she did next.  So, Tikki couldn’t stop her, not anymore.  So she waited just outside of Paris for her family to arrive.  She was going to be in so much trouble, but maybe they would understand?  No, she’s going to be in trouble, then they won’t trust her again, they’ll bench her for life, and-

Thump

The sound of quiet feet landing brought her back to herself.  It was time.  She turned and saw her family staring back at her, well, everyone excluding Duke, Steph, and Babs.  Someone had to keep the city safe after all.

“Ladybug, it was brought to our-“

“I know.  I asked you here because as I am now the guardian I make the rules on what to do.  And before you say anything I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you before, it’s just I was told I wasn’t allowed to.  And I was afraid that if you guys found out you would all try to come and I didn’t want to risk it.  I’m so close to figuring it out though, so if you could ground me in like, two months since that’s when everything should be ready that would be great.”

It was silent, but she could hear Tim snickering.  Traitor.

“I apologize, but I don’t think I fully understand.”

Batman said, confused.  Right, she was in suit and the magic blocked people from finding out.

“Spots off.”

A bright light surrounded her and when it disappeared Marinette stood in place still wearing her lounge clothes which consisted of comfy sweats and a giant oversized sweater.

“What the- Pixie?!”

Jason called out quickly as he removed his helmet to make sure he was seeing things correctly and his sensors did it have an error.

“Hey Jay-Jay.”

She said with an awkward wave and what was supposed to be a smile, but was more of a grimace.

“Remember, it wasn’t my fault because I was forbidden to tell anyone by the past guardian, I told you when I became guardian like a responsible person, and I said you could ground me in two months when everything is done.”

She rushed out voice dying into a small squeak near the end.  She could feel her dad’s disapproving look.  She glared in Tim’s direction as he stood there smugly in the shadows.  Damian had a smug look too, the brat.  Her lungs felt like they had stopped working because she was being squeezed by Dick and one of his octopus hugs.

“You have a lot of explaining to do, Cupcake.”

Oh good, nicknames.  He wasn’t too mad then.

“I want a full report, Marinette.”

And there was her first name.  She was in a lot of trouble then.  All well, hopefully it won’t be too terrible.

Taglist

@prettylittlebutterflie @trippingovermyfeet @liquid-luck-00

[bluehoodiewoozi]

Slytherin!Soonyoung x Ravenclaw!Reader, featuring several members of Seventeen

Genre: platonic fluff, ig?? mystery, comedy

Words: 6k

[Hogwarts!AU] Kwon Soonyoung might be too curious for his own good. He enlists the help of an equally enthusiastic and curious Ravenclaw to solve the mystery of the several odd disappearances of one Kim Mingyu.

! as part of the #svtbiasswap challenge, this work is dedicated to my new friend and fellow ravenclaw, @nikosomething 🐯💕

“I’m telling you, it’s a real mystery!” Soonyoung attempted to convince Wonwoo and Jihoon for what must have been the fiftieth time. He was growing more determined as the middle of the semester drew closer. Winter break was just around the corner and he was getting nowhere close to solving the mystery of the odd disappearances of Kim Mingyu. “I really need your help!”

Soonyoung’s words seemed to be going in one of Jihoon’s ears and out the other as he attempted to write his Potions’ essay. Honestly, at this point, Jihoon could not be bothered in the least. He’d be damned if he let an overly enthusiastic Slytherin ruin his status as Snape’s favourite Ravenclaw. “You said something similar about a three-headed dog in our second year too.”

“Oh, I remember that one!” Junhui the Hufflepuff quipped from his spot on the windowsill, pointing his wand a bit too close to Jihoon’s nose for the Ravenclaw’s liking. “Didn’t someone almost die? ...Do I remember wrong?”

“There was no three-headed dog in the forbidden hallway,” Jihoon insisted, sparing Junhui a rare glance. “It was just a rumour, for crying out loud!” He pointed his quill at Soonyoung and Junhui in turns. “You two need to stop believing in conspiracy theories! Start studying instead! It’s our final year. No more joking around.”

And just like that, he was back to writing his essay, leaving his friends once again to the knowledge that they were just below his N.E.W.T. score in Jihoon’s priority list. A bummer, really.

“But I’m serious!” Soonyoung whined still after a short pause and fell to his knees. “Please help me! I need to find out what’s happening!”

Jihoon finally relented with a sigh, looking up from his essay and raising an eyebrow. “Why?”

“... For fortune and glory?”

Soonyoung’s cutest and toothiest smile quickly changed to a pout when Jihoon scoffed and turned back to his essay. Unsurprisingly, Wonwoo wasn’t giving him even that much attention, far too focused on the most recent issue of ‘Quidditch Monthly’. 

“Oh, come on,” Soonyoung complained once again, plopping down in the seat next to Junhui. He turned to the last of the three, his last true friend: “You’ll help me, right? You won’t betray me like this?”

To his dismay, the Chinese student grimaced and shook his head faster than one could say ‘butterscotch’. “Sorry, I’ve got homework.”

Soonyoung huffed, defeated once again. “Right. Since all of you are so studious. I must have forgotten.” He shook his head disappointedly as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll have to do this one my own then.”

“I’ll file a missing person’s report if you disappear,” promised Wonwoo. 

With a small nod, Soonyoung agreed, “Right. I’ll probably go missing before the semester ends, since this is such a dangerous quest. Who knows, they might be doing something illegal!”

“I sure hope so.” Jihoon didn’t even bother to keep his voice low, earning both chuckles and a glare from the people around him. Upon hearing Soonyoung’s defeated sigh, he finally sat up straight and spoke, “You know, I know another Ravenclaw that might be able to help you. You could ask them to join you.”

“Not to be rude, but Soonyoung’s not the type to get along with Ravenclaws,” Wonwoo snickered, finally looking up from his magazine. “This is a terrible idea.”

“Hey! I get along with Ravenclaws just fine!” Soonyoung pouted once again. “I’m friends with you two, aren’t I?”

As silence ensued for just too long for it to be a coincidence, Junhui smiled sympathetically. He reached over to pat Soonyoung’s shoulder. “It’s okay to cry.”

Shocked to his core, Soonyoung straightened in his seat. Accusingly, he pointed at the two Ravenclaws in front of him. “Wait, you guys don’t think we’re friends??”

Jihoon’s eyes widened comically. Neither Soonyoung nor Junhui nor even Wonwoo had ever seen the boy this panicked before. Shoving his parchment and quill to the side, he jumped up and slammed his hands on the table before sputtering: “It’s not that! We’re friends! Who said we’re not friends?! We’re great friends! Right, Wonwoo? Right. We’re the best of friends. Yes.”  

He finally sat down after a deep breath, eyes still wide like he’d couldn’t believe what he was doing and seeing as he slumped in his chair (Soonyoung assumed he was having an out-of-body experience). Even Madam Pince’s disapproving shushing couldn’t snap Jihoon out of it. 

“To be fair, Jihoon’s friends with like half of Hogwarts and a third of Hogsmeade,” Wonwoo pointed out after a short pause. He smiled at Soonyoung. “But I’m still your friend, really.”

“... Then WHY won’t you help me?”

“Because it’s a dumb idea.”

Soonyoung sighed in defeat. This was the final blow. He melted into his seat and considered himself officially one with the chair. “Fine. What’s their name? Where do I find them?”

He found you right where Jihoon and Wonwoo had said you would be: in the library, hidden between the shelves of muggle literature, a fantasy novel in your hand. He almost scoffed at how easy it was to find you, his eyes landing on you almost as soon as he walked into the muggle section of the library. 

After taking a deep breath and double-checking his appearance through the hand-held mirror Junhui had kindly lent him, Soonyoung finally approached you after felt like forever of just watching. 

He couldn’t help but shiver in anxiety. Perhaps Wonwoo was right and he just had no business making friends with Ravenclaws. Maybe you were just like Jihoon and would flat-out deny his request. Or maybe you were a Ravenclaw closer to Wonwoo, ignoring him in favour of the reading in your hand. The possibilities were endless and it was upsetting.

To his surprise, you acknowledged him first. “Oh, Soonyoung? What are you doing here? I didn’t know you liked muggle literature.”

“I… don’t…” It took more effort than usual just trying to form words. Was it getting hotter in the library? Where was all the oxygen? 

His tongue felt heavy and dry in his mouth as he attempted to find a way to coax you into helping him. “Jihoon said that I— That you— That we—”

Now, maybe you weren’t the brightest among Ravenclaws. Maybe you weren’t particularly good with men. But even you could see he was uncharacteristically nervous about something.

Your mind flashed with an idea that made you shudder. You sat up straight and prepared to pull out your wand, already recalling the most reliable hexes in your mind. “I swear, if you’re going to try and flirt with me, I will—”

“NO! Oh god, no! Absolutely not!” Soonyoung held his hands up in the air as he stared at you like you’d lost your marbles. “Please, I am not that type of guy!”

You had some doubts about this claim, but decided to give him the benefit of a doubt. You were nothing if not a kind soul just trying to get through school. “Then what do you need? And what does Jihoon have to do with it?”

“Okay, so,” he took a deep breath between hand gestures as if trying to gather the energy to blow up at you as he sat down right in front of you, “do you know Kim Mingyu?”

“... The tall guy who hangs out with Minghao? I know him. He seems nice.” 

“Wait, you know Minghao?” 

You raised an eyebrow. “He’s in my partner in Potions. And a Ravenclaw.”

“Oh.” Soonyoung looked deflated. “I guess that makes sense.” Within seconds, he was back to his previous energy levels. “He’s been going missing every Saturday for the past four years. Four. Years!”

“Okay, and?” You almost gave up on this boy, unable to see what he was getting at. But then an idea struck as you glanced at your watch. “Wait! Does he disappear around 9 in the morning?”

As he leaned forward, Soonyoung’s eyes widened. “How did you know? Have you noticed too?”

“Well… kind of?” You recalled a hazy memory of Mingyu with Minghao, strolling through the castle a bit after 8 on a Saturday. “Minghao always disappears around that time on Saturdays.”

“No way. Do they go together?” If the look in his eyes was anything to go by, he was preparing a conspiracy board in his mind, red strings and everything. “Now that I think about it, Jeonghan and Joshua also used to disappear around that time… This is bigger than I thought.”

“I saw Joshua in the castle just a few days ago,” you recalled mostly just to keep the conversation going. You didn’t think it was a big deal. Or, maybe that’s what you told yourself to keep from bursting with excitement at the notion of a new adventure. “He was hiding behind a plant, I think.”

