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#god. and he's sheen staying at ours for a week now i had enough
muscosus · 10 months
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killing my self. i'm killing myself so hard rn.
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alphabet boy
SYNOPSIS: You should feel extremely lucky that the handsome and intelligent Armin Arlert is your tutor...even when he's a little mean to you. Because that's your fault, isn't it? He wouldn't have to be mean if you weren't so damn stupid.
PAIRING: Armin x FEM!Reader
DEDICATED TO: armin fuckers. non armin fuckers, i hope i can convert you.
TW: dubcon touching, manipulative behavior, gaslighting, academia shaming,
WC: 1.8k
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“Maybe you’re not cut out for this class.”
He said it so casually, a comment spoken between the flip of textbook pages. You couldn’t shake off the undeniable hurt.
“I-Uhm, uh, yeah I have to study a lot...but I like this class. It was a pain to get off the waitlist.” You keep your voice optimistic and light, hoping to mask the offense taken.
You don’t know why Armin would say that, but maybe he was just being logical...he’s seen you struggle, of course, he’d think the class was too hard for you.
The blond sighs, closing his novel that he brought with him while he waited for you to finish your practice problems.
“You can barely keep up with the weekly homework assignments. You didn’t even hand in your assignment last week, right? Better drop out now before the add and drop deadline.” His voice is soft and cold at the same time. It’s unnerving.
You tuck your hair behind your ears, eyes set low, too ashamed to meet your tutor’s. Armin had been your tutor for the past few weeks now, and you thought it was going pretty well. He was so so smart that you couldn’t help but be a little starstruck. He was handsome too, short-cropped blond hair, wide blue eyes, with a wardrobe that was composed of slacks and sweaters.
Usually, he was always overly polite and charming. You could make countless mistakes and his patience was endless. He had some off-days where he was a little withdrawn and quiet. You never held it against him though, knowing he had no obligation to make idle chatter. But sometimes, you could feel his chilly gaze watching you even though he had a book propped open.
“I emailed the professor, he was really chill about it. Last week was really rough for me, you know? I wasn’t feeling well and...”
“You know excuses don’t fly in the real world right? You’re in college now. Professor Ackerman was just being courteous. He probably thinks you’re lazy.” Even though you try not to look at him, you can feel Armin’s azure blues burn holes into you. There was this quiet intensity about him that made you worry about when the restraints would come off.
Armin can’t help but let condescension drip over his words. Any self-respecting person would defend themselves, but not you. Not when you’re already broken by your own insecurities that make it that much easier for him to trample on.
He can already see pearly-sheened tears leaking from the corner of your hopeless eyes. How cute. You part your pretty little mouth to say something, but no words come out. You close your mouth soon enough, looking every bit like a dumb little airhead.
So he continues: “You know your classmates learned all the first few chapters from high school right? You’re the only one starting fresh.” He moves closer, elbows inching closer to infiltrate your little personal-space bubble, knees knocking into yours under the desk.
More tears form under your lower lashes, and Armin mentally counts the crystal droplets. You’re recoiling into yourself like a shrinking violet which only encourages Armin to go just a little farther.
“You don’t even have your major picked out yet. This is a core class for your classmates, you know. You’re wasting your-no, everyone’s time.”
Not wanting to cry in front of your tutor, you rub your eyes with the sleeve of your jacket, fully aware of how utterly pathetic you look right now.
In a small voice, you manage to utter, “I have a right...to be in this class. Even though I’m slow now, I think with some decent amount of studying...I’ll catch up. Even if I’m not-” you take a deep breath, “as quick as my classmates, I still really enjoy what I learn. And..and...I think at the end of the day, that’s what really matters!”
Armin scoffs, “Do you really like the class or are you staying for Ackerman? God knows how many fangirls he’s had to put up with.”
Even as he spoke those words, Armin knew it wasn’t entirely true. You admired the man zealously and had read all of his published papers. Honestly, your admiration had always annoyed him.
You wince at the insinuation but you could feel the anger simmering in your gut, “You have no right to imply that! Wh-why-” Your voice breaks, “are you being so mean?”
Armin thinks you’re so cute, the way you jut out your bottom lip. So cute and pathetic. The corners of his lips quirk upwards. It’s almost endearing how you say “mean” like it’s the worst thing a person can be.
“Am I being mean or am I being realistic?” The blond coos, “I’m your tutor, right? I know the best for you.”
He takes your silence as an invitation to goad you harder: “You’re only upset because I’m telling you what you don’t want to hear.”
You don’t notice the proximity until Armin lays his hand over yours, squeezing the soft flesh of your palms. His voice is gentle as he reassures you: “Hey, hey, don’t cry. It’s okay.”
He made you cry, but you don’t have it in you to pull away from the only semblance of comfort given to you. His chair scrapes the floor as he sets it right beside yours, wrapping an arm around you, encouraging you to lean your head against his shoulder.
It’s a little sad but this is probably the most physical contact you’ve gotten in a while. You’re an utter mess, and on top of all that, touch-starved.
You’re still sniffling like a crybaby, trying to sort your own emotions out. You take a few deep breaths and force yourself to face the facts:
You’re behind.
The class is too much work for you.
Armin’s right, you’re upset because he’s telling you what you don’t want to hear.
“D-do you really think I should drop the class?” Your voice is so defeated, a pinch louder than a whisper.
His long fingers play with the ends of your hair, “I know this class is really important to you and we both want you to do well...so why don’t we increase our tutoring sessions? Maybe we should meet three times a week.”
He smiles at you, and it looks so genuine. You’re immensely grateful, you are, but confusion washes over you, “Wow, Uh, that’ll be great actually but um, uni tutoring services is once a week...so-”
Armin dismisses your concerns with a gentle wave of his hands, “Don’t worry, It’ll be off the books. Think of this as private tutoring. Of course, we’ll have to start meeting in my room from now on.”
While he doesn’t elaborate on why you have to meet in his dorm, you assume Armin has a good reason and it probably involves university-sanctioned student-tutor guidelines.
You’re stammering out thank-you’s, still trying to rub the tears out of your eyes until you feel a soft handkerchief wiping them away.
“It’s okay, don’t worry.” He reassures, “Don’t use your sleeve. It’s too rough for your pretty face.”
You blush under his words, wide eyes locked into his oceanic blues, “I d-don’t know if I’ll be able to compensate you f-for the private tutoring.”
His eyebrows crease as he gives you a smile full of pearly teeth, “You don’t have to worry about that for now.” His hands graze over your knuckles, “We’ll figure something out.”
“Thank you Armin.” You say it so sincerely, trying to muster the biggest smile you can after the blond essentially trampled over your self-esteem to only nurse it back with sweet promises.
“Well, we better finish today’s work then.” He responds calmly, not bothering to detangle himself from you. You can feel his body heat radiating onto you, and how his hand moved to casually rest on your thigh. But that’s normal right? If you think about it, Armin was not exactly adverse to touch. During your past tutoring sessions, his hand would always be on the small of your back or shoulders.
“Hey, you’re not getting distracted again, are you?” His voice is playful like he isn’t sliding his hand up and down the span of skin between your skirt and tights. When you don't respond, he pinches your inner thigh, eliciting a startled gasp from you.
"Focus." It's a demand so it must be followed.
Embarrassed, you nod your head and return your focus to the problem sets even though your hands are shaky as you grip the ballpoint pen.
You don’t notice how the blond’s eyes gleam under the fluorescent lighting at your easy compliance. He’s always liked obedient girls.
Your thighs are growing warmer, and it doesn’t help to have Armin peering over you. Still, you try your best to lull yourself to focus until a ringtone breaks your concentration.
Armin breaks away from you to find his phone and you find your body subconsciously missing the warmth. He lightly curses under his breath once he sees the contact name, but answers nonetheless.
“Yeah...sorry babe. I forgot. I’ll be right over.” He sounds apologetic but he looks downright bored.
And like that, the call is over. He looks over at you with an apology falling from his lips, “Sorry about that. I forgot I had something to do today. We’ll end early.”
Your throat is dry as you ask, “Was that your girlfriend?” You regretted your words the moment they escaped. That was none of your business. It doesn’t matter if he was holding you earlier. He was doing so because you were bawling like a baby. But why did he touch your thighs?
That doesn’t have to mean anything, you rationalize. Besides, Armin would never make a move on you. He was a handsome senior with a perfect GPA and a powerful position in the student government. Stupid freshman girls like you are not worth the time he so generously gives out.
The blond smirks, seeming to notice your internal struggle, “Something like that. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure she won’t distract me from our future sessions.”
That was a puzzling comment. His girlfriend supposedly distracting from your study time wasn’t even a concern you held.
“No, no, that’s ok.” You quickly assure, “You’ve already helped me out so much.”
The blond pats the top of your head like you were a puppy, “I’d do anything for my cute little student.”
The way your face heats up with a dark blush should be criminal. All he did was pat your head, and you’re looking at him starry-eyed like he didn’t grope your thighs under the table. Honestly, all your cute little blubbering had gone straight to his cock. Annie would have to handle his big problem.
These private sessions are going to be fun.
part I ---- complete
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cipheress-to-k-pop · 3 years
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Supernova (Chapter 7)
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Pairing: Dick Grayson as Robin x Reader
Warnings: None! Lmao finally
Word Count: 3.9K
Summary: As the daughter of Wonder Woman, you always knew you were destined for something more than the life of a mortal. It seemed like your wish for a life of adventure came true but whether in the form of a blessing or curse, you didn’t know. All you know is that you were the sole witness for a chain of murders that would begin. It’s up to you to find out who was the murderer before it’s too late……
A/N: It's a sweet chapter ya'll. I promise.
Supernova Masterlist
“You’re sweaty.” Robin murmured when you rested your forehead against the nape of his neck. You both were exhausted after training and you were a shower away from passing out in your bed but you both still needed a few minutes to catch your breath, leaning on each other for support. Even though he was complaining about you sweating, he didn’t seem to do anything to get away from you, even going so far as to wrap an arm around your shoulder.
You felt him swallowing the gulps of water against your skin before scoffing and wiping your skin with a towel, “As if you’re any better, my eyes are stinging from your sweat.”
Then you both dissolved back to silence, quietly enjoying each other’s company as the night slowly bled into day.
“Do you ever wonder what smoking feels like?” You asked and Robin laughed, making you whine when he began shaking, moving your body in tandem with his because of it. Even though you pinched his side to get him to stop laughing, it was useless since it made him laugh even harder, slugging you off his shoulder as your back hit the training mat.
“It wasn’t even that funny.”
“It was random."
“I was just thinking about it. I can hardly breathe when someone else is smoking beside me. I wonder how it feels actually inhaling the stuff.” You wondered, now getting comfortable on your back and he lay down beside you, “I guess some people enjoy it.”
It was silent again and you yawned, waiting for your body to cool off. The unfortunate thing about living at Happy Harbor was that the weather was unusually hot during the summer, so hot that even the water ended up getting to a scorching temperature. If you went for a shower straight after training, you’d be slowly boiled to perfection.
But the more you waited, the sleepier you got.
Robin spared you a glance as you yawned once again, stifling his own. The training had been taking a toll on him, since he would come to the cave right after patrol instead of sleep at the Manor. Partly because he liked seeing you improve in combat and get better each day and partly because he just liked seeing you.
If he caught you on a good day, you were fun to be around, cheerful and funny. Your energies mixed together well, fitting together like two puzzle pieces but he never lingered on that thought for long. For now, Robin just wanted to be supportive and a good friend. He’d seen firsthand how much you could change when things hurt you and he never wanted to push you towards that again.
His mind drifted back to the day in the interrogation room, the way you didn’t have any remorse for Thelma when she cried and screamed in front of you. It was so unlike you and for a few brief moments he wondered if he ever knew you at all.
He looked at you again, noticing the way you were smiling at nothing, the sheen of sweat on your face and neck before rethinking. He knew you; he was sure of that. And he liked you for it too.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Just that prom is next week at school. Before Valerie I would’ve pleaded to go but I don’t think I’d want to return to school after this.” You said thoughtfully, suddenly thinking about what you would do if you made out of all this alive.
“Maybe you should transfer to my school.” He said absentmindedly. It wasn’t really a suggestion that he thought you’d accept but he actually liked the thought of you going to his school.
You sent him a teasing smile, “Oh? Boy Wonder actually goes to school? Not some advanced intelligence nerd program?”
He laughed at this, “You’re one to talk.”
It was silent for the next couple moments once again while you both rested comfortably. This was the thing he appreciated the most about your relationship; when it was silent, he wasn’t scrambling to find some conversation piece to fill the silence. He wasn’t unaccustomed to awkward silence but it never felt awkward when he was with you. It was just silence.
He could stay beside you and just stay silent and that was enough. He liked that.
“What color are your eyes?” You asked again, curious.
“Like I’d tell you.” He sighed, sounding way too comfortable for his own good. You kicked him lighter than you were intending to.
“They’re brown, aren’t they?”
“Why brown?”
“Because I feel like any other color would give you an unfair advantage.”
He settled in further, wanting the training mats to suddenly feel like his mattress back home, “Well I’m no swim team captain but.”
“Jealous?”
“Sure.”
The sweat was making the mats stick to your skin and you felt it aggressively peel from your skin when you turned on your side to face him. Now you were made painfully aware about the cold sweat pooling below you and realized you were in desperate need for a shower.
You rubbed his arm gently, wishing him a good night even though you knew that the sun was up. Robin returned the gesture with a smile, telling you to get a good night’s sleep. As he watched your receding back, a thought came to his mind and he stopped you in your tracks.
“Here’s a thought, why don’t we do something on prom night? Have our own little thing right here? We could watch a movie or something.” He proposed and your brows furrowed, “Don’t you have prom too?”
He did. Which was planned and decorated with the money his father had generously donated. But Dick didn’t feel an ounce of remorse for missing it. He also knew it was the only night that the others wouldn’t be home, all at their own prom. As long as he would get to have a fun night with you.
“Yeah, but I wasn’t planning on going anyway.” Alfred had already pressed his suit and had a special corsage ordered. He was going with Barbara, as friends, but cancelling on her seemed like a small feat in the moment.
“Are you sure?” “Definitely.”
You smiled slightly, nodding before waving goodbye and continuing on your way to the showers. When he heard the door shut, Dick realized just what he had gotten himself to and flopped back onto the mats, ‘What did I just do?’
He’d have to cancel the limo without his dad or Alfred finding out. He’d have to cancel the reservations at the restaurant. For goodness’ sake, he’d have to take a rain check on Barbara. Still, Dick wasn’t able to wipe the smile off his face.
***
You were oddly looking forward to hanging out with Robin tonight. Everyone had already left for their own proms, Zatanna was in a dress that she had borrowed from you. Even though you knew that the prom dress you had been planning to wear would’ve been the best for her school theme, you had a weirdly hard time parting from it, considering it was just a piece of clothing.
All three girls spent a couple hours primping with you, trying their best to include you in some of the fun. You even managed to rope Artemis into getting glammed up. She protested a lot at first but once she got in the chair it was like you had tamed a jungle cat. They had time to style your hair as well and you barely had any idea what was happening while Doja Cat played and you had a sheet mask on. After getting that off, you felt like a new born baby.
You sent all three of them off after taking a ton of pictures and they told you to have a great night too, smiling like they knew something you didn’t.
Now that the cave was completely empty, even Aqualad had left that morning to pay a visit to Atlantis, you were left alone with Robin and were excited about it. You weren’t going to do anything special anyway, other than watching a movie and stuffing your face with food but you were still happy to spend some time with him when you both weren’t sweating like pigs.
Even the thought of sitting beside him on the couch while a movie played had a skip in your step.
Just as you saw the doors to the main hall and a familiar head of hair, you picked up the pace until you stopped walking all together, shocked.
Because there stood Robin waiting by the door with a shy smile on his face. Dressed in a suit and tie.
You chocked out a laugh, not quite sure why it felt like the wind was knocked out of you before walking up to him, gently pulling his fingers away from the tie he was fidgeting with and straightening it out, “A little over-dressed for a movie, don’t you think?”
“Change of plans, we’re going to have our own prom night, right here.”
You giggled, reclipping the tie clip before straightening out the corsage in his breast pocket. You spared a glance up, meeting his eyes and you realized just how close the both of you had gotten. If he didn’t have the sunglasses on, you would’ve been able to see your reflection in his—probably— brown eyes.
You cleared your throat, stepping away from him not before smoothing your hands down the lapels, smiling at just how handsome he looked.
“Wish you would’ve told me. I would’ve matched what I’m wearing to your tie.” You teased.
“Actually, you can.” You raised a brow at this and the red began crawling up his neck, “I asked your mom to drop your dress off. It’s in your room.”
The uncomfortable conversation with Wonder Woman about why he wanted the particular dress that her daughter of the same age was planning to wear to prom was completely worth it when he watched your eyes light up like the sun before throwing your arms around his neck, “Oh my god! I love you!”
The dress fit you like a glove, even though the last time you wore tried it on it had been a teeny bit snug. All those hours training with Robin probably made it fit a little better even though you didn’t look any different. You stood in front of the mirror and couldn’t stop twirling; the dress was just so beautiful and you were over the moon that you got to wear it.
When you met Robin by the door, it felt a little too good to be true, the way he smiled at you just as your eyes met and then held out his arm for you to take. Your heart was sure to stop beating tonight at the rate it was thumping in your chest. You could barely hear him over the sound of it, filled with too much adrenaline and excitement. You could’ve gone for a 100-mile run with the amount of energy you suddenly had.
“You look pretty.”
You grinned and curtsied in an old-fashioned way, tipping an imaginary hat, “Why, thank you. You look pretty dapper yourself.”
He laughed, “Dapper?”
“It’s a word, look it up, tweetie bird.”
“And now all the magic’s dead.”
“Oh? Because I was expecting you to pull out a bouquet from your sleeve there.”
“Actually—” He smiled, pulling out a matching corsage from his suit pocket and holding it out to you, “I went all out.”
He helped you fasten it around your wrist when you struggled to do it with one hand and your breath got caught in your throat. It was awkward, to say the least, the energy between the both of you. In fact, there was so much tension that you felt like you could choke on it. Even though your first response to any kind of distress was to hide underneath the blankets in your bedroom, you still stayed by his side.
“So, what are we waiting for? What movie are we watching?”
It seemed like he finally remembered why he was standing outside the hall in the first place and smiled shyly, a blush faintly painting his cheeks. It felt like he was stalling the more you thought about it, lingering at the door for way too long as if something would explode or jump at you if he put his hand on the handle.
“Actually—”
He opened the door and you gasped, “You need to stop saying ‘Actually’ because every time you do, I get a heart attack.”
How he managed to get all this done in a day was beyond you. The table was filled with snacks and drinks that you knew was meant to be left over for Wally to finish. The TV had a blanket fort in front of it, looking so cozy that you suddenly wanted to take a nap. The holo-computer was projecting something similar to a carnival game, with a couple targets levitating mid-air, labelled with different points.
Your heart fluttered when you realized that Robin had gone through all this just to make sure you’d have a fun night and suddenly your eyes felt alarmingly wet.
“You’re not gonna cry, are you?” Came his incredulous response and you gave him the weakest punch you could possibly muster because you knew any harder could give your date a hairline fracture, “Excuse me. It’s a perfectly healthy emotional response.”
“Yeah, but you cry a lot, have you realized?” He teased, pulling you toward the holo-computer, giving you a simulator stun gun and then picking one up for himself.
“You don’t cry at all, Mr. Roboto,” You cocked the gun and pointed at him playfully, “But no matter, you’ll be crying once I beat you to dust.”
His signature laugh was the next thing you heard and you blushed, embarrassed that you liked it more than you cared to admit, “Let’s just see about that.”
***
“And then she goes—Word for word, I’m not even kidding—” You told, picking up a tennis ball and using it to imitate an apple before pretending to take a bite out of it, “Young lady, eating is simply not allowed on school premises. *crunch* These rules obviously apply to everyone. *crunch* No one is above the rules. *crunch*”
Robin was laughing at your horrible British accent and the way you tried so hard to sound all hoity-toity, had Alfred been here he would’ve been appalled. To be quite honest, you weren’t even sure if the lady was British or not, but it seemed fitting and the way Robin was laughing made you embarrassing yourself a teensy bit worth it.
“Not to mention she’s spewing apple chunks all over me. I can never unsee that image.” You shuddered, shaking your head and his laughs dulled down to chuckles.
“That’s not that bad. Once, our health class teacher was covering contraceptives and such. And he stands in front of the entire class and, with absolutely no hesitation, asks ‘So boys and girls, what are your favorite condom brands?’” You burst into laughter at that hiding your face in your hands as tears began blurring your vision.
“Oh, my goodness, I can’t breathe, stop talking!” You interrupted his story, clutching your stomach and flopping on your back from laughing so hard. He laughed, watching you writhe on the floor, unable to stop the choked chortles that were leaving your lips. Your stomach felt like you had just done an ab workout.
The movie that was playing had long gotten over, the credits frozen on the screen as you both continued to talk, recounting all the hilarious stories you could remember as music played in the background, “Alright, so it’s an all-girls program and all of the girls are chattering about and have their own little groups in the auditorium. And my principal goes, ‘Why are you all standing so close? You all are straight girls, are you not?’”
“Not as bad as a girl volunteering to sing during a school assembly before serenading me in front of the entire school. Even though we’ve never actually talked.” He blushed, remembering just how embarrassing the situation was. You threw your head back, missing the moment Robin took to admire you.
“You little Casanova. Are you really complaining about being a heartthrob?” You teased, nudging him playfully and he rolled his eyes though it was hidden by his glasses.
Eventually the stories and laughter begin to die down as your ears tune into the music playing in the background. Just as a fun, rap song that you weren’t paying attention to but were sure had something to do with sex ended, you heard the familiar tune flow through the speakers and smiled as the singers’ voices filled your ears.
“Ahh, I love this song.” You smiled, listening to the first verse. It was a pretty love song that always got you singing when you heard it playing in the car. It was the song you listened to on repeat when you read a romance book to give you the right feels. Closing your eyes, you recalled the last book you read to the music, smiling as the feeling of giddiness began to flow through you.
“Care to join me for a dance?”
When you opened your eyes, Robin was holding a hand out for you, a gentle and reassuring smile on his face and you didn’t hesitate before taking his hand. If he had asked at the start of the night, you probably would’ve blushed and felt nervous just by holding his hand but after spending a couple hours together, you were finally in tune with each other.
You didn’t mind resting your hands on his shoulders as his floated around your waist before you began swaying to the rhythm. You had spent the whole day together, more or less in the same way; resting against each other while watching the movie, holding his hand when he attempted to throw a ball with your lacrosse stick and failing before you stepped behind him to show him how it was done and finally feeding each other food as you attempted to play the guess different foods while blindfolded.
You giggled at the way Robin squirmed when the petals of your corsage tickled his neck, still swaying out of beat to the song but it didn’t really matter, you were just trying hard not to trip over the slight train of the dress or on his feet.
“It’s occurring to me that I haven’t actually thanked you for all of this.” You began, eyes darting around the place as you took in just how much he had done for you today and your heart swelled in your chest, smiling softly without even realizing it. His fingers tightened their grip on your waist slightly and the light blush crawling on his cheeks was the only indication that he was feeling slightly embarrassed.
You looked him back in the eye, well at your reflection in his sunglasses, “I’m really touched, Rob. No one’s ever done anything like this for me and I really don’t know what to say to make you understand just how much this means to me. Thank you.”
Thank you didn’t even begin to express how much you felt for him at this point, dancing with you in bare feet across the hall. A night you had been dreading for a while, a night you thought would be spent all alone was made one of the best ones since you opened your eyes on the planet just because of him. You couldn’t tell him how grateful you were for that.
He felt embarrassed that you were putting him on the spot this way. You had said so much and a simple ‘You’re welcome’ didn’t seem right to say. It felt awkward and distant and off-putting, how would you continue the conversation after he so rudely shut you down without any other way to continue?
His hands were slightly sweating against your dress and if you noticed the increase of warmth from his palms, you didn’t say anything. So, he said the only thing he could to sort of fill the silence, “It was nothing, really. You really don’t have to thank me; I didn’t do much. Besides, I hardly think any of this could compare to your real pro—”
He was cut of by your hands slowly sliding to delicately cup his cheeks before slanting your lips over his in your first kiss. He inhaled sharply against your lips, fingertips digging into your waist. The kiss itself wasn’t much, just a silky brush of your lips against his without any pressure before you pulled back and gave him an endearing smile, “Thank you.”
He returned it, pulling you a teensy bit closer so he could hold you against him but still far enough so you couldn’t feel his heartbeat thrumming against his ribcage.
***
Not even twenty minutes after the two of you had parted with whispered goodnights, you climbed up the stairs to Robin’s nest, with your makeup freshly washed off and dressed in comfy pajamas. You saw the tip of Robin’s head peek out from the beanbag and smiled. Your heart was slowly sinking to your stomach with the thought of talking to him.
“Hey.”
He turned around, seemingly surprised to see you which he never seemed before. Usually, he could hear you from a mile away. The tie around his neck was loosened, the top button undone and his suit jacket lay wrinkled beside him, though he was still wearing his glasses.
Nonetheless, he gave you a gentle smile, scooting over a little so you could plop beside him on the beanbag, “Missed me already?”
“Yeah.” The honesty in your voice caught him off-guard and he found himself blushing and avoiding your eyes as he waited for you to speak again and tell him why you came up here. Of course, his heart leaped at the thought that you were up here just to see him, even though you spent the whole night together.
“Listen about earlier,” He turned his head to you but this time it was you who wouldn’t look at him, playing with your fingers in your lap, “About the kiss; I’m sorry.”
He could hardly hear anything other than his heartbeat when he heard the tone in your voice and he knew that something bad was going to come. Were you going to tell him that it was a mistake and that you regret it? He wouldn’t hold it against you but his heart tore at even the thought.
“I shouldn’t have done it without asking for permission first, I’m sorry. I was just reliving it and I realized that I never actually asked if I could, you know? It’s just I really like you and got caught up in nerves and emotions and all—” Somehow you managed to catch yourself rambling and stopped, taking a deep breath, “Anyway, if it made you uncomfortable, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.”
You glanced back up at him with a shy smile, “Are you gonna say something or, do you want me to leave….”
If it was possible, you looked even more beautiful barefaced and hair pulled back from your face than you did in the most beautiful dress he had ever seen you in before.
“Could I kiss you? Please?”
Your breath got caught in your throat and you found yourself leaning in before you could even think of saying anything.
Who were you to say no?
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@isawachickeninatree
@uxavity
@battlenix
@capricorn-stark
@evermoore580
@dumbbitchgalore
@fuckingjinkies
Supernova Taglist:
@tinybeantm
@adc2016
@seoulnights5
@renjunvrse
@brightjimini
@mad4hugs
@uniyasi
@wierdlypineapple
@mono--moonchild
@smol-book-nerd
224 notes · View notes
jeongvision · 4 years
Text
make a wish
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synopsis. jaehyun loves you very much; so much that he came over to your place at midnight to wish you a happy birthday. meanwhile, you also love jaehyun very much; so much that you think that he deserves a very special present from you even on your birthday.
pairing. boyfriend! jeong jaehyun ✗ fem! reader
genre. smut, fluff if you squint a little, established relationship au
word count. 2.9k
warnings. cursing, sexual themes (marking, fingering, choking, grinding, dirty talking, degradation, cum play, power play), some religious analogies
author’s note. make a wish english ver. is making me feel some type of way and jaehyun looking expensive in the mv is not helping me so i had to let it out somehow, so enjoy this thirsty work of art lmao
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Today is your birthday, and all Jaehyun planned was to come over to your apartment at midnight with cake and sing you a happy birthday. After that, he’s all yours for the day. You’re free to do whatever you want, whenever you want with him for 24 hours. He was thinking maybe all you wanted to do is just stay in and cuddle while binge watching some netflix shows. Maybe order takeout if you’re feeling a little lazy to cook, and perhaps a few makeout sessions together here and there if you were feeling it. He could tell from your voice how exhausted you were from your work schedule based on the past couple phone calls.
What he did not expect however, is for you to be straddling his hips as you mark his neck up with purples and blues right after you blew out the candles.
And neither did you.
But that’s what makes it all fun, right?
You arrived at your apartment earlier close to 11 at night. work was tiring today. You work as a full-time cashier at a huge department store down the street. It was decent pay, enough to pay for your expenses and live life a little. You didn’t mind how demanding it could be sometimes, how customers can go from being exceptionally patient with your work to customers being absurdly rude to you for just breathing.
However, some of your coworkers called out for a week due to ‘personal reasons’, whatever that may be. Because of that, your manager has been scheduling everyone to work more to make up for all the missing shifts, including you.
You honestly didn’t mind it.
The only time you do is when it doesn’t allow you enough time to regenerate your social battery that you’ve been draining every night for the past two weeks. And every night before your shift ends, without fail, you always think to yourself how much you can’t wait to go home, take a nice, warm bath, and drift off to sleep, only for you to repeat the cycle again the next day. Oh, and maybe call up your boyfriend, if he was still awake, and talk about each other’s day for a bit.
But today is a little different— you finally get a day off to yourself.
You did your nightly after-work ritual: dinner, shower, bath, doze off a little, rinse, dry up, all that good stuff. But once you got dressed and finished blow-drying your hair, your doorbell rang exactly at midnight. You weren’t expecting any visitors this late, so it was reasonable that you were suspicious.
Who the hell? You were on high alert when you walked over to your front door, a wooden baseball in hand. When you went to take a look through the peephole, there was nothing but confusion all over your face. Why is Jaehyun here? As you pondered on, you noticed he held a beige box in both of his hands. As you peered closer you caught glimpse of the familiar label on its right side: it was from none other than your favorite bakery shop.
And that’s when it hit you.
It’s midnight.
You boyfriend is standing right outside your door, holding a box from your favorite bakery shop.
It’s your freaking birthday today.
You didn’t expect Jaehyun to be at your doorstep with a box of cake in his hands. In fact, you didn’t expect to see him at all on your birthday. You remembered him mentioning he had to work on your birthday. He felt bad that he couldn’t spend time with you. There’s always another day, love, you said to him.
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And here you two are in the present: the candles have already been lit, birthday song have been sang, and the tiny smoke from the candles wafts through the air after you blew them out. Jaehyun told you that he called off work to spend the day with you and you were free to do whatever you wanted to do with him. You initially thought that spending the whole day inside lazing around would be the most perfect idea ever after all those strenuous hours at work.
But you had another idea in mind, an idea that stayed in the back of your mind after he sent you a scandalous text last week, stating all the things he wanted to do with you behind closed doors, away from public’s view. Of course he had to conveniently send it during your work shift and your nosy coworker just happened to peer over your shoulder reading the contents. It was all pure jest, my love, he said to you.
A joke it may be, but there’s no harm in making them come true, right?
Your arms are circled around his neck, legs stationed on either side of his legs with your ass planted firmly on his lap. You’re both sat on your living room couch, bodies pressed against each other with the cake long forgotten on your coffee table behind you. His hands are tucked underneath your shirt, caressing your soft skin.
As you continue to nip all over his neck, marking him up, he maneuvers his hands down to your rear, giving them a light squeeze. You sigh at his touch.
“Baby girl,” he grunts, “just what do you think you’re doing?”
You nip at a particular spot on his neck and he groans out loud. God, just the sound of him is enough for you to wet your panties. After licking down on his skin, you pull away from his neck and look down at your creation— there are blue and purple galaxies all over his throat, his lips are red and had a little swell to them from your sloppy makeout session earlier, and the eyes he looks at you with are filled with nothing but carnal lust for you.
You can’t help but feel pride burst in your chest because you did that. You made him, Jung Jaehyun, your boyfriend, look like that.
You gave him a lopsided grin, and he thinks to himself how he can’t wait to wreck you apart inside and out. “What does it look like I’m doing?” you cooed. You can feel his clothed erection poke at your thigh, pulsating underneath, so you grind on it teasingly, watching as his eyes roll back with his mouth open. “I’m just doing what my boyfriend wished for me to do through our text messages the other day. I wanted to show how appreciative I am that he came over and wished me a happy birthday.”
You face moves closer to his, your lips a breath away from his own. You lower your voice down to a whisper, “Is that wrong for me to do?”
He releases a throaty groan. You can feel him bucking up to gain some friction on his dick but you lifted your hips up a little from his lap. “Fuck,” he grunts.
You giggle softly at his reaction. You were never the one to take charge in bed. Jaehyun was always the one to initiate something and follow through with it. You didn’t mind it. In fact, you loved it. but the power you felt over him now was But you feel drunk on the feeling; you savored it, you felt intoxicated, and you wanted more.
Fuck it, screw those text messages. Let’s change it up a little, shall we? How about you take charge for the night?
But little did you know, that is exactly the opposite of what he was going to give you. It may be your birthday, but there’s no way in hell that you’re going to top tonight. You already mentioned those text messages he forgot about, and there’s no way he’s going to make you turn your words back on it.
Before you could even register anything, his right hand that was planted on your ass moves to your front where he cupped your clothed sex. You gasp, eyes blown out, hands now gripping onto his shoulders.
“O-oh!” you mewl.
And so, the reins have been handed over to him. As it should, he thinks. He smirks a little. His fingers rubs against your core at an agonizingly slow pace just to tease you a bit. He could feel the heat radiating off your body and wanted nothing more than to bask in it.
Just as he was about to move his hand away, you grab his wrist to hold it in place.
“Mm.. more..” you quiver.
He clicks his tongue. “Dirty little whore.”
After feeling how your thin shorts were starting to get drenched, he pulls his hand away from your grasp and shoves them inside your panties. Immediately, he can feel you dripping, his fingers and palm collecting all of your essence. His fingers deftly circle your clit before gliding them back and forth on your soaked folds.
Your mind is in a spiral.
“Holy fuck!” And holy, his fingers are, especially when he inserts two fingers inside your pussy. “O-oh my god, Jaehyun-n!”
He sadistically thrusts in and out of your entrance, his thumb stimulating your nub, your moans getting more fervent. “Acting all spoiled just because I’m letting you do whatever you want with me for your birthday. Just who do you think you are? Should I remind you who’s the one in charge here?” he growls.
You whimper at his words, shamelessly grinding yourself onto his hand as his other wraps snugly around the back of your neck.
He grins, face dangerously close to you now. “Now look at you, all fucked out from only my fingers. This pussy just can’t wait for me to fuck you nice and deep, huh? Is that what you want?”
You didn’t answer him, your mind too preoccupied from the bliss his fingers are giving to you. The sweat forming on your skin created a glistening sheen on your exposed collarbone, and all he wants to do is to just ravage it.
And he just might.
His hand wrapped around your neck tightens a little, sending more pleasure through your body and core.
“Answer me, slut.”
You cry out a little, “Y-yes.”
“Yes, what?”
You fail to swallow back your moans. “I-I want you to.. fuck me nice and- oh!”
His fingers hit that delicious spot inside you, your body jerking in response.
“Fuck you nice and what?”
Your sighs come out shakily, “Nice a-and.. deep, with your c-cock- oh my god!”
“God can’t save you now, fucking slut.”
He feels you tightening around his fingers, sending him to fasten his pace. Your grip on his shoulder intensifies, enough to painfully indent his skin. After a few more thrusts from his fingers, a coil inside you snaps, stars blurring your vision as a shockwave overtakes you. You did nothing to suppress your screams as your juices flowed out your core. His fingers continue to thrust in and out of you throughout your orgasm but finally stops as he sees you start to calm down.
Your breathing is erratic, trying to catch up after that earth-shattering orgasm you just experienced. After he feels you relax in his embrace, he lets go of your neck and rests it on your waist. He pulls his fingers out of your pussy and you shuddered at the loss of contact. Your cum slowly drips out of you onto your panties and shorts, some of it gliding onto your thighs where he can visibly see it.
God, does he want to have a taste. You’re definitely going to need some new shorts and undies now. With your half-opened eyes in a complete daze and your breathing evened out, he brings his fingers to your lips, staring dauntingly at your orbs.
“Suck.”
And you obliged. He pushes his fingers past your mouth and you suck on his fingers, tasting yourself. Your tongue swirls around his digits, all while maintaining eye contact with him.
He gravely groans at the sight. “So naughty..” He pulls his fingers away and takes hold of your chin, ravenously capturing your lips with his own, tasting a little bit of you in the process. Your tongue glides past his as he dominates your mouth whole. Your arms wrap around his neck once more, pulling him closer to your soul. His lips are always soft, and yet he kisses you as if he wants to devour you up until your knees buckled.
He breaks away from the kiss, a string of saliva connecting the two of you, and he maneuvers his way down to your throat.
Now it was his turn to paint your neck pretty.
“So fucking naughty for me,” he moans. As he assaults your neck, you rack your nails through his hair, gently pulling on its ends. You could feel him sigh onto your neck as a result of it. He honestly loves it when you pull onto his hair, almost a little too much.
After he was satisfied with his artwork, he looks back up to you and delicately pecks your lips. The corner of his mouth lifts, his dimples now on full display. “Happy birthday, baby.”
You tiredly giggle at the complete change in his demeanor. You were so in love with this man, and you would do anything to make him happy.
“Thank you, my love.”
He grins at you. And he was so in love with you, he would do anything to keep you happy.
He kisses you once again, this time with much more passion and purpose. He held onto your waist as you held onto his neck, enjoying each other’s presence. Afterr staying in each other’s embrace for some time, foreheads touching, a thought popped in Jaehyun’s head.
“You know, you never told me what you wished for.”
Oh, but what is there to wish for when your present is right in front of you?
You shrug your shoulders, “It’s nothing really.”
He tsks out loud, “Baby, we both know that’s a lie.” He moves away from you and leans forward to the side of your face. And all of the sudden, you feel him nibbling your earlobe, kitten licks in between.
You bite down on your lip, struggling to keep your composure together. Surely, you were still recovering from your last orgasm— the attention he was giving to you got you feeling aroused for him again.
He snickers gravely.
Oh how fucking sinful the sound of that is.
“Come on, baby girl. Just tell me. Maybe I can make your wish come true.”
The moan you just released was lecherous to him.
“Answer me, then you shall receive.”
The devil works hard, but Jaehyun works harder.
You quiver at his command. No matter how many times you were intimate with each other, you could never get used to all the dirty talk. Jaehyun was always clear-cut about his wants and needs, but you never were. Mot until you’re pushed on the spot like now.
You swallow down your embarrassment and meekly respond. “I-I.... suck you..”
He stops his teasing and backs up to look at you. “Hm? What was that?” His smirk returns. “I didn’t quite catch that. Speak up, baby. Use your words.”
You refuse to answer, but he pays no mind. You’ll eventually cave in, you always do.
“Baby, I’m waiting.”
You close your eyes and let out a sigh. “I didn’t wish for anything.”
“And why is that?”
You eyes opened up but you look away from his gaze, humiliation all over. Hou stammer over your words, “B-Because.. you’re my birthday wish.”
He lazily grins, bringing his left hand to cup your cheek. That’s when you decided to look up into his eyes. “And what do you wish to do with me?”
You gulp. “I want to.. suck you.”
“Suck where exactly?”
Fucking hell. He’s enjoying this way more than you are. Just who is getting their birthday present here? You groan out in a frustrated manner. To hell with this.
“Your cock. I want your cock in my mouth. O want your fucking dick in my mouth and I want you to use my mouth and fuck it like your own personal toy.” After realizing that you just said, you gasp and covered your mouth with both of your hands. You’re now embarrassed out of your mind, completely wanting the ground to just swallow you up.
You just said that to him, but Jaehyun found it quite adorable that you were capable of saying such things.
And so, he removes your hand from your face, grips on your wrist, and kisses you, a loud smooch throughout the room. After that, he places one of your hands onto his prominent bulge, painstakingly waiting for you attention this entire time. “Baby, you don’t have to say it twice.”
And you couldn’t have been quicker. You step off of him, assuming position with your knees on the floor. He hastily stands up from your couch and works on unzipping his jeans with your help. After pulling his dick out, your mouth waters. Veins aligned along its sides, red at the tip with precum leaking out.
He chuckles at you. “Aren’t you an eager little whore?”
Your eyes shoot up to his, eyes sinfully taking you in. “Just can’t wait to have my cock in your mouth, huh? Greedy little whore. zi bet all you want is my cum in your mouth.” He clicks his tongue.
With one hand on his member and the other holding onto the back of your head, you look down at his shaft. You feel him guiding your head towards him. With your mouth wide open, tongue splayed out for him, you could hear the grin in his voice.
“Happy birthday, baby girl. Now make a wish and blow.”
2K notes · View notes
wonderwomanfantasy · 3 years
Text
Stress relief
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mind your bisnuess I’m working through some shit 
Atsumu x reader
warnings: smut, just- so much smut, Oral, car sex, fingering, Daddy kink, degradation, marking, ass play, dirty talk,Brat taming, slut shaming AND virgin shaming (we got it all folks), hair pulling, cum play, creampie, breading kink, drinking/ Drunk sex, angst annnnnd swearing. 
word count: 4,800 (about) (yes really get off my back)
summary: Atsumu is a dick, but he’s got a good dick at least you have no idea how mad I am I’ve already used the title Enemy with Benifits. 
“Are- Are you fucking kidding me?” you asked, Atsumu just shrugged. 
“No, I’m not fucking kidding you what’s your deal?” he said casually. You took a deep breath. You had been trying to work on your anger issues, Not blowing up on people over nothing. But this really felt like something worth blowing up over. 
“Myia, be honest with me, do you think I’m stupid?” you asked. He smirked.
“I think you’re a lot of things babe-” you stood up getting in his face jabbing your finger in his chest cutting off his no doubt horrendous flirting. 
“You fucking ripped off you’re entire part of the project! How the fuck did you think no one would notice?” you shouted. You had known this was going to be a train wreck the moment Atsumu was assigned as your partner. He was such a fucking moron, he’d only gotten into this College because of his sports scholarship. You would have been better working on your own.
“I cited the article I copied, what's the deal?” he snapped, the volume of your voice irking him. 
“That’s not how this fucking works you can’t just hit copy-paste and call it a day the point is you come up with your own ideas, although in your defense I’m not sure you’re brain could manage something like that,” you shouted. He sneared. 
“I’ll rewrite it just stop being a bitch alright?” he scoffed, turning to leave your dorm room. You wanted to hit him, how dare he call you a bitch when you were just looking out for his dumb ass. Even high schoolers knew you’d be expelled for plagiarising. Once Atsumu left you slumped back in your seat looking at the presentation open on your laptop. You were already so busy but somehow you’d have to find enough time to do half of the project unless you wanted to fail that was.
“Hey, you’re working with (y/n) on your project right?” Osamu asked, setting his volleyball up in the air over and over again. 
“Yeah, they totally blew up on me today so now I gotta redo the whole thing,” Atsumu sighed 
“They’re hot though,” his brother said. Atsumu smiled to himself, remembering your angry face as you chewed him out.
“Really hot,” he agreed. 
“Are you gonna fuck them?” 
“Of course, they might an asshole but they want me,”
“Hey (y/n),” you looked up at the sound of your name only to groan seeing Atsumu run towards you. He had clearly just come from practice, he was still in his jersey. Fucking jocks. 
He probably thought he looked hot, with a light sheen of sweat that made his skin glow and tousled hair. He did look hot, it made you want to kick his shins. 
“If you aren’t going to tell me that you finished your half of the presentation I don’t want to hear it,” you snapped.
“Well then you aren’t going to be happy then but there’s a game this weekend, you should come, cheer for me,” he said winking. You rolled your eyes. 
“I was already planning on going, but you’re nuts if you think I’m gonna cheer for you,” you snapped, still a little heated about your last encounter with him. 
“And why not?” he asked, smirking, it pissed you off. You just knew he thought he looked so cute smiling at you like that. 
“I cheer for winners,”
You and Atsumu were at each other’s throats for the rest of the year. Atsumu Gave up on his plan to sleep with you and you gave up on your anger management, at least around him. If other people were in this situation they might stay away from their sworn enemy, but not you two. 
You made it to every volleyball game just to tell Osamu how great he did and how handsome he was looking today. Atsumu sat next to you in every class you shared talking your ear off making sure that you didn’t learn a damn thing. 
It was annoying as hell, you wanted to strangle him, but it was nice in a kind of way. If you were stressed or pissed off you could drag Atsumu as a little fun. And even if nothing else in your life was going right. You could always count on this blonde dick to be the worst to you. 
“Damn we had the exterminator here last week but there’s a roach right here,” Atsumu sneered over the thumping music at the party. You scoffed and rolled your eyes. 
“You need to look up more insults you’ve already used that one,” you barked back, normally seeing Atsumu would be enough to dampen your mood but the booze must have been doing its job because you still felt all light and buzzed. 
“Beer?” he asked, holding up a bottle for you, ever the gracious host. 
“I’m good,” you said holding up the can of seltzer you’d been drinking out of it was fruity and only had a little bite to it, you were already on your third one. 
“Right I forgot that a baby like you couldn’t handle the taste of beer,” he scoffed, he was closer now, towering over you and pressing one of his forearms to the wall by your head as he leaned over you, shielding you from the rest of the party. You never realized before how big he was. Tall and wide. Muscular too, it was no wonder half the people at the Volleyball games creamed themselves just seeing him. 
“You’re such a dick, why do you always have to be so mean?” you asked before even realizing the words that you’d spoken.
“You aren’t exactly nice either princess, besides that’s how this works, that’s our dynamic,” he said. He must be pretty drunk too. Nothing he was saying was making any sense. 
“Still, how do you expect anyone to put up with you when you’re such a douche bag all the time?” you said the anger you associated with Atsumu finally setting in. 
“If it works it works, I mean you’re obsessed with me,” he said. You gagged and shoved his chest, he didn’t move, god how strong was he?
“Fuck off I hate you, why would I be obsessed with you? God you think that the world fucking revolves around you. How could any-”
His lips met yours effectively shutting you up. His hand came up cupping the back of your head and you couldn’t help but melt into the kiss, pressing your body against his and dropping your drink so your hands would be free to rake through his hair. You weren’t nice about the kiss either, your teeth gnashed against his when he tried to push his tongue into your mouth. You bit his lower lip and tugged at his hair, moaning against his mouth when he did the same to you. 
He broke away breathlessly, still holding you close to his body while you caught your breath. He was so pretty his cheeks flushed his lips wet and glossy. God, you wanted to kiss him again, even if he tasted like beer and he had been right in his assessment that you weren’t a big fan of the taste. 
“Good to know theirs one way to shut you the fuck up,” he teased. You groaned in frustration pulling him back down into another kiss. This one was just as passionate and fierce as the first. He pushed you against the wall and pulled up one of your legs and forced it around his waist so he could grind against you. You shuddered feeling him rut the seam of your jeans against your clit. 
“Woulda fucked you a lot sooner if i'd known you made such pretty noises when you were touched,” he muttered reaching up and palming your breast through your shirt. Atsumu started kissing, or maybe biting was a better word. The top part of your neck even pays some attention to your jaw and earlobe while he humped and groped you. 
“I knew you were a pervert but I never knew you were filthy enough to fuck me out in the open like this,” you gasped, tugging at his hair. You could feel your panties get sticky with your arousal and you wanted him to take you out of here and fuck you already. 
“You’re gonna let me fuck you?” he asked, pulling back so he could look at you and smirk. You smiled back, the fight wasn’t out of you yet. 
“Why would I do that? I’d rather sleep with someone who could make me cum,” you spat and his grin quickly fell, there was a competitive fire in his eyes that you normally only saw when he was playing.
“Oh Daddy’s gonna make you cum you fucking brat, I’ll make you squirt, you’re gonna cry with how good my dick feels,” he growled in a low voice you’d never heard before and suddenly you were regretting your comment. 
“Daddy?” you snorted
Atsumu detangled himself from you and grabbed you by the wrist tugging you out of the frat house and to his car. You shook your head and broke free of his iron-clad grasp. 
“I know you’re stupid but this is a new low, both of us are way too drunk to drive,” you shouted. Atsumu just laughed at you, opening the back door to his car. 
“We aren’t driving dumbass now get in,” he said. You bit your lip and slid into the back seat shortly followed by Atsumu who locked the door behind him. 
The seat wasn’t large but it was big enough to move around in. He pressed you onto the leather upholstery, your legs bent and splayed out at an awkward angle to fit him between them. He went back to kissing you sloppily while his hands went to work taking off your shirt and bra. 
Your nipples hardened once the cold night air touched you. “Wanted to suck on your pretty tits for the longest time,” he groaned quickly lowering his head, sucking one of your nipples into his mouth while he fingered the other twisting and pinching it. You yelped when his teeth grazed over the bud. His eyes flicked up to yours and he let go of the spit-soaked nipple blowing on it lightly making you shiver. 
“How long has it been since you’ve been fucked huh? So many guys want to fuck this sweet little pussy but you’re too stuck up to let that happen.” he snears sucking the other nipple into his mouth. 
“Bet you’re still a fucking virgin,” he said speaking around your mouth. 
“ I a-am not,” you whined, you’d lost your virginity in high school, but you really hadn’t gotten fucked since then. 
“Oh listen to you whine you totally are,” he scoffed 
“No I’m Not!” you protested he let go of your nipple and kissed you again threading his fingers through your hair and pressing your face to his. 
“Shut up you fucking virgin,” he said sweetly, before pulling off his shirt, and before you could admire his chiseled chest he distracted you by biting your neck again. You pressed your hand to the center console to keep from slipping off with one hand and clinging to his shoulders with the other. 
Atsumu deftly unbuttoned your jeans and shoved his hands in your pants touching your through your soaked underwear. You felt him smirk against your neck but he didn’t make any remark about it. Good thing for him too because you could feel his hard prick pressing up against your thigh and you were ready to drag him for it if he commented on your own arousal. 
God, you could feel his cock. It was big, heavy, and hard, pressed against your leg. You wanted to see it, touch it, feel it inside of you. He’d pushed your panties to the side now so he could push his large fingers inside brushing against your velvet walls. 
“A-Atsumu,” you said, pitching your leg up to rub against his dick.  “I want to suck your cock,” you whimpered. You felt him twitch. 
“Here I thought you were a virgin but you’re just a slutty whore aren't cha?” he growled against your neck picking your hips up and yanking your pants down your legs leaving them pooled around your ankles leaving you to kick your jeans off completely. You felt a little stupid naked except for your shoes but Atsumu quickly distracted you by folding you in half pressing your knees to your chest and leaving your pussy completely exposed. 
“I’ll fuck your throat later, right now I gotta make you cum remember?” he said playing his hands over your thighs keeping g you folded before lowering his head and diving into your folds like a man starved. 
Just like he kissed you, he was mean about it, sucking so harshly that you cried out and spanking your cunt just to make you jump. The only time he pulled back was to spit on your asshole lubing it up enough to slip a finger inside. 
“Sumu please,” you cried out as he filled you with his tongue pressing against your G-spot over and over again while he pinched your clit. You weren’t even sure what you were begging for. He just hummed in acknowledgment, whatever you were begging for he wasn’t going to have it. 
“Daddy,” you pleaded, finally caving. Atsumu smiled to himself. He wasn’t nice but he did reward good behavior. 
He switched it up sucking your clit into your mouth and plunging the fingers of his clean hand, the one that hadn’t just been your ass, inside of you curling up and pressing against your g-pot over and over again until you came screaming so loud that you were sure people back at the house could hear you. 
“See didn’t that feel good slut?” he cooed condescendingly. There was a pool of cum beneath you soaking into the leather seats. Good thing this was Osamus’s car. Now all he had to do was make you cry. 
“I-I’m not a slut,” you whined. 
“Oh? Which is it? Are you not a virgin or are you not a slut?” he asked, squeezing your cheeks. You didn’t know how to respond. 
“Well I think you’re a slut, Daddy’s little slut,” he snapped. 
There was a dark stain of precum staining his jeans where the head of his cock was leaking he quickly shoved down his pants and boxers before sitting down and pulling you into his lap. You hovered above him as he pumped his cock in his hand running the head of his cock through your soaked folds and bumping your clit. 
“You’re gonna be a good whore and ride Daddy’s cock right?” he asked, lining the head of his dick up with your entrance. You bit your lip and nodded, shakily lowering yourself down on him. Atsumu hissed feeling your tight heat wrap around him. 
You gripped his shoulders feeling how well he filled you up, the tip pressing against your cervix. You took a minute to adjust before lifting yourself up on your knees and started to fuck yourself onto him. 
Atsumu brought you close and kissed you again, one of his hands slipping between your bodies to stroke your clit while you bounced up and down on his cock.  You couldn’t help but moan into his mouth as he touched you. He filled you up so well, you had teased him about not being able to get you off but even you couldn’t deny how good it felt to have him so deep inside of you. 
“You feel that baby? You feel Daddy pressing up against your Cervix, I’m going to blow my fat load right into your slutty little womb,” he snarled his hips snapping up to meet yours. You whined, throwing your head back in pleasure, almost hitting your head on the headrest. 
“Gonna knock you up, gonna stuff this slutty pussy with cum,” he growled, he was talking more to himself but you couldn’t help but shudder at his words. You were on birth control but you desperately wanted him to fill you up. 
“Are you gonna cum princess?” He asked, “I can feel your cunt squeezing my cock like that, you’re gonna cum.” He was right, you could feel a second orgasm welling up in your core as his cock pulsed inside of you. 
“Atsumu-Daddy, I’m gonna cum,” you moaned kissing him sloppily, your hips faltered when you came but Atsumu’s hands went to your hips moving your body for you as he chased his own high, true to his word he came deep inside of you filling you up and pressing his cock against your cervix. 
You collapsed against his chest gasping for breath. He ran his hand soothingly over your back. 
“You look tired, you wanna crash somewhere babe?” he asked. 
“We’re still too drunk to drive,” you murmured. 
“I have a buddy in the frat house, I’m sure he’ll let me steal his bed for the night, especially for a cutie like you,” he said. You pulled back to look at him.
“You had a bed here this whole time and you still made me fuck you in the car?” 
When you woke up your whole body hurt. Your head ached your eyes stung and your body was littered with bruises. You didn’t even want to check in with the lower half of your body. You groaned sitting up in bed clutching your head. Then you felt the bed beside you shift, you froze remembering how you’d ended last night. 
Atsumu cracked one eye open and his face split into a huge grin. “I had the best dream last night-” he teased you and moved to hit him but he caught your wrist and flipped you on your back pinning you to the bed. 
He hovered above you his breath hitting your face in soft puffs. You leaned up and kissed him, suddenly you were a mess of limbs and hands trying to tear each other’s clothes off while you kissed. You hissed as his fingers grazed the bite marks on your neck. 
“Go easy on me I’m still sore,” you complained. Atsumu smirked.
“Did I wreck you that badly baby?” he asked, teasingly grinding his morning wood on your leg. You shuddered. 
“Shut up and fuck me asshole,” you demand. He tugged off your underwear and hooked your legs over his shoulders. 
“As you wish your majesty,” he scoffed and slowly pushed two of his fingers into you
Your cunt ached and it hurt to feel his fingers prod you open, but soon the pain dissolved into pleasure as he continued to finger you. 
“Such a pretty wet little cunt, so wet and sticky for me,” he purred, “you like this slut? You like getting fingered first thing in the morning?” he asked. 
“Do you like humping my ass like a fucking dog first thing in the morning?” you spat back. He grunted and roughly jerked his finger up hitting your G-spot making you cry out your back arching off the bed. 
“That’s what I thought,” he scoffed before completely pulling his fingers out and sticking them into his mouth sucking on your juices. 
“I’m not gonna fuck you if you keep being mean,” he said shoving down his own clothes 
“Shut up, I bet I’m the only one you know who lets you get your dick wet,” you growled. He snapped into you in one swift motion. You cried out your nails digging into his shoulders. It hurt but the pain sent a rush of endorphins making you moan. 
“Really you think that I could fuck you like this without any practice dollface? Don’t forget you’re the virgin here,” he teased drawing his hips back before ramming back into you. This pace was much harsher than what you’d set last night. You were helpless, and entirely at his mercy, he had you folded in half, and you could only moan and scratch at his back. 
“Imna fill this cunt with cum, nothing better than emptying my balls in your warm cunt first thing in the morning,” he muttered to himself as he continued to fuck you. 
“Already?” you teased.
“Fuck off or I’ll fuck you until you pass out,” he threatened. 
“Hurry up and make me cum, I’ve got shit to do today,” you snapped. 
“God do you ever stop being a bitch?” he asked, pulling out of you and flipping you over, jerking your hips up and sliding back into you. you moaned feeling his cock hit new sweet spots. You arched your back pressing your hips to his and burying your face into the pillows. 
The bed creaked with the force of his thrusts, the headboard hitting the wall with a loud bang. Atsumu brought his hand down on your ass making you jump, it stung and you were reminded of his killer serves that you had seen so many times. 
“There, no more bitchy comebacks? Have you gone braindead on my cock?” he mocked spanking you again. 
“Daddy!” you pleaded. Your thighs trembling as wetness dripped down your legs. 
“Awe theirs my sweet little slut, ready to be good now?” 
“Y-yes,” you whined desperate to cum.  Atsumu grunted and finally went easy on you, rubbing your clit and easing into you in slow, deep thrusts until he felt your pussy cream around him. 
“There you go baby,” he said pulling out of you, his hard cock dripping in your juices. “You still want to suck on my cock?” he asked. You bit your lower lip, embarrassed at the memory. You shifted on the bed settling in between his legs taking the head of his cock into your mouth and wrapping your hands around the rest of his dick. 
You licked softly at the slit in the head picking up the bitter precum with your tongue.  You slowly took more of his cock in your mouth hollowing your cheeks out around him. His dick was just too big for you to fit completely into your mouth so you moved your hands up and down his shaft while you took as much of him as you could, swirling your tongue around the head. 
“You’re doing so well baby,” he moaned, smoothing your hair back from your face. “I didn’t think a virgin like you’d be so good,” he teased. You glared up at him as you continued to suck his dick but you resolved to bite him if he made a comment like that again. 
“I think I like you better like this you’re so pretty when you shut the- OW watch the teeth,” 
You could taste it as the precum dribbled out of his cock smearing over your tongue, you were getting used to the bitter taste and it wasn’t that bad. You pushed your head down pressing his cock to the back of your throat suppressing your gag reflex. 
“Fuck, baby just like that i’m going to cum down your thoat,” he groaned his hips stuttering upwards pushing his dick down your throat deaper making you choke. Atsumu didn’t care,he was moaning loudly as his hips spasmed up into your mouth. 
You choked when his semen flooded your mouth. “Fuuck,” he sighed, pulling out of your mouth. You sluptered trying to catch the mess that bubbled out of your mouth. 