Soonyoung’s lips formed a tense straight line. “He’s not very good at hiding…” He sat up once again, audibly cracking his back from the speed of his movement. He groaned at the slight pain before continuing on. “Wait, Joshua? In Hogwarts? Didn’t he graduate last year?” 

"Whatever they do on Saturdays, it must be pretty big,” you concluded after a moment of thought. “Minghao’s very secretive about it too…”

“So, Mingyu, Minghao, Jeonghan and Joshua? Together?” Soonyoung hissed through his teeth. 

“Is it— It can’t be illegal, can it?”

Soonyoung smiled at you. “That’s why we need to solve this mystery and find out.”

“I’ll ask around the Ravenclaw house, see what I can find. You see if Slytherins know anything.”

“You can’t be serious,” Jihoon groaned as you told him about your day in the common room. 

It was well past midnight; he, you, and Wonwoo were the last Ravenclaws remaining in the cozy light of the fireplace. Just the right type of atmosphere to relay the news to your dear friend and mentor, Lee Jihoon.

He ran a hand over his face rather roughly, as if to rid himself of any expression. Eventually, he peeled his eyes open and gave you a rather hopeless look. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

Unimpressed, you raised an eyebrow. “You’re the one that gave him my name and hiding place.”

“I gave your name to him kind of like a joke! I didn’t think you’d actually help him! Or that he’d even ask!” He threw his hands up in frustration. “He’s only gonna get more insufferable now! I could barely keep up with the conspiracy theories before…” He let out a toddler-like cry.

“Aren’t you happy your two friends are now friends?!” 

Jihoon looked to Wonwoo for help. The latter didn’t blink an eye as he dipped his quill in more ink and continued his homework: this was none of his business, but the detention he’d receive from McGonagall surely would be. After all, you were Jihoon’s responsibility and had been since your first month at Hogwarts, as per the prefects’ request.

Eventually, Jihoon gave in to your unwavering stare. “Of course I’m glad you guys are friends now. I’m happy you’ve found each other. It’s just…” He sighed. “He’s Soonyoung and you’re you and I could barely handle you two when didn’t know each other.”

“Come to think of it, you and Soonyoung are kind of similar…” Wonwoo mumbled just loud enough to be heard and prompted Jihoon to let out another helpless cry that sounded more theatrical than anything. 

“You know, you could’ve just volunteered yourself to help Soonyoung,” you reminded him, stretching out on the sofa. “Then you wouldn’t have to worry about me hanging out with him and could spend all time with him yourself.”

The look in Jihoon’s eyes cleared up. You felt horror climb up your spine as he slowly sat up and began smiling. “Actually, now that I think about it, that’s great! You’re perfect! This is perfect! You deal with his conspiracy theories!”

“Wait, what? That was— What?!” You sat up to stare at him. 

He looked like he’d just won a 10-day all-paid-for vacation in Hawai’i, a bright smile on his face. “This is great. I’m so happy.” He reached over to pat your shoulder in mock sympathy. “He’s your responsibility now.”

“Jihoon—”

He shook his head rapidly. “No, no, you’re helping him. I want nothing to do with this.”

“... I’ll set the conspiracy board up in your room at this rate.”

He snorted. “Joke’s on you, girls can’t visit the boys’ dormitory.”

“Joke’s on you, your roommate owes me a favour.”

“... Damn it.”

You stuck out your tongue, he soon reply with a similar gesture. Was it immature? Perhaps. But there was no one there to judge. 

“You know,” Wonwoo started slowly, eyes still locked onto his Transfiguration homework, “I could have sworn I saw Mingyu and Hao in Hogsmeade last weekend.”

“Hogsmeade?” You hummed in thought. “That’s possible. But didn’t Minghao get in trouble in 3rd year because he didn’t have a permission slip?”

Jihoon pursed his lips in thought. “Maybe he got one later? In 4th year?”

“You know what? I’ll take this up with Soonyoung tomorrow.”

“You’re meeting tomorrow?!”

“When else?”

Your mentor and friend dearest let out a loud wail once again. 

“Interesting,” Soonyoung mused as you relayed the information to him. “I’ve never once seen Mingyu in Hogsmeade. Never.”

You shrugged. “Well, I don’t think Wonwoo would lie. He’s not that type of guy.”

“True. He’s too honest for his own good.” Soonyoung leaned back in his seat, a thoughtful look on his face. You just watched him for a while as he mulled over the plan of action.

After a few minutes, he sat up once again. “Do you have plans on Saturday?” 

“Plans?” You blinked at him in surprise. “I don’t think so? I usually just go to Hogsmeade with Seokmin after tutoring him.” Your eyes narrowed. “What are you planning?”

“Let’s follow Minghao and Mingyu,” he suggested way too enthusiastically. “Then we’ll know where they go all the time!”

A smile made way onto your lips. “Like a stakeout from those detective movies?” 

“Detective movies? That’s a thing?” Of course poor pureblood Kwon Soonyoung had no idea what detective movies were. You felt fondness grow in your heart. “Anyways! Let’s see where they go.”

“You got it, partner!”

“Oh…” He giggled. “I like that. Partner.” A bright smile appeared. “Let’s do this, partner!”

Soonyoung could barely keep his eyes open as you led him through the halls of Hogwarts. Even worse, he could barely compile meaningful sentences. You began to wonder if maybe this was a bad idea.

“Why are we out of bed at 8 am?” he whined, his voice hoarse from the 12 hours of sleep he’d been so rudely awoken from. “They don’t disappear until around 9…”

“We should just following them sooner than then. Otherwise, they’ll disappear before we can find them.” You pulled him to hide behind wooden barrels sitting on the opposite side of the corridor, where you had a clear view of what you’d been told was the Slytherin dormitory entrance.

Your partner-in-crime (-in-justice?) hummed in thought, eyes threatening to close. He eventually agreed with a slightly less doubtful hum. 

“Oh!” He suddenly awoke, eyes much rounder than they’d been before. Frantically, he slapped your arm and pointed towards just the guy you were looking for: Kim Mingyu sneaking out of the Slytherin common room, dressed in black sweats from head to toe, a dark jacket under his arm. 

He glanced around doubtfully, surveying the area and somehow missing you and Soonyoung hiding behind barrels. Once he decided he was in the clear, he breathed in relief and began rushing up the stairs,all the while shrugging on his jacket. 

“Let’s go,” you ushered your partner to follow the taller student. “He’s gonna get away.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Soonyoung whispered, sticking close to you as you made your way. 

When you finally got up the stairs, you were met with a rather unpleasant view. It was just plain nothingness.

“He got away.” Soonyoung pouted. “We were so close.”

“How did he get away?” you wondered, looking around as if to find a footprint or a map somewhere on the ground or on the walls. 

Map... A brilliant idea came to your mind but you brushed it off for the time being —you’d have to ask Wonwoo about it later. 

“He was just right in front of us.”

“Let’s just pick a direction and go?” Soonyoung offered rather helplessly. “Maybe we’ll get lucky?”

You sighed in defeat. “Wherever he went, he’s a long way ahead of us now. There’s no way we’ll catch him today.”

Soonyoung sighed harshly. “Let’s try again next week, I guess.” You now realized he gave up rather easily. This did not amuse you in the least.

“No,” you decided, almost glaring at him, “we are going to Hogsmeade and seeing if Wonwoo’s claims have any truth behind them. Maybe we’ll find Mingyu in Hogsmeade.”

“I’ve never once seen him in Hogsmeade.” 

“Maybe today will be our lucky day, eh?”

He grimaced before mocking you, “Eh?”

“Hey!” You frowned. “I don’t sound like that.”

“You don’t but I am sleepy and frustrated and I desperately want to have breakfast.” He pouted his lips and offered you a mellow look. “Let’s go eat.”

“... Fine.”

“Oh!” He perked up again. You began to wonder if he had mood swings like this very frequently. “We should eat together! Then we can discuss our plan of action!” 

He looked so proud of himself, you didn’t have the heart to tell him that’s what you had had in mind anyway. Instead, you followed him to the Great Hall.

To your surprise, annoyance and joy, Jihoon and Wonwoo were already seated at the Ravenclaw table, chatting away about something. You could only assume they were discussing the upcoming quidditch tournament.

“Hey guys!” Soonyoung greeted them loudly enough to have the entire school stare at him. “I missed you!” He ran over to give Jihoon a hug which the latter refused rather aggressively, a grimace on his face.

“Did you bring him here?” Jihoon demanded to know, eyes glaring into yours. 

Wonwoo chuckled. “It’s just breakfast, Hoon. Let them be.”

“I just don’t like being touched by this one.”

“Will you die if you give me a hug?” Soonyoung wondered, already seated next to him and grabbing a plate. “Oh, there’s cake!”

You sat down across from him, eyeing apprehensively as he gathered more and more food. As you began filling your own plate, you nudged Wonwoo. “Say… you wouldn’t know anything about a map of Hogwarts?”

“A map of Hogwarts?” Wonwoo took a moment to think. “Depends. What type of map?”

“Just ...a map.”

“What would we do with a map?” You didn’t hesitate to reach over and step on Soonyoung’s toe. His whine was muffled by the amount of rice in his mouth before he began glaring at you without any actual malice.

Wonwoo took a deep breath, hands playing with his spoon as he tried to think of an answer to you. “You could get a map of Hogwarts from that big book.”

“Hogwarts: A History must have at least one map of the building,” Jihoon agreed. “But other than that, I can’t think of any.”

“Hogwarts: A History? That’s an actual book?” Soonyoung couldn’t help but ask. He quickly found himself a target of not one, but three Ravenclaws.

Jihoon snorted. “How did you get to 7th year?”

“Listen,” Soonyoung jumped to his own defence, “I’m not dumb. I just don’t like big books.”

“Who does?” you wondered half-mindedly, more focused on your breakfast. 

“Wonwoo does,” Jihoon pointed out with a teasing smile. “I’m sure the book’s somewhere in his room right now.”

Before the boy in question could even begin to argue, you asked, “Are there any other maps? Some that don’t require me to borrow and carry around an entire book?”

Your group of four fell into silence. It lasted a while. A bit too long, perhaps, if Soonyoung’s awkward expression was anything to go by. Just three Ravenclaws and a Slytherin trying to figure out the answer to a simple question. 

“I think I might know of one,” Soonyoung eventually spoke up, sounding hesitant if anything. “But, getting it could be kind of difficult.”

“Well, where is it?” Jihoon demanded.

“... In McGonagall’s office.”

The collective groan of three Ravenclaws echoed in the Great Hall. 