“Ah, swallow what you can baby,” Atsumu said, whipping your chin with his thumb. You did as he asked, choking down what you could. He pushed you back on the bed kissing your neck, his lips running over your bruises, 
“I like you like this, we should fuck more often he teased,” you shoved his chest, but weakly, it was clearly just for show. You didn’t want to admit it but you agreed with him. 
You kept seeing Atsumu after that. He was a little nicer with you normally. Or at least, he saved his mean side for the bedroom and was a little sweeter to you. If you were a little more naive you might have even started to fall for him a little bit. 
That was the Chliche right? You start out hating someone but then after a few nights of passion you were in love?  Bullshit, it was all Bullshit. 
you knew Atsumu hadn’t changed, and he wasn’t exactly saving himself for you. You couldn’t count how many times you’d walked in on him making out with some random chick, you’d even walked in on him while he’d been balls deep in some other girl. 
That being said, you hadn’t changed either. you still had a temper like no other and were quick to snap, especially at Atsumu. You didn’t have many friends who put up with your bullshit so why would He even fall in love with you?
You shouldn’t be in love with him. He was an asshole, a heartless fuck boy. So why did you like him so much? why did it sting when you thought about how hopless your whole situation. 
It sucked, this whole thing was just awful. That being said, you still jumped at the chance to see him everytime he called, you really were hopless. 
“Where are we going?” you asked as Atsumu drove. You didn’t recognize this street and you knew you weren’t going to his place. 
“It’s a surprise,” he said. You scoffed and crossed your arms. He pulled into a parking lot and you were surprised to see you were at a park. 
“What are you going to fuck me on the slide?” you asked, following him out of the car and into the park. 
“I used to come here all the time when I was a kid, me and my brother would play here,” he said, ignoring you and walking to the swings, you followed. 
“And I still come here a lot, it’s a good place to think and it’s just a really special place for me,” he said sitting on the swing and gesturing for you to sit on his lap. 
You did, wrapping your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck. “I don’t like where this conversation is going,” you said furrowing your eyebrows. It was almost the middle of the night so it was dark but you could still see the dopey lovestruck look on his face. 
“Stumu, you’re not supposed to call me for stuff like this,” you said unwrapping your arms around his neck, you were going to get off his lap but he wrapped his arms around his waist keeping you there. 
The two of you had agreed only to call each other when you wanted sex, this mushy romantic shit was defently not sex. 
“You’re so pretty baby, let me be nice to you,” he said kissing you and you melted into him, just like every time he kissed you. 
“You’re never nice to me,” you protested. He reached under your shirt groping you. 
“Because you never let me,” he protested. 
���What’s with you?” you asked, grabbing his wrist and shoving him away from you. 
“I love you,” he said. You couldn’t deal with this right now, you got off his lap and started walking back to the car
“Take me home,” you demanded.  “I don’t want to talk about this,” you said. 
“(y/n)-” he said running in front of you stopping you. 
“Please, I know you hate this shit, but please can we talk,” he pleaded taking your hands in his, 
“You can’t just say shit like that Tsumu! We’re not supposed to love each other we’re supposed to fuck and get under eachother’s skin and fight that’s how this works!” you shouted.
Atsumu kissed your knuckles, seeming to ignore your yelling. 
“We didn’t used to fuck either, we used to just get under eachother’s skin,” he pointed out. He wrapped you in his arms. You pressed your face to his chest and you felt your cheeks get wet with tears. You hiccupped and sobbed,  trying to keep your emotions bottled up was hard.  
“I love you,” he said again.  You shoved him and whipped your face. 
“I don’t want to do this Atsumu, take me home,” you demanded. He deflated. 
“Okay baby, let's go home, I’ll be waiting, when you’re ready,” he said rubbing your shoulders and taking you back to his car. 
You drove in silence. You hated this. Yout hated him. Atsumu was a playboy, an idiot and an asshole who only cared about Volleyball. You just wanted to insult him and fuck him to blow off steam. You weren’t supposed to fall for him. You weren’t supposed to love his cocky smile and his stupid jokes. His stupid flirty remarks weren’t supposed to make you blush. 
“Baby?” he prompted you blinked and saw you were sitting in front of your dorm building. “Hey,” he purred, wiping the tears off your cheeks. You didn’t need him to tell you that he loved you, you could tell every time  he did something like this. You couldn’t help but lean into his touch. 
“I really wished we’d had sex tonight,” you whispered. He laughed. 
“fuck am I really that ireaistable doll?” he teased, pinching your cheek as he pulled away. 
“I do love you Atsumu, I just- I just don’t know what to do about it,” you admitted. Atsumu smiled lazily. 
you meant it too, you loved him so much. but it was impossible to get the image of the time you walked in on him sleeping with another girl out of your mind. Was that what it meant to be in a relationship with him? If so then you weren’t going to do it, you weren’t signing yourself up for that kind of heartbreak. Maybe you should just give up on him and block him. 
“Like I said. I’ll wait for you, and next time I promise we’ll have the best sex of your life-Not that’s a hard bar to clear you virigin,” he teased. You smiled and playfully hit him in the arm. You got out of his car and walked into your building as he drove away, and at least for tonight. That was enough. 
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mochegato · 3 years
Text
Nannyette
Chapter 6 – Radio Mysteries Are Still a Thing
Chapter 1        Chapter 5
“I’m not tired though.” Mar’i whined in a sleepy voice.
Marinette smiled down at her as she patted down the comforter around her.  Mar’i’s eyes were barely staying open as she talked.  “Yeah, I can tell.  But your Mommy has a bunch of super fun things planned for you two as soon as she gets home tomorrow.  I know she is really excited to spend time with you, so you want to be rested and full of energy for her tomorrow, right?”
“I’m so excited.” Mar’i squealed quietly, suddenly reenergized thinking about spending time with her Mom.  “We’re going to bake cupcakes and go shopping and practice flying and get lunch together and get our nails painted and take some cupcakes to Daddy. You and Tim should come with us!”
Marinette smiled at her.  “I’m flattered you want us to come with you but I think you and your Mommy should get some time alone.  I know she’s missed you a lot.”
Mar’i thought it over and nodded as she thought. “And you and Tim should get some time alone, too.  I know he likes you a lot.”
Marinette’s cheeks flushed.  “That's nice. Tim is a very nice and thoughtful man.  I'm sure he likes lots of people.”
Mar’i’s eyes started getting heavy again as she corrected Marinette.  “Not really.”
Marinette blushed further.  “Well then I feel honored.”
“But he likes you.  He gets happy when he sees you.  You two should go on a date.” Mar’i nodded decidedly, or at least tried to. The yawn interrupted the serious face she was trying to make.
Marinette’s smile turned bittersweet.  “Thank you, but he has Kon.”
“But they don’t go on dates.  Kon goes on dates with Cassie, not Tim.”  Mar’i said quietly as she turned to a more comfortable position under the cover.  “He thinks you should date Tim, too.”
Marinette looked at her confused.  “Oh?”
“Yeah,” she slurred, barely still awake.  “He told me today… It’s a secret though, so don’t tell Tim.”
Marinette quietly closed Mar’i’s door and padded out to the living room.  She stumbled slightly when she saw Tim was still there with papers and photos scattered across the living room table.  She blushed thinking about her conversation with Mar’i.  “You’re still here.” She said quietly.
“Yeah, I hope you don’t mind.  I was looking over some of Dick’s files and didn’t want to take them out of the apartment.” Tim shrugged in what he hoped was a casual manner.  The less she thought about the lie the more convincing it would be.
She grabbed her school bag and settled on the opposite side of the couch from Tim.  She scanned over the photos quickly as she pulled her books and notebooks out, not sure if it was any of her business.  But then again, if he didn’t want her to see them, he wouldn’t have them out in the open on the coffee table.  She paused her unpacking when she saw the bloody body.  “What… what is this?  I thought Dick was the detective.  Or is this one of the cases your family is working on?”
“Oh, no.” Tim looked up sheepishly.  “I like working on cold cases.  This is a file Dick set aside for me to look into.”
“Oh, right.” She nodded distractedly, examining the pictures again.  “Are these the cases Kon was talking about?  That you two work on together.”
Tim looked confused for a few seconds before remembering what she was talking about.  He looked away sheepishly.  “No, he wasn’t sure if you knew about our hero activities, so he was looking for a way to say he’s only responsible for me when we’re in the field.  We partner together a lot on missions.”
“Ahhh, that’s what you meant.” Marinette said quietly to herself, almost too quietly for Tim to hear.  She squeezed her eyes shut and mentally face palmed.  God what an idiot!  She called Adrien her partner, too.  She really, really should have thought of that!  She was totally blaming the damned concussion.  As though it hadn’t taken enough from her already; reduced caffeine, reduced electronics, and reduced energy.  It really had to add reduced rational thought?
“What?” He scrunched up his nose adorably in confusion.
“Oh, nothing.” She flapped her hands like she was shooing away the question.  “You mentioned Kon was your partner.  I just realized you meant in your hero activities.”
Tim looked at her mortified.  “You thought Kon and I…”  He had been flirting his ass off for the past few weeks, granted it was awkward, clumsy, terrible flirting.  But it was flirting none the less.  Had she not noticed?
Marinette shrugged at him, an apologetic grimace on her face.  “You two seem very close and you mentioned he helped take care of you and was your partner and Kori mentioned you were always together so...  It seemed to fit.”
“No!” Tim said too loudly.  What was wrong with him volume regulator lately, he chastised himself.  “No,” he repeated quieter this time.  “No, we’re just good friends, best friends.  He’s my partner, you know, my superhero partner.  No, I’m not in… um… I mean… I’m not dating anyone right now.” Tim stuttered out. “My last girlfriend and I broke up ages ago.”
“Oh,” Marinette nodded, looking away to try to hide her blush. “That’s um… that’s good to know. Must have made New Year’s awkward for you.  Nobody to kiss and all.  It was for me anyway.”  She turned back to the pictures again scanning them absentmindedly to distract her brain from thinking about her not at all subtle hint.  God, when did she lose her ability to flirt?  She puckered her lips in annoyance when she realized she never had it.  “And the police suspect him but can’t make it stick?” She asked pointing to a wealthy looking businessman in one of the photos.
Tim shook his head to focus on what she was pointing to and try to remember the case again after the myriad of revelations Marinette had just revealed in the last minute or so, including the confirmation that she was single.  He examined the picture she was pointing to and looked at her wide eyed in surprise. “No, but that’s who I suspect.  He had the most to gain if you consider the repercussions.”  Marinette looked at him questioningly.  “The wife was the immediate suspect.  She was having an affair with her husband’s secretary and she inherits everything. But if she was implicated in his death, she could be sued and lose any stake in the company, whether it was proven in court or not.  It would go to the next in line, which is him.”
Marinette nodded along with him looking at each of the people as he pointed them out.  “Makes sense.  No proof though?”
“Not enough.  What made you suspect him?” He looked over at her curiously.
“He changed his suit.”  Tim looked at her blankly.  “See these are pictures from the same party.” She scooted closer to Tim to point out to two pictures.  Tim scooted closer to her to get a better look at them.  “Everyone is in the same clothes except for him.  He’s wearing different suits.”
“Those look like the same suit to me.” Tim said doubtfully.
Marinette scoffed at him.  “I’m sure they were supposed to.  It wouldn’t work if the suits didn’t look the same.  But see the lapels?” She leaned over Tim’s shoulder to point to the man’s lapels. “They’re a different sheen.  This one is shinier than this other one.  And see the buttons, this one has a design. I can’t make out what it is, but there is one, but this other one, doesn’t have a design.  Plus, this one is Tom Ford and this one is Armani.”
Tim’s mouth dropped as he turned to her dumbfounded. “How did you know that?”
“I’m more than you give me credit for.”  She grinned smugly at him.  She froze when she noticed how close they had gotten.  Their faces were only a few centimeters from each other, their mouths so close she could feel his breath on her face.  He froze too, his eyes widening as he made the same realization.  After a second, Marinette’s courage failed her and she backed away from Tim shyly. What if Mar’i was wrong?  She was only 4, she could have misread the signals. Just because Tim wasn’t dating, it didn’t mean he wanted to date her.  He was smart and funny and handsome and sweet.  He probably already had his eye on someone.
Marinette grabbed her discarded textbook and held it up for him to see, her notebook shoved haphazardly into it.  “I’m a design student and have my own online boutique. If I didn’t notice that, I’d have to seriously reconsider my career path.  And I’ve seen enough murder mysteries to know that if someone changes clothes in the middle of a party, there’s a reason.  Could be that someone spilled something on him, but with a suit that expensive, someone would know it happened. If it was staff, they would be worried about getting fired and sued.  Worth looking for the suit anyway.  Depending on how cocky he is, he may have kept it and just gotten it dry cleaned, thinking nobody would investigate him anyway.”
Tim looked at her in awe.  “You… you like murder mysteries?” he was finally able to stutter out.
“Yeah.  Normally, I’d have one on in the background while I work on homework but, concussion and electronics aren’t a good mix.  Hell, normally, all my design research would be online… concussions are a bitch.  My electronic activity has been restricted.”
“Yeah, I mean not the worst I’ve gotten, but the limited electronics thing is just the worst.”
“Yeah, I imagine without magic to protect you, you guys must get hurt a lot.”
He gave her a double take.  “Why would magic be involved?”
“Oh… our heroes had magic to protect them and used magic to reverse the damage they and the rest of us sustained.” She tried to shrug nonchalantly like it was nothing important.
“Your heroes?” Marinette turned away from his adorably scrunched nose.
“Paris’ heroes.  Ladybug and Chat Noir… Rena Rouge, Carapace, King Monkey… Multimouse?” She listed off as casually as she could manage.
“I think I’ve heard of Ladybug and Chat Noir, maybe. They disappeared a few years ago, right?”
“Yeah.  Their job was done.  One occasionally pops up in New York to help Knight Owl and Majestia but, pretty much, they disappeared.”
“Their job wasn’t stopping criminals?”
“No,” she said affronted.  “Their job was to catch the villain who had stolen two miraculous and deal with damage caused by the miraculous.  When the villain was caught their job was done.”
“Huh,” Tim turned away to think about that.  “I guess I’ve never thought about not trying to help people.  If I can help, I want to do it.”
Marinette’s eyes turned serious.  “It’s bigger than that though.  The miraculous are bound to creatures with god-like abilities.  The miraculous in Paris had the ability to rewrite history and reality itself.  The potential for that to go horribly wrong or fall into the wrong hands and be used for evil is too great.”  She sighed and looked at her book.  “Not to mention the heroes were children when they started fighting and they couldn’t reveal their identities to anyone so their only support was each other.  They deserved a break, a chance to heal and be children.  Children shouldn’t be taking on the battles of grownups.”
Tim looked at her sympathetically. “Definitely not the philosophy I grew up with, as a child vigilante.”
Marinette gave him a weak smile.  “Maybe you deserve a break too.”
Tim looked away for a few moments, considering what she had said.  “Maybe…”
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud yawn. He looked over and saw a sheepish look on her face.  “Sorry. I think the pool tired me out just as much as Mar’i.”
“You should take a nap.  I can watch over things while you do,” he offered gently.
“No, thank you though.” She gave him a grateful smile and held up her textbook.  “I have miles to go and chapters of text to read before I sleep.  I usually have something else on while I do though, something to distract my brain.”  
He looked over at her and gave her a small smile. “You know they have radio murder mysteries.  I can find one to play while you work on your homework, if you want.”
“Yeah,” she smiled back wider, appreciating the change of topic.  “I’d like that.”
“I… there are a few to choose from,” he said holding up his phone.  “Did you want to choose?”
Marinette moved so she was touching him and looked through his phone.  “That one looks interesting,” she commented handing it back to him.
Tim smiled and started the mystery.  He smiled wider when he noticed she didn’t move away from him after choosing the mystery.  He waited a few minutes then slung his arm around her shoulders.  He held his breath waiting to see her reaction. Marinette stiffened only for a second then relaxed into his side.  Tim let go of the breath he was holding and enjoyed the feeling of having Marinette next to him.
Marinette opened her textbook and started reading and making notes while Tim pulled up more information on the suspect for the case on his laptop.  After a few minutes, he noticed Marinette’s pencil had dropped and her breathing had evened out.  He looked down at her and the sight filled his heart with warmth.  She had fallen asleep curled up into his side, with her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest.  He smiled affectionately, relishing the feeling of having her curled up against him.  
He gently closed her textbook and moved it and her notebook out of the way.  He grabbed the blanket haphazardly thrown over the back of the couch and wrapped it around the two of them.  He pulled her closer into his chest and leaned further back into the couch to get more comfortable.  His smile softened even more when she sighed contentedly and snuggled further into his chest.  He would stay in this position as long as he could, as long as she wanted.
Chapter 7
Tags:
@timari-month-event  @ichigorose @stainedglassm @better-toast @theymakeupfairies @trippingovermyfeet
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akitokihojo · 3 years
Text
Monster - Chapter 6
chapter index
Inuyasha walked carefully, the sun beginning its descent through the sky. He’d taken off from the spot of the attack quickly, but after so long, he couldn’t bring himself to keep the same pace. Not only was he physically drained, but the poor girl draped over his back wasn’t fairing too well. They’d had to stop three times so she could vomit. Kagome would apologize profusely afterward, crying, and Inuyasha felt absolutely awful.
Just in case, he’d asked if she’d eaten anything that had upset her stomach in the time since she left his side. She said no. He asked if she was sick before issuing her attack. She said no. He figured as much, but he had to be sure.
She trembled the majority of the way, doing her best to hang on as tightly as she could in the beginning, but now that he merely strolled, mindful of each step, Kagome sort of just slumped against him. She seemed to have calmed considerably, her burning cheek resting on his shoulder, fingers gently grasping him, and legs swaying with each stride. She wasn’t asleep; he could tell. She was still aware, she just didn’t have the energy left to keep her head up. And, who could blame her?
Thankfully, as of right now, he didn’t sense a single demon from before. They hadn’t followed. Yet, at least. That didn’t mean there wasn’t a chance it would happen, but the two of them would be hidden when and if they caught up to them.
He could finally see the little town he’d been heading toward up ahead. It wasn’t very lively. Never had been. It was quaint and sort of homey, but every person that lived there was wise to understand how not to attract attention their way. More importantly, they knew how to handle the attention that did stir up. It was why he frequented the place when he needed to lay low. The inn, the inn keeper, provided a safe space.
“Hey,” Inuyasha spoke softly, shifting his head to watch Kagome slowly raise her own to look at him. “Can you walk?”
“Mhm.” She hummed, voice raspier than ever thanks to the stomach acid that had charred her throat.
Inuyasha kneeled down, allowing her to dismount him. He was quick to stand and face her, holding her arm in case she got dizzy and lost her balance. She was still so pale, the sclera of her eyes pink, and the flesh of her lips muted in shade.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.” Her tone held no conviction. Again, he couldn’t blame her. She obviously wasn’t fine, but he took her statement to mean she wasn’t currently feeling too nauseous to handle.
“My friend is in the town up ahead, alright? She’s gonna help us, and you’re gonna be safe there. We have to bring as little attention our way while we walk through, though. Think you can handle pulling it together for ten minutes?”
Kagome nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself. She appreciated his firm hold on her. The wooziness was kicking her ass, and each time she’d thrown up, she gradually felt weaker and weaker. Standing was hard enough, and walking was going to be a feat, but she could surely do it. Inuyasha saved her, kept her safe, so if he was asking her for a little help to insure things stayed mellow, she would pull through without a second thought.
“Need to get anything out of your system before we go.”
“Please don’t make me think about it.” Kagome groaned, cringing as her stomach churned.
“Sorry.” Inuyasha grimaced, holding his arm out for her. “Hang onto me, okay? I’ll get us there as quickly as possible.”
Kagome slid her hand around the underside of the hanyou’s forearm, taking the support he offered. There was a huge part of her that wished she could say she could walk on her own, but who would she be kidding? He knew as well as she did that she needed all the help she could get.
His muscles were firm, embracing the meager weight she leaned onto him. Still, Kagome made sure to stand up as straight as possible, swallowing any nausea remaining while she used her other hand to lightly smack her cheeks to bring a little life back into her face.
The walk through wasn’t difficult, and Inuyasha was proud of Kagome for appearing well and alight. Her head swiveled from side-to-side as she took in the sights of the town, the “cute” architecture as she put it, and even the cobblestone that she mentioned her village only had in certain areas; not all over like it was here. He could tell she wanted to move slowly, more out of how her legs wobbled than out of desire, but he found it particularly important that they get to the inn quickly, so he intentionally kept up a decent pace that he knew she could handle. Kagome didn’t complain. She didn’t grumble or whine. Though her body was protesting, she pushed herself to keep going.
“No talking.” He ordered just outside the door. He could hear the life from down the road, and though he knew it had to be coming from the tavern in the entrance, he still hoped it wasn’t. Not always was it rambunctious, but more often than not, the first level of the inn was spirited and loud. Kagome nodded, agreeing without question, and Inuyasha opened the door, guiding her inside.
The hanyou flexed his arm closer to his body, keeping Kagome near as he sauntered over to the edge of the bar counter. Most of the business was on the far side, not crowding the entryway, and the inn keeper seemed her usual level of unamused as she poured another drink. Catching the scent of a familiar demon, Inuyasha’s golden gaze landed on glowing, blue eyes, peeking over at him from his glass of ale. His long, brown hair was held in its usual, high ponytail, and as he set his cup down, watching him from the very corner of the angled counter, and arching a thick brow, Inuyasha spoke with just the steady shake of his head. Please, for the love of fucking god, not right now.
He felt a squeeze on his forearm, fingertips pressing into his skin, and Inuyasha glanced down at the woman by his side. He could see a thin sheen of sweat on her cheeks, her eyes cast downward, and her chest was rising as she took deep, controlled breaths. Fuck. She was feeling sick again, and this was her way of politely letting him know without speaking.
“Kaede.” He called. The young lady at the far end glanced over her left shoulder, and it was as if the moment she realized it was him her brows pinched together in conjecture. Her long, straight, dark brown hair was tied loosely in a low ponytail, strays falling free and framing her jawline, and as she turned away from the loud, drinking men to walk over, she revealed the patch that had sat over her right eye since well before he’d ever met her.
Kagome tried not to appear intrigued. This woman Inuyasha called to, Kaede, bore an incredible resemblance to Kikyo. It was astonishing how similar they looked, and if it weren’t for some obvious discrepancies, Kagome was concerned she wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. Kaede had a little more color to her skin, and wore her hair in a different style. It was a bit shorter, lighter in shade, and she was either missing her right eye or no longer had the use of it. A mere coincidence was all it was; it had just caught her off guard. Given that, her focus wavered incredibly, the dizziness fogging her head making it difficult for her to put any more thought into the inconsequential matter.
“Well, well,” She began as soon as she was close enough, her attention bouncing carefully between Inuyasha and the girl on his arm. “Long time no see.”
“Yeah, yeah. No lip, Kaede.” Inuyasha groaned. He’d expected this. It was Kaede’s personal hobby to give him shit.
“Usually, you space out your visits better, Inuyasha. It’s been, what, two weeks this time around?”
“Look,” He leaned in closer, hearing Kagome’s thick swallow. “We need a room. With room service.”
Kaede understood the code he spoke, not reacting to keep suspicion at bay. She took one more glance at the girl on his arm, noticing her pasty skin that shined with dew. She kept a level gaze, one with a calm expression to accompany it, and Kaede could only tell something was definitely wrong with close studying. It was the way her fingers bit into the half demon’s arm, and the way her irises lacked glimmer. It was the way the hanyou allowed her to touch him, allowed her to be so close, and even so much as stroked the tops of her fingers soothingly. Nothing needed to be said more to express the urgency of the situation, and the code was taken to heart quickly.
She bent down, grabbing her guest book as per usual, moving as quickly as nonchalance would allow. This was customary, and Inuyasha was well aware. Still, he cleared his throat to push her faster and Kaede looked up at him to notice the steadfast stare he was giving. This was much more serious than she thought. She knew exactly which room she was going to put them in; it was one of the few designated for this specific scenario, so she pretended to look at the book for one more moment, scribbling down a quick, illegible note before shutting it, putting it in its rightful spot, and heading to the back for the key.
“Totosai, you’re up!” She shouted as she walked back out to the front, hearing the old man give a grunt of acknowledgement.
“What!? Kaede, baby, where you going?” One of the drunken men whined, pouting from the opposite side of the counter.
“Oh, hush. Totosai will be keeping you company for a while. I’ve got guests to tend to.”
“But, he doesn’t have tits!”
“Neither do I!” She laughed, gesturing to the small chest beneath her bodice. Her long skirt twirled slightly as she spun around to walk in Inuyasha’s direction, hastening her pace.
Kaede lifted the counter door to come out to the front of the bar, notching her head to the side for Inuyasha and his female companion to follow. They all kept quiet as they walked through the back doorway, down the hall, and up two flights of stairs, but from behind, she could hear Inuyasha whispering. Taking a little peek, Kaede saw the girl covering her mouth, seeming unsteady, nodding as Inuyasha spoke softly to her.
Inuyasha had grabbed Kagome’s hand as soon as he noticed she was struggling to keep her composure, allowing her to squeeze, the arm she once held onto reaching behind her back to support her around her waist. “Just a little further, okay? You’re almost there.”
“What the hell did you do this time?” Kaede ridiculed as she reached their designated room, sliding her key into the bolt.
“Open the door!” Inuyasha demanded, and Kaede threw it open, allowing them to rush inside.
Kagome was only able to make it to the small trashcan in the bathroom entry, crumbling to her hands and knees as her stomach twisted painfully to rid itself of the nothing it contained. Her throat burned horribly from the bile, and her chest and abdominal muscles ached from the heaving. Inuyasha never left her side, quick to scoop her hair out of the way.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She whimpered through her bodies unmanageable retching.
“It’s fine, you know it’s fine. You can’t control this.” He replied, taking the small break in her vomiting to pull her bow, arrows, and bag off of her shoulders, freeing the space of her back to rub as she coughed, shuddered, and wheezed. He muttered the rest of his reply. “Fuck, it’s gotta hurt by now.”
After shutting the door behind her, Kaede followed the two into the bathroom, her heart aching for the discomfort the girl on the floor was currently in. She was careful in her approach, grabbing a washcloth off the shelf and kneeling on the opposite side of her as Inuyasha.
“Sweetie, what happened to you?” She asked, but the girl heaved and couldn’t answer. Kaede’s hand flew to her low back instinctually, matching Inuyasha’s rhythm and rubbing gently. She redirected her question to Inuyasha. “What’s going on? What happened?”
“I’ll be one-hundred percent honest with you: I don’t exactly know, myself.” He admitted. It seemed Kagome was finally done puking, so he pulled the trash bin from beneath her so she wouldn’t have to look at it and released her hair, allowing it to sit along her back, shorter strands falling over the fronts of her shoulders with gravity. Kaede handed Kagome the washcloth, and she took it gratefully, wiping her mouth but remaining folded forward. She was so weak, her quaking muscles felt throughout her entire body, and Inuyasha couldn’t quite bring himself to take his hand off her upper back just yet. She’d thrown up five times, and the violent convulsing her body had been doing was ostensibly painful.
“Give me something to work with.”
“Alright,” Inuyasha sighed. Kagome wasn’t going to like this. In preparation, he applied some firm pressure on her back where his hand now braced against her, his other hand grasping her wrist to keep her glued to the floor. “She’s a conjurer.”
Kagome gasped, her attention snapping his way, and he was glad he’d pinned her the way she sat because he felt her arm jerk like she was about to hit him out of reflex. He was quick to speak, to calm her down, saying, “Kagome, I had to! Nothing’s going to happen! I swear!”
“Sweetie, it’s okay! It’s okay!” Kaede jumped in, now wary of how she touched the jittery girl before her. “You’re safe here.”
Kagome’s brown eyes landed on her, her plush, bottom lip quivering as her bloodshot eyes watered. The world was ugly, and Kaede could tell, much like everyone else nowadays, that this girl wasn’t spared from a damn thing. She felt the fear that she wasn’t born with, but was forced to learn in order to survive. It was crippling. It was debilitating. How could Kagome expect to trust a living soul when they didn’t understand the life she lived or the spirit she harbored? Kaede knew all of this from personal experience.
“Listen to me, I’m an ally. No one outside of this room will find out who or what you are, I can guarantee that. I know the importance. I used to have a conjurer in my family.” Kaede said, making sure her message was coming across clearly. She may not know what it was to be a conjurer, but she knew the details involved. She grew up with it all.
Kagome studied her, still trembling but gradually calming. “You did?” She finally asked, barely above a whisper.
“Yeah.”
She said used to. Kagome’s heart twinged thinking of who could have been taken from her. Not even she was pardoned from the harsh reality that they faced. She couldn’t bring herself to say something aloud, though. She couldn’t imagine it was an easy topic to talk about, and as much as she wanted to express her sorrow that Kaede had lost someone she may have been close to, she just couldn’t right now.
Inuyasha’s grip eased off of her, his hand releasing her wrist. As soon as she was free, Kagome turned and swatted his stomach with the back of her hand, making him wince.
“A warning next time!”
“You would have just said no!” Inuyasha argued.
“I would have had every right to!”
“I’m trying to help, you idiot!”
“With proper warning, at least I wouldn’t have been caught off guard! I might have agreed if you had just taken a moment to explain things to me!”
“Go back to throwing up! You were surprisingly less annoying!”
“Oh, look at that! Your maturity level is showing again!”
“Shut up, dumbass!”
“Great comeback, genius!”