“There’s no way to get that,” Jihoon concluded tiredly, picking up his spoon and stabbing it into his porridge. “I don’t even know where McGonagall’s office is.”

“Huh. Maybe you could use a map.” 

“I swear to god, (Y/n)—”

“Oh.” Seungkwan laughed nervously as the two of you stared at him expectantly. “Oh, I am not doing that.”

“Please?” you begged your favourite Gryffindor, but he wasn’t budging.

“I will not sneak into McGonagall’s office for you two. Never.”

Soonyoung smiled mischievously. “Even if we would give the map to you later?”

“What’s so great about a map?” Seungkwan couldn’t help but ask, lips downturned in distaste. “Just borrow Hogwarts: A History.”

You swore Soonyoung’s jaw creaked as it fell open. “Does everyone know about that book but me?!”

“Yes,” came the unanimous answer.

“But please, help us, Seungkwan,” you tried again, but to no avail. 

Soonyoung sighed. “Dude, come on, it’s a magical map.”

“As opposed to most maps in this castle,” Seungkwan mumbled under his breath. You began to wonder how he’d ended in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw with a wit like that.

“It shows you where everyone is at the current time,” Soonyoung mentioned. “But I guess if you don’t want more dirt on Chan’s late-night escapades then—”

Seungkwan sighed deeply. “Which part of never do you not understand?”

You watched him for a bit, feeling defeated. This is where your little adventure would end, huh? Shame.

Soonyoung suddenly leaned forward and whispered something into Seungkwan’s ear. The young Gryiffindor’s eyes lit up. “Where did you say this map was again?”

No more than a day later, Seungkwan came to you with a rather inconspicuous piece of folded parchment. He glanced around before placing it on the dinner table. “Is this it?”

“You found it!” Soonyoung cheered, giving him a pat on the back. “Good job, Boo!”

“Why does my surname sound so wrong when you’re the one saying it?” Seungkwan wondered briefly before turning back to the parchment. “So, how does this thing work?”

Soonyoung smirked, looking almost wicked as he pulled out his wand. You watched curiously, feeling almost anxious, as he pointed the wand at the parchment. After a brief pause (one could only assume he was being dramatic), he lowly spoke, “I solemnly swear I am up to no good.”

Gasps sounded from all sides of you as the blank parchment came to life with black ink spreading across it. Jihoon actually squeaked in surprise as the ink spelled out: “Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers, are proud to present THE MARAUDER'S MAP”.

“I thought this was just a myth,” Wonwoo whispered out after a brief pause, his eyes wide like those of a kitten staring at a Christmas decoration, “but it’s real. The Marauder’s Map.”

“You knew about this?” Jihoon wondered. “How?”

“My mom used to tell me stories about it. I think this was created by her classmates.”

Soonyoung folded the map open as your group of friends stared at him it in pure amazement. 

“See, we’re all here,” he pointed at the Great Hall where your names were muddled together like the messy writings of a first-grader, “and Dumbledore’s in his office… Hagrid’s coming in any second now.”

Your eyes darted towards the large doors that seemed to open on cue, revealing the giant of man. You gasped once again. “It’s real!”

“Wait, you’re gonna use this to chase down Mingyu, aren’t you?” Jihoon eventually realized. He laughed almost maniacally before declaring, “You’re a bloody genius, Soonyoung.”

“Attempt number two, here we come,” you mumbled as you stretched in the Ravenclaw common room at 8 the next Saturday. Soonyoung remained lying down on the bench next to you, just making the most of the last minutes of sleep now that he had travelled all the way to the courtyard from the dungeons. This was the day you would catch Kim Mingyu and Xu Minghao. You were sure of it.

“Attempt number two?” Minghao’s voice caused you to jump in your spot. You pressed a hand to your chest. “What are you doing?”

“What are you doing?” you accused right back and scoffed. “You scared me!”

Minghao laughed. “You’re jumpy today. Why?”

“Just because.”

“Oh, Soonyoung, you’re here too?” Minghao smiled at your partner, waving his hand joyfully. “Are you two friends now?”

You nodded in unison, amusing the Chinese boy further. 

“That’s sweet,” he concluded after a moment of just looking at you. “Hey, do either of you want to keep me company today?”

“Why?” Soonyoung wondered after sharing a meaningful look with you. 

Minghao shrugged, not a care in his mind. “I’m just bored. Mingyu’s sick and Seokmin has a tutoring date at the library…”

“Oh my god, I forgot about Seokmin!” you squeaked before dashing up to your bedroom. Of course the sweet Hufflepuff was waiting for your weekly tutor session! You’d already bailed on him once!

Soonyoung sighed as he looked at your disappearing form. “I guess there goes the plan today.”

“What plan?” Minghao wondered, tilting his head to the side slightly.

“No plan. What do you want to do?”

You sat across from Soonyoung in the Great Hall and slumped against the table, head falling into the squeaky clean plate in front of you. “We’re doomed.”

“Why?” Soonyoung wondered as he pulled the plate from under your face and began filling it. “What happened?”

“We’ve failed twice, Soon.”

“We won’t fail this weekend.”

You felt a hand gently push your head off the table, forcing you upright. A plate filled with delicious food was slipped in its place, accompanied by Soonyoung’s fond smile. “Eat up. Then we can discuss our plans later.”

“Should we make a conspiracy board?”

“It’s like you can read my mind.”

“Welcome to the official first meeting of the Hogwarts Detective Agency,” Seungkwan announced as he let you into an old classroom. It didn’t look too awful, but you couldn’t resist the urge to throw open all the windows as soon as you walked in. “Is everybody here?”

Wonwoo spoke up, “Jihoon’s not going to come today because he has quidditch practice.”

“Works for me. Okay, so what do we know?” Seungkwan asked after locking the door and grabbing a piece of chalk. He stood in front of the blackboard as you and Soonyoung sat onto the old weary tables. Wonwoo, unlike you, had manners and sat on a chair instead. 

You nudged Soonyoung to whisper, “Why is Seungkwan leading the meeting?”

He grimaced before replying in a similar hushed tone, “I promised him he could be the leader of our little mystery club if he got us the map.” Soonyoung shrugged carelessly. “I’m a man of my word.”

“Mingyu and Minghao disappear almost every Saturday between 8 and 9 in the morning,” he then loudly recited as though it was a poem he’d been told to learn by heart for class.

“Almost every Saturday?” Seungkwan raised an eyebrow as he glanced over his shoulder between writing on the blackboard. 

You nodded. “They didn’t go anywhere last Saturday because…”

“... Mingyu was sick after a second-year decided to hex him for practice,” Soonyoung finished for you rather unwillingly. He shuddered at the memory of a certain Slytherin boy throwing up slugs in the common room. 

“Do I— Do I even want to know?” Seungkwan asked no one in particular before shivering and turning back to the board. “What else?”

“Before they graduated, Yoon Jeonghan and Joshua Hong also frequently disappeared with them,” you added. “Rumour has it, they can be seen around the castle on some Saturdays. Mostly Joshua though.”

Soonyoung’s eyes narrowed in thought, his arms crossing over his chest soon after. “Doesn’t Joshua live in Hogsmeade? I swear he works at the post office.”

“Also!” You sat up, feeling a rush of excitement. “According to the Marauder’s Map, Mingyu and Minghao aren’t in Hogwarts on Saturdays.”

“You checked?” Soonyoung wondered, awe written all over him.

You nodded. “Of course. I had to make sure.”

“So, we can assume Mingyu and Minghao go to Hogsmeade on Saturdays,” Seungkwan wrote onto the blackboard. “But Minghao definitely doesn’t have a permission slip to go there.”

Soonyoung hummed. “Neither does Mingyu. But he doesn’t seem bothered by it.”

“I saw Mingyu at Three Broomsticks just two weeks ago,” Wonwoo spoke up. “But I’m not sure if the guy who was with him was Minghao or someone else.”

“Then… how do Mingyu and Minghao get to Hogsmeade?”

Seungkwan sighed. “We don’t know for sure they go to Hogsmeade. All we have right now is Wonwoo’s confession, but let’s be honest, he doesn’t really see that far.”

“That’s what glasses are for,” Wonwoo replied, adjusting the mentioned offending object on his nose. “I can see just fine. I know it was Mingyu.”

“Let’s go to Hogsmeade together on Saturday and try to find Mingyu and Minghao then,” you suggested. “Then we’ll have actual proof.”

“This is a dumb plan,” Soonyoung grumbled as he counted his galleons. “Also, you have very expensive taste in food.”

“I never asked you to pay for me.”

“I did!” Jihoon cheered. “You owed me anyway!”

Soonyoung sighed. “Do you really think we’ll find them here? It’s quite busy. And we haven’t seen them in Hogsmeade all month.”

“That’s why they’ll come here, if anywhere. Less of a chance of getting recognized,” you guessed between sips of your drink. “Plus, everyone loves butterbeer, and it’s on sale today.”

“Oh, I think I see him! It’s really him!” Jihoon spoke rather quickly, straightening up in order to add a few extra inches to his height. “Someone’s with him.”

“Minghao?” 

“I think so? But he seems more…” Jihoon made a questionable gesture with his hands, “... large.”

Soonyoung glanced at the two new customers. A smile soon appeared on his face. “That’s Joshua. I think he’s been working out.”

“You think a lot of things, have you noticed?” Jihoon couldn’t help but joke. “Okay, they’re searching for a table. I should stop staring at them, right?”

You and your partner-in-justice spoke at the same time:

“Yes.” 

“Preferably.”

“I don’t think he recognizes me though…” You weren’t sure if your eyes were deceiving you or Lee Jihoon looked genuinely disappointed. “Then again, I guess he can’t see much through those sunglasses.”

A laugh bubbled in your throat. “He’s wearing sunglasses? It’s the middle of November. What even?”

“Just telling you what I see.”

Soonyoung nudged you with a playful smile. “Maybe he thinks he’s a celebrity.” He wiggled his eyebrows. 

“Would that make us the paparazzi?” Jihoon wondered before perking up once again. “Oh! That’s Minghao!”

You glanced over your shoulder and indeed: the two were right there, having butterbeers and fried potatoes with no one other than Joshua Hong. “Okay, so now we know they come to Hogsmeade.”

“But neither of them have the permission to do so,” Soonyoung added on, eyes narrowing suspiciously. “So how do they get here?”

There was only one logical conclusion: “There must be a secret passageway somewhere.”

“We need to find it.”

Map in hand, you and Soonyoung wandered the hallways of Hogwarts once again, on an early morning. 

“Can’t we do this elsewhere or during another time?” he complained like he always did, sleep still heavy in his eyes and weighting down his eyelids. “This is kind of boring.”

“Aren’t you the one that wanted to solve this mystery?” you asked him, to which he replied with tell-nothing hum, promptly followed by a kitten-like sneeze. “Bless you.”

He hummed once again, head leaning against your shoulder as you led the way in the fading footprints of Kim Mingyu and Xu Minghao. You almost felt bad for forcing him out of bed once again, but guilt was only temporary.

“Huh.” You halted in your place and stared at the map in confusion. The black ink in the form of your classmates’ names had disappeared.

“Wait, where are they?” Soonyoung wondered, glancing at the map with a similar look of confusion. “Weren’t they here just a minute ago?”

You continuing staring at the map. “Could it be… Is that where the hidden passageway is?”

“Isn’t that where that weird statue is?” Soonyoung took you by the wrist and began leading the way. You soon found yourself face to face with a statue of a rather nasty-looking witch. “Is this it?”

You checked the map. “Yeah. This is where their names were last on the parchment.”

Soonyoung stared at the sculpture for a bit, head tilting from side to side periodically like he was weighting the possibilities. You subconsciously began mirroring his movements. 

“If this is the secret entrance, how does one enter it?” he eventually questioned, beginning to walk around the statue. He knocked on the witch but seemed to gain nothing but a bruised knuckle from the action. He hissed in pain, rubbing the spot pitifully before pouting at you. “What do we do now?”

“Now, we wait.”

Soonyoung blinked, looking almost disappointed in you. “... Are you suggesting we just stand here all day and wait for them to return?”

“Do you have a better idea?”

“... No…”

When you woke up a while later, your back sore and Soonyoung practically drooling your shoulder, you finally admitted to yourself: it was kind of a horrible idea.

“When did we fall asleep?” Soonyoung mumbled from next to you, eyes barely opening. His lips pursed into a pout as he lifted a hand to rub his scalp. “My head kind of hurts.”

“Me too,” you sighed and opened the map. To your surprise, the map showed the names of Mingyu and Minghao right where you were sat. You looked around but saw no one.

Then, a sound of stone dragging on stone echoed in the corridor. You shared a look with Soonyoung who was already up on his feet and dragging you over to the other side of the statue. 

You watched in astonishment as the hump of the witch opened, revealing the smiling face of one Kim Mingyu. He glanced around briefly before hopping out of the statue. Minghao followed quickly after, the hump closing behind them.

Soonyoung couldn’t hold back on his excitement and jumped in front of them. “Halt! I know your secret!”

“Soonyoung?” Minghao tilted his head to the side. “What are you doing here?”

“Solving a mystery.” He smiled widely. “I knew it! I knew you were being suspicious!”

Mingyu scratched the back of his head. “We just went to Hogsmeade.”

“Through a secret passage?” you interrogated, knocking on the witch’s back. “How did you even know about this?” 

Mingyu smiled proudly. “Jeonghan told me about it. It’s pretty neat, right?”

“... And you weren’t doing anything illegal or weird, right?” Soonyoung questioned with narrowed eyes and a wand pointed at the taller boy. 

“No!” Mingyu whined, stomping his feet a little as if to prove a point. “We just wanted some fresh air away from Hogwarts every once in a while.”

“What was with the disguises though?”

Minghao smiled sheepishly. “We got caught by Snape once and almost got suspended because we don’t have permission.”

Lowering his wand, Soonyoung sighed. “And here I thought it was an exciting mystery.”

“No, but it was! It was fun!” you assured him with a pat on the back. 

“Can we… Can we go now?” Mingyu asked, pointing away from you. “We kind of don’t want to get caught by Filch.”

“Wait, what time is it?” you panicked, checking your watch. “Oh… Yeah, we should definitely go back to our dorms.”

“Let’s go then!” Minghao cheered, hooking an arm with yours. “We’ll go together and Mingyu and Soonyoung can go together.”

You nodded before waving to Soonyoung. “Good night. Good job!”

“Yeah…”

“That’s it?” Jihoon was outraged at breakfast. “That was the whole mystery?!”

Soonyoung nodded slowly. “Just Mingyu and Minghao going to Hogsmeade through the back of a statue.”

“Good detective work though!” Mingyu, the man of the hour, cheered him on between bites of porridge. “We went undetected all those years but you found us in two months. That’s impressive.”

“Yeah, but… what do we do with this knowledge?” you wondered. “It was kind of a pointless mystery.”

Soonyoung agreed wholeheartedly. His arms crossed over his chest. “Couldn’t you guys at least have smuggled something in? That would’ve been more fun.”

“Well, I guess we could smuggle you some goods from Hogsmeade every once in a while, in return for not telling on us,” Mingyu suggested, but your partner was having none of it.

He scoffed. “What’s the point of that? I’m not a traitor to my friends.”

“Maybe you could find another mystery to solve,” Seungkwan suggested. “I’ve heard that Hufflepuffs and Slytherins are losing their socks and ties all of a sudden.”

“Oh, yeah,” Soonyoung shrugged, “mine are lost too. I’m barefoot right now.”

You stared at him, wondering what was going through his mind. Was there any thought activity at all? 

“Wait!” He jumped up. “That’s a real mystery!”

“With real stakes this time,” Minghao added with a chuckle. “You could become sort of like a hero if you solve it.”

Soonyoung turned to you, a fire lit in his eyes. “What do you say, partner?”

You smiled before extending your hand for him to take. “I’m in partner.”

His cheers echoed in the Great Hall. 

[THE END]

A/N: hi dear reader! i hope you enjoyed this! stay tuned for more fun/fluffy/somewhat chaotic fics on my blog! this is just the beginning (hopefully)!

also, to my bias swap partner, Niko: I hope you enjoyed reading this fic even half as much as I enjoyed writing it. I know you mentioned you’re not big on longer fics, but if you think about it, 6k isn’t much and the “chapter” are relatively short so... i hope it’s okay haha  🐯💕

[thatsassyhufflepuff]

Hey! Hope you're doing good. May I request a draco X fem!ravenclaw!reader where Draco asks her to be his girlfriend but she refuses because her parents wouldn't allow her to date anyone. But they sneak around and do it anyway. And when her parents find out, they are furious and start scolding her brutally, but Draco comes in and argues about how it's not that wrong to date anyone. And then he comforts her because she was crying, and it's full of fluff. Oh and no voldy AU please. Thanks💕

The Serpent & The Eagle

A/N: Hello there! Thank you so much for this request; I'm doing just fine, thank you! I hope you like this! <3 I have one more request to write and then I'll open my inbox back up, so stay tuned and have your requests ready! :) Sorry this took me so long, I’ve been working a ton! Once this is up I’ll probably post ch. 31 of Stronger Than Blood (You can start that here!) & write my final request in my inbox after that!

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x female reader

House: Ravenclaw

Year: 5th

Warnings: angst and lots of fluff! <3

Though she knew Draco mostly had good intentions, Y/N Y/L/N, a Ravenclaw in her 5th year, was a bit nervous when he asked her to meet him at the Astronomy Tower that night.

"Sure," she answered slowly. "But what's the occasion?"

Draco smirked. "Who says there needs to be an occasion? Don't overwork that big brain of yours, Y/N. Just be there."

That was all he said before he winked at her and strode away confidently. Y/N barely refrained from banging her head against the nearest wall. Telling a Ravenclaw not to overwork their brain was like telling the bloody Pope not to be Catholic!

"Stupid, sneaky Slytherin," Y/N mumbled to herself, which earned her a few odd glances from students who passed her in the corridor, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Just what was Draco Malfoy up to?

***

"Ready or not, here I come!" Y/N shouted as she ascended the winding staircase that led to the Astronomy Tower. When she reached the top, Draco was, as usual, smirking at her.

"No need to announce your presence, Y/N. You sounded like a pack of wild Hippogriffs stomping up the stairs."

"I was not stomping!" The Ravenclaw pouted, tossing her Y/H/C hair over her shoulder, raising her chin defiantly.

"Sure you weren't," the blonde drawled with a snicker. "You also weren't muttering something about a sneaky, slimy, irritating git on your way up." He winked. "Surely you weren't speaking of me, though."

Y/N blushed deeply, not bothering to deny it.

"Relax, would you?" he murmured into her ear as he slung an arm around her shoulders, guiding her forward.

"Relax, he says," she grumbled. "You know how much I hate surprises, Draco!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm fairly certain you'll like this one, Y/N."

She arched an eyebrow at that but kept silent as the Slytherin propelled her forward further into the Tower. Y/N let out a little gasp when she saw what was before her.

He'd set up an entire bloody candlelight dinner for them.

"Draco..." Y/N breathed. "When on Earth did you have the time to set this up?"

He smirked. "I bribed the house elves."

"Of course you did." She snorted, smiling her thanks as Draco pulled out her seat for her and pushed it in before taking a seat himself.

The two enjoyed dinner in a comfortable silence. The Ravenclaw could tell Draco was nervous about something, but she knew better than to pressure him. He'd talk eventually. And, of course, she was right.

"Y/N..." His gray eyes danced in the candlelight as he reached across the table, taking her hand between both of his. "You were right."

"I usually am," she said cheekily. "But what about this time?"

Draco was so nervous that he didn't even roll his eyes at her snark. His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed hard, running a thumb across her knuckles tenderly.

"I'm absolutely mad about you, Y/N," he admitted. "I'm sure you can tell. You're bloody brilliant. But I was wondering if...if you'd be my girlfriend?"

Much to Draco's surprise, the Ravenclaw witch's eyes filled with tears.

"I can't," she whispered, pulling her hand away. Draco's eyebrows lowered.

"Why not? Do you..." he gulped. "Do you not feel the same way? I thought--"

"Oh, Draco, no!" she cried, grabbing his hand again to give it a reassuring squeeze. "I feel the exact same way. It's only..." Y/N sighed. "My parents are rather strict, and they've forbidden me to date while I attend Hogwarts. I'm to focus on my studies."

"That's bollocks," Draco scoffed, squeezing her hand back. At her glare, he sighed, running a hand through his platinum blonde hair. "Sorry. But who says they need to find out?"

Y/N frowned. "I don't like lying to them."

"It's not lying." Draco assured her, wiggling his eyebrows. "Besides, your parents aren't here, and summer holiday is months away. We'll be careful." His eyes pleaded with her. "Please, Y/N?"

She scowled at him, her cheeks flushing pink. "Ugh, fine. I can't say no to that face." With an impish grin, Y/N leaned over the table, minding the flame of the candle and kissing Draco softly.