“Uh - hello?” Kaede chimed, interrupting their yelling match. As soon as Kagome’s head whipped her way to take notice, it seemed some dizziness caught her, her eyes shutting as she swayed slightly, and a small groan coming from her throat. Both she and Inuyasha reached to stabilize her, and it was easy to tell Kagome’s nausea was biting. Whatever energy she had remaining should not be spent arguing with this half demon nitwit.
“Hah! You can’t even fight back without getting sick.” Inuyasha teased, his arrogant expression falling as soon as Kagome shot a glare his way. He reached for the trashcan just in case, but Kagome shook her head, saying that she wasn’t going to throw up.
“Look, Inuyasha did the right thing by bringing you here.” Kaede spoke, taking away any opportunity from Inuyasha to instigate anything more with Kagome. “I’ve saved his ass many, many times.”
“Excuse you. You make it easy for me to lay low. I wouldn’t necessarily call that saving my ass.” He objected.
“The only reason you ever need to lay low is because you’ve pissed someone off and given them cause to hunt you down. The justifications don’t matter; the facts stand. For every action, there’s a reaction. And, that’s where I come in. You stay here so they won’t detect you while you’re vulnerable. Therefore, I’ve saved your ass.”
“You’re looking too deep, but whatever makes you feel better.” He huffed.
“You know what would make me feel better right now?”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes dramatically, grinding his jaw to the side and releasing a slow, grumbly exhale. He knew damn well Kaede was only going to tell him to stop talking, so he threw in the towel. She was good at winning arguments, and he wasn’t in the fucking mood for it. He leaned his back against the wall, letting Kaede’s attention fall back on Kagome.
“As I was saying, I know a thing or two about enchantments. I’m no expert, and if I’m being honest, my speciality lies in plants and their potentially-magical properties, but I get by enough for this inn, specifically, to be known as a resting point for those who need to take it easy. Not well known, of course. Couldn’t have that. But, known enough for some of the damned to wander through. Outside, there’s a deterrent. It sort of pushes all scents away and throughout town where it’ll dwindle, so if anyone is tracing you that way, they’ll lose it. I’ve also got a few, exclusive rooms, this one included, that have specially created flower bundles in the closets that mask the smell of the occupants. They’re not potent, so they neither harm the sensitive noses of dog demons, nor attract attention by standing out. They simply mask. Took forever to figure out the proper assortment, but I eventually got it.” Kaede shrugged humbly, hoping all these tidbits would help Kagome feel more secure.
“How did you learn all that?” Kagome inquired softly, pushing herself back to lean against the wall of the bathtub. Inuyasha bent forward as she did so, pulling her things out of her way to clear the spot for her.
“Well, I admired my sister for being a conjurer.” Kaede began to explain, smiling fondly. “She found out who she was in a time when it wasn’t kill or be killed, and she took every opportunity to learn what she could do from whomever could teach her. I followed her everywhere; it didn’t matter how much it annoyed her. I wished so badly to be like her, but of course that wasn’t possible. So, we found something else for me. Something I could teach myself along the way so long as I was disciplined and dedicated, and to be anything near resemblance of my sister you had to be. It’s not new age or modern practices either; I reached for the ancient texts that taught me things that seem to have been lost in translation over the centuries. That’s what helps me get away with it. It’s old magic, so it’s harder to figure out when you’re in the presence of it.”
Kagome gifted a faint smile toward Kaede. Truthfully, it was all extremely enthralling, and Kagome wanted to know more. She just couldn’t concentrate all too well at the moment. Asking for more details required a level of energy she didn’t currently obtain, and if she ever heard the expansion of Kaede’s background, she wanted to be perfectly cognizant. More importantly, she didn’t want to invalidate the message the woman was putting across. She was describing why Kagome was secure to let her guard down, she was being straight forward in letting her know that Inuyasha didn’t let her secret slip to the wrong party. He had reason, and he didn’t betray her. He’d brought Kagome to the safest place he knew of, and Kagome wasn’t unaware of how far he’d gone and traveled to bring them here. Shifting her head to the side, she transferred her grin to Inuyasha in a silent thank you. His head rested against the wall, his eyes hardly open and unfocused on her.
“So, you’re a conjurer.” Kaede mentioned, bringing the issue back to the forefront. “That doesn’t really tell me what happened.”
She waited patiently for either of her guests to speak, and Inuyasha’s eyes blinked fully opened, an arm perched on his raised knee.
“Again, it’s kind of hard to say. Everything happened so fucking fast. One minute I was being ambushed, the next I wasn’t. Kagome showed up and cleared the field.”
“Cleared the field?” Kaede asked, reaching for clarification.
“Yeah. She cleared the field. Not a single bandit left in sight.”
“What do you mean? How?”
“With an arrow.” He said.
“A-as in, one?” She switched her attention to Kagome. “Sweetie, you only used one arrow?”
“Mhm.” She hummed unenthusiastically. Kagome was so exhausted, so drained, that reactions were far from her reach. She could barely manage a nod at that point, her eyes half-lidded as she looked at the woman across from her. Within, she felt slightly bashful and still a little uneasy about talking about everything. She reassured herself that it was okay, though. She was safe. Kaede and Inuyasha were allies.
“I’m sorry, I’m having a little trouble wrapping my head around this. How many men were there?” Kaede asked, the look of shock written all over her face.
“Fuck if I know.” Inuyasha answered with a shrug of his brows. “A shit ton, and that wasn’t even all of them. A second wave was hiding within the trees.”
“Against one person!? What the hell did you do!?”
“Killed their leaders. They were rapists.” He stated simply.
“Oh. Fuck them then.” Kaede waved off, unsurprised and heading right back toward their main topic. “With one arrow, though? How did you do it?”
“I just did it.” Kagome replied.
“That’s - that’s incredible.” Kaede nearly laughed out of astonishment. “That’s so strong - you’re so strong. I’ve never seen that done. How long have you been able to do something like this, if you don’t mind my asking? This is just so fascinating to me.”
“Um -“ Kagome wasn’t quite sure how to answer that. She didn’t really know what she’d done to conjure that much power in the first place, so it felt weird merely taking credit for it even though it came from no one else but herself. The truth was all she could give, and as anticlimactic as it was, there was nothing more to it. “Since this afternoon.”
“Oh.” Kaede blinked, a little confused. “You’ve never done that before?”
Kagome hummed a no, adding a minor shake to her head.
“I’m sorry if this seems like an interrogation now, but um…” Kaede’s amazement waned as she digested what Kagome had just admitted. An entire series of new questions were coursing through her head now, empowering her need to gain a better understanding of Kagome’s power, what had taken place, and the reason for her current state. Truthfully, she was pretty sure she’d figured out the mystery already. She just wanted to be absolutely certain before saying it out loud. “You knew you were a conjurer before this, right?”
“Yeah. I’ve known since I was a little girl.”
“Okay, and I’m assuming you’re a practicing conjurer?”
“Yeah.” Kagome confirmed.
“What was your biggest move? By that I mean, how much power have you ever exerted at one time?”
Kagome was a little perplexed by that one, unsure how to answer. Was she looking for a percentage? Because, Kagome had no clue. She glanced over at Inuyasha, hopeful that he would be able to simplify the question, but he seemed to be waiting for her response just as much as the woman opposite her. “Like, how many demons have I exterminated at one time?”
“Sure.” Kaede complied, bobbing her head. “What’s the most you’ve taken out with one strike?”
“Three or four.” Kagome said. “Though, it wasn’t in the same manner as today. I didn’t just sweep my power through; I sort of skewered them.”
“Were they big?”
“I mean, in size, sure. They were long. They weren’t very strong, though. Most demons I’ve encountered and practiced on were incompetent. Not humanoid by any means. They were the mindless killing machines that flocked in pairs and liked to eat whatever they could encounter. Really gross-looking. Not too hard to take out. My cousin could kill some with just his hands and staff, if that helps paint a picture at all.”
“Not really giving yourself much credit, kid. Those fuckers are easy game.” Inuyasha said.
“I’m being honest. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve taken down larger demons, but they were alone. One at a time. I mean, even before I got back to you today, I took out three guys, but again, it was one at a time. That’s easy for me. I figured, the more I kill at one time, the more power I’m using, right? So, that’s my answer.”
“Wait, wait. You faced three demons before clearing the field!? Who?”
“No,” Kaede interrupted, holding her hand up toward Inuyasha so he’d stop talking. “That’s not important right now. Sweetie, did you just say killing larger demons was easy for you?”
“Oh god, no. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it was easy, per se. I didn’t mean to sound so insensitive. Taking a life is never -“
“That’s not what she meant, dumbass.” Inuyasha interjected, rolling his amber eyes. “She was asking if it was an easy task. Like, does it make you break a sweat?”
“Oh. Well, no not really.” She said, her worry of offense fading away. She’d realized how what she’d said could be twisted to sound as if she were a heartless, killing machine of a conjurer, which would be painted dark, so she’d panicked that that was what Kaede had thought. The moment her concern was dispersed, she breathed out a sigh. “Not anymore, at least. I really utilized all of my time training on the lower-grade demons to figure out how much power is too much, how much is too little, so on and so forth. So, by the time I ended up incidentally facing my first - er - competent demon in a sense, I had an approximation of how much spiritual power I should need to eliminate them. I was wrong, of course. But, from that point on, I had a general idea of what to do and how to do it, so it got substantially easier. Why? Where are we going with this?”
“And, how much power was in that punch?” Inuyasha pressed.
“I don’t know what you’re looking for with that question.” Kagome huffed. “I can’t give you a percentage, because I apparently don’t know where one-hundred sits for me. I thought I was giving my all, but then today happened and Kaede’s been giving me that look for five minutes now.”
“It’s just - Kagome, has there ever been a time where you’ve been in a charged match and gotten exhausted or sick afterward?” Kaede inquired.
“Tired, yes. That’s kind of normal, though. It’s physical exertion. Sick, no. Never. Wait, are you linking the occurrences together?”
“Doesn’t it make sense?”
“I mean, I figured it was because I freaked out?” Kagome asked more than stated, completely uncertain of everything now.
“What?” Inuyasha’s expression twisted incredulously.
“Haven’t you ever been so nervous it made you feel nauseous?”
“No.”
“Well, lucky you. I have. I honestly thought it was the combination of the stress of being found out on top of all the horrible demonic energy in the air, and it made me sick.”
“Okay, that is a possibility. I won’t dismiss that.” Kaede said. “Or, it was because you pushed yourself way passed your normal limits and this is the backlash.”
Kagome looked at Kaede, waiting for further explanation. What did she mean by backlash?
“Think of it this way: Let’s say what you did to save Inuyasha was your one-hundred and what you’ve been doing averages between twenty and forty percent. You’ve never gone passed forty, but today, somehow, you jumped all the way to one-hundred. That’s more than just your typical, physical exertion. You completely depleted your body and took from backup sources you may have, as well. Keeping up?”
“I - I think so…”
“Any sort of power you have has to be maintained through exercise. Just like muscle and strength; it’s all in the same realm. You just need to practice what fits your needs best. You can’t just decide to get toned and go straight to lifting fifty-pounds. You have to work your way up. Start small and build stamina. If someone regularly lifts thirty pounds but then jumps for something significantly heavier, let’s say twice that, they run the risk of hurting themselves. Well, it’s unfortunately the same for those with supernatural abilities.”
“But, if someone tries to lift something out of their scale, they usually can’t. Like, those huge sacks of rice, for instance. It’s too heavy for me to carry. I can drag it, but lifting it onto my shoulders like my cousin is damn near impossible because I don’t have the muscle for it. So, how would someone go from thirty to sixty? In that same regard, how would I go from forty to one hundred?”
“If you’ve got enough endorphins running through you, you sometimes lose the ability to mind the boundaries your body sets. You don’t feel the limitations of pain and strain.” Inuyasha added.
“So, what happened, Kagome? What happened before you did it?” Kaede asked.
“I - I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.” She answered, her brown eyes drifting to the bathroom floor beneath her legs.
“How the hell do you not know?” Inuyasha ridiculed. “It’s your body, your power, so where’s the miscommunication?”
“I mean, I don’t know. I’m doing my best, Inuyasha.” Kagome snapped back, glaring at the hanyou, nearly matching his tone and scorning demeanor. “I didn’t have anyone to help me while growing up. I had zero resources to learn from. When we found out that I was a conjurer, my family chose to shelter me. I was too young to understand, and I wasn’t the type to rebel, so I minded my father’s requests to keep it a secret. He was the only link to knowledge about my powers that I had because he traveled, and personally, I thought I was thriving. It wasn’t until I was around ten or so that I realized he was merely teaching me how to control, conceal, and channel it into my arrows. Basic-level techniques. After he died, and especially after Naraku rose to power, I took it upon myself to figure out what I could do, but that meant my one and only resource was trial and error. I will openly admit that I don’t know everything I should know, but I am also trying. I don’t know what I did because I had never done it before. I heard you were being attacked and ran to make sure you were okay. I saw you were swarmed and didn’t have your big, fancy sword, and I can tell you the only thing going through my mind then was that I didn’t want them to kill you. I felt something unrecognizable inside of me, but there was no time to understand it. If I had stopped to figure out where the sensation was coming from, you could have died So, I just went with it.”
Inuyasha stared at her, a look of disbelief on his face. He’d wondered how she’d known about his predicament in the first place, but he hadn’t found the opportunity to ask. Still, it wasn’t the right time to get all the details he currently lacked and desperately wanted to understand. Kagome had really ran to him to help? She didn’t want him to die? He could tell her passion was from her irritation with him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dumbfounded by her admittance. That didn’t mean he wasn’t awestruck by the way she heatedly expressed herself in the moment, despite her paled skin, dark under eye circles, and noticeable enervation. Despite the way she held onto her stomach and frowned at him, the way her bangs clung to her forehead from the sweat soaking her flesh, there was still a fire behind her vibrant irises while she waited for him to reply with an argument. He had none, though. His lips sealed and his cheeks flushed, feeling the newfound heat of his own face as blood rushed through, and he brought his hand before his mouth, looking away from her ardent gaze.
“So,” Inuyasha spoke, his attention now on Kaede. “What happens if she does more?”
“What do you mean?”
“Saying her attack today was her one-hundred was merely hypothetical. Truthfully, I think she’s got more potential than that.”
“Oh, I agree. For all we know, that could have been her seventy percent.”
“Right. So, what happens if she does exhibit one-hundred percent before she’s fully capable of handling it? What sort of repercussions would she be looking at?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. My knowledge is limited, and I never saw my sister do anything as strong as what you said Kagome had done. She’ll probably get incredibly sick; much worse than she is now. And, it’ll take a while to come back from it. Might even physically hurt her. Again, these are all guesses, so none of my answers are definitive. Hopefully, we’ll never have to find out.” Kaede answered. She watched Kagome nod in acknowledgment, her eyes closing as she sighed out and slowly dropped her head back to lay against the rim of the bathtub. The way her eyebrows pinched together slightly spoke of her concentration to subdue the nausea she was battling, probably inwardly pleading with her body not to puke anymore.
She took that moment to crawl a little closer to the girl. Very gently, Kaede placed her hand against Kagome’s cheek, feeling the scorching heat of her skin. Her palm traveled to her forehead to confirm her fever, then the side of her bruised neck. The poor girl was burning up, gaze half-lidded as she blinked her eyes open.
“Alright, first things first, we need to get you cleaned up. I’ll run a bath, and -“
“No, I’m fine. It’s okay, I’ll be fine. Thank you.” Kagome didn’t want to trouble anyone anymore than she already had. She just needed to sleep this off. If her body needed recuperation, then a bath could wait.
“You’re slick with sweat and dirt, Kagome. You’ve been physically ill. Please, just trust me. I want to help.”
“You’re doing what she says.” Inuyasha instructed, pushing himself to a stand as he grabbed her things to remove them from the bathroom. “You look about ready to keel over, kid. Let her help you.”
How did she get here? How did all of this happen? Since the day she’d left home, Kagome felt like everything had gone so wrong. It was all so close together, one thing after the next. Was this really what was meant to happen, or had she taken a wrong turn somewhere down Murphy’s Law Lane? Kagome swallowed thickly, but this time it wasn’t bile she suppressed. It was the unmitigated density of failure. It was the urge to cry, to damn herself, to give into the pressure of everything that had occurred since Naraku’s henchmen visited her village. She wouldn’t be in this position if she were stronger, if she were remotely as experienced as Kikyo was.
How could she have avoided this? What could she have done differently to prevent this outcome? How could she improve? Was this nature’s course, or was Kagome a basket case? All of this applied weight to her shoulders, her stomach, and she again swallowed, pushing the thoughts as far away from the forefront of her mind as she possible could for the time being. There was nothing she could do about it at the moment, and the last thing she wanted, on top of everything else, was for the two people who tried to help her see her breakdown.
“Alright, Inuyasha. I’ve got it from here.” Kaede assured him, smiling gently as she got the water flowing.
“I’ll be right out here if you need anything.” He said, closing the bathroom door behind him.
Once the tub was full and ready to go, Kaede assisted Kagome in getting undressed, unwrapping her bandaged hand, and getting her in the bath. The silence was a little uncomfortable, but nothing else could be expected. There was no need to force conversation or make Kagome talk. As long as her eyes were open and she was expressing awareness as she washed up, it wasn’t necessary to press her further for more. So, Kaede gently washed her hair, wanting to do anything she could to help provide a small sense of comfort for her.
“Do you have a change of clothes, dear?”
“Yeah. In my bag.” Kagome nodded.
“Inuyasha took it with him. I’ll go grab something for you.” Kaede smiled, heading toward the door. “You stay in the bath. I’ll be right back.”
“What’s up? Need something?” Inuyasha asked as Kaede came out and headed straight for Kagome’s belongings.
She sort of hummed a reply, not much of an actual answer though as she shifted through, pulling out some clothes. “None of these look very comfortable. Does she not have pajamas?”
“Given her circumstances, I don’t think she planned for comfort. I’m thinking she was leaning more towards practicality.”
“Her circumstances?”
“She left home. Long story. Not mine to tell.”
“Gotcha. Well, she’s bedridden until further notice, so practicality is out the window. I’ll go grab her something of mine real fast. Can you listen out for her in case she needs anything. The door’s cracked, so you can hear better.”
“Mhm.” He grunted, pointing to the ears atop his head. Opened, closed, didn’t matter. He’d hear her. As Kaede left the room, Inuyasha propped his temple up with his fist, his elbow resting on the arm of the cushioned seat he took residence in in the corner of the bedroom.
If he was exhausted, he could only imagine the deteriorated stamina of the human in the other room. A conjurer. She was a fucking conjurer. Guess she really wasn’t joking when she said she could take him. If she could empty a large area full of enemies, he wondered what she could truly do. If Kagome was fully trained, confident, and as powerful as she was meant to become, what were her limitations - if any? He was colored impressed, intrigued, and also a little terrified. Not because of what she was. It was because of her strength, the head on her shoulders, and very clear level of determination.
He knew there was something more to her, he knew his gut hadn’t led him astray. It was never wrong, she was just good at keeping secrets. According to her, she’d had plenty of practice with this particular one. And, she’d only let it slip in order to save his life. She’d made that sacrifice despite her own potentially being on the line. Kagome was undeniably brave, and when he thought deeper into it, Inuyasha could see just how mentally strong the girl had to be. He wondered what made her head out on her own. Was she actually looking for somebody? If so, who? What sort of business was this conjurer up to? What had she been through?
Truthfully, that’s what scared him. The answers to those questions. From her, he expected nothing but some impactful response in the fewest words imaginable. He didn’t know a damn thing about her character other than her attitude, and yet he was still capable of saying that he’d never met anyone like her. It unsettled him. It made him uncomfortable to think highly of another. Especially in such a short amount of time. He wanted to continue on thinking she was just another weak human. He wanted to go forward believing she couldn’t take care of herself, that she was a magnet for trouble, that she was nothing short of sloppy, and stupid, and reckless, and while some of that may actually be true, an uncontrollable part of him attempted to dissuade those thoughts.
From his spot, the smallest sniffle reached his ears. It was trembling and hushed. It was broken, the shuddering inhale proceeding it grasping at his heart. And again, the question presented itself to Inuyasha. What had Kagome been through? What broke her right now? Was she hurting? Scared? For the first time in ages, Inuyasha felt sympathy for another. He wished whatever pressed her in this moment lifted. He didn’t want her to feel fear, he wanted her to believe them when they swore she was safe and protected. He didn’t want her to feel pain, because that’s all he’s seen sketched on her flesh since he’d met her. Inuyasha sincerely wanted Kagome to rest, to trust him, to feel comfortable, and to heal.
Kaede returned promptly, and Kagome cleared her tears, rinsing her face with the warm water she soaked in.
“What’s that?” She asked, noticing the garment that Kaede unfolded and set out.
“It didn’t look like you had anything comfortable to sleep in, so I went and got you a night gown of my own. Hopefully it fits you.” She smiled. “Come on, let’s get you dry.”
Grabbing a towel, she helped Kagome out of the tub, allowing her to dry herself off as she stabilized her. The gown draped down to her shins, the sleeves ending at her forearms, and the white complimenting her sweetly. She’d definitely sleep better in this than she would in a tight pair of pants. Kaede took to drying Kagome’s hair, really ringing it with the towel until she got the majority of the moisture out. The last thing they needed was for her wet hair to get cold and potentially worsen her fever.
“Thank you so much for this. All of this.” Kagome softly spoke, her lowered gaze communicating her bashfulness.
Kaede brushed the girl’s hair behind her ears, replying with a gentle grin before grabbing her hand to slowly guide her out of the bathroom and to the bed.
Inuyasha stood in case they needed help, having personally witnessed firsthand Kagome’s unsteadiness, but Kaede got the blankets pulled back and helped Kagome move on her own just fine.
“Alright, I’ll be back in a bit with some food and medicine. Inuyasha, you wash up next. You stink.” Kaede said.
“Dick.”
“Yeah, that’s it. That’s what you smell like. The musty kind that hasn’t been washed in -“
The hanyou groaned loudly to cut her off, shoving her head aside as he stomped past her and into the bathroom. Kaede laughed, turning back to make sure Kagome was comfortable before heading out of the room.
For the moment, it was quiet. Kagome could feel her body sinking into the bedding, but she was blisteringly hot beneath the layered blankets. As much as she wanted to let go of her grievances and close her eyes, ignore the burden of her fever and just go to sleep, her stomach twisted and bunched painfully, making it impossible to relax. As if she wasn’t uneasy enough as it was, her body seemed to have a goal to worsen the experience for her. Why was it that when she overextended herself, she got physically sick? What an abnormal reaction to have. Sure, if someone pushed themselves to run a faster mile, they could potentially throw up. But, have flu-like symptoms? Unheard of. Being a conjurer was weird. Supernatural powers were weird. Everything that was happening to her, all weird.
Taking her mind off of the sleep she so woefully wanted, Kagome raised her left palm to take note of the progress of her healing cut. It really wasn’t all that bad anymore. She was glad there were no signs of infection. It wasn’t very pretty, the edges of her nicked flesh harboring a bit of pink coloration, but it wasn’t bleeding or oozing anything, so that was definitely a good sign. She’d give it another two days before she didn’t need to bandage it up any longer. For the meantime, she should take the proper precautions to keep it improving.
She moved slowly, minding the weakness of her muscles as she sat up and uncovered herself, moving her legs to sit on the edge of the bed. Kagome stood to cross the room to get to her things, pretending the dizziness wasn’t there, pretending the room wasn’t wobbling from side-to-side in the slightest, taking one firm step at a time.
“Hey!” Came Inuyasha’s loud voice at the halfway mark, and Kagome froze, jolting slightly from how direct his shout was. She’d almost thought he was behind her for a moment, but after glancing around, she realized he was yelling from the bathroom.
“Inuyasha?” Kagome asked timidly.
“The fuck are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“What - the fuck - are you doing?”
“What do you mean?” She wasn’t even raising her voice to make sure he heard her through the walls. That sort of energy was out of her reach. She was indisputably confused, though. Why was he yelling at her? What was wrong?
“You’re out of bed. For what?”
How the hell did he know? Could he actually hear her with those ears of his? Were they that sharp? Or, was he just paying such close attention to any sounds of movement that he caught the pads of her feet hitting the wooden flooring? Or, both?
“I wanted my medical kit. I need to wrap my hand.” She responded with a little more tenacity in her tone.
“Is it bleeding?”
“No.”
“Then get your ass back in bed. It can wait.”
“But -“
“Lay down.”
“Inuyasha -“
“Lay down!”
Kagome groaned and she did it loudly, stomping her feet as she went back to the mattress and plopped her butt down. Was it childish? Absolutely. But, she hoped each noise she’d intentionally made hurt his stupid, dog-like ears. Woozy repercussions be damned.
She adjusted the pillows against the headboard so that she could comfortably prop herself up, sitting back against them and pulling the horribly hot blankets over her legs again. She was old enough to know that it was best to stay covered while you had a fever, but that never once stopped her from wanting to kick them off. With everything irritating her right now, her head beginning to throb, Kagome felt the aggravated pout form on her face. She’d never been the type to like to stay in bed and wait out an illness. Her brother could sleep for days and be perfectly comfortable, but she hated not being able to do basic things to take care of herself.
“God, you’re such a baby.” Inuyasha murmured, coming out of the bathroom moments later. He wore the same pants as before, but was shirtless, water dripping down the ends of his long, silver hair and over the skin of his chest. He used his towel to rub through his tresses, and thankfully his amber eyes were aimed at her things while he crossed the room so he wouldn’t notice the way Kagome glanced at him only to quickly redirect her gaze at the surprise of his half-naked appearance.
The fever was going to her head. Had to be. Her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own as they drifted over to his back as he passed her, taking notice of the swell of his defined muscles while he walked, crouched down at her bag and dug out the box she’d wanted. She appreciated the way little movements made him flex, the way his physique contoured when he stood, even the definition of the arm he used to dry his cleaned hair. It wasn’t until he turned back to her that she noticed the cut on his shoulder, deep and angry and swollen. Little bruises littered his flesh, small scrapes adorning his sides and the right half of his chest. He hadn’t left the battle unscathed - of course, he hadn’t - and she felt horrible for just now noticing.
“Your arm.”
“It’s fine. Give me a sec and I’ll bandage your hand.” He said absentmindedly, dropping the kit on the far edge of the bed as he sauntered back to the bathroom.
“But, doesn’t it hurt?”
“Not really.” He replied from the other room.
“Rotten liar.”
“I’m not lying. I can barely feel it.”
“Then let me look at it.”
“You just saw it.”
“No, I mean let me look at it.”
“Hang on.” He said, ringing his hair as dry as he could before pulling it back into an untidy ponytail. Inuyasha came back out and presented the cut to Kagome, sarcasm written all over his face as he gestured to it carelessly so she could see, and then reached over to grab the medical supplies to completely disregard his wound.
“Inuyasha, you know what I meant. Let me see it. Please.” Kagome tried, biting back the annoyance in her tone. With a huff from the half demon, he sat down beside her, allowing her to get a good look at the wound on his shoulder. While she had the chance, she jabbed her finger just above it, receiving the full reaction she’d expected as he jerked away with a pained groaned, snatching her hand with a vice grip. “Looks like that hurt.”
“Fucking duh!” He snapped.
“I knew you were lying.” Kagome giggled lethargically.
“You’re not supposed to touch it!”
“You should let me bandage it up.”
“That’s not necessary.” Inuyasha said with clenched teeth, tossing her hand away. “It’ll be gone by morning.”
“I know you have the ability to heal faster than humans do, but I still think this will last a solid couple of days. Everything else will be gone by morning, sure. But, this? Probably not.”
“That doesn’t mean it requires bandaging. It’s not even bleeding anymore.”
“It’s still prone to infection.”
Inuyasha scoffed.
“Want me to poke it again?”
“Do it and I’ll poke your stomach and talk about vomit.”
“You fight dirty.” Kagome grimaced, protecting her core. “Just let me -“
“No.”
“Please?”
“Why?”
“I want to help.”
“I don’t need any.”
“Looks like you do.”
“I don’t.”
“Please?”
“Oh my god, Kagome.”
“Please?” She knew she was aggravating him, and as good as she didn’t feel, it was hard to hide her grin. Every huff of irritation he gave, every scrunch of the skin between his brows from the way they furrowed together, and every roll of his eyes was amusing to her right now. He was reaching his limits, but he wasn’t going to snap. He was going to fold.
“Will it make you shut up?”
“Yes.”
“I really don’t need it.”
“Please?”
“Stop it.”
“Ple-“
“Jesus fuck, just shut up and do it already.”
Kagome beamed with a prideful smile, taking the kit from him and reaching for the cleaning solution and cotton balls. “Jeez, if you wanted me to bandage you up so bad, you should have just asked, Inuyasha.”
The hanyou slowly turned his head to look at her, an infuriated expression written into his straight-set lips and glazed, amber eyes.
“I’m kidding, I’m sorry. I’m shutting up.” She promised, laughing but also taking his warning to heart.
He didn’t say a thing while she cleaned his wound. She knew the solution stung only from the minor flinch in his muscles, but other than that, he stared at the ground, allowing her to work. Kagome didn’t expect nor need any form of gratitude from Inuyasha for dressing his wound; she’ll admit it was more for herself than him. It made her feel more comfortable knowing his chances of infection were slimmed down, and it also made her feel better contributing to anything she could in her debilitated state. Maybe he knew that was what she wanted which is how she could tell he was going to eventually let her bandage him up. Or, maybe she just genuinely annoyed him and he truly did want nothing more than to silence her. Either way, when he addressed her with a mere shrug of his brows as she finished, Kagome wasn’t offended.
She didn’t wait for him to take anything from her to wrap her hand. She could do it on her own, and she took to cleaning it out. Inuyasha remained beside her, watching her struggle a little with the bandages and anticipating a reason he’d need to interfere and take over. When she gave him none, the hanyou reached up, pushing her bangs aside to place his palm to her forehead.
“Fuck, you’re burning up.” He commented. “How’s your stomach?”
“Hurts. I’m queasy, but I don’t feel like I’m about to throw up.” She responded, putting everything back into her kit and shutting it.
“You should lay down.”
Kagome shook her head, slightly disgruntled. “Not comfortable. Don’t want to.”
“Alright, whatever. But, after Kaede comes back with medicine, I don’t want to hear it. You’re going to sleep.”
“Mhm.” Kagome agreed. It was fair, and she really did want that much. She was so unbelievably tired, her body just ached. The sooner she laid down, the sooner she was going to be completely covered by blankets, too. With only half of her body covered, it was sweltering enough. The last thing she wanted was to be buried within the heat right now. On the other hand, she was grateful she wasn’t battling chills on top of it all.
A knock on their door was the only warning that Kaede was entering before she opened it up, carrying a tray with two bowls and a couple containers on the side. The girl set the tray with all of its contents on the little table beside Kagome, handing a bowl to Inuyasha and waving him off.
“Rice and chicken for you.”
That had to be the happiest Kagome had ever seen the half demon, even as he was pushed aside and dismissed to eat his food across the room. He even gifted a “thanks,” before digging in to eat on the cushioned seat in the corner.
“Where’s your shirt?” Kaede asked speculatively.
“It’s torn and has blood all over it, so it’s soaking in water. As much as I trust your witchcraft bouquets, I don’t want to take chances of my blood attracting the wrong noses.”
“Fair enough. I’ll go buy you another from the shop in town tomorrow morning and add it to your tab. Pink would look nice on you.” She teased.
“Yeah, so would that dress you lent Kagome but I would only end up showing up all the women in town with my gorgeous looks, so make it black.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Kaede rolled her eyes and smiled, her attention falling back to her task. “Alright, sweetie. You’re totally gonna hate this, but please just trust me, okay?”
“Uh oh. What are you about to make me take?” She grimaced, eyeing the little containers.
“One of these is for nausea. Tastes awful. The other is to break your fever. Tastes worse and will make you super drowsy pretty quickly. After the medicine, you’ve gotta eat, which I know is probably the last thing you want to do. It’s the only way to keep your strength up though, so you’ve gotta stomach as much as you can. It’s soup and it’s light, so hopefully it won’t upset your nausea too bad before the dose kicks in.”
“Great.” Kagome remarked sardonically, her lack of enthusiasm painfully obvious. Just the smell of food was causing a lump in her throat to swell, an unsettling feeling blooming, but she swallowed it to the best of her abilities.
Kaede opened the first container, a little bottle, pouring a thick liquid out onto a spoon. “Don’t spit it out, okay?”
“That bad?”
“Horrible.”
“I appreciate the warning.” Kagome cringed, mentally preparing as she welcomed the spoon into her mouth. The taste slid onto her tongue and it was a disgusting mixture of spice, what you would imagine manure to taste like, something metallic, and a hint of grape. It took so much, almost too much, willpower to swallow, a burning sensation gliding over her tongue and down her throat, and Kagome brought her knees to her chest as she fought back a whine, burying her face in the blankets that draped over her legs.
Inuyasha chuckled at what he’d seen of the girl’s ghastly expression before she’d dramatically hid it, but prior to anything funny or sarcastic he could say, Kagome shot her middle finger up in the air at him. It only made him laugh harder, snorting slightly, but he shut his mouth and refrained from teasing her. Lord knows it would only send her over the edge.
“Here. Water.” Kaede offered. “Just take a sip.”
And, Kagome did just that, hoping the liquid would wash her tongue of the horrid taste. It did not.
“Ready for the next?”
“You said this one is worse?”
“Sure did.” Kaede grinned apprehensively. She shut the nausea medicine and opened up the small container at its side. It was a fine, tan powder, and Kaede took a sheet of paper she’d folded in half, distributing a healthy amount within the crease. “You have to hold this one under your tongue until it completely dissolves. After, you’ll get the soup and forget all about this torture.”
“Until you have to do it again in the morning.” Inuyasha teased a little too happily.
“Shut up or I’ll make you take some.” Kaede reprimanded.
“Not on your life.”
“Try me.” There was something about the calm way she threatened him that actually made Inuyasha uncomfortable, and he heeded it, once again silencing himself as he shoved a spoonful of rice and chicken in his mouth. Kaede was completely human, petite in stature, and looked sweet as can be, but she had the attitude that helped her keep up with your average man. She’d grown up alone for the most part, never let her handicap of one eye slow her down or hold her back, built her business from the ground up, and Inuyasha respected that enough to know that she could put him in his place. She’d done it before. The girl was tough as nails and had to be in order to run the inn that she did, giving a place of refuge for those in need and defying Naraku and his henchmen. He may be physically stronger than she, but still, he’d prefer not to test her.
“Alright, Kagome. Open up.”
Kagome did as she was told, lifting her tongue and allowing Kaede to slide the powder beneath it with the thin, creased paper. At first, it wasn’t so bad. It sat beneath her taste buds, so the worst part was the bubbling of the powder as it mixed with her saliva. But then the saliva rose around the sides of her tongue to pool on top, and the taste hit her. Immediately, it tested her gag reflex, but she resisted, swallowing profusely as she, yet again, buried her face in the blankets on her knees. Kaede soothingly rubbed her back, coaxing her with hushes and apologies. It tasted worse than the bile she’d vomited. It tasted indescribable, and gingery, and pungent, and she wished, as each second passed, that it would just finish dissolving already. It brought tears to her eyes, her nose sniffling from the spiciness, but she waited, and waited, and fought back her nausea, and swallowed over and over and over until the powder was completely gone.
“Here you go, sweetie. Take a bite; it’ll help.” Kaede offered Kagome her food, pushing it closer to her on the tray so she could lean over and take a spoonful in her mouth.
Inuyasha wouldn’t deny that he felt sort of bad for Kagome after that one. As she sat up straight to come out of hiding, taking deep, concentrated breaths to calm herself down before slurping a little bit of soup, he saw some pink on her cheeks. He knew it was an inadvertent reaction to the medicine, but it was still nice to see color on her face again. He knew it would wash away momentarily, her pale features would return until the remedy kicked in, but it was still nice to catch a glimpse of the woman he’d seen just that morning.
“Better?” Kaede softly inquired after Kagome swallowed some soup. Her shoulders had sunken back down, her muscles unclenching, and she hoped the bowl of broth and vegetables was enough to quell the awful taste Kagome had had to endure.
She nodded, swallowing thickly. She was grateful, so grateful, for the flavorful and hot liquid that rinsed away the medicine, but that didn’t mean her stomach was very accommodating to it. With just the few things she’d swallowed, the organ churned and clenched painfully, threatening her to push it all back up her esophagus, so Kagome knew the last thing she could do if she was going to keep the medicine down was eat too quickly. She decidedly set the spoon down to give her body time to steady.
It wasn’t the first Kaede had noticed the markings around Kagome’s neck. She wasn’t blind or daft; she’d seen it the moment she saw the girl standing beside Inuyasha at the counter. Gently, she hooked her finger beneath Kagome’s chin, tilting her head back so she could get a better look at the handprint that encircled the front of her throat.
“Is this from today?”
Kagome’s brown eyes didn’t hold against her own, shying away though she didn’t pull her chin out of her meager grip. In answer, she shook her head.
She didn’t want to talk about it. Not again. Please, not again. Not right now. In no way, shape, or form was she in any mental condition to think about the little conjurer who’d died so violently. She didn’t have the capacity to handle hearing the mother’s screams echoing through her head, to revisit the day she’d watched the light fade from those innocent, blue eyes. Kagome was already battling with herself and how she felt like an absolute failure, and the last thing she wanted was to have each letter tattoo’d into her skin as she recalled how she failed to protect the young girl.
Kaede reached down, holding and examining Kagome’s bandaged hand, remembering the small wound she’d gotten a brief look at along her palm.
“What happened to you, Kagome?”
“Kaede.” Inuyasha’s voice was low but firm. It was both an instruction and warning. He was protecting Kagome, and Kaede swallowed the remaining curiosity she had. He’d mentioned Kagome had left home, mentioned it was a long story that wasn’t his to tell, and considering he seemed to know it well enough to remind Kaede to respect the invisible boundary was all she needed. She wasn’t one to intrude, and the last thing she wanted was to make things worse for Kagome.
“Never mind, sweetheart. Forget I asked.” She smiled compassionately, releasing her as she walked over to the closet. She slid the door open, pulling out a futon and setting it out along the floor. She grabbed a blanket from the top shelf, unfolding it and laying it on the futon, and then grabbed an extra pillow from the shelf, as well, to drop on top. “Inuyasha, your bed.”
He grunted as a response, and Kaede understood the weak excuse of a thank you. “Do you need anything else?”
“Nah,” He shook his head. “Go tend to the pigs downstairs. Let me know if any of them want to get handsy.”
“I can handle it.”
“I don’t care.”
“Go to sleep, you look like a mess.”
“You’re mouthy tonight. Fuck off.”
She giggled, rolling her eyes, taking his empty bowl, and ambling back over to the sick girl. “Kagome, sweetie, please eat as much as you can. Don’t worry about the dish, I’ll come back in the morning and grab it when I check in. Can I get you anything else?”
“No, thank you.” She smiled appreciatively. “You’ve done more than enough.”
Kaede left the room, quietly shutting the door behind her, and Inuyasha was quick to follow over, locking it. He picked up the trashcan on the far side of the bedside table, dropping it closer to Kagome. “Just in case.”
He turned before she could thank him with a grin, walking away and heading straight for the curtain-clad window. The moonlight hit his face as soon as he pulled the edge of the curtain back, eyes studying the outside world, and she wondered if he was checking to see if they were followed. Inuyasha stood there for several minutes, analyzing the streets, his good shoulder leaning against the wall.
Thankfully, her stomach had settled a bit, and Kagome found it a good opportunity to try another bite of her soup. Her muscles still trembled unsteadily, the bowl proving to be heavy, but she clutched it carefully and used her legs as a table for stability. The food was good, but her body really wanted to reject it. The smell of it, as homie as it was, was enough to cause her abdomen to tense rigidly, and even the broth hitting her tongue was sufficient in making her throat warn her that if she pushed herself too much, she was going to end up losing everything she’d just consumed. Just to say she tried, Kagome took one more spoonful in her mouth, avoiding the actual bits of vegetables and just swallowing the broth. That was it; that was all she could handle. So, she put the bowl back on the nightstand and rested her head against the headboard.
Inuyasha watched the streets below cautiously. There wasn’t life out; they were empty, hazed in a blue provided by the night sky and the full moon. The unfortunate reality of being safeguarded by Kaede’s deterrents was it worked both ways. Demons hunting them down would lose their scents, and he couldn’t smell them coming from within the barrier either. It was hard for him at first to really let down his guard, to be completely vulnerable, but just because he didn’t have one of his senses didn’t mean he couldn’t rely on his others. He could hear plenty, and he trusted that if anyone got inside, he’d catch them coming before it was too late.
A soft sigh caught his attention, and Inuyasha glanced back over to Kagome on the bed. Her eyes were glazed over, almost closed, and she seemed to be slumping down in her spot. Kaede wasn’t kidding when she said it was quick.
“Lay down, kid.”
She looked over at him wonderingly, blinking sleepily before sluggishly scooting her butt forward so she could lay down properly. She was struggling to readjust her pillows, and Inuyasha couldn’t help but chuckle before heading over to assist her.
“Jesus, this shit’s really kicking your ass.”
“She said - she said it would be fast.” Kagome mumbled.
“Mhm.” He agreed, slipping his arm around her side to help support her weight as he fixed her pillows. Kagome’s feverish head rested against his shoulder, and he slipped his hand behind it as he slowly laid her down. “She didn’t mention how strong it was though, did she?”
Kagome hummed a no, sinking into the bedding.
“You’re so pathetic.” Inuyasha joked lightly, pulling the blankets over her upper body.
“Am not.” She muttered, eyes closing. “Saved your life.”
“I saved yours right back.”
“Not.”
“Alright, alright. Go to sleep, you dummy.”
He left her alone, sauntering back over to the window to watch out for a while before he’d give in to his own fatigue. It was silent. Comfortable. Kagome’s rhythmic breathing was considerably soothing to him compared to the discomfort she’d been in for hours.
“Inuyasha,” The conjurer breathed, and his ambers eyes darted over to her resting form. Her eyes were still closed, blankets raising with each inhale from her chest, and even though she was shadowed, he could still make out her pale skin.
“Hm?”
“Thank you.” She murmured, bringing a slight flurry to awaken in his chest.
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justasimptm · 3 years
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The Bride C17
The voice rings clear and stern, tone filled with rage and disbelief. Heisenberg stands a few feet away, leaning on his hammer, watching Moreau hesitant in front of me. It’s kind of funny to me, watching him panic, it’s like he’s hitting all the stages of grief at the same time. His mouth flaps like a fish, which is even funnier given his ugly other form, but to give him credit, he doesn’t back away. Heisenberg barely twitches a finger, but the knife he was holding flies from his hand, banging loudly on the support beam behind us. I feel both relieved and tense still as he steps closer, knowing I’m not alone but unsure how he’s going to deal with this situation.
“Mother wanted me to do another test! I’m making progress!” Moreau whimpers, matching his steps moving backwards, only stopping when he bumps into his little table and trips, falling to the ground with a nauseating wet slap. Heisenberg doesn’t even look at me, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the dolt that’s trying to skitter away from him. “You should-you should go! Let me finish my work!” Heisenberg scoffs at the effort, twisting his fingers slightly to pull the needle from my arm, letting it ping to the ground before sliding the bucket that had started collecting my blood over to him. It sloshes slightly, and I realise he had already started draining me before I woke up.
“I think, you have plenty. And I also think if you ever try something like this again, I will tell Mother Miranda about your betrayal, because that’s what this is, and she’ll cast you out for it. Let her out of your filth.” He hisses, leaving no room for argument or discussion. Within seconds I feel the sludge holding me up release, which is both a relief and a shock, because without it I feel a million pounds heavier and I tumble forward into Heisenberg, who with all his grace, manages to catch me before I hit the ground.
Without so much as letting the other creature breathe a syllable in reply, Heisenberg turns, and promptly stalks from the mines, resurfacing through the hut before walking us slightly downstream. He sets me down carefully on one of the bigger rocks, letting me adjust myself before fully releasing me and sitting down next to me. Part of me wonders how he found me, but part of me doesn’t want to ask, wanting instead to break down slightly and thank him for saving us again, even after our last encounter had been so cold. I scramble for the words to say to break our silence, even a simple thank you not feeling good enough. My buffering seems to register with him, so he fortunately takes the initiative and speaks first so I don’t have to.
“Do you need blood? He got a lot before I got there.” He asks, eyeing me up and down before looking out at the running water. The concern in his voice shocks me for a split second before I reply, humming thoughtfully as I focus on my body to see if I can get it to wake up. He must’ve really taken a good portion of what I had running through me because even now, out of his slime and out in the light, my body feels like it could drop into a coma at any second.
“I will. Before I go home if I can manage it. Thank you for coming, Lord-” I start, watching him from the corner of my eyes so I can look without staring directly. Before I can finish my miniature praise he cuts me off with the waive of his hand.
“I wasn’t gonna let that Fish Chum kill you. And I’m pretty sure I told you to call me Karl.” He states, turning to face me head on, but keeping his attention low as he shrugs off his jacket and rolls up the sleeve of his shirt. My brows furrow at his movement and I have to force myself away from staring at his now exposed arm and flexing biceps as he moves them. “I know I’m probably not preferred dinner, but I don’t think I’ll be able to get anyone fresher.” He mutters and it suddenly strikes me what he’s planning. Before I could protest, both at the intimacy of it and the idea of drinking from him and hurting  him, he pulled a thin knife from his belt and made a small cut across his arm. Not so deep as to cause much damage, but enough to make his blood sing in the air. “Don’t even think about saying no. Can’t have you dying’ on me yet, Doll. I still gotta make you like me.”
His words barely register on my mind as I reach for him on instinct, he pulls me closer to his side, running his fingers through my pinned hair and letting it fall fully loose from it’s half destroyed bun. It’s interesting as I latch on, not biting really, more like suckling, the conscious part of my brain trying not to cause too much harm. What’s even more interesting is that instead of tensing, like most would under the fang of what could arguably be considered a vampire despite our real creation, he relaxes into me. Sighing as my lips close on his skin and I apply the first light pressure of sucking, not flinching as my tongue swipes over the cut he made, tasting him for the first time.
He tastes like the best treats you could imagine. Like a fresh strawberry, dipped in rich dark chocolate, both sweet and bitter, but a perfect combination of both. He tastes like nothing I’ve had before, something I can only imagine could be compared to having your favorite meal at the end of a long week. My eyelids flutter close at the first drop that I pull into my mouth. Trying so hard not to be greedy, but wanting so desperately to bite and drink until I can’t. I think I hear myself whimper slightly, but I’m quickly soothed by his gentle shushing as he runs his fingers through my hair, scraping slightly along my scalp. The paired sensations of his coarse fingers on my head, his calm voice telling me it’s okay and to take what I need is almost too much to handle.
It makes me not want to stop, even though I know I need to. My body feels alive, humming with strength and more energy than I’ve had in years, and I fight every single nerve I have as I pull my stained lips away from his arm. When he asks me if I’ve had enough I almost laugh. No, I want to say, I need more, I need everything, but I say yes, because I am sated, belly full and happy, warmth flowing back to my fingers and my cheeks. His face is tinged red, just so slightly, a thin layer of sweat along his forehead, and for a split second I’m terrified I took too much. But as smoothly as he had rolled it up, he tugs his sleeve back down, nodding to himself. We sit in silence for another minute, letting both of our breathings steady before trying to return to conversation.
At first our conversation is light, he asks how I ended up in the mines, I ask how he knew I was there. Both of us give half truths, evading what we think will embarrass ourselves, but walking on eggshells grows tiresome fast.
“Are you scared of your mother?” He asks out of the blue, making me choke slightly on the breath I was taking. I can’t stop myself from looking around at who might have heard him, but we’re alone, just as we were when we came down.
“My mother is...a very complicated woman.” I start, treading carefully, but he scoffs at my statement, making me smile lightly. “Maybe a bit more than complicated. She’s always wanted what she thought was best for me. For her, really.” The sadness in my voice sobers him quickly. As I find the next words he gently pulls his glasses off, putting them to the side on his jacket. I started explaining that we were both sick, her and I, but she wanted to be cured, leading into her magical find, the thing that would keep her alive for ages. He knows what I mean without having to say it. “She came home that night different. Physically, mentally. She looked like my mother but she didn’t exactly act like her. I was terrified, if I’m going to be honest. She changed me though, even though I…” I can’t finish that sentence, but I don’t have to, judging by the look on his face he already understands. “It took me a while to accept this, and when I finally did she really wasn’t my mother anymore. She was twisted up, and if I’m going to be honest, yes. I am afraid of her. I think everyone should be, really. She has no remorse for anything she does, wanting only for us all to love her. Me, my sisters, Miranda. That’s the only thing that drives her anymore.” What he asks next sends a spear of shock through my gut.
“So why haven’t you left?”
Why haven’t I left? God, that’s a very good question. I can go outside, I can fend for myself quite easily. So why not? The answer is much harder than anything else I could say.
“Because if I leave, I die.” His mouth drops at the bluntness of my response, and I have to fight to keep my voice steady. “My pendant is burned into my chest. If I try to leave, my mother can break the charm on it that keeps the silver poisoning from spreading, and kill me. I stay with her because I’m sick of dying. I’m sick of living. I’m sick of not having a choice on which I do. So I choose to stay, because it’s the only choice I have.” He doesn’t  have a follow up question, and the silence that was once comfortable now feels suffocating. “Thank you for helping me, Karl. I need to get back now. I’ll see you soon, I’m sure.”
Without so much as another beat of my heart I swarm, quickly finishing the ascent back up to my home, not reforming until I’m firmly inside the doors.
Heisenberg's POV
When I found her, mounted to the wall like some goddamn experiment, it felt like my entire world stopped moving. She was alive, but the white sheen on her face told me that wouldn’t be the case for very long. I know for a fact that this oaf didn’t ask Miranda if he could do this, so that was my opening, and thank god it worked. I was able to get her out of there before something bad really happened. Out in the sunlight she seems more calm, but she’s still too pale. It strikes me that she needs blood, to replace what he took. I start to scramble mentally, not sure where to find her something to eat, not wanting to leave her to do it.
The thought breezes through my head in a split second. If she needs blood, I think, she can drink mine. Then I think about the parasite infecting my body and I grimace, I doubt she’ll really want that. Still, however, I offer, and a warm tingle goes up my back when she agrees. When she starts mouthing at the cut I made on my arm I fight every fiber of my being to stop myself from shivering. The feeling of her tongue swiping over it, the deep but gentle sucking and the blissed out look on her face is almost too much for me. Almost too much but somehow not nearly enough.
The moment is over almost as soon as it starts. She releases my arm from her hands and pulls back, her breath still ghosting over my skin. I want to tell her she can keep going, just to feel it again, to see her like that, but I know she stopped for a reason so I don’t push it. After steadying our breathing and calming down, I decided to break the silence and try talking to her.
Our conversation is airy, but I can’t stop myself from asking the question I’ve been dying to know the answer to for ages, ‘are you scared of your mother’. When she says yes my blood boils. She tells me how her mother came back fucked up and forced the change onto her. She didn’t want this life either. She tries to keep her voice stable but I can still hear the hints of it shaking. The next question falls from my mouth before I can stop it.
“Why haven’t you left?” I propose. This seems to stump her for a minute, but she pulls her shoulders back and her face droops in resignation. I want to tell her she doesn’t have to answer, but she does before I get a chance.
“Because if I leave, I die.” She tells me, and I feel like I’ve been punched in the throat. She explains how the pendant she has is burned into her body, which explains why I never see it move, and that if she leaves her mother will take the charm off of it and let her die. It’s silver, the same material used to stab her those weeks ago. If I look close enough I can see small back veins around where the pendant sits, evidence that it would kill her. Before I can say anything else she’s gone, whisked back to her tower, far away from me. When she’s gone it feels less warm in the sun, everything somehow dimmer. I’m going to find a way to save her, I think to myself, and nobody will ever hurt her again.
@foggyturtleknightangel @beingviolentlyhappy @inesalexandra1995 @loveboldlywingedangel130
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athenadione · 3 years
Note
Prompt #88 with Jayrae, with Raven as the person who got hurt. Pretty please?
Muahaha *cracks knuckles* don’t mind if I do. Thanks for the prompt anon! It fed my angsty soul. (Also, sorry all for the hiatus in updates. Life is... hard).
‘Toxic Vengeance’
Pairing: JayRae Words: 2,296 Rated: M - Warnings for cuss words, graphic scenes of violence, and major angst. 
When the knife slashes her thigh, it instantly feels like it’s on fire. 
With a hiss, she draws back. 
It’s as if someone pressed a red-hot branding iron to her leg, then twisted it deeper into the marred flesh for good measure—but instead of dulling, the burning sensation is growing at an alarming rate, spiraling up her entire leg. 
Another hooded figure dashes from her right, and with a wave of power she forces them back with a glittery black claw. They hit the nearest brick building with a thud. Another jumps from above to replace them, and she throws up a shield with her other hand, halting the strike of their sword in mid-air. More are filling the alley, coming from the shadows. The burning in her leg is now more of an afterthought as her adrenaline spikes.
I need to end this now. “Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos.” 
Her power flares, and strikes through the figure, sending it back, along with the others in one large surge. There’s a series of grunts, followed by the clattering of weapons, before all she can hear is her own harsh breathing and blood from her heartbeat rushing in her ears. 
Amethyst orbs search the alley with skepticism, expecting another cohort to flood the street. Another minute of scouring, then she releases a breath when she’s certain it’s over. 
The attack had happened the second she turned the corner to investigate the stain of dark magic covering the adjacent building. She had been following whispered rumors of a rising national occult for weeks, eventually leading her to Crime Alley of all places.  
A groan escapes one of the men. Her attention shifts to see him lying slumped against the wall, hood fallen. His face is covered in old ancient markings, confirming both the reasons for her suspicion and dread. 
The marks of Scath. It appears her father’s followers are growing in power. Now, she needs to find out why—and who is behind it. They know who I am and purposefully drew me out here. This is more than I anticipated.
Is their leader someone I know? Maybe Blood? 
As the adrenaline begins to flow out of her body, she becomes keenly aware of the burning pain that’s replacing it. When the burning in her thigh flows down to her toes and up the side of her body, she realizes that her heart rate hasn’t slowed and neither has her breathing. 
Glancing down at her leg, she curses at the blood flowing freely from the wound. It’s deep, and is now starting to bubble. A bright red streak grows across her leg—a clear sign of inflammation. 
Poison. It’s not one that she recognizes—nor is it one that her demon-half can expel. 
Not good. 
Once the severity of her situation sets in, so does her panic, and she stumbles when another flare of pain sends her head spinning. She staggers over to the brick wall, laying one arm against her forehead. It’s covered in a thin sheen of sweat. 
It’s too late to call Nightwing or Batman; They wouldn’t be able to make it in time, and she doesn’t know if she has the capacity to transport herself to the cave. 
There’s only a handful of other people she trusts that knows more than just the basics of toxicology. 
Black specks dance along her vision and she tries to blink them back, shaking her head with considerable effort. 
There’s only one other option.
With the last of her failing strength, her eyes blind an iridescent white, and inky black tendrils snake around her, enveloping her into its depths. 
A moment later they release her and she stumbles across the threshold into a musty apartment. It doesn’t help that it’s completely dark, and the pound of her heart now seems louder than before.
Somewhere within the confines someone curses loud.
Her thoughts are becoming more clouded, and it’s getting harder to breathe. There’s a growing fervency to keep walking, and she does, intent to find him. 
A heat sizzles over her skin, heightening at her thigh. 
She whimpers, and her knees buckle—legs no longer able to support her weight. She’s so out of it she doesn’t even brace for the ground. 
He catches her before she hits.
“Jesus Christ, Raven. What happened to you?” His breath tickles her ear, and she shivers—though from his voice or her wound she’s not sure.
“Ambush. Poison.” She gasps through another wave of burning pain that shoots all the way up to her chest. 
Another curse and she’s being lowered against his door as fingers begin to ghost over her body. 
“Where? What kind?” He finds the wound and bright emerald eyes flare as they meet her. They swirl and morph into one before her eyes, and she blinks, swallowing back a sudden wave of nausea. 
“Alley…knife…I don’t know. I’ve never… ” she trails off, barely getting the words out as her shortness of breath increases.
“Fuck. Fuck,” an arm presses her shoulder back when she begins to slump over. “You cannot pass out on me princess. I need you to stay awake.” 
“Sorry,” she says, slurring her words. She’s growing exceedingly dizzy and her vision is blurring faster. She can’t get enough air to breathe. 
Something jars her. “Raven, stay with me.” 
Her heart feels like it’s going to tear and claw its way out of her chest, and for a moment she thinks it is. 
It beats faster, and faster, and faster.
“Rae, open your eyes. Look at me.” 
But then it stops. 
“Raven.” 
And all she knows is darkness. 
.
“Stand by. Preparing to shock.” 
There’s a loud, involuntary gasp, and a charging whine. 
“Shit. I swear to God you better not fucking die on me Rae.” 
.
“Evaluating heart rhythm… no shock advised. Continue CPR.”
The sound of pumping compressions fills the air. Green eyes glow as they glare at her prone figure.
“Breathe Goddammit!”
When he bites his lip, it’s hard enough to draw blood, but at least he managed to blink back the sudden, unbidden tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes.
He tries not to shake his hands when he hears her sternum crack underneath the heel of his palm. 
“What are you doing on this com-line Hood?” The growl in his ear is laced with caution, and he can’t blame him. At least he answered. 
He gets to the point fast. “It’s Raven, she was poisoned. I don’t know what it is, but I think it’s systemic,” he pauses as the voice in his ear curses. “She’s coding Nightwing, get someone to my apartment now.” 
There’s another tense pause as Dick listens to Jason’s sharp exhales coinciding with his compressions. 
“Where?” 
“The one closest to the Alley, on 3rd.”
“Z will come teleport us. AED?” 
Jason stops and sits back on his haunches as the defilibrator analyzes again. The machine’s response only heightens his fear. 
“No shock. Continuing CPR, it’s been a few minutes,” he swallows thick as he checks her carotid pulse again. Nothing. “I’m losing her godammit, hurry the fuck up.” 
“On our way.”
He immediately cuts the transmission to focus on his task.
One, two, three, four, five...
.
He doesn’t know how much longer he’s been counting to thirty, just that he’s done it over and over. 
A cacophony of motion behind him almost interrupts his concentration. Someone places a gloved hand on his shoulder with urgency. 
“She needs to be transported to the Watchtower as soon as possible.” 
Lips press together firmly, then he nods. Allowing Zatanna to intervene, she envelopes the empath in her magic. They leave the AED pads attached. 
In seconds, they’re gone. Then the others turn to follow. 
“I’m going with her.” 
Nightwing stills, eyes flicking to Batman.
The resounding silence is near palpable. Nightwing takes a tentative step forward, breaking it. 