This is absolutely insane. She thought, but soon all she could focus on was the feeling of his lips on hers.

***

In all honesty, Y/N was surprised it took her parents as long as it did to find out about her relationship with Draco. That knowledge didn't stop her heart from sinking as an owl dropped a letter into her lap one morning at breakfast about three months later.

"Who's that from?" A familiar voice asked. Y/N looked up and smiled tightly as her boyfriend plopped into a seat next to her, heedless of the stares he got as a Slytherin sitting down at the Ravenclaw table. By then, most of Hogwarts was used to their relationship, but the stares never quite ceased.

"My parents," She replied with a grimace as she tore open the letter, reading aloud:

Y/N,

We need to have a chat. After you receive this owl, you’re to report to Dumbledore’s office to access his fireplace to Floo home.

“They didn’t even sign their names?” Draco asked, reading over her shoulder. Y/N scowled, tossing aside the piece of parchment.

“They’ve never been the touchy-feely type of parents, Dray.” She said, getting to her feet. Draco placed a hand on her arm.

“You’re going now?”

She nodded. “Best just to get it over with.”

Her boyfriend stood. “I’ll go with you.”

The Ravenclaw knew that there was no talking him out of it, so she nodded but gave him a stern look. “Fine, but stay out of the room. I can handle this.”

***

Y/N wasn’t sure that she could handle this at all, but there was no way she was telling Draco that. His protectiveness would only make things worse.

He squeezed her hand as they emerged into the Y/L/N home sometime later, stepping out of the fireplace. Y/N exhaled with relief when they weren’t greeted by her parents, turning to look up at Draco.

“The library is right next to the drawing room. Please stay there until I come back for you."

The Slytherin responded by leaning down to give her a quick peck on the lips before walking towards the library. Y/N squared her shoulders before making her way into the drawing room where, as expected, her parents were there waiting for her, facing away from her, whispering to each other.

"You wanted to have a chat, so here I am." Y/N said by way of greeting. If she hadn't been so nervous, the way her parents turned around in sync would've made her laugh.

"Y/N." Her mother greeted her with a stiff nod. Her father's gaze swept her features, the disapproval coming off of him in waves.

"Lip gloss?" he snorted.

"Freshly smudged," her mother added, curling her lip. "Y/N, how many times do we have to tell you that-"

"My education comes first, I know," The Ravenclaw sighed. "But Mum, Dad, if you just met him, I think you'd really like him."

Both of her parents scoffed at that. "Y/N," her father pinched the bridge of his nose. "You've always been such a bright girl. Why are you letting the first young wizard to ever give you attention to ruin that?"

"I beg your pardon?" Angry tears stung Y/N's eyes.

"You heard your father!" Her mother cried. "Your first boyfriend and our little girl is completely unrecognizable. The smudged lip gloss, the way your robes are askew. Honestly, Y/N, are you so keen on making our family the laughingstock of the wizarding world?"

Nausea swept through Y/N at what her own mother was implying, that she was some sort of whore with loose morals! A few tears slipped down her cheeks, but before she could bring herself to speak, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Y/N tensed.

"Draco," she hissed, looking up at him. "What did I tell you?"

"All right in here?" He asked instead of answering her, looking first at the Ravenclaw witch then at her parents.

"And who might you be?" her father narrowed his eyes at Draco, taking in the hand the Slytherin had on his daughter's shoulder.

"Draco Malfoy, sir. Y/N's boyfriend." Y/N was frozen in shock as Draco slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side, gently thumbing away her tears. "And you're wrong. Both of you are."

"Excuse me?" Her mother gasped, outraged.

"You heard me," Draco drawled. "Y/N is one of the brightest, sweetest, most hard-working witches I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. You lot should be ashamed of yourselves. She didn't agree to date me at first, do you know why?" He glared at her parents. "Because despite the way you treat her, she didn't want to keep this from you. She knew you'd act like this. But no matter. As her boyfriend, I will in no way allow her to fall behind in her studies. In fact," He squeezed Y/N's shoulders. "We often help each other with our assignments. If you're done insulting my girlfriend, we'll be going now."

"Now see here-" Her father spluttered, but Draco cut him off.

"No, I don't think I will. Let's go, darling."

With that, he steered his shell-shocked girlfriend out of the drawing room and into the library, where she immediately bursted into tears. Draco drew her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her frame and rubbing her back gently.

"You're okay, my love." he whispered into her hair. "I've got you. You're okay."

"Did you hear what my mum said?" Y/N choked out. Draco kissed her temple and nodded.

"It's not true, you know." He held his girlfriend away from him in a loose embrace. "You've got one of the strongest moral compasses of anyone I've ever met, love. Though I have to admit," he gave her a teasing grin, ducking his head to rest his forehead against hers. "Dating a prick like me makes me wonder sometimes."

Y/N choked out a laugh, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Draco cupped her face in his hands, thumbs tracing her tears away. Her eyes fluttered shut as her hands came up to wrap around his wrists, keeping his hands on her face.

"I love you," she said in a wobbly voice, but her smile was radiant, and Draco's heart soared.

"And I you, my brilliant, gorgeous girlfriend." He kissed her nose, then all over her face until she was laughing. "Now let's go home, hmm?"