“Little wing… I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” 
Fluorescent eyes shine with stone-cold defiance.
“You can’t stop me.”
Batman grunts—the closest thing he’ll ever get to an affirmation. It’s a sizable achievement, but he doesn’t feel victorious at all. 
She’s still in cardiac arrest, but if anyone can help her it’s Zatanna. 
And if there’s anyone that can overcome something like this it’d be her. 
Come on princess, come back to me. 
.
She codes three more times in the medbay. The crash team hovers as everyone else tirelessly searches for the right antidote. 
He doesn’t know what to do with himself. 
While he watches her Nightwing briefs him on her mission. He listens. It’s a distraction. Then white hot anger licks and gnashes up his chest to his throat with each word until he’s fisting his hands tight to hide the tremors. 
“... I thought it might be Blood but assassins and poison isn’t really his style. Do you think the League could have something to do with this?” Nightwing asks beside him.
His response is slow and level, revealing no hint of the turbulence of emotion that lies underneath, “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” 
Nightwing gives him a pensive stare, but says nothing. 
Jason narrows his eyes. 
Dead. They’re all fucking dead. 
.
They’re able to create one an hour later. He doesn’t think he’s ever been so relieved to see someone breathe. 
He waits until she’s stable before slipping away. The teleporter still recognizes him as Robin, and he’s not sure what to think about that when he steps onto the platform. 
Batman gives him a look that he acknowledges as both a warning and a threat; But why should he care? He lost respect for that man a long time ago, and doesn’t give two shits what he thinks.
Unlike Bruce, he’s not afraid to avenge those he cares about most through whatever means necessary.
.
A piercing cry follows the crack of snapping bone. Another finger, broken. That leaves seven more, and I’ve got all fucking night. 
“I won’t ask again,” comes a growl, “I want answers.”
The man’s panting is interrupted by a swift kick to the gut. He bends over with a groan, before he glares up at the Red Hood through one eye. The other is swollen shut. 
“Why would I tell you? You’re just going to kill me anyway.” 
Hood hums, cocking his gun. “True, but it’ll hurt wayyy less if you do.” 
The man spits at his boots, a mixture of saliva and blood. “Good luck. I won’t talk.” 
A malicious grin grows from underneath Hood’s mask. 
“Unfortunately for you, I don’t need it.” 
.
The hallway is empty, save for him and Nightwing.
Really it’s just a perfect place for a one-on-one scolding—and his brother clearly decides to take advantage of it.
“You shouldn’t have done that. He will retaliate. This is Ra’s we’re talking about.” 
Jason’s jaw clenches tight. 
“Who knows how many supporters he’s managed to convince that Trigon can fix all of their worldly problems? He could call on all of them at any given moment.” 
He bares his teeth. 
“You’ve made a mess, Hood. It’s going to take months to clean up what you did.” 
He can’t stand it anymore. “Are you shitting me? I did you all a fucking favor,” he points a finger in Richard’s chest. “I found out more information in an hour investigating my way than you all did in weeks. If you’re not happy with my methods then do a better goddamned job covering your teammates.” He nearly chokes on that last word, attention drifting to the unmoving woman in the room across from them. 
Dick’s eyes follow and widen, then narrow just as fast, and he crosses his arms. 
“You love her.” 
He should have known Richard would figure it out. Why even try to fucking deny it anymore?
“Yeah,” he winces when his voice comes out raw. “I do.” 
Dick raises a brow, unapologetic. “She’s not going to like what you did either.”
Jason doesn’t have the decency to look ashamed. 
“I know.”
He wonders if she would have done the same.
.
“The antidote stopped any further damage, but she remains comatose. We’ve deduced that her body’s gone into a healing trance to mend herself internally. There’s nothing else we can do but wait and continue to monitor.” 
He stares at her porcelain face, no longer resisting the urge to tuck a stray lock of indigo behind her ear. Even at rest her brows are furrowed—like she knows what’s coming.
He waits until he can no longer hear Zatanna’s echoing steps to draw closer to her, breathing in her familiar scent of incense and old books. It’s a welcome change from the sterile smell of antiseptic. 
“You’re really taking your time huh, sunshine? How rude of you, leaving me with these assholes,” he fingers another strand of hair before releasing it with a sigh. 
“You scared the shit out of me. Don’t do that again.” He gives her a mock glare, half-expecting her to glower back. When she doesn’t he swallows, and takes another breath. 
“There’s one more thing I need to do… and I know you’re going to hate it, but I’m going to do it anyway.” He imagines pools of lavender, ablaze with fire, and a mouth already poised to argue with a vehemence that makes him smile in the present. 
“I won’t be able to come back here after I finish, and I’m sorry I won’t be there when you wake up,” he takes her hand and squeezes. “But I’m not sorry for what I’m about to do.” 
The incessant beeping of the machines she’s hooked up to is his only response. 
He lowers his face, and brushes his lips against the crown of her head. 
“I love you.” 
Walking away from her is hard, and he almost turns back.
But he doesn’t.
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donutloverxo · 4 years
Text
Stevie
Tumblr media
Authors note- listen... I'm sorry for this but at the same time I'm not. Anyway this was inspired by an arc from the anime gintama.
the female captain america graphic does not belong to me.
Do not repost or steal my works. Reblogs are welcome
Summary- Steve has been on a space mission for a week. When he gets back he's a completely different person.
Pairings- Steve Rogers x reader, Stevie x reader
Warning- smut, sex toys, bi curious reader, gender bender(Tony nat and steve get turned into the opposite sex)
Word count- 3.3k
Masterlist
You had been monitoring Steve’s mission status for the past week. You were both used to the other being gone on missions. But a mission in space was something else. Steve, Tony and Nat were helping Carol out with a situation in space. Since the guardians were mia. In another galaxy. It was still hard to wrap your head around. Last you heard going to Mars was considered a huge accomplishment now people are travelling to another solar systems.
It was hard not to worry. So many things could go wrong. They could be sucked into a black hole or encounter a hostile species. You were one of the few Avengers who had never been to space. As you were blipped after the snap.
You had heard about it from Steve. He had a far away melancholic look in his eyes whenever he talked about it. You understood how hard those five years must’ve been for him. You weren’t sure if you could even last 5 weeks without him.
As much as you would’ve liked to go explore space you had decided someone had to stay home.
You were going about your night drinking some coffee to help with your fatigue in front of the monitor waiting for updates from Steve’s team. You had not left the room, you pretty much lived there. They were supposed to be home two days ago. With no updates from either of them you were at the end of your rope.
You were jolted awake when you felt your chair along with the whole room vibrating. You didn’t even realise you had fallen asleep. You rushed outside hoping that the team had made it back.
You looked at Carol approaching you from the ship landed on the compound lawn.
“Hey there”, she greeted giving you a nervous smile.
“Is something wrong?”, you asked looking at the ship hoping to see Steve come out of it.
“Well yes and no. Something happened. I’m going to need you to stay calm.”
“I’m always calm”, impatient you walked towards the ship.
You stopped in your tracks when you see three more people come out of it. Two women and a man. Confused you looked back at Carol who just smiled and shrugged.
“This must be weird for you”, you heard the man say, his hoarse deep voice say.
You looked back at the three of them and wished to pinch yourself or slap yourself, anything to wake up from this dream. You looked the three of them up and down. It wasn’t too obvious but they looked a lot like Steve Tony and Nat.
The redhead man had broad shoulders, a square jaw and a Bob haircut. He was shorter than the blond woman standing beside him.
You stopped breathing for a minute when you looked at her. She was tall, taller than any woman you’d ever seen probably taller than most men. She had a sharp jawline and high cheekbones. Her short blond hair was slicked back. If you didn’t know better you would be scared by her sharp features but you couldn’t help look away from her piercing blue eyes. That’s when you realized.
“Steve?”, you breathed out after what felt like forever.
“No no, she’s Stevie now”, you whipped your heard to look at the short brunette woman standing behind the redhead. Her hair was short with flicks of grey. She had wrinkles around her eyes and mouth.
“Yeah and she’s Toni now. As in Toni with an i.”, she redhead said.
“What is going on here?!”, you yelled and looked at Carol for an explanation.
“Well we were on the mission everything was going quite well. But then somebody decided to make some sexist jokes.”, she gave Toni and the red head a icy stare. “So they changed these idiots into the opposite sex. To teach them a lesson. They will go back to their old selves soon enough.”
“Ok it was just a joke! How was I supposed to know they would be so sensitive”, Toni whined.
“Wait who are ‘they’?”, you asked her
“Aliens”, she answered and walked back to the spaceship “alright I have to leave good luck”
“Oh no you don’t. How are we supposed to fix this?” Toni chased behind her asking and then begging her to stay.
You looked at the red head who would most probably be Nat and then at Stevie. Not really knowing what to say your gaze went down Stevie’s body. Your eyes widened when you looked at the curve of her breasts. You couldn’t see them properly under her tshirt but you could tell that they were big. It was no surprise, Steve did always have big assets.
“Uh... can we go inside?”, Stevie asked awkwardly rubbing her forearm with her hand.
You hadn’t uttered a single word still speechless and in shock. Was this real life? You had solved so many problems, seen so many things over the years but never in your life did you think you would be here. Looking at your boyfriend or girlfriend, you couldn’t deal with the feelings emerging inside you or how much you wanted to touch her to see if her skin was as soft as it looked.
You could only see her arms and face as she was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. She had a soft sheen of blond hair on her arms, not nearly as coarse as Steve’s arm hair used to be. Her arms were still muscular and definied but much more slimmer. And she clearly wasn’t wearing a bra. Not that you were complaining.
She was looking down at her thighs closing them and then opening them again, probably not sure how to sit. She looked up at you and smiled.
“How are you feeling?”, you asked her.
“Strange”, she said running her hand through her short hair. “Are you okay?”
“Well...”, you started not knowing how to finish. Would she be mad if she knew what was going on in your head? She was confused and in distress this is neither the time nor the place to have unsavory thoughts.
Nat came into the common room and plopped down beside Stevie. “I just used the bathroom. It was quite interesting.”, she said nodding to herself and staring off into space. She looked like she was contemplating her entire life.
You looked at Toni grumbling and making herself a drink. “She left. Said we’ll be back to normal by tomorrow”, she sat down on the sofa in front of you sipping her drink. She looked down at her breast before squeezing one.
“Toni!”, Stevie chastised him and looked away. You laughed at both of them, Nat and Toni joined you as laughter filled the hall.
“Imagine if Stark was born a woman”, Nat wondered.
“They definitely wouldn’t call you a playboy. They'd call you much worse names.”, you said before going back to admiring Stevie in all her glory while you had time.
“I’m going to head out. Good night kids. Pray to your gods that we go back to our old selves tomorrow”, Toni said putting her empty glass on the coffee table before leaving.
Nat yawned and stretched her back. “I’m going to bed as well. Long mission. Good night”
“So, what do you wanna do?”, you tentatively asked Stevie. You were suddenly nervous around her, the way someone would be around a new crush. You went back and forth between looking at her eyes, breasts and your lap.
“Let’s just go to bed. But... uh.. I could just sleep in the guest room if you like.” She scratched her neck blushing just like your Steve would. You smiled at her. There was no need to be nervous. This was the same Steve you knew and loved.
“No. We can sleep together. I’ve missed you”, you take her hand in yours. It felt the same but a bit different. Maybe because her hands were much smaller than Steve’s.
“I’m not me though”, she mused looking at your fingers linked together.
“I don’t mind. In fact I like it”, maybe you were being too bold but this might be the only chance you ever get.
“Oh?”, she looked at you her pink plump lips pouting. They looked even more kissable right now. Her nose was slimmer but still a bit crooked. The cute confused expression on her face reminded you so much of your Steve. Which was bizarre because she was still your Steve.
You couldn’t help it anymore, you leaned in putting your hand on the armrest for support and joined both your lips. She was stiff at first but then relaxed. You licked her lips and she opened her mouth kissing you deeply. She had missed your lips and your touch for the past week.
You broke apart after a few minutes. You looked into her eyes trying to catch your breathe. You decided to sit on her lap like you usually do. She put her hand around you as you nuzzled into her neck breathing her in. She smelled different, more feminine, but you could still smell hints of Steve’s soap and cologne.
“Are you sure about this?”, she asked intensely looking into your eyes.
You cradled her face in your hands. “I am as long as you’re comfortable. I’ve always wanted to do that. Be with a woman. Just never got the chance.”
“I... uh.. wouldn’t know what to do to”, she murmured looking away.
Steve, bless his heart, would never go anywhere near porn. He always found it too gratuitous. Never mind that the few sex tapes the two of you did make were plenty gratuitous.
No matter how much he liked to act like a boy Scout you knew all his kinks and perversions. But you had seen and read your fair share of erotica and you knew what you liked. You could make it work.
“You’ve always wanted to be with a woman?”, he asked and you nodded “you never told me that”
“I don’t know. I like women but don’t even feel like thinking about anyone else when I have you. Man or woman”, you shrugged. She blushed at that giving you a wide grin.
“Well... maybe Carol..”, you trailed off. You had developed a slight crush on her since the moment you met her. She was so fierce and strong. She didn’t take shit from anyone. You smiled at how she just left everyone here and went on her next mission to save the universe.
She was someone admirable. Or maybe it was just because she was a lot like Steve. Captain and everything.
Stevie hummed at that. She had seen you looking at Carol in adoration, her suspicions were just confirmed. She didn’t feel bad or jealous. She knew you were hers.
***
You had made yourself at home between Stevies leg while she laid her head on your pillow. She was apprehensive about letting you go down on her or see her. But you were adamant about giving her the experience of a female orgasm.
Maybe you had your selfish reasons as well. You couldn’t stop looking at her pretty pink pussy. It might be the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. You were tempted to whip out your phone and click a few pictures.
There were little dirty blond hair sprinkled around it. You wondered if you liked it because it was objectively pretty or because it was attached to the love of your life.
You smiled to yourself when you noticed it was glowing. She was probably getting impatient. She had been on a tasking mission, she deserves some relief. You were a bit anxious even if you knew what you had to do, you had never done it before. Your core tingled when you remembered the first time Steve ate you out. How you had to direct him and tell him exactly what to do. He was pretty much a pro at it now.
You licked a shy stripe up her lips. You gained a little bit of confidence when you felt her gasp and shiver. You licked a few more stripes before sucking on her clit. She seemed to like it when you did it faster so you increased your pace.
You pushed your tongue inside of her while licking her up. You decide to try incorporating your fingers as well. Pushing one and then two inside of her before thrusting them in and out with purpose.
She grunted and pushed your head back towards her core. “Shit”, she screamed as you began lapping her up again.
Steve never had any qualms about cursing during love making. It gave you great pleasure knowing you’re the only one that ever gets to see this wild feral side of him. Or her.
“Oh god”, she clutched your hair fisting them in her hand before coming all over your mouth. You lapped up everything you could.
You climbed up on your bed and looked down into her eyes. “How was that?”, you asked stroking her cheek.
“Pretty good”, she smiled up at you her blue eyes twinkling.
You raised your brows at her frowning. “Just pretty good?”
“It was perfect. But nothing different, I think”, she replied bringing your hand to her lips giving it a kiss. “Now it’s your turn”, she smirked.
“No”, you said firmly and got off the bed disappearing into your closet.
“No?”, she asked before sitting up trying to see what you were up to.
You return to your bed tying your favorite strap on to your hips and coating it with a generous amount of lube. You smirked when you looked at her staring at it. “What do you think?”
You already knew the answer to that question. You had used the very same toy on Steve’s ass more times than you could count. As much as you loved being dominated by him you also liked pleasing him, having him completely at your mercy.
She visibly gulped down. “How do you want to do it?”
“I’d like to look at your face.” You said holding her face in your hands stroking her cheeks. You push her down on the bed. Kneeling between her legs. You groped and stroked her body. It was unsurprisingly as soft as you imagined it would be. You held her breasts in your hands for a minute squeezing them and stroking her nipples. “they’re so soft”, you wondered out loud.
“Now you know why I like yours so much”, she said chuckling
You squeezed her pink hard nipple between your fingers before taking it in your mouth, giving it a harsh suck.
“Fuck... doll I need you”, she whined grabbing your dildo lining it up to her pussy.
You released her nipple with a pop swatting her hands away. “Be patient”, you scolded. She pouted at you but kept her hands to herself.
After sucking on her breasts for a while you lined your dildo upto her pussy. You snaked a hand under her hips to pull her up towards you, just like Steve used to do with you. You needed to be as close to her as possible.
You have her an open mouthed kiss slowly pushing into her. She moaned into your mouth. You fucked her nicely and slowly. Holding her in your hands as if she was the most precious thing to you, which she truly was.
You increased your pace when you felt her moaning and grunting loudly, knowing she was probably very close. You looked down at her face scrunched up in pleasure as she came around your cock.
You had never been able to look at Steve’s face when he came, either you were too fucked out from your own orgasms or were focusing on making him last longer.
Now looking down at her, doing something that was only pleasure able for her felt incredibly intimate. It felt better than any orgasm could’ve.
You pulled out of her, taking the strap on off before cuddling with her.
“That was something else”, she mumbled feeling high from her intense orgasm.
***
Later that night you had some how convinced Stevie to let you put make up on her. She didn’t agree at first but with some pouting she was basically putty in your hands.
You lips were set in a firm straight line in concentration as you tried not to mess up her eyeliner. Her hair was incredibly short so there wasn’t much you could do with it. You wondered if she would let you take some pictures.
“So what exactly happened? Why did they turn you into women... and man”, you asked still not sure how they were able to do it.
“It was something Tony said about never understanding women and then Natasha argued with all men are the same or something along those lines”, he said a frown on his face as if he was trying hard to remember it “I was caught in the middle of it trying to get them to stop fighting” You decided to let it go for now. Maybe she’d tell you the whole story some other day.
“One good thing about this is now you can take my name”, you smiled as you imagined Steve with your last name.
“I always thought you’d take mine. I like the thought of you as Mrs Rogers”
“Oh and why would I do that? I was one of the most renowned sheild agent and I am the best avenger”,you said puffing your chest out proudly.
“You might have some competition with that”, she teased smirking at you to which you stuck out your tongue putting some final touches on her face. “I guess our kids could just hyphenate”
You gasped at that, “kids? If you think I’m having more than one child then you’ve lost your mind. You know what it’s like to have a vagina now. Imagine pushing a child the size of a watermelon out of it”, you huffed but looking at her pretty face all your anger melted away.
“I’m sorry sweetheart. You know if I could go through it instead of you I would”, she said stroking your thighs and you knew she was sincere.
Steve would never let anything bad happen to you. Not if he could help it. After he got you back he had vowed to you that he would always protect you.
You looked at her sad face hunched down staring at the ground. She looked as if she was in another world. “Stevie what’s wrong?”
“It’s just what if the kid inherits all my illness. Or the super serum. That could be a danger to you”
You knelt down between her legs so you could look into her eyes. “Hey it’s okay”, you said softly “we don’t have to have kids. And we can always adopt. That gives us much more time”
“Are you sure?”, she asked shyly playing with a strand of your hair.
“Absolutely positive”, you beamed up at her.
***
The next morning you woke up earlier than usual. Stretching your back muscles you smiled looking at the sun shining through the window. It was a beautiful day. Perfect for a picnic. You looked to your side smiling at Steve sleeping peacefully. Wait a minute.
“Steve”, you shook him harshly.
“What?”, he rose his voice heavy and hoarse. He looked down at his body touching his pecs and abs before looking back at you. “I’m back”
“Yeah you’re back”
You both went down to the common room to find if Toni and Nat had went back to their normal selves. They were already waiting for both of you.
“Oh Rogers is back too!”, Tony said eagerly.
“Did you two have fun last night?”, Nat smirked suggestively at the two of you.
“I see neither of you learned your lesson then”, Steve shook his head at them before looking at you, catching you staring at him. “What do you miss Stevie?”
You shook your head at him. Lightly slapping his chest. “I like what’s in here. Doesn’t matter how you look”
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theymetinargentina · 3 years
Text
All that is and All that Can Be / H.S. - Chapter 1
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Authors Note: Hello! This is the first chapter in a series I’m writing about Harry Styles and his wife, Rose, who is a journalist. The story will be set in both present day and past events. There will be lots of angst and fluff:) Hope you enjoy and stick around for future chapters. My inbox is always open so feel free to drop by and say hello<3 Any feedback or comment is greatly appreciated!!!
Moodboard
My Other Work
Summary: Harry and Rose have an important conversation about the future. Mainly an introduction chapter:)
Warnings: Smut, anxiety
Word Count: 2k
**********************************
Each day I woke and felt this heavy feeling in my chest, like what I had wouldn’t be mine for much longer. I couldn’t explain why I felt this way. Everything was fine, sure we had our moments-doesn’t every couple?-but it never even reached a level where I felt I had to worry about our standing. Of course, I wondered if it was me, was I the problem in my life?
“You’re starring again.”
“What?” I snapped out of my daydream- was it really a daydream or a nightmare?
“What’s been with you? Every time we sit down your mind is somewhere else.” I couldn’t help but notice the slight annoyance in his voice, yet I couldn’t blame him. If he suddenly became distant and hardly acted like himself, I would probably cause hell.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong. It might be my new medicine but I’m not sure.”
“I wish I could help. You know, sometimes I think it’s me. Like you’re getting tired of me-”
“Oh my god Harry it’s not that, I swear. I love you, I promise it has nothing to do with you. I wish you could help too but I can’t even manage to help myself.” I say sadly.
It was a white lie. Not knowing what was wrong. Of course, I knew. I just didn’t know how to tell him. How do you tell your husband you got a new job in a different country? A country he was never exactly fond of. I knew, deep down, he would have no choice but to be okay with it. Yet, every time I wanted to tell him I felt this sudden rush of anxiety. What if he didn’t want to move and decided divorce was best? What if he grew to resent me and my career? I so badly wish we could stay in Italy, where we weren’t Rockstar Harry Styles and his Nobel Peace Prize-Winning Journalist Wife Rose. We lived a free and simple life here, with no cameras. Sure we ran into fans, but they were always kind. Harry and I loved it here, it’s where we took our honeymoon and decided we liked it enough to stay. He knew when we got married that my job was based in New York. We both did, but it worked there was never any trouble. The only thing that has changed is the promotion I received. A chance to be the Editor of the newspaper I work for.
“Maybe we should take a trip to visit some friends and family. Just to get away from our work and explore a bit.” He smiled at me, I smiled back and thought what a time if ever to finally tell him. Most of my family and friends are in New York.
“Can we talk about something?” I can hear the shakiness in my voice. He chuckles and looks at me with raised eyebrows.
“Of course, you don’t have to ask baby.” Hearing him be so kind, calling me baby, is almost too much. Because I’m gonna make him move from the place he loves so much. I feel my eyes fill with water and I take a shaky breath.
“What’s wrong, I can’t imagine anything you’re gonna say is that upsetting.” He places his hand on my back and starts rubbing my back.
“I got a promotion at work, they asked me to become an editor,” I say tearfully.
“That’s amazing, why are you crying? This is so wonderful baby.” He has the biggest smile on his face and he’s slightly bouncing in his seat, but I know what I’m gonna say next is gonna stop all of it.
“But they said I have to be in New York for it.” I look up and see he still has his eyebrows raised like he doesn't understand why I’m still crying.
“And…..?” he has a questioning tone. He’s stopped smiling but his soft pink lips are still slightly turned up.
“It means we, or I, have to move to New York.”
“It means WE do, we’re married.” He says almost defensively
“Yeah, like full time, we’d need to get a house and everything.”
“I still don’t get why you’re upset? We’ll get a house and we’ll be okay,” He breaths in, “Besides I think a new environment will be good for you, both of us, and you’ll be doing a job you’ve always dreamed about.” I can’t say I’m surprised he’s not more upset. He cares too much about the people he loves to be selfish. If he really wanted to he could say he didn’t want to move and I wouldn’t accept the promotion, but he won’t, I know he won’t because he loves too much.
I laugh and rub my red, wet eyes, “God I was so worried that you’d be upset or hate me-”
“Why would I ever hate you? We’re a team, you’ve traveled across the world for me, you left your home for me. I don’t think I have a lot of room to complain. I care about you too much, you know I would get on my hands and knees for you,” I get embarrassed and lower my head, he chuckles, “ ‘m serious, anything you want I’ll give it to you darlin’.”
I wonder all the time, but especially now, just how I got so lucky. I’ll never understand why the universe deemed me deserving of all the love I have received and continue to receive. I feel so blessed to be the one on the other end of his love. Growing up, I never imagined myself going through life with someone else, someone who loved me so much it made me want to burst with happiness. I look at him with dry tears on my face and mouth ‘thank you’. He smiles, a genuine, bright smile, and gets up to walk toward the backdoor. I follow and immediately the fresh air filled with flowers blooming hits me. Oh, how lucky I am.
Immediately out the back door of the villa, we call home is a small patch of assorted flowers. Roses, Sunflowers, violets, and tulips. I argued against the roses, but Harry refused to pass up the irony in it. It’s early spring so they are barely being to bloom. When we first moved in, I had mentioned-off-handly- how lovely it would be to have a garden. And not even a week later, I woke to him outside, planting flowers in a neat patch. He looked angelic. In the sun, a light amount of sweat on his hairline, squinting getting his hands dirty for me. If it was even possible I fell more in love, and I still fall in love each and every day.
“I never want you to feel like my career is more important than yours,” he mentioned quietly. He was looking out toward the setting sun but had a relaxed look on his face.
“I know, I just never want you to be unhappy, especially with how much we both travel. I’m willing to give some things up,” I say quietly. It’s true I would be more than willing to turn down the promotion if he asked if he made it clear he would rather stay in our home.
“But you don’t have to,” he breathes coming up to me and holding my face in his hands gently, “Yes, I fuckin’ love it here. But it means nothing if you pass up the opportunities you want.” I look at him and simply nod because I don’t know what else to say. “Everything will be alright, I promise.” He kisses my forehead and steps down toward the table we had set up near the patch of flowers, it was placed strategically so we could sit outside in the evening and watch the sunset. Today, Harry brings out a shirt he has been meaning to finish embroidering, while I decide to use the watercolor paints Gemma had bought me as a Christmas present.
Our evenings are filled with silence more times than not. It isn’t the uncomfortable suffocating silence, where you feel anger thick in the air between you two. No, it’s a silence shared between two people who are so completely comfortable with each other, who don’t feel the need to fill each second with noise. It stems from relationships that are built on empathy and love for one another.
✩✧♥⁂☀☁⁎☽
“Oh fuck, right there….” I let out a breathy moan as Harry sets a slow but deep pace. I look behind and see his head is tipped back, his body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. He’s letting out short pants. The air in the room is thick with the smell of our arousal and the breathy pants we both let out.
“Shit, you’re so goddam tight, ‘s so warm and snug around me……” He hits a particularly sensitive spot inside of me that has my arms collapsing underneath me. I moan loudly as I fill each vein and ridge pulse inside me. He grabs me and pulls me up against his chest, with one hand around my neck and the other gripping my hip, he pounds into me. His fingers are holding onto my hip so hard I know there will be a bruise, it’ll go with the rest that litter my thighs and legs.
He grips my jaw and presses his lips against my ear, grunting into it. I know he’s close because I can feel his rhythm falter. “ ‘m so close baby,” he sounds so close to tears and for some reason, it makes me just want to please him, give him the release he desperately needs.
“Come for me, Harry, please…..god I need it,” When he snaps his hip I let out a small yelp, “I need to feel you, feel how much you love me.” Those words, the ones that let him know he can show his love for me, sends him over the edge and I feel his thick, hot cum spill inside me. He moans a breathy light moan. And that sound alone makes me cum, I clench tightly around him and whimper. He’s still holding onto me while we both try to catch our breaths.
I know he won’t pull out right away because he prefers to go soft inside me. I don’t mind it, there’s something so intimate about it. He gently pushes me onto my stomach while he tries not to crush me.
“My darlin’,” he chuckles, “I love you so, so much.”
“I know Harry,” I smile sweetly at him, “I know, and I love you so, so much more.”
He gives me another goofy grin and pulls his soft member out slowly. I let out a low hiss that empty feeling. As I walk to the bathroom to get cleaned up, the phone in the living room rings loudly. We both groan, hating being disturbed.
“You should probably go get that,” I smirk at him. He gets up and playfully throws a ‘fuck you’ before he heads to the living to see what disturbed our otherwise peaceful night.
I look at myself in the mirror and notice the plethora of small purple bruises that spread over my thighs. At least he didn’t attack my neck, I chuckle. As I grab my face wash and began rubbing it to rid my face of the sweat that accumulated during our activity, Harry walks into the room with his head down.
Somehow I knew, I just knew. Really, there was no way I could know, nothing that night or any of the previous nights would be any clue to what I would find out. It seems silly saying it but the connection we had, made it easy to know when something was wrong with either one of us. And in that moment, in the stuffy bedroom of our home, I knew my world had fallen.
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rohondra · 4 years
Text
Firsts || Izuku Midoriya
a/n: this is for another bnharem discord collab!! the prompt was “Pen Pals”. I’m pretty content with how this came out and I’m super excited to write a bit more considering I got a computer!! I’m hoping to do a pt2 hehe. god bless the people in my haikyuu server who swooped in and saved the day every time I had a brain far. 
rating: n*fw 18+
word count: just over 2k
warnings: virgin!Reader, daddy kink yes again ok I have a problem, FaceTime sex, mutual masturbation, big buff Izuku
all characters are aged up when I write and I take no credit for the images I post w said writings unless stated otherwise.