And so they did. Not only was their home at Hogwarts, their home was in each other. An Eagle and a Serpent who lived in harmony sounded like a myth, but it was their beautiful reality. One they intended to cherish for as long as the fates would allow.

~~~

End notes: I hope this is good, I’m not a Ravenclaw so I hope I got it right! 🙉

taglist: @rosiehufflepuff @riddleswh0r3crux @desiredmalfoy @typewriting101 @is-it-really-a-secret

(If you'd like to be added to my Draco taglist PM me! <3)

[randomshyperson]

Wanda Maximoff/Reader - Land of Thieves - #ChapterFour

Read on AO3 (EN) ///// Ler no AO3 (PT)

Summary: When you were a child, you swore that no matter how high the reward in your head, she could always count on you. Life as an outlaw in the west is not easy, but you believe that train robberies are still easier than asking a pretty girl to dance. Land of Thieves, also know as your love story with Wanda Maximoff in the Wild West.

Warnings:  explicit language, explicit violence

Words so far: +19,998k (did not include this chapter)

Marks: @mionemymind​

When you return to the campfire, you laugh at the image of Bucky trying to learn to play guitar with Maria. He sounds like a disaster, squeezing the strings hard, or following the instructions in a way that is completely contrary to what she tells him. Maria however seems to be a very patient teacher, and when you sit around the campfire, you both exchange a knowledgeable look, where you were thanking her for the time with Carol

Nat hands you a beer, and remembering the three glasses of whiskey you had earlier, you grimace at her, saying that any more and you would be tripping. She laughs and says that your drunk version could entertain the party.

You spend several minutes talking and laughing, Pietro joins you shortly afterwards, bringing dominoes. He tries to hint that you should borrow your new set of cards, but you just signal that he was forbidden to mention poker to you indefinitely. Nat wins two games in a row, laughing when you and Pietro let out a grumble of dissatisfaction, and then Pietro hints that she was cheating, which makes her angry enough to try to hit him with the board. You get up to get more beer, laughing lightly as you leave your bickering friends behind.

You should be used to the habit of your gaze always searching for Wanda when she's not in your line of sight, but you always mentally reprimand yourself for doing so. You imagine that you used to disguise it better, seeing the look of malice that Thor casts when he sees you clearly looking for something. You think about disguising it, pretending that you had dropped something, but honestly, what's the point of pretending. He raises his glass in one direction, signaling the corner near Steve's tent, and you finally find it. Wanda and Monica are working together to set up Bucky's old radio, you realize as you watch them carry a small table with the piece of equipment on top.

Taking a long sip of your beer, you allow yourself to admire Wanda for the seconds it takes you to reach her. You remember how beautiful she looked in her dress, but you can't help thinking how irresistible she looks in her usual clothes, work pants and standard shirt, the suspenders hanging loosely against her waist, while the spurs attached to her boot scuff lightly on the grass as she walks. You don't think much about it, but you notice the open buttons of her shirt, her collarbone exposed. You imagine that she might have felt hot after searching for the radio in the warehouse wagon, and you know that if she needs it, you will offer her your coat.

Wanda smiles at you when she sees you coming close, you shyly reciprocate.

- We thought we might dance a bit. - She says as soon as you reach her. Monica approaches with batteries in her hands.

- I'll be happy to look. - You joke, and Wanda looks at you with a mixture of seriousness and amusement.

- No way, the birthday girl dances with everyone. - She warns, raising a finger at you. You laugh, and feeling very confident after all that drinking, you don't think much and start letting the words flow out of your mouth.

- I just wanted to dance with you. - You confess amidst a smile, Wanda looks surprised, but smiles with a slightly flushed face. The sound of the radio catches both of your attention, breaking the moment.

The sound attracts other members of the gang, and before long they are almost all - with the exception of Maria and Thor, who seem engaged in a very heated debate about the best breeds of horse - together in the area of Steve's stall.

- Does anyone have a choice of music? - Monica asks as she fiddles with the buttons on the radio, turning up the volume, the sound is pleasantly loud in the room

- Anything that you can dance to. - Pietro suggested, and when the first sounds of the chosen melody began, he excitedly took Nat by the hand. She laughed, pushing him lightly by the shoulders.

- It's not polite to pull a lady along, boy! - You heard her say. - Ask if I want to dance first.

- Would you like to dance with me, Natasha? - Pietro asked, bowing dramatically, as if he were making a reference. Nat laughed.

- Of course not, go bother the other ladies. - She denied this humorously, and Pietro pretended to be offended. He walked towards Monica and held out his hand, repeating the invitation in a gentler manner. The woman smiled before accepting, and as their dance began, others soon joined in. You watched fondly as Bucky pushed his shoulder against Steve's slightly, an amused expression on his face. Steve put the beer on the counter and extended his hand to his friend, who accepted, and they began to dance. Peggy invited Potts, and they joined the group. Nat walked over to you and Wanda, a mischievous smile on her face. You were about to offer to dance with her, but she was quick to say.

- I'll take this. - She said as she grabbed the beer you were carrying.

- Are you sure you don't want to...

- You know very well that I don't dance. - She interrupts you. - Besides, you're both dying to dance together.

Nat winked at you before walking away, and you felt your face heat up. Turning to Wanda, you found her already looking at you. You smiled and she offered her hand to you, inviting you to dance. You shifted your weight between your feet before accepting.

- I can't dance, Wands. - You whisper as you come closer. Wanda just smiles at you tenderly.

-Follow my lead then. - She answers in the same tone, interlacing your hands. With her other hand, she grabs your free forearm, bringing it up to her own shoulder, showing you where to place it. You begin to look down at your own feet in anticipation, and Wanda places a finger on your chin, slowly lifting your face to make you look into her eyes. - You must look into your partner's eyes.

- But what if I step on your feet? - you ask half breathless at the intensity of her gaze.

- Don't worry, darling. Just breathe. - She assures you, and you feel her hand around your waist. 

And then her body moves, and you focus on following. You count your steps mentally, and try to focus on not stepping on Wanda's feet. It is very hard to concentrate on anything with emerald eyes staring at you with intensity, and the smell of Wanda that seems to overpower all your senses. You are nervous, and your body is tense. You feel guilty as you notice Wanda's frown due to your posture.

- Relax, Y/N. - She whispers tenderly. - It's just me.

You smile, but find it difficult to obey as you look at her. So you lean your face against your hand on Wanda's shoulder. You miss seeing her face, but the position is also very good. She brings your bodies a little closer together, and you get used to the warmth of having her so close with ease. You stay like this, rocking together in an almost hug, your hands intertwined as the hand on your back goes down a little, and you let your gaze wander around.

If you thought you were dancing too close together, those thoughts vanish the moment you see Steve and Bucky, so tightly glued together that there is no space between their bodies. Monica and Pietro seem to be the only ones who are dancing further apart, yet they are very close. As the melody comes to an end, you hear the other members laughing, and Pietro goes towards the radio to change the music while you slowly separate from Wanda. She doesn't let go of your hand, however, and nods for you to follow her. You let yourself be pulled in the opposite direction from the hut area, to a more secluded corner among the trees. As you exit, Nat gives you a mischievous look that makes you blush.

When you were completely hidden from the rest of the camp, Wanda stopped, she looked nervous, shifting her weight between her feet as she let go of your hand. You looked at her curiously.

- I wanted to give you your present. - Wanda said, looking around as if searching for something. She bent down quickly to grab something behind a broken log.

She walked over to you with a mischievous expression. She handed over the package, and maybe it was the alcohol, but you found her fingers lingering on yours as she did so.

A dark wooden box was placed in your hands, and you frowned curiously, wondering what was inside. In fact, the box was so beautiful that you would be very pleased if it were empty.

You opened the clasp, holding your breath in surprise as you noticed the contents. A revolver gleamed against your eyes. You knew very well what kind. It was the Lemat revolver you had wanted to buy on your one and only trip to Saint Denis with Wanda and Pietro. You joked that one day you would have enough money for weapons like that, without having to steal, as your gaze lingered on the item. You never imagined that Wanda would remember this. 

With the tips of your finger, you touched the details that were drawn into the metal of the gun, smiling as you noticed the figure of a wolf carved into the tip. The lone wolf was your nickname as a child, Steve used to call you that whenever you were angry and you needed to travel, you always walked several meters ahead of him, like "a lone wolf".

Feeling your emotions too close to overpowering you, you swallowed the urge to cry as you felt overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment, how much attention Wanda had on you to think about the present. The redhead seemed anxious to know if you had enjoyed it, but you kept your face impassive as you looked at her. 

You stowed the gun back in its case, and held it in one hand while reaching down with the other for your old revolver hanging from your waistband. Removing the gun from its holster, you checked that it was properly locked before throwing it on the grass. Wanda watched you intently, frowning slightly in confusion, but you didn't speak. 

In no hurry, you removed your new gun from the box, taking one last look at it before putting it in its holster. Getting used to the weight as you closed your eyes for a moment.

Then you bent down quietly, and put the box down, finally looking at Wanda. She blinked at you in anticipation, and you bit your lip as you ran your gaze across her face. Your mind racing on so many possibilities of how you could return the gift. The thoughts were innocent at first, but you would blame the alcohol for the direction they took next.

- Did you like it? - She asked without holding back, and you sighed without answering, which seemed to make her insecure.

- I'm thinking about how to repay something like that. - You answered mysteriously, and Wanda let out a nervous laugh, clearly affected by the intensity of your eyes.

- You don't have to. - She says, but you only disagree with a nod, and then she holds her breath as you approach. 

- I want to. - You speak in a low tone, and when your faces are inches apart, you can only stare at her mouth. - Good girls should be rewarded.

You almost stumble with shock when Pietro's voice interrupts the moment. He mumbles apologies as you turn away from Wanda, but then you really begin to understand what he said:

- He's here. Stephen is back! - He cheerfully affirms by waving for you two to go back to the camp. He runs towards the tents, and you turn to Wanda, but she just looks at you intensely, coming up to you and giving you a quick kiss on the corner of your cheek, very close to your mouth, before running after her brother.

You rush to grab the box and the pistol at your feet before running after them.

With Stephen's sudden return to the gang, everyone's mood seemed to improve considerably. And you felt much better knowing that he would treat Bruce, since he had always been the camp doctor.

It has been three days since you almost kissed Wanda in the forest in thanks for the gun you got as a gift. Every time you remember it you feel a wave of shame fill your body, and maybe a little guilt, for having been careless enough to drink to the point of ignoring the minimum of common sense. With this feeling, you had spent the last few days accepting all sorts of camp tasks, to keep yourself busy and unavailable as much as possible to talk about what had occurred. At every moment when your gaze met Wanda's, whether it was between carrying hay to the horse area, or during meals, you made sure to look away while you found a way to escape somewhere else.

As the date approached for the bank heist to take place, you could almost touch in the air the anxiety of those who would participate. Fortunately Thor was back in business and insisted that he would participate in the ambush. Bucky had already secured all the necessary weaponry, and Peggy confirmed that she was working with the final tweaks of the plan. Pietro and Nat went to Valentine the day before and discovered that the workers from the oil plant were all already in town, which seemed to be the last missing piece of the plan. Things seemed to be conspiring in your favor when it came to avoiding Wanda, since she had been as busy as you are, and had not even returned from the buffalo hunt she went on together with Thor and Stephen. 

In the late afternoon, you returned to your tent feeling exhausted from having spent all day organizing the ammunition wagon, as one of your punishments for the Limpany shooting. Bucky was kind enough to sit next to you while he cleaned some weapons, and when he was done, he practiced a bit of guitar playing.

You threw yourself on the bed, groaning against the pillow. Fortunately, your shoulder was practically healed by now, and you didn't need any more bandages. You heard someone huffing in the doorway, so you opened one of your eyes lazily, and caught sight of Nat standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and a suggestive look on her face.

- You know, I'm surprised at how well you're holding up. - She says, and you close your eyes, too tired to puzzle. Seeing your lack of interest, she gives you a wry smile, thinking how stubborn you are when you want to be. - I thought you would only last a day.

- I don't know what you're talking about. - Your voice was muffled against the pillow, but you kept your eyes closed and your face against the fabric. It was so soft.