PLEASE CHECK OUT EVERYONES AMAZING FICS FOR THIS COLLAB!!!
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A notification from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Field Office Discord server you were a part of popped up on your phone. It was an announcement that they would be randomly selecting pen pals as an event to get people more connected during this pandemic, of course you had the option to opt out, but the idea of doing something so “risky” excited you. You held your breath and reacted with a thumbs up, butterflies instantly flooding your stomach.
Just under an hour later one of the admins sent you a pm;
-Hey! Thanks so much for joining our penpals event. Social distancing is a pain in the ass, but hopefully this will lighten your spirits! We paired you with @/izuku#2485. Xx
Being the nosy son of a bitch you were, you immediately typed his user into the server and checked his activity within it- specifically the “#pictures” channel, but found nothing. Just as you were about to send him a friend request, you got a notification of another pm.. Oddly enough from him;
-Hi, we got paired for the penpal event! It’s okay if you don’t want to send your address to a complete stranger, I get it haha.
The butterflies returned as you pressed the request button, and immediately saw it change from “pending” to “send message”.
~Hi! If I’m honest it’s just my college address lol, nothing too risky.
-College huh? Me too. I was afraid you were going to end up being a minor and then I’d feel kind of weird ha. What school?
~Do not fear, I am in fact legal. Even if it is by 8 months lol. ASU! Yourself?
-Arizona huh? Interesting, I’m actually finishing my senior year at Iowa State.
Your stomach flipped, anxiety coursing through your veins at the last message. Senior?! What if this guy was like, 40?? No, it couldn’t be. He wouldn’t be living on campus at that age.. But he never specified he was living in a dorm. You closed Discord and moved onto what seemed to be the never ending flood of assignments, two of which were due that night.
A notification popped up on your computer mid essay;
-Don’t wanna be pushy. Here’s my address if you decide to write me.(:
You chewed at your bottom lip, weighing the consequences. It couldn’t be that bad of an idea right? He seemed nice, not pervy at all.. Fuck it.
“Hello! It’s your good old pal from the Marvel server. If I'm honest I'm not that good at these things, haha. This letter will be pretty short, but tell me- who’s your favorite Marvel character? Feel free to gush! I’m looking forward to hearing back from you.
From,
Y/N”
-
Two weeks later your RA slipped the envelope under your door, “MAIL!!!” she yelled before hurrying to the next room to deliver. Your heart fluttered as you opened it, admiring his clean handwriting;
“Hi. Alls good, I’m pretty awkward myself ha. My name is Izuku Midoriya! My friends call me Deku. Y/N is a nice name.
Honestly, it’s kind of cliche but Captain America has to be my favorite. I’m a bit of a Marvel junkie. I’ve seen every movie, have the entire Captain America comic series, own a Marvel Encyclopedia, plus almost every Marvel funko pop they’ve released.. Now that I think of it I’m definitely more than “a bit” obsessed ha. How about you? If it’s easier for you, you could just message me on discord.
-Izuku”
You giggled as you opened the app on your phone.
~Hi! I just got your letter. Seems to me you’re DEFINITELY obsessed lol but that’s okay, me too. I’m obsessed with Captain America. Chris Evans? *cheff kiss*”
-Hey. That’s so funny! I aspire to look like him one day haha. Taking it one day at a time, but this pandemic is making it difficult rip. You wanna add me on snapchat? I probably came off as some creepy perv ha. @/deku_zuku.”
From that point on, you two became OBSESSED with each other. Deku was an extremely gorgeous, freckled man with colored, fluffy green hair. You thought your sleep schedule was already fucked because of the pandemic? Sike, now it really was. You were staying up until 5am snapchatting him, interacting with him on discord, texting him, etc. You just couldn’t get enough of each other.
Your favorite snapchats from him were his post workout selfies. You loved the way his skin glistened, his muscular body littered in scars and freckles. More often than not you screenshot them and definitely got off to them, but you could never tell him that. It was embarassing to think about how most nights you laid in bed pumping a dildo inside of yourself desperately calling his name, imagining it was him fucking your tight virgin pussy.
As you were getting lost in imagining scenarios your phone began ringing, oh fuck he was FaceTimeing you.
You quickly sat up, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear and setting your phone against a book for support before answering.
“H-hi! Sorry I wasn’t expecting you to FaceTime me ha.”
Izuku grinned ear to ear, “No I’m sorry! I should’ve asked first, but you look great so I mean.. No complaints from me with how you look.”
Red tinted your cheeks, “A-ah thank you. You’re pretty good looking yourself.”
Izuku’s eyes narrowed, “Did I catch you at uh- a bad time?”
You tilted your head in confusion, “No? I mean I was trying to catch up on some stuff but other than I wasn’t doing anything important.”
“Ha, that looks pretty important. You also look a little flushed.”
When your eyes followed his on your screen your cheeks immediately lit on fire and you shifted to cover the dildo you carelessly left on the parallel night stand.
“So that’s why you’ve been screenshotting my pictures huh? I never would’ve taken Y/n to be such a slut.” he smirked.
He could feel his cock begin weep at the sight, he couldn’t help but palm himself. What if you got off to him? Thinking about how your little moans might sound when they slip out of your mouth made his cock pulse, he wanted to make you moan. He wanted to be the reason you came undone.
You tried to defend yourself, slightly annoyed by the derogatory term he referred to you as, “I- no. It isn’t like th-”
He cut you off, his voice having dropped an octave, “It’s okay baby, tell me what you think about.. I wanna hear what gets you off with those pictures.”
Hands came up to cover your face, you felt like you were going to puke- this was too embarrassing. His screen went to “paused” and you heard shuffling from his end. Within seconds you received a picture of Izuku in the mirror, his large hand barely covering his erect penis and his shirt between his teeth. He chuckled, “How about now princess? What makes that pretty pussy tighten around your toy?”
Slick slipped from your previously abused cunt, he sounded so delicious and looked even more delicious. When you spoke, your voice came out as a squeak, “I-I uh, I can’t tell you! It’s embarrassing.” If you could light on fire, it would’ve already happened. In fact, you wish you could. If you’re lucky the entire dorm might catch ablaze as well so all evidence is ruined.
A deep chuckle echoed from your phone speaker, “Embarrassed? It’s not like you’re a blushing virgin baby.”
There was a pause as you lowered your hands, your nose scrunched from the humility and one eye shut, “.. And if I told you I was?”
Izuku felt his member pulse yet again, precum gliding from his slit. That almost sent him over the edge, there was no way someone as breathtaking as you hadn’t been with anyone. Fuck, he could take your innocence and ruin you for any other man. He could make you his own and have you milking his thick cock every night, screaming his name and begging for more.
A meak sigh pulled him from his fantasies as you spoke up, “Sorry if that makes me less appealing.” He was quick to follow up, “N-no. God no. That,” he sighed,” fuck that’s honestly hot.”
Boldness coursed through him as his hand lazily pumped his shaft, “That just means I can be all your firsts.. Here, give me a minute.”
Your heart sank for a minute when the FaceTime ended, but fluttered once again when another call from him came through. This time though, it was from his laptop. He smirked before rolling back in his computer chair, his cock twitching against his stomach anxious for attention.
Desire burnt within him at the sight of you, eyebrows raised and eyes enlarged with pupils blown while you licked your lips. Izuku couldn’t help as his hand encircled his shaft once again, “What is it you think about baby? Me kissing and licking all over your body? My fingers pumping in and out of you while my tongue plays with your nipple?” He began a generous pace of pumping himself before his next taunt, “Maybe my tongue playing with your clit?”
A soft moan fell from your lips as you nodded, “A-all of that. ‘Zuku c-can I please touch myself?” You gasped as you watched precum flow from his tip at your words. He nodded, “Please do.”
You sat back, lifting your hips just enough to slip your panties off, nervously looking at him. All caution was thrown to the wind when Izuku groaned, “Ah, be a good girl for me baby.”
You made sure your full body was in view before grabbing the toy and lowering it between your thighs, which were now covered in a thin layer of your arousal. Squeezing your eyes shut you opened your legs and gently pushed until the dildo was fully sheathed inside of you.
Opening your eyes you were greeted with the most sinful sight, Izuku Midoriya quickly gliding his hand up and down his cock with his chest heaving, his body sheen with sweat.  You let a high pitched moan, your name resonating slowly from his chest. With every thrust your wrist made, a coil began to form inside your belly, it all seemed so familiar but was far more exhilarating knowing that someone else was watching.
“Just think about when that’ll be my cock splitting you in half. Shit- close your eyes for me, start playing with your clit and imagine it's me.” You nodded in response, unable to form words.
Obeying his command, it felt like electricity struck you when your finger made contact. The coil was now fully formed and threatened to burst with every movement.
“I need to cum, p-please.”
“Yeah? Only if you beg for daddy to let you.” He smirked as he watched your thighs tense for a moment.
“A-ah.. please! Please let me finish. Please d-daddy, need to so bad.”
Izuku felt his orgasm quickly approaching with each shaky word spilling from your beautiful lips, “Yeah baby, you can cum now. Let me see the pretty faces you make.”
SNAP
You were gone, your body lost to the ocean of ecstacy ripping through you as you rode the waves of your release.
He sat forward, studying the way your face contorted and how your cunt sucked the toy in as far as possible. The thought of you milking the absolute hell out of his cock sent him over the edge, head thrown back with spurts of cum covering his beautifully toned chest and stomach.
Eyes twitched trying to focus from the intensity of your orgasm as you came down from euphoria.
As Izuku  began cleaning himself off he spoke up, “So you’ve genuinely never done that kind of stuff before?” You shook your head before sitting up to sling a large t-shirt over your body, “Nope, when I said I was a virgin I mean like V I R G I N.”
He shook his head and chuckled, “Crazy. I have some assignments I need to do, if you want you could keep me company?”
You pulled a pillow under your chin and hugged it.  “I have some work to do too, so I guess that’ll work.” You giggled. He twirled a pen between his fingers before bringing it up to chew on, “And once we call it quits for the evening, how about we check off some more ‘firsts’ for you?”
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oneofyatosfollowers · 3 years
Text
Yatori Week 2021- Day 4
@yatoriweek2021
AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32090953/chapters/79500055
Fanfiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13905660/1/Yatori-Week-2021
Yukine was in the living room studying for midterms when his dad busted the door down and flounced into the room.
This was a common occurrence, as this man was not his biological dad, but rather a once concerned neighbor that adopted him and was therefore hardly a decade older than the teen. There could be many reasons why his dad, a man named Yato, was excited:
He saw something to do with Capybaras
He got an extra sketchy side job for pocket change
The weather was nice
He bought junk with said pocket change
Anything to do with his beloved girlfriend, Hiyori
Based on the way the young man skipped into the living room, high on cloud nine, Yukine could only assume it was the last option. With sigh, Yukine closed his textbook and readied himself to lose the rest of his study time. Yato tended to talk about his girlfriend for hours on end, like he’s never seen nor heard of them before her, and Yukine would not be able to focus. Now, Yukine liked his dad’s girlfriend. Loved her in fact. His dad was her art tutor- and class nude model- in college since she struggled with the subject as a medical major. Eventually she had become Yukine’s tutor in everything else except math, which was reserved for his dad. It was unclear if Yato hired her, or she did it out of the kindness of her heart, or the two just wanted to see more of each other, but Hiyori wormed her way into both their hearts.
“Yukine!”
“What?” Yukine drawled. His dad was a whirlwind of smiles and flailing arms as he tumbled towards Yukine. Used to this too, the blonde simply waited for Yato to sit directly in front of him without knocking him over. Yukine blinked as his dad struggled to find the words to communicate in a language they both understood. It tended to take some time, as falling in love with Hiyori Iki was a grand affair that wrestled your heart and tied your tongue. She tended to have that effect on people, as most kind-angels did. However, when all he did was wheeze and let out a strange coo mixed with a whine, Yukine couldn’t help but scoff and roll his eyes.
“I did it!” Yato beamed.
“Did what?”
“I finished that old lady’s kitchen and finally got enough money!” He burst. In a fit of laughter that strangers might have thought was madness, the young man rolled onto his back and kicked his feet. It took a moment for Yukine to realize his theory was somehow wrong before he crawled over top of his dad.
“What-ugh,” Yukine slapped away the hands that covered the man’s face, “what are you saving for? You never save money. I’m surprised we haven’t missed any bills yet.” Hands away his face, his dad’s bright blue eyes stared into Yukine’s hazel, full of unbridled joy . That was hardly a good sign; Yato was known for extravagant plans that he got far too excited over. Especially when they failed more often than not. Honestly, Hiyori was a saint for staying with such a spaz.
“That’s the thing!” The man gasped. He didn’t wait for his son’s answer, leaping to his feet to dash into the kitchen. Meanwhile, Yukine was rolling his eyes, of course it was about her. Yato ran back to his spot on the floor next to his son.
“Our two year anniversary is coming up in a few weeks and you know it’s around that time! The age, the lifestyle, the current situation,” he swooned, “her parents and Kofuku and Daikoku!”
“What. Are you talking about?” Yukine groaned as he kneaded his forehead. Just because his dad was capable of speech, didn’t mean he used it properly.
“I want to propose,” he said, “I want to propose to Hiyori.” The three magazines that he clenched in his hands were squeezed so tightly they crinkled. This time it was big blue eyes that watched Yukine struggle to find words. Yukine sucked in air, swallowed, stared, opened his mouth with nothing to come out, blinked a few times, then swallowed again. The logical part of this brain just shrugged, this was the obvious next step. They loved each other, were old enough, and that was usually the point of dating, what it led to. It wouldn’t change their day to day. The emotional side was shocked, blindsided, and completely convinced this would change everything.
Just the word ‘proposal’ was heavy in Yukine’s mind because ‘proposal’ led to ‘wedding’ which means ‘marriage’ which equals ‘family.’ Not that they weren’t already a family, they moved in to Hiyori’s place a little less than a year ago but that was a financial decision if anything. The more childish part of Yukine, the one that had originally protested the relationship and acted out during the first month of their dating, feared that this would take away even more of Yato’s attention. Because the fact was that marriage led to more children. But Yukine knew better than that by now. On the other hand, families, something Yukine had once before Yato, left a sour taste in his mouth. What’s more, this would without a doubt make Hiyori his ‘mother’ and this would mean Yukine wouldn’t just have a ‘parent’ but ‘parents,’ functioning ones that both loved him.
That last thought resonated in Yukine’s chest. Yato and Hiyori loved him very much, unconditionally, and he loved them. They were already a family and Yukine- Yukine wouldn’t mind calling Hiyori ‘mom’ if she ever wanted to adopt him. But most importantly, Yukine finally let his eyes drop from Yato’s and fall to the magazines. They were all for different jewelry stores, the outlines of their pages lined with little color tabs. Yukine could imagine they were covered in little notes and doodles from long before this moment. Most importantly, Yato deserved this. He was a single, smart, and kind young man that worked his way from the very bottom. Even Yukine was old enough to understand that for someone in that position- an impoverished college student- that Yato had taken on a lot, adopting him. It couldn’t have been easy to find someone. Someone as genuine as Hiyori who loved him just as much. Yato deserved this and he deserved to have Yukine support him. Which Yukine found that he truly, truly did.
“That’s great,” Yukine finally said. His voice cracked from the emotion and worry flashed across Yato’s face. But with one sniff and a genuine smile, Yukine showed that he was happy for them. The two dissolved into excited giggles and laughter, eyes blurry with emotion.
“I want you to help me pick it out. I want you with me when I buy it and help me plan the whole thing! I want you to be there with me, I need my kiddo for support,” Yato confessed. Blinking away the moist sheen, Yukine nodded once with a wobbly smile. His dad laughed with every ounce of giddiness and happiness that Yukine felt.
“Originally I was going to make one-”
“No,” Yukine said offhandedly as he wiped his eyes. Yato waved his hands and put down the magazines.
“I know! I know. This is super important and Hiyori deserves the actual ring. The best of the best! I can’t keep getting away with handmade gifts,” Yato said as he opened to a tab in each of the magazines. Yukine eyed the objects he circled and crossed out, writing everywhere.
“You make great hand-made gifts,” Yukine muttered as he fiddled with the cuff of his hand-made christmas sweater. His dad looked up to him, down at his hands, then back up with a smile.
“Well, I was thinking of making her golden knucklebusters, with diamonds of course, as an early wedding present.” Yato huffed.
“She’d like that a lot,” Yukine laughed, “just don’t let her parents see.”
“Oh god no! They already hardly like me.”
“They like you.”
“Yeah, cause I fix their house for free. Redo their kitchen,” Yato mumbled, “I hope they approve of this. I already asked them but the dad seemed more on board with it than her mom.”
“Hey,” Yukine nudged his dad, “that’s a good sign. At least you asked first.”
“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right! This is good! She just needs to say yes.”
“She’ll say yes,” Yukine huffed with another roll of his eyes. Despite himself, even Yukine felt the small spark of fear at the possibility of Hiyori saying otherwise. They flipped through the magazines for a couple minutes longer, Yukine balking at the prices and mental math of costs per month.
“Ah!” Yato suddenly shot up and grabbed both of Yukine’s hands, knocking the book out of his hands.
“H-hey!” Yukine sputtered, wincing at his dad’s sweaty hands.
“But you can’t tell anyone!” Yato insisted, “this is a surprise. It has to stay a secret. Okay? Don’t tell anyone. Okay?”
“Okay!” Yukine finally yanked his hands away.
“You promise?” Yato urged, leaning even closer. His son shoved his face away and picked up his magazine.
“Yes! Yes! I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
They really were made for each other, Yukine thought a couple days later, like soulmates. Once again he was at home, heading to his room after Yato dropped him off. They had a family dinner later and Yukine wanted to chill at home with Hiyori while Yato went to prepare for the proposal. The house was quiet when he walked in so Yukine slipped the quarts of ice cream in the freezer and made his way to his room. Hiyori must be in bed. She hadn’t been feeling well recently, getting nauseous everyday for the past week. All those thoughts went out the window when, on the way to his room, the bathroom door cracked open and Hiyori’s head popped out.
“Yukine!” She hissed, “Yukine!” If it weren’t for her eyes being so wide and pleading, Yukine might have felt a bit more embarrassed by the sight. He stopped short in the hall.
“What’s wrong?” He said immediately. First she looked nervously off to the side, then to him, then up, then behind her, then back at him, letting out a whine disguised as a hum.
“What?” Yukine asked, a bit more nervously now. Still finding it difficult to answer, Hiyori’s arm slipped out and waved him over. Fearing she might have a broken bone, Yukine took one look at the house phone then walked over to the bathroom door, heart in his throat.
“Are you ok-ay!” Yukine squawked as the front of his shirt was grabbed and he was yanked into the bathroom, the door slamming behind him. He quickly glanced behind him, at the barrier, then back at his friend. She looked nervous, which made Yukine nervous. He would even say she looked anxious, scared, but the air buzzed with an excited tension. In front of her, Hiyori played with her fingers as she struggled to meet his gaze.
“Hiyori, are you okay?” Yukine finally got out. She looked okay, well not ‘okay’ okay but physically safe. The sweat that beaded her brow and the way her knees almost knocked together said otherwise.
“Um,” Hiyori looked up then down, “yeah, yeah, I’m okay. I- I think so?” Terrified at the thought of anything bad happening, Yukine quickly approached her with his hands up.
“What happened? What’s wrong? Do you need me to call Yato? We should call-”
“No!” Hiyori blurted out, causing Yukine to flinch. At this point he was almost shaking, Hiyori was rarely against calling Yato, especially during emergencies. More than just being the man of the house, Yato knew everything! He was calm and cool under pressure and could take on any problem without delay, dropping everything to help. Yukine certainly didn’t want to deal with whatever this was without at least telling his dad. Seeing the panic bubble, Hiyori reached forward and gently held Yukine’s hands like she often did during these times.
“No, no, no, it’s okay! It’s nothing bad! Nothing’s wrong!” Hiyori comforted, “I just got worrie- excited! I’m nervous about something and I wanted to tell you in private. It’s okay, nobody’s in danger,” her words quickly calmed Yukine back down.
“O-oh, okay,” Yukine nodded, “so, so what’s up?” He stuck his hands in his pocket to hide their shaking while Hiyori went back to fiddling with her fingers.
“I have a, uh, surprise! For Yato. And I, uh, wanted to hear your thoughts first.” She stammered out. This was rather confusing, but Yukine was relieved to hear that was all it was. Maybe she had a big anniversary present planned that she wanted his opinion with.
“Oh okay, what is it?”
“Well it’s not an ‘it’ exactly. It’s more of a, uh, uh, thing? Not a thing! It’s not a thing! I’m a thing? I’m something? I-I-I have something to give to Yato. And you? The family. My family too, you know, once I tell them. I’m just not exactly sure,” Hiyori babbled just like her not-yet-fiance, looking all around. Yukine resisted the urge to roll his eyes- he stopped doing that to her ages ago- and he refused to rush her.
“It’s okay,” Yukine offered a smile, “I’m sure whatever the thing is, Yato will love it. You know how sappy he is, he’ll love it cause it comes from you and you mean it.”
“Haha, yeah,” she didn’t sound too convinced and Yukine worried about why.
“I mean it, he will.” Yukine tried again. This time, Hiyori seemed to get rather bleary eyed and she hugged herself.
“Maybe not this time, Yukine, I’m just not sure. I mean we talked about it but it’s too soon and- who knows- maybe he won’t?” She continued looking around the room, biting her lip. Yukine was still an awkward sort of a teen and not very good with crying young women so all he could think to do was squeeze her hands.
“Don’t say that, Hiyori, there’s nothing on this earth that he-”
“I’m pregnant.” Her confession rang throughout the empty bathroom, echoing against the tiles and Yukine’s ribs. The boy’s mouth clicked shut as all those images he’d imagined, with Yato fawning over another child that was actually his, flooded in. When Hiyori sniffed again, the pictures shattered, leaving a frightened young woman holding her stomach.
“Yukine, I’m pregnant,” she repeated. Swallowing Yukine let his hands lightly rub her arms up and down.
“That’s,” he breathed, “amazing.” The honest wonderment he felt bleed through his voice and Hiyori looked up at him, eyes shining with pure hope.
“Really?”
“Yes,” Yukine promised. They deserved to be happy and experience having a baby and raising them with all the love and care they gave Yukine. After all, they already saved his life. What more can he ask of them? Once again he found himself blinking away the moisture in his eyes, Hiyori trying to do the same.
“But, what about Yato? Do you think he’ll,” Hiyori bit her lip and Yukine struggled to find the words and push away any jealousy he felt. Of course he wanted to be Yato’s one and only, for the man to never have kids of his own cause he had Yukine. But that was as selfish as it was stupid. Yato had a lot of love and Yukine knew he was no different than a son to him. Yato would never abandon him for something he deemed better and Yukine would be there to support him. Both of them.
“He will absolutely love them,” Yukine assured her, letting out a dry sob, “he’ll make the best dad.”
“Well, hehe, I think he already does?” Hiyori wiped under her eyes and Yukine found himself laughing.
“That’s right!” Yukine said, joyfully, “he’s the best.”
“Yeah, he is. The best I could ask for,” she murmured happily. The room was considerably warmer, lighter as Hiyori set her palms gently over her abdomen with a soft smile.
“Now I just have to tell him,” Hiyori said, “and my parents.”
“I’m sure they’ll be happy too,” Yukine sighed as he leaned against the door, “you haven’t told them yet?”
“No, they’re old fashioned and I would rather tell Yato first. So you can’t tell anyone!” Hiyori suddenly stepped forward with pleading eyes.
“Huh?”
“It’s a surprise! I want to tell him on our anniversary but I really need you to be there as support, so you can’t say anything, okay?  Promise me you’ll keep it a secret!” She begged. Yukine gave his answer before he could think, not realizing until later what it would entail.
“I-I will! I’ll be there! And I promise I won’t say anything!”
The anniversary dinner reservation was booked at the restaurant Yato took Hiyori to on their very first date. It stood on the corner of an annual festival that followed the date and where Yato often took them every year since. In the car ride, various levels of anxious excitement is so palpable one of them could cut it with a knife. The excitement mostly came from the two adults in the front seat. Yukine, who sat behind Hiyori, was the majority of the anxiousness. Both hands were stuffed firmly in his jacket, balled up in his right hand was a little box protecting a diamond ring, his left was gently pinching the image of an ultrasound. He kept trying to rip his hands out of his pockets, worried about the cold sweat ruining such valuable commodities.
“So Yukine, are you excited about the festival?” Yato peaked at him through the rear-view mirror, smiling gleefully. It was unclear if his dad noticed Yukine’s flinch, but he quickly shoved his hands tight in his pockets and tried a smile.
“Y-yeah!” His voice cracked and Yato let out an awkward laugh. In the passenger seat, Hiyori turned around to look at him with an equally wobbly smile and a nod.
“We’re glad you can come with us to dinner this time,” she said, “right Yato?”
“Sure are! Soon you’ll be too old for us to force you to come on our dates!” Yato laughed. Even with the implication, the air in the car was considerably lighter. Yukine found himself laughing too, secretly knowing that there would never come a day he would need to be forced. While anniversary dinners were different, dinners with your parents hopefully lasted forever.
“Yato!” Hiyori chided through her giggles, giving him a good whack on the arm. The family continued to snicker as Yato pulled into a parking spot. He ran around the car to open the door for his beloved, taking her hand and helping her out. Yukine’s amusement sank like a rock when both the adults gave him a pointed look and a nod, he was reminded of what was to come. Giving his name, Yato could barely contain his excitement as the waitress brought them to a raised booth in the back.
“Yato,” Hiyori said with a light gasp. It was unclear if she noticed that this booth was the only one with fake roses strung up along the back but Hiyori wore a look of awe as she sat down on the other side of the candle.
“Two years,” he sang in reply.
“Yukine, you can take off your coat,” Hiyori suggested.
“N-nah that’s okay!” Yukine said. Both of them must have understood the implication because neither of them pressed it. They took a glance at the menu and eventually, the waiter came to take their orders, offering the most expensive bottle of champagne that Yato had already paid for.
“Oh, uh, no thank you, I’ll just have water, please,” Hiyori asked as she shut the menu and handed it to him. Yukine watched the waiter flash Yato a lost look who just nodded as he handed his own menu.
“I’ll have a colosi,” Yato said. The meal picked up quickly after that, the three of them ordering good dishes. Shortly after they started to dig in, the violinist Yato had called from college- a man with glasses named Kazuma- came over and began to play.
“Mmm!” Hiyori slurped down her pasta, “this is our song!”
“Hmm?” Yato cocked his head.
“Our song! You know, the one they played at the after party for the art exhibit? Our first dance,” Hiyori said. She ducked her head, looking suitably embarrassed until Yato hummed.
“I remember! Of course I do,” Yato smiled, “best night of my life.” Love in the air, they finished their meal, sharing a dessert Yato treated Yukine too. Once the dinner was complete, Yato distracted Hiyori long enough for Yukine to run and give Kazuma a tip and the next phase. Then Yukine jogged after them, the three of them walking out into the festival. Hiyori, rather obviously, tugged Yato off to the right. The woman on track to being a doctor was clever enough to know her romantic boyfriend would be taking them to the spot of their first kiss. Of course he did that every year, but Hiyori hoped being in such a nostalgic place would help the news to be received more positively.
Still, the two of them put a lot of effort into making sure Yukine felt included. Part of him thought this was just done out of gratitude for his help, but they’ve taken him here more than enough times for Yukine to understand they just wanted him to have fun too. Of course, this was still part of Yato’s extremely detailed plan. A handful of the game stands held certain prizes that Yato planted for the proposal. So far, Yato carried a hand-made scarf that mimicked something Hiyori used to wear while they were dating, a small wooden house that was used in sketch class, a box of sparklers, and binoculars. Currently, Hiyori was selecting another prize Yato and Yukine won for her by playing darts. Based on Yato’s instructions, the man offered Hiyori the prize box of fake jewelry, one of which was real and hand made. Knowing her, she would notice the pink-flowered charm and select it.
“I’ll have to go back for that bottle,” Yato sighed as he watched his love look over the options.
“I can go back and put it in the car,” offered Yukine.
“No, no, no, I need you here with me,” his dad looked at him, “I can’t do this without you.” He sounded confident but his eyes were so scared that Yukine couldn’t help but nod. Yukine had made a promise to himself some time ago that he would protect this eccentric, kind-hearted man that saved his life, from others who would try to take advantage of him or go out of their way to hurt him. Just like Yukine once did.
“I have tissues in case she says no and I put the ice cream in the freezer for you.”
“Haha! That’s my boy,” Yato let his fingers noogie Yukine’s hair and they laughed. The moment of truth was upon them. As Hiyori came back to them, showing off her new bracelet with the claim that it was something Yato would make for her. They walked to the edge of the street, the overview circling out over the park with a fence and benches. Yato handed the house and sparklers to Yukine, wrapping the light scarf around Hiyori’s neck. The fireworks would start in exactly seven minutes and Yukine still had both objects in his pockets.
“Yato,” Hiyori suddenly said, “I need to talk to you.” She looked at Yukine who stared back at her with wide eyes.
“What is it? We can talk here, you know,” Yato tried to get Hiyori to come towards the railing, but she remained firmly where she was.
“I just decided that I want,” she looked around, “some cotton candy!” Hiyori frantically pointed towards one of the mini carts.
“Wha-? Right now?” Yato’s shock and fear cracked his voice but he quickly tried to cover it with a laugh.