- In fact, Pietro and I bet that you wouldn't go two days without talking to each other. I'm only bringing this up because I'm losing the bet. - You felt your stomach turn when you finally understood what she said. But not wanting to give her the taste of being right, you just let out an impatient grunt against the pillow, which made Nat laugh instead of pushing her away. - Pietro bet that you would be stubborn enough to hold out until Wanda pushed you off your horse, but I thought you wouldn't go two days without talking to the redhead. You know I don't like to lose.

- Nobody likes to lose. - You retorted. - That's the whole point of betting. 

She stood with her arms crossed as you lifted your face from the bed, and then you adjusted yourself to sit up on the mattress. Seeing your tired expression, Nat assumed a worried look.

- What is happening to you?

You thought you were going to cry. But you only smoothed your hair and gave her a sad smile. She closed your tent and sat down beside you on the bed.

- I almost kissed her on my birthday. - You confess with a lost look in your eyes.

- Isn't that a good thing?

- I was drunk. - You retorted. - I can't believe I was going to grab her in the middle of the forest. That's so scary.

Nat watched you sink your face in your hands, and she began to play with your hair, trying to calm you down.

- You talk as if you were some unknown drunk who chased Wanda into the woods. - She says in an almost amused tone. - I really don't understand how your head comes to such conclusions.

- I just didn't want it to be like that. - You say, moving your fingers nervously. - I don't know what I really wanted. Maybe I wanted it to be special.

- My God, you are so corny. - Nat sneered, but there was no malice in her tone. She braided your hair loosely, and then held out your hand. - I really think that you two are made for each other. And that no matter where it happens or how, Wanda will enjoy your first kiss. 

- And you say that I'm the one who's corny. - You joke, and Nat nudges your shoulder lightly, laughing softly. 

- Oh, but you are indeed. - She replies. - I always thought that you've been secretly dating for years.

You groaned uncomfortably, Nat laughed at your expression.

- I brought something for you. - She says after a moment of silence. Only then you notice that she was carrying something in her pants pocket, and she moves on the bed to pick it up. She hands you a holster. - I hear you have two revolvers now. You can have my extra case.

You smiled, thanking her. Nat whispered a " Don't mention it" before kissing you on the forehead and leaving. Without getting out of bed, you reached for your belt hanging from the chair on your desk and slipped the holster you had earned onto the front of the bed. You were happy to know that you could carry two weapons now. 

Putting your belt back on the chair, you yawned, deciding to get some sleep.

It seemed like a weekend, you thought as you took a sip of coffee, which you almost spit out when you tasted the bitterness. Saloons weren't exactly the best place to get drinks like this, and since you were avoiding alcohol, it was either bitter coffee or water. You began to think that water was the better option.

Steve had sent you to Valentine to get uniforms from the factory, or more accurately, steal uniforms. Peggy had made one last adjustment to the plan, and you found out that you would need to infiltrate the factory if you wanted information about the safe where the money was going to be. Pietro would be the one to infiltrate the place, and since he was the fastest rider, he would have to get out of there as fast as he could to let Peggy know which was the correct safe. You weren't going to start any unnecessary gunfire, so anything that could be done in silence, would be.

You had been waiting for the two clearly inebriated men to finish playing to follow them, and that had been for about two hours. You sighed without patience, and then walked over to the table, trying to sound as friendly as possible when you joined the game. 

If you bankrupted them in the game, they would have no choice but to leave the table, you thought as you received your cards from the dealer. 

You played carefully but objectively, remembering all the tactics that Fury taught you. In less than an hour of play, you had already defeated one of them. But because you were too focused on the game, you didn't notice the threatening posture the loser assumed. 

When you finally defeated the second one, the men were not the slightest bit pleased. You stumbled backwards when one of them pushed you against the counter. 

- I don't like being robbed, girl. - Said the brown-haired man, he had a threatening expression on his face, and you felt quite intimate as he had a knife pressed to your throat.

-A bad loser I see. - You sneer, and he blinks angrily. But then there is a gun pointed at the man's forehead and the grip of the knife on your throat loosens. The bartender doesn't seem willing to witness a murder in his bar. You know his name is Tom, and you thank him softly when he asks the men to leave the bar. But your relief is short-lived, for as you walk out, they are waiting for you outside.

- I want my money back, whore! - One of them shouts and you take a few steps back, your boots clattering in the mud of the road.

- Come on fellas, I won fair and square. - You try to argue, and then you see the man draw his knife at you again. Impatient, you lower your hand to the holster, and the other man imitates the movement. You had no intention of ending up in a duel when you woke up this morning, but here you were.

The man with the knife stepped aside, clearing the shooting area for his friend. You let out a sigh, your hand gripping the revolver. Your gaze focused on the man in front of you, a few steps away. It was a risky duel, and you hoped he was as bad at aiming as he was at poker. 

A moment passed, and then you grabbed your gun and fired. Fortunately, faster than your opponent, who fell to the ground with a thud. The other man was in a state of shock as you stood there, smoke billowing from the tip of your revolver. You barely had time to normalize your breathing when the other man lunged at you with knife in hand. You fired twice, and watched the expression of pure shock as he staggered back, and then fell over dead. You felt a slight burning sensation on your cheek, indicating that he had cut you, but you barely had time to process the two murders when you felt yourself being pulled away. 

Valentine's sheriff seemed more interested in showing service than actually helping anyone, and he didn't believe or care that it might have been self-defense when he threw you into one of the jail cells, which was only a few yards from the saloon.

There was only one other man in the jail, locked up in the cell across from yours. An arrogant-looking lady called the sheriff through the back doors, and he left you two alone. You tried to see where your guns were kept, but could not.

- He keeps them inside that cabinet, on the top shelf. - The man said, and you turned your face toward him. - And the key to the cells is near the door.

- Steve is going to kill me. - You grumble before sitting down on the floor, your legs stretched out on the ground.

You both remain silent for several moments, until the sheriff returns. He has a lipstick stain on his shirt, and you roll your eyes.

- Wilson, great news for you. - says the sheriff walking to the cell opposite yours. The prisoner has a serious look on his face. - I finally got a carriage for Sisika, they will pick you up tomorrow morning.

Wilson ducked his head and clenched his fists, while the sheriff let out a wicked chuckle. 

- If I'm lucky, they'll take you too, cutie. - Said the sheriff looking at you, but you didn't bother to answer.

You tried not to panic at the thought of a federal penitentiary. You hated having to depend on anyone, but you really hoped that your friends would notice your absence and come to your aid.

Looking at your fellow prisoner, you avoided feeling sorry for the downcast expression he acquired, after all you didn't know what he had done to be here. Still, you sympathized with him; it wasn't easy to receive news like that.

Trying to get some idea of what to do, you closed your eyes, burying your head in your knees. But in the end, you just fell asleep.

You dreamed of long red hair, and woke in a jolt, banging your head against the small shelf that held the cell bed. Massaging the spot, you looked forward, surprised to see Wilson signaling you to be quiet.

You ran your gaze around and widened your eyes as you noticed the figure of Monica, silently stealing the key to the cell. The sheriff was too distracted by her cleavage to notice, and you really hated this man with each passing second. Monica pretended to laugh, holding the sheriff's arm, and finally grabbing the key. She asked the officer to go somewhere more private, that she would like to show him something, and when he took her to the backdoors, she handed the cell key to you through the bars.

Quickly freeing yourself, you ran to the weapons locker, looking for your holster. Duly armed, you turned toward Wilson's cell.

- I hope I don't regret this. - You grumble as you release him. He nods in thanks, shaking your hand. And then he runs to the gun cabinet and grabs what you believe to be his.

You hear a noise and both of you turn toward the back door. Through the window you can see Monica struggling with the sheriff, who seems to want to force a kiss. You feel your chest bubbling with anger and rush outside. Before you can do anything, someone shoots the sheriff, who falls to the ground.

You walk over to Monica, who assures you that she is fine, just a little out of shape from being out of a fight for so long. You hug her in thanks before you run away from the scene, she points out where the horses are, and you are surprised to notice that Wilson is still with you.

- My name is Sam. - The man says. - I have nowhere to go.

You and Monica exchange a look, and then she offers her hand to help him get on her own horse. 

- Steve will take care of this. - She says before you ride out of town. 

When you arrive, you let out an exclamation that makes Monica and Sam look at you curiously.

- I didn't get the fucking uniform. - You say, and Monica looks at you with a mischievous smile. She reaches into her own horse's saddlebag and pulls out the folded uniform set. 

- It's easier to steal when they're dead. - She comments, and you look at her with a mixture of pride and surprise. You think that she and Pietro really are made for each other, blessed sticky fingers.

As they enter, you assure the others that you were fine, and you discover that Monica just told them that you had had complications and needed some help. She tells you that she overheard two merchants leaving Valentine commenting on the shooting while she was hunting rabbits, and when she told the rest of the camp, she didn't mention that you might have been shot. 

When the others see Sam, they seem apprehensive about having a stranger in camp, but Steve asks to talk to him privately in his tent. You knew that he would invite Sam to join you as soon as he knew that he helped Monica.

You walk back to your tent, immediately wanting to take a shower. Then your exit is blocked by Wanda looking quite annoyed. You take a step back, shocked by the sudden presence.

- You are avoiding me. - she accuses, looking hurt. Honestly, you don't feel much like having this conversation right now, and considering that you almost died a few hours ago, you just want to take a shower.

- I've just been busy. - You retort, holding her gaze.

- Why are you lying?

You bite your tongue hard to avoid smiling. Wanda is ridiculously beautiful, it's so unfair that you can't get annoyed with her. Completely oblivious to your internal conflict, she has an accusing expression, but the glint in her eyes shows that she is upset, hurt that you are lying to her so blatantly.

- Look, I almost died twice today and was arrested, I would like to take a shower before embarking on another conflict.

Her expression changed to concern.

- What do you mean you almost died? - She questioned and her gaze ran over your face, and when she noticed the dried wound upon your cheek, she raised her hand quickly, her touch electrifying your whole body at the same speed that made you relax more than any hot bath. - What happened?

- I won at poker. - You joked, fighting the urge to close your eyes at her touch. Wanda frowned and lowered her hands. - It was a misunderstanding. Monica saved my ass and now I'm here. 

- You don't seem to be telling me anything anymore. - She said with a serious look on her face, and you swallowed hard, guilt clutching your stomach. And you spent too long thinking about what to say, that you miss your chance. Wanda gave you one last hurt look, before saying, "Have a nice bath," and left your tent. You kept staring for minutes at where you saw her last.

You were very angry when you returned to your room, mumbling disconnected words as you threw yourself on your bed, resisting the urge to scream into your pillow. You had the choice of getting up and apologizing, explaining to Wanda that you just felt insecure, or staying in your bed and whining, so of course you didn't get up.

Refusing to cry, you tried to look for something to do that would get the image of Wanda's hurt look out of your head. You thought about cleaning your weapons, but then you remembered that one of them was the revolver you had received as a gift, so you gave up the idea.

Running your eyes around the room, you tried to find something else, your eyes lingered on your bedside table, a picture of you, Wanda, Pietro, Monica and Nat, when you were younger, and Steve insisted that he would like to have a picture of the camp kids. You must have been about ten years old, and you were dressed in your best clothes, a bandage on your forehead covering up a fight wound.Pietro had one arm on your shoulders and one on Wanda's, he had a toothless smile on his face, his front baby teeth had fallen out shortly before that photo.  Nat and Monica were the tallest, and stood one at each end. Even though it was black and white, you remembered the blue jacket that you yourself had stolen as a present for Nat. 

You looked away from the photo quickly, letting out an impatient sigh. Even trying, you couldn't stop thinking about Wanda, the marks of her presence all over your life. You decided it was best to look for something to do outside your tent.

You noticed Doctor Stephen coming out of Bruce's tent when you left yours. He looked happy, and you felt your chest fill with hope that Bruce was better.

Walking over to Stephen, you greeted him. 

- Ah, look at you, Y/N. - He replied as he put away his medical equipment inside his own tent. - You're growing up fast.

You looked down at the ground blankly.

- I guess so. 

Stephen finished arranging his own things, and when he turned to you, he signaled for you to accompany him to the campfire area.

- You seem to want to ask me something. - He says as he sits down, pouring himself a coffee pen, which was always available at the campfire.

- I just wanted to see how Bruce was doing. 

- Much better. - he says. - Soon he will return to his duties and I will go back to Saint Denis.

You nodded, slightly disappointed that Stephen was leaving, but glad that Bruce was better. They shared the role of camp doctor, but Stephen hardly ever stayed with you, saying he had business of his own to attend to in Saint Denis. You, Wanda and Pietro were the only ones who knew that he had a family waiting for him there.

- But I feel that's not what you want to talk about. - He says after a moment, and you frown. At your expression, he lets out a giggle, and puts his mug down, turning to you with a gentle expression. - You can ask me about Wanda.

You blink, looking away. Stephen was like a mentor to Wanda, and you imagined it would be awkward, to say the least, to talk to him about it. But knowing that he had just returned from a hunt with her and Thor, he had probably noticed something in her behavior, being the observer that he is.

- I think I might have hurt her. - You say, and he nods slightly.

- I thought she looked more angry than hurt. - He says almost in a mocking tone, and you run your hands through your hair.

- Hurt or angry, I fucked up. 

- That is true.

Stephen's tone is playful, and you smile while rolling your eyes. He had always been more relaxed about this kind of subject than you are. 

- Wanda has mentioned that you are avoiding her. - he says after a moment. - She was... distracted during the hunt.

- Yeah, I was running away. - You grumble, looking down at the ground feeling embarrassed. He lets out a sigh, and reaches his hand out to your knee.

- I know how much you care about her, child. - he says. - Ever since you were little, you've been inseparable. So I don't understand your hesitation.

You let out a sad sigh, trying to smile at Stephen.

- I don't think I am what she deserves. - You confess and he frowns. You keep talking, believing that if you don't say things now, you won't say them anymore. - I just... She's so incredible. She' s so strong and so smart, and so so good. She deserves someone who can give her more than a tent on the ground or a campfire. 

Stephen raises his hand to lift your face, making you look at him.

- Do you really believe that? - He asks seriously, but his eyes are tender. He doesn't wait for you to answer. - Listen to me for a moment, will you? I won't speak for Wanda, I never could. What I can assure you is that you are an extraordinary young woman. You are brave and admirably loyal. And most important, is the way you love Wanda with vehemence and devotion. There is no one who deserves her more than you.

You nodded, feeling the tears streaming down your face. Stephen smiled, and wiped them away, moving closer to place a kiss on your forehead. 

- I don't want to hear you say things like that about yourself, okay? - He asks in a serious tone, and waits for you to agree. 

- I promise I won't. - You say, and he nudges you lightly on the nose, making you laugh before turning away, going back to drinking his coffee. He takes a sip, and you are silent for a moment, before he holds up his finger as if he has an idea, and turns to you, with an expression somewhere between humorous and serious.

- Now try to apologize to Wanda. She gets very annoyed when she is mad at you.

You laugh lightly, but then realize that he is telling you to do this now. He continues to stare at you, and you sigh before standing up. Stephen lifts his pen lightly wishing you good luck and you turn toward Wanda's tent.

But your steps are interrupted by Nat, who has a concerned expression on her face. You frown, but she just signals for you to follow her towards Steve's tent.

- We have a problem. - Steve announces as soon as you arrive, he is leaning both hands against the center table, a map stretched out in front of him. 

- What's wrong? - you ask, and then feel nervous as you notice Wanda standing at the other end of the tent next to Pietro. You look away quickly.

- The O'Driscolls are drunk idiots, that's the problem. - Steve replied, looking stressed. He apologized a second later for his harsh manner, and then he straightened his posture. - Peggy just got back from town, she found out that some O'Driscolls were killed at the oil plant, trying to steal masonry titles. One of them was drunk enough to tell them that they were planning to steal the money from the land purchase.

- Oh, shit. - You grumbled. - Any chance this won't get to Stark?

- Unfortunately it already has. - Steve replied with his arms crossed. - The mess happened two days ago. And the local guards sent a carriage to Saint Denis the same day. Peggy spoke to our contact at the bank, and Stark cancelled the deposit.

- Will he no longer buy the land? - you asked.

- Oh, he is. Only the money will be transferred by train. - Steve clarified, and then he took a pen and started to draw a route on the map on the table. - Which means that we are going to change the route completely.

- At least now we are not going to break into a bank. - Nat remarked softly to you, and you smiled at her. 

- We will have two chances to access the money. - Steve explained as he finished scratching out the map. You notice that he also circles two points. - Stark will bring the money in a carriage that will leave his estate somewhere in the Cumberland Forest, but no one knows from where exactly. Besides, he has his own personal guard, and even if we could find out where his house is, it would still be a pain in the ass to get in there. 

- I imagine that this carriage will be extremely well protected too. - Pietro commented, and Steve just nodded in agreement.

- Our first option is a bit risky, but it might work if we were fast enough. - Steve said. - When Stark negotiates the purchase, he will need to show the money to the real estate agents, and the safe will either be inside one of the carriages for the seller to confirm the amount, or the safe will be carried to one of the factory rooms for counting. 

- If we try to steal the safe from inside the factory, we will face twice as many guns. - Said Nat with crossed arms, Steve nodded in agreement.

- Exactly, Natasha. Our only advantage would be for Pietro to infiltrate as an employee and get us inside quietly.

- Not a chance! - You say, and Steve frowns. - You won't send Pietro alone. One mistake and he would have more than a hundred guns pointed at him. It's too dangerous.

Pietro stared at you in slight surprise, looking embarrassed that you had stood up to Steve for him. Wanda had a look in her eyes that you couldn't decipher.

- Yes, you're right. - Steve said after a moment. - We only have one other option left then. We'll steal the money when it's transferred to the train.

- Train? - asks Maria from the other corner of the tent. - But there are no stations in the area.

- Ah, yes. But everything works for those who have money. - Bucky said with irony. Steve smiled before explaining: 

- Stark has asked that the checkpoint in the Heartlands area be reactivated. It's near the factories, and they're going to take the safe by carriage there. - He marked on the map the location. - The train will only stop here and then go straight to Saint Denis.

- We always end up stealing a train. - You whispered to Nat, who smiled with amusement.

- We don't know how many guards will board the train, however, the number will be smaller than if we take on all the guards at the factory plus Stark's guards.

- Let's go over the final arrangement of the plan then. - Peggy announced. - We're going to need more people to stay on board, especially now that we're going to jump on a moving train. - Peggy explained with a light irony that drew laughter from everyone. She took a small notebook from her jacket, where you guessed she had organized the names and functions, before speaking again. - Steve and I ride together to the meeting point in the negotiation area, where we will be able to see Stark's carriage on its way. Thor and Bucky stand further away, each in a different direction, to signal if there is another guard formation. Meanwhile, Nat and Monica stand guard at the location where we will board the train. Y/N, Pietro and Wanda wait a little ahead, to signal when the train is coming and you find the ideal spot to jump off without being seen by the guards. We will ride to you as soon as the train leaves.

- Does anyone have any questions? - said Steve looking at everyone. You were going over the plan mentally so you didn't say anything.

- When we get on the train, who will take care of our horses? - asked Nat, leaning slightly against you.

- Actually, I suggest you split up the mounts. It will be faster to call the horses back if you have fewer. We can have them follow the train as well.  - Peggy said, and then she pointed her fingers around the gang members, as if she were counting. - Let's see, me, Bucky, Steve and Thor will be on our own horses. Nat and Monica can ride together, and so can the twins. 

- I guess that's all. - Steve announced. - Rest, and avoid alcohol tonight. We'll ride tomorrow.

You began to feel slightly anxious as soon as you left the tent. Changing plans on the eve of a strike was a very dangerous thing. Nat put an arm around your shoulders, while you walked outside.

- Ready to rob a train, old friend? - she said in a playful and ironic tone, you laughed.

- Always. - You replied in the same tone. Nat waved you goodnight before leaving towards her tent, and you were walking towards yours, but then you bit your lip and turned on your heel, heading towards Pietro and Wanda's tent.

Pietro had just come in when you arrived, and Wanda was already sitting on her bed. He smiled at you.

- Honey, have you come to wish me good luck? - He teased, throwing his arms around you. You pushed him away, making him laugh.

- I wanted to...

- Oh, I know just what you wanted. - He interrupted, pretending to be hurt as he raised a hand to his chest, dramatizing. - I am so dedicated to this friendship and you don't even come to see me or say good night!

You frown with mock amusement, watching Pietro pretend to have a crying face. He pushes you slightly to get out of the tent.

- I want a divorce, Y/N. - He announces dramatically. - You may have Wanda, but the house is mine!

You hold back a laugh as you nudge him in the chest. He just laughs and turns around, walking toward the fire.

A smile plays on Wanda's lips as you turn around, you take a deep breath before entering the tent, and then you sit down on Pietro's bed, facing the redhead. She looks down at the floor, and you let your gaze wander over her face.

It takes a moment, but Wanda finally looks into your eyes, and you hold her gaze. As you look at each other, you feel your heart race, but you don't mind.

- Hi. - You sigh breathlessly after a moment. Wanda's gaze wavers.

- Hi. - She says without smiling, her gaze falls back to the ground.

You bite the inside of your cheek, but before you can think of what to say next, Wanda speaks again, her expression serious.

- Thank you for standing up for Pietro. - You blink in confusion, but Wanda continues. - About the situation at the factory.

- No problem. - Your voice comes out a little hoarse, and you cough before you speak again. - I don't think they'd make him go by himself anyway.

- Still, thank you. - she says, and you nod. Wanda moves her hands nervously. - Do you want anything, I'm going to sleep already…

- I want to apologize. - You interrupt her, and she looks at you quickly. You look away for a second, feeling embarrassed. But knowing that apologies should be made with an eye to the eye, you take a deep breath and face her. - Wanda, I'm sorry I avoided you these days.

- You really admitted it. - She grumbled, looking surprised and hurt. You swallowed hard.

- I was afraid. - You confessed, and she looked at you with confusion. - I thought I had crossed a line with you. But I'm not afraid anymore. Well, I'm still scared, because this is new, but okay, it's a good feeling…

You started to ramble and Wanda let out a giggle, and then she lunged at you, hugging you, and shutting you up. In your shock, you fell off the bed on your knees, but you kept hugging each other.

- Please don't keep things from me. - She asked in a low tone, mumbling against your hair. You nodded in agreement, squeezing her in your arms before you pulled away. - Will you tell me why you were avoiding me? - She asked looking at you curiously, and even a little defiantly, as if checking to see if you would keep hiding things from her. You bit your lower lip, blushing, and bowed your head in agreement.

- I thought I was crossing a line with you that day in the forest. - You mumbled without looking at her. Wanda frowned, blushing slightly.

- You were going to kiss me, right? - she asked in a whisper. Your heart raced, but you nodded in agreement. Wanda looked down at the floor, a shy smile on her lips. - I would have liked that.

You felt your face heat up at the confession, but smiled, looking at Wanda. It took a moment for her to meet your gaze, her face flushed, but when she did, you felt your stomach turn with nervousness.

- Look, I hate to interrupt the couple's reconciliation, but I have a train to rob tomorrow. - Pietro's voice broke the moment completely, and you almost fell back in astonishment when you noticed Pietro standing at the entrance of the tent, with a mischievous smile. 

- Perfect timing as always. - You grumbled as you got up from the floor, reaching out to help Wanda. Pietro came into the room next, pushing you lightly as he threw himself on his own bed. You let out a grumble of dissatisfaction.

- I told you I'd keep the house. - He teased last, and you tugged on his pillow, causing him to let out an indignant exclamation, but you were quick to throw the object against his face with mock amusement.

- Good night, sweetheart. - You retorted, quickly pulling away to keep him from hitting you with the pillow. You laughed as you left the room. Wanda hurried after you and you were surprised to see her following you out. 

Outside, at the entrance to her cabin, Wanda waited until you turned toward her, and then she stepped closer to you, putting her hands on your neck, and pulling your face toward her. She met your lips in a firm but soft kiss. 

You staggered back in surprise, closing your eyes. Your whole body throbbed, but before you could respond, she pulled away. 

- Goodnight. - she whispered in a husky tone, before turning back to her own cabin.

You stood there for a few seconds, unable to process exactly what had happened, the sensation of Wanda's lips against yours tingling in your mouth. A good few minutes passed before you returned to your own tent, a foolish smile on your lips.