“How about after the fireworks? They’re going to start soon and you know how much I like-”
“Please Yato?” Hiyori put her hands together and cocked her head. From the middle of them, Yukine sucked air through his teeth and looked at Yato. Those were the big guns, Yato rarely said no to begging.
“Uh, um, okay, Hiyori. One-one sec!” Yato started towards the treats, “come on, Yukine!”
“No, no! That’s okay! Yukine can stay with me!” Hiyori insisted. She smiled when Yato just sputtered then ran off to retrieve the sweets.
“Okay, give it to me,” she frantically hushed.
“You’re going to do it now?” Yukine gave a quieted exclamation.
“I have to! I can’t let this continue without him knowing!” Hands shaking, Yukine handed the ultrasound to Hiyori who stuffed it under the top layer of her shirt against her spine. Once glance at the clock told Yukine there was four minutes until the fireworks would light up the sky and Kazuma would light the sparklers next to the matching mini wooden house just below them.
“Okay! Okay, here!” Yato ran back to them, “here you go, Hiyori!” He handed her a pink mass of sugar, shoving it in her face.
“Wha-! Yato!” Hiyori sputtered. As she struggled to get the sugary treat out of her face, Yato dove his hand in Yukine’s pocket and plucked out the ring.
“Heheh, sorry,” Yato said as he stuffed it into his pocket, “I tripped?” he offered as she moved the candy out of her face. As Yato smiled awkwardly at Hiyori’s narrowed eyes, the first firework of the night boomed in the sky. Slack-Jawed, the three of them looked up at the sky, then back at each other.
“Ah! It started!” Yukine gasped.
“Let’s go get a closer look Hiyori-”
“Yato, I have something for you!”
“I have something for you too, but, uh, it’s over here. So let’s go over here!” Yato was quicker, and louder, than Hiyori and managed to grab her wrist and pull her towards the railing. Deciding that his job was done- and that he didn’t want to really get caught in whatever was about to happen- Yukine chose to stay a couple feet back.
“Yato, I- '' Hiyori's words were caught with a gasp as she looked over the railing. On the stone patio that surrounded the park were a bunch of pigeons eating the seeds Yato had Kazuma put down just as they left the restaurant. Feeding pigeons was something Yato did a lot in college and one of the places Hiyori would find him sketching before they started dating.
“Look at them all!” She gasped at the massive heart made purely out of hungry pigeons. In the center of the feathered shape was a small note, leaning on the matching mini home, with fancy calligraphy made clear by the sparklers that were stuck on either side.
“Is that a note?” Hiyori squinted, “I wonder what it says.” She looked at Yato when he cleared his throat.
“Why don’t you use your binoculars?” He offered them. Hiyori didn’t seem to think much of it, taking them and leaning over the railing.
“It says ‘Will You Marry Me?’ Aw I wonder who that’s- for?” Hiyori’s sentence fell off her lips, drifting through the wind as she lowered the binoculars and turned her head. Yukine watched her eyes drop to Yato on his knee, who was gently holding up the box and the ring. When she gasped, eyes growing wide, he nudged the box up higher and cocked his head with a forced smile.
“Will you?” he asked. It took a moment but Hiyori finally moved, closing her mouth and blinking rapidly.
“Yes,” she breathed.
“Really?” Yato sprang up with a gigawatt smile, Hiyori laughing at him.
“Yes! Yes!” She professed, bouncing up and down with Yato. Quickly putting the binoculars around her neck, Hiyori quickly grabbed Yato’s face and they joined in a passionate kiss. From his spot, Yukine found himself bouncing on the balls of his feet and clapping with the few people surrounding them. Through their love-sick laughter, and Hiyori’s many kisses, Yato took her hand and raised her to the ring. Before the rock could slip onto her finger, Hiyori jolted, finger freezing.
“What is it?” Questioned Yato, terrified at the way she took her hand back.
“Before you give me the ring, I want to give you my thing,” Hiyori said. Her weak words were slightly drowned out by the fireworks display and chatter of the audience but Yato just nodded with tight lips. Eyes downcast, Hiyori’s fingers slipped under her shirt. Then, she handed the ultrasound to Yato who blinked at once before he gently took it. Yukine watched him stare at it, almost incomprehensibly, for a little longer than necessary. Yato blinked again, turned it around and blinked once more. Adam’s apple bobbing, Yukine watched Yato’s lips say something that was too quiet to hear. Hiyori nodded, a jolting movement, trying to force a smile around her wet eyes. This was it, Yukine thought, they were a little family; a mother and her future husband. Yato was a husband, a father, a man of the house. Yukine’s clapping hands stopped and gripped his shorts.
Yato suddenly got his breath of life back, his head jolted up and he looked to Hiyori with an open jaw. He couldn’t force it close until he tackled her into a hug, holding her head and waist so close, like she was the only thing keeping him standing. Whatever Yato said convinced Hiyori it was time to slip the engagement ring on her finger as they squeezed each other tight. Their laughter sounded again, overshadowed by the fireworks and sounding considerably more breathless than before. Lit up by the dancing colors, Yukine watched them alternate between laughing, talking, kissing, and pointing at the objects in their hands. Just as Yukine’s happiness was starting to be completely overshadowed with loneliness and isolation, he watched both of them point at their gifts then turn and face the blonde.
“Yukine!” They cheerfully called his name, arms open to welcome him into their hug. Heart leaping for joy into his throat, Yukine ran forward without a thought. By the time their arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly against their bodies, Yukine’s wet laughter was bubbling out of his chest.
“Yukine! You double player you!” Yato exulted.
“You did such a good job!” Hiyori complimented with tears, “thank you so much!” The family gave another tight hug before pulling away.
“We really couldn’t have done it without you,” Yato sighed. He kept his arms around their shoulders, holding the ultrasound up against the sky, the three watched the final colors of the fireworks illuminate the tiny bundle of life that would be greeting them soon. As the final boom pounded against their beating hearts, Yato finally gave it back to his fiance.
“I’m glad it all worked out,” Yukine said, mostly to himself.
“Are you sure?” Yato asked him.
“Huh?”
“We just want to make sure that you’re okay with all this,” Hiyori started, “we know this is a lot and we just want to hear your thoughts about all this.” She gestured to everything but when Yukine gave them a blank look, Yato put his hands on Yukine’s head.
“Our family is getting a little bigger, are you happy?” He asked softly. Warmth spread throughout Yukine, building in his heart and fanning the heat behind his eyes.
“Yeah,” Yukine breathed, “I’m happy.” He blinked and let out a hum of a laugh as Yato and Hiyori smiled at each other.
“That’s great because we have something for you too,” Yato grinned.
“For me?” Yukine blinked. What could it be? What more could they possibly give him?
“Yes, a surprise for you too! Mostly from me to you,” Hiyori offered. When she looked at Yato, smile matching his, the three separated and Yato lifted his top shirt to reveal a folded packet. He handed it to Hiyori who handed it to Yukine with a shy smile.
“If you want,” she tacked on. Yukine kept his eyes on her as he unfolded the paperwork, already knowing what it was before he looked it at. It was so familiar, nearly identical to the one Yato gave him so long ago, the one that now sat in a protective folder in Yukine’s bedroom.
“You want to? Adopt me?” Yukine asked. He squeezed the papers tightly against his chest. Unable to say anything more, Hiyori pressed her trembling lips together and gave a short nod, a couple tears falling from her eyes. He was back in her arms just as she opened them, sniffing against her collar bone.
“Is that okay? Will you have me, Yukine?” She tearfully asked as she brushed his bangs out of his eyes.
“Yes,” Yukine cried, “I’d love that. So much.” He had a mom now. Not that woman that gave birth to him, a real mother figure that loved and cared for him and his dad properly. He had parents.
“See?” Yato sniffed, “I told you he would gladly welcome you into the family!” He tried wiping the tears from his cheeks but it hardly made a difference.
“The family?” Yukine repeated, feeling the word on his tongue.
“Of course! Can’t be a family without you, kiddo!” Yato insisted. He pulled them back into a hug, each of the gifts to each other- sealing their love and connection- squishing under the force of their laughter. They came together in a rather unconventional way, and they were nothing Yukine imagined for himself, yet they were everything he could ask for.
His parents.
His family.
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theshipsfirstmate · 4 years
Text
Agents of SHIELD Fic: All My Best Kept Secrets Are the Ones I Didn’t Know I Had
post-SHIELD 7x06 and also post-Agent Carter season 2. peggysous -> daisysous.
doing my best to tie up the loose ends that get Daniel from Peggy to Daisy, because I, like many others, could not have imagined shipping him with anyone else and then the last few eps of SHIELD have taken a sledgehammer to my feelings. so, just like this ship, idk where this came from, but here it is.
Title from “Something in Common” by Dawes.
All My Best Kept Secrets Are the Ones I Didn’t Know I Had (AO3 - wc: 3218)
After Peggy went back to New York, Daniel told himself to take it easy.
And he tried, he really did. He even said it in his head, sometimes, the way Jack had: “Take it easy, Danny boy.” The wise-cracking agent had never stopped teasing him, even after they had become something resembling friends. But he was gone now too, left behind in a past that didn’t feel as distant as it should.
They’d had all of one day together, he and Peg, before everything went to hell. She had kissed him -- in his office, of all places -- and he had reveled in it for a few blissful moments before sending her away with a matching grin on her face, so he could pick her up later that evening for a proper date.
He’d planned on Musso and Frank -- had been carrying around the image in his mind for longer than he’d admit to anyone -- but after he picked her up and saw that mischievous flash in her eyes, he’d called an audible, turning the car south on Western, guessing she’d be up for something a little more adventurous. He was right, she was taken with El Coyote from the moment they walked in, wide-eyed and grinning at everything from the margarita glasses to the friendly waitress who’d winked and called him “Blanquito.”
Looking back at it now, he’s almost glad he doesn’t remember too many more of the details. He doesn’t remember what they ordered or exactly how long they’d sat and talked in that booth. He just remembers the warmth of her eyes, her hand in his across the table, the way she seemed more relaxed than he’d ever known her to be. Those were the things to hold onto.
He’d dropped her off with a gentlemanly kiss at her front door -- and a less-than-gentlemanly follow-up when she’d tried to convince him to come in for coffee. His only regret now was not taking her up on the offer. Not so much for the obvious reason, just to give them a few more easy hours before it all came crashing down.
Because when Daniel returned to his own front door that night, there was a patrolman — one of the new guys, whose name he had to read off his badge in the dim porch light — sitting on the stoop, waiting for him. 
“Thompson’s gone,” the kid said. “Never made it on the plane. Signs of a struggle in his room. And a lot of blood.”
The next week was non-stop, chaos and panic and a wild goose chase that had led them everywhere but to Jack. A sinister cloud hung over the entire office, and the spectral whispers of the one name no one wanted to speak aloud echoed in the desperate silences. He and Peggy barely had a chance to look at each other, let alone talk about anything but the latest scraps of evidence, and when it was all over, well, there was no relief there, either.
He’s never gotten used to funerals, and having a hand to hold this time didn’t make it that much easier, not with the weight of failure pressing down on them both.
Thompson had fought hard, that much was clear when they’d finally found him. But it wasn’t enough. That was Daniel’s biggest fear every time he thought about the facts they had been able to gather, every time the unspeakable name echoed in the confines of his restless brain. Cut off one head, and two more take its place -- would they ever be enough to fight it? Would it ever be easier?
__________________
“You know it truly is nothing to do with you, don’t you?” Peggy had asked him, eyes turned down to the table between them, to the cups of coffee untouched and growing cold. This time, Daniel didn’t reach out for her hand. He listened to the buzz of the planes taking off at the Lockheed Air Terminal down the road, and wished it were enough to drown out the whole day entirely.
“Peg, you don’t have to do that,” he’d muttered, feeling childish. “Spare me the pity, I-”
“Daniel,” she’d interrupted, in that tone that left no room for questions. “I’ve never pitied you, and I certainly don’t intend to start now.”
He stared back, silent. That was the problem, you see, with the goodness of a heart like hers. There was no artifice, no way to crack back in a moment like this one. As miserable as it was, he was going to have to sit here and take it.
“Please,” she’d continued, softer, still barely looking at him. “I want to say it. I need you to know.”
He’d huffed out a breath through his nose and aimlessly fiddled with the tiny pitcher of milk. “OK.”
“I want to say…” she had started, stopped and gathered herself, then started again. “I want to tell you that you deserve so much more than what I can give you.”
He’d hated hearing the cliche, even as he weighed its truth. He wasn’t sure what exactly it was that he deserved, but hadn’t he known it would be this way from the start? Hadn’t a part of him always worried that there wouldn’t be room in her heart for the kind of life he wanted to share? 
“It’s not for the reason you think,” she’d insisted, before he could come up with something to say in response. “I promised myself….When Steve died, I promised myself I would keep up the fight.”
She hardly ever said his name aloud. It didn’t ruffle Daniel as much as he expected, but it did make him speak up.
“I’m in it with you, Peg. I hope at least you know that.”
She’d nodded, and then she’d finally looked up -- and he immediately wished to God she hadn’t. Because there, behind the sheen of barely-restrained tears, was their ending.
“All we can do is our best,” she told him, not for the first time. “And I think we both know this fight is going to take the best we have.” 
He nodded and swallowed against the lump in his throat he was starting to worry might be permanent. 
“But this... It’s too much for me, Daniel. I can’t lose you too.”
A bitter part of his brain pointed out that it was ironic, to say that as she walked away. But he tamped that down, and told her the only truth he could find that felt like it wouldn’t make things worse.
“I’ll miss you, Peg.”
She had reached out then, squeezed his hand fast and tight, telling him the same before swiping beneath her eyes. And then, she was gone.
Easy.
__________________
Daniel had tried, he really had. In his brief moments of free time as they watched the Hydra trail dry up hopelessly once again, he went on a handful of absolutely mediocre dates with the sunny blonde who worked the front desk at the local library and the brunette waitress who left her number on his receipt at the diner. He even let the guys at the office set him up once with a busty redhead who was so forward he spent the next week trying to suss out whether or not they’d paid her.
But there wasn’t anything there. There wasn’t anything anywhere, it seemed. With every interested woman he met -- and there were a few, he didn’t mind saying -- it was the same as it had been with Violet. Perfectly fine, perfectly nice, perfectly room temperature. In another lifetime, maybe he could have convinced himself that’s what it was supposed to feel like. But not now. 
And then one day, he walked into his office on a top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base, and met a girl from the future.
There was something about her, right from the beginning. She was beautiful, there was no denying that, and he saw something familiar in the mischievous glint in her eye — he’d been able to clock her CIA lie on its face, though it was just one part of a larger, much more confusing puzzle.
At first, he thought his reaction to her was just part of the chaos -- excess adrenaline at the prospect of seeing Peggy unexpectedly and the frantic and unexplainable events that followed. But then it didn’t go away.
She kept surprising him, that was familiar too. Comforting, almost, in a bizarre, backwards kind of way. She saved his life on the train — he’s always had extra respect for a woman who could throw a good punch. And he hadn’t missed the shadow that crossed her face when he mentioned all the things that Hydra had taken from him. There was even more to uncover, he was sure of it. Even finally learning her first name, Daisy, had him furrowing his brow at the dichotomy.
But there was hardly time to dwell on it. He’d expected to drive out of that futuristic aircraft and never see her, or any of her compatriots, ever again. He’d deliver his package to Stark, go home to an empty house, and wake up tomorrow to throw himself back into the work.
The next thing he knew, he was staring at the familiar eagle on the wall, and Agent Coulson was telling him he was dead. Like it was that easy.
__________________
He tried to throw himself into the fight immediately — he’s always been aware of the liability of dead weight and there wasn’t any time to stumble around and gather his bearings if he was going to be useful in the team’s mission to stop the Chronicoms.
Still, he would catch Daisy watching him, warily, like a timer on a bomb. She teased him in the clothing store, elbowing him playfully when he stopped dead at the “modern” 1970s fashions, but when he met her eyes, there was something more insistent looking back at him. It was like she was asking him a question neither of them could put into words, sizing up whether or not he was going to run, or stay, or fit, or break, or...something.
He tried his best to not to give her more to worry about. So he wouldn’t be the one to extract Hydra from S.H.I.E.L.D. in the ‘50s -- as it turned out, there were plenty of other ways to save the world. That was the core of the mission he’d signed up for from the start, and he felt more at ease the more he realized this was a team devoted to the same cause.
But he wasn’t sure what it was, exactly, that made him step up behind her in that underground bar and call her “sweetheart” -- maybe the same misguided sense of chivalry that got him a dressing down after he made Krzeminski apologize to Peggy in the briefing room back in New York. Mercifully, Daisy had gone along with his ruse, surprising him again with a palm pressed to his chest and a conspiratorial grin in his direction. 
And he hoped it was duty again, not the memory of that smile, that made him insist on accompanying her to hack into the base. After a confrontation with the scruffy kid with the dark circles under his eyes, he was more aware than ever that this team was just barely more adjusted to their circumstances than he was. But that still didn’t quite explain his growing desire to stay at Daisy’s side. 
What he was really looking for, if he’s honest, was a bit of solid ground. What he was wondering was if the feeling in his chest would turn out to be fleeting, if the quaking he’d felt when she touched him was because of her powers — or if it was something else entirely.
Because it seemed like something he never felt with Violet or the librarian or any of the rest. It seemed like it might be something he’s only felt once before. And it’s just his luck that it comes wrapped up in even more danger.
He tagged along just the same, watching her back and trying to learn on his feet about all the things she could do in addition to making the earth shake. She could break into a computer network he can’t even begin to comprehend, she could snap a crystal clear picture of him on that thin screen she said was a telephone, she could quirk an eyebrow at him and make him forget, just for a moment, that his life had descended once again into supernatural chaos.
“You look OK for a guy who just aged 20 years.” She teased him a second time as he marveled at the photo, and his stomach flipped all the way over to melancholy. But he wasn’t totally honest about why.
His heart ached at the thought of Peggy getting the news of his “death,” but the biggest goodbye of all, Daniel had realized, was to the man he used to be. However lonely and lukewarm he thought his life had been, he hadn’t been prepared to lose it so suddenly. There was possibility there, and promise to mourn, and the uncertainty about what lay ahead now had given him a rose-colored rearview mirror to look back at all he had left behind.
But when he told Daisy that this might be his last stop, she had simply turned back to her computer, assuring him their current dilemma was just a minor setback -- “Without us, it’s way worse,” she said.
She said it like she’d already accepted him as part of the team, like another thing she knew that he didn’t was that he hadn’t lost himself to the ether of time travel. She said it like he belonged.
It made the decision seem easy enough.
__________________
When the Malick kid’s goons bring her back, when he sees her limp and bloodied, slumped on the floor beside him, he has another flash to his past -- Peggy lying prone, impaled on a mean-looking length of rebar. He had learned that night how strong she really was. Not just because she had survived, but because she had let him see her at her weakest and most terrified, had let him haul her into his arms and onto his couch and into focus for his fiancee, who he knew would be able to see right through it all. 
He had blown up his entire life just for the weak, grateful smile they shared when they realized she was going to be OK. And it had been worth it.
Daisy doesn’t seem the type to let someone stroke her hair either, but Daniel tries to stop himself from drawing any more parallels right then and there. He keeps checking her pulse point like an excuse, and hopes it’s a fair trade-off that he agrees to tell her the story of his rescue. 
He doesn’t like to think about Stevens much, about the way he’s carried the potential of that pesky man's life with him every day since he woke up on that stretcher. That’s what you do when someone dies for you. You have to live for them.
That makes him think of Peggy again -- and then, unbidden, of Steve Rogers. He remembers the stories they used to tell about what Captain America was like before the serum: skinny, frail, half a dozen 4F rejections under various pseudonyms. He thinks of that kid, plucked from the life he was supposed to live and thrust onto a pedestal that must have felt completely untenable at times -- given muscle and then immediately handed the weight of the world.
And now there’s Daisy, with these powers. The kind of strength good men would covet and evil men would kill for. And like him, she’s left behind whatever life she had in order to fight her way through space and time and try to save humanity.
Peggy was a woman who ran headfirst into a storm without giving so much as a thought to an umbrella. Daisy, he’s learning, is the storm itself.
So he talks to her, and he keeps talking. He tells her things he’s never told another living person. In fairness, he thinks, he’s technically known her almost 20 years.
He tells her about survival, certain she already knows. He tells her about warfare, a different type than she’s seen, but with a common enemy. He tells her to fight -- and when she shows him the shard of glass she’s snuck back to him in a bloody palm, he knows the way his heart thuds could be just as dangerous as the psychopath in the other room.
Daniel’s always been good at waiting for his moment, and mercifully, it comes not long after Daisy slips completely into unconsciousness. He shifts away from her on the dirty floor to avoid risking further injury, and he readies himself like he had in the trenches.
When the time comes, he fights, just like he knows Stevens must have fought to get him to safety. They catch a lucky break when the earth-rattling powers prove to be too much for Malick to handle, and he carries her back to the ship, leg aching all the way, remembering the stern nurse in the field hospital who had looked down her glasses at him every time he’d complained about the throbbing.
“It’s the beat of your heart, soldier, remember that,” she had snipped as she doled out his meds. “If nothing else, it means you’re still alive.”
The team meets him at the door to help Daisy into their med bay, and when Agent Simmons mutters something that sounds an awful lot like “Not again,” something else twists inside Daniel’s chest. Shrugging off his own first aid until she’s been attended to, he takes a seat by the door to stay present but out of the way. Maybe some small part of him hopes that when she wakes, he’ll be a familiar face.
If he’s honest, he’s never thought about living to see the end of the 20th century, never even considered it. He was a S.H.I.E.L.D. director with war injuries and more than his fair share of close calls, it would have taken nothing short of a miracle. But he doesn’t think twice when the scruffy kid -- Deke, he remembers this time -- tells them they’re about to jump again. He's not sure when he changed his mind, but it’s been changed, nonetheless. 
“I’m where I need to be,” he says, as the soft beeps of Daisy’s monitor assure him that if nothing else, she’s still alive.
Easy never felt quite right, anyway.
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reyescarlos · 4 years
Text
there’s no way (that it’s not going there)
for my love @sulkybbarnes on your very special day. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARA! my goodness, i’m so glad the universe created you. how lucky we all are that you exist! 💕💜
word count 3.6k || read on ao3
We just dance backwards into each other Trying to keep our feelings secretly covered You touched me and it's almost like we knew That there would be history
As he sits with Michelle inside the Ryders’ backyard, the heat of the late summer evening still kissing his skin, Carlos smiles in contentment at the sight of all his colleagues turned friends and even perfectly good strangers all bound by their shared love for Grace and Judd. It’s because of them that they’ve all gathered today, to celebrate the Ryders’ vow renewal. It’s the perfect atmosphere in every sense, one of joy and festivity.
A few feet away, the happy couple mingles with the small gathering of their family and closest friends. Grace’s melodic laughter soars a note or two higher than the jazz music playing. Judd’s arm is slinked around her waist and Carlos can only stand back and admire the ease to which they orbit around each other. This is what years worth of love looks like. Carlos knows it can’t always have been an easy road, that all marriages— all relationships for that matter— are never without their hardships. But if it leads to something even vaguely resembling this, Carlos wants it at whatever cost.
He’s always been a hopeless romantic, swept up in the belief that finding the right partner could be a salvation. It’s not a sentiment the men he’s seen care to ascribe to. The world of dating hasn’t always been kind to him with Carlos almost always chasing after people who proved themselves adverse to being caught.
He’s vowed to himself repeatedly that he won’t fall down that rabbithole again. But what he hadn’t accounted for was meeting TK Strand, a man that makes Carlos willing to make an exception. TK has only been a part of the fabric here in Austin for a few weeks but he’s already managed to work his way into Carlos’ heart and mind. He hasn’t been able to shake his thoughts about the firefighter since their night at the honky tonk. The attraction he had for TK was instantaneous out on their call earlier that night but it’d only strengthened as they danced later. Ever since, there’s been this energy between them that neither has addressed. But it exists as a third party, living in each stolen glance, each quick retort traded between them like currency.
He and TK have been at this for weeks on end, this constant back and forth where they say so much without actually saying anything at all.
That’s all it ever takes, just one look to light the match. It’s a wonder they haven’t both been consumed by the flames though Carlos would argue he’s been coming dangerously close these last few weeks. At first it was fun, a casual flirty game between the two of them but now Carlos has been getting restless.
He takes in the sight of TK standing with his father under the back awning. Carlos can’t stop himself from giving him a once over, eyes roaming from top to bottom shamelessly. It’s truly a pleasant view with TK dressed up for the ceremony and looking far too attractive than any man has the right to.
“Carlos, if you stare any harder you just might strain those pretty brown eyes for good,” Michelle teases, her hand cupping her chin as she rests her elbows on the table, following where his eyes linger.
Carlos sighs and ruffles his hair slightly, forcing himself to look away from TK and back at her.
“Is it really that obvious?”
Michelle snorts out a laugh, covering her mouth and laughing even harder as Carlos groans.
“Aw, come on, no, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh but my god, Carlos. Do you really think either of you have been subtle this whole time? Anyone that’s spent so much as ten seconds around you both since he blew into town could call it.”
Carlos lifts a brow. “So you see it from him too? It’s not just me, right?”
“Absolutely not. To be honest, I’m actually shocked you guys haven’t hooked up already. It’s long overdue, my friend.”
Carlos picks up his glass for something to do as he thinks it all over.
“I think I just want it to mean something. Maybe that’s dumb, I don’t know but I really like him and we’ve been...in this weird limbo with each other. I don’t know what his endgame is here.”
Michelle tilts her head to the side, casting her glance off Carlos over to TK once more. He’s still caught up in conversation with Captain Strand. The younger Strand must have said something hilarious because Owen cracks a hearty laugh.
“You could do the totally crazy thing of actually talking to him and finding out what his deal is. He seems really into you. He’s been staring at you all night when you aren’t looking and who could forget that night we all went out? I think you got him hooked pretty fast. Reel him in already.”
Carlos chuckles at the analogy but even he can admit Michelle makes an extremely valid point here. This hasn’t been all in his head. Even if they’ve both managed to successfully avoid talking about it, it’s clear that there is something that they’ve been eluding from the moment their paths crossed.
“Screw it. You’re right. I’m going for it.”
Before he can lose his nerve, Carlos sets his glass down and rises from his seat. He can feel the reassuring press of Michelle’s hand on his forearm just before he leaves the table and begins the short but daunting walk over to where TK is standing.
Captain Strand notices him approaching before TK does and the man makes a move that Carlos isn’t expecting. He locks eyes with Carlos and in that brief bit of contact, there’s recognition of some kind and Owen seemingly excuses himself from his son.
Owen walks towards him and gives a polite nod of his head. “Evening, Carlos,” he says as he passes, not slowing down at all and leaving a clear path to TK.
Carlos doesn’t have the time to mull over the implications of this gesture but he makes a mental note of it, marking it as something to investigate later. His main pursuit now is a particular firefighter who has been weighing so heavily in his thoughts for weeks now.
This unspoken thing between them needs to be addressed once and for all. TK looks far too good tonight for Carlos to keep this little game of cat and mouse going any longer. Coming on too strong has more or less always been his problem but this is something he desperately wants and Carlos knows he can’t hold back beyond tonight.
TK soon notices him and stays in place, a slow smile inching across his face. By the time Carlos nestles in beside him, it’s a full on grin. It’s so reminiscent of the first time they ever hung out outside of work. Then, much like now, they were surrounded by this crowd of coworkers and people he’ll more than likely never see again. But it’s all just background noise, so inconsequential in comparison to his primary focus right now.
“Hey,” Carlos greets. It isn’t exactly the smoothest or most captivating thing to say but it had been enough that night out the bar and Carlos is hoping that it’ll prove itself useful enough again now.
TK looks briefly at the party at large, eyes pulling away from the throng of people dancing to Carlos and Carlos’ sense of déjà vu threatens to overwhelm him for the briefest of moments. But he focuses up once more as TK looks at him fully, a soft smile tugging at his lips.
As always, the man’s expression is playful as ever, as if he knows something Carlos doesn’t. Carlos has no doubt that TK is taking a trip down memory lane right now, too. How they were always finding themselves in a scenario like this was beyond Carlos’ comprehension then but it hardly matters. It serves as the perfect ice breaker for them now, a nod to the night that truly set things in motion for them. It makes this feel like a full circle moment, as if everything over the last few weeks has been leading to this.
“Wanna dance?” Carlos asks, tipping his chin towards the other guests bopping to the music.
TK’s eyes roam over his frame but Carlos doesn’t waver or back down. It’s merely part of the script they’ve been reading off of for weeks now. He’s confident that TK will accept, just as he had that night at the bar. The only difference now is that TK’s display of reluctance isn’t him genuinely debating the merits of taking a chance and saying yes, at least Carlos hopes that is the case. They have enough history between them at this point that Carlos feels safe in guessing that they’ve moved beyond that. Now it’s simply banter, a call back to that night.
“Yeah,” TK says after a moment, his perfectly white teeth trapping his bottom lip.
Carlos doesn’t even attempt to downplay how much he notices this, his own lips parting slightly before he pulls his focus back to the task at hand.
Carlos leads them to the makeshift dance floor just as he had that night of the honky tonk. TK falls into step with him, the two dancing along to the uptempo number playing throughout the yard. It’s all too easy to tune everything and everyone else out as he feels both their guards lowering even further. TK is all smiles and it’s the most infectious thing ever.
They dance for a while together, their smiles growing bigger with each new song that plays. Carlos is breathless and yet he can’t seem to stop himself from moving. But a new song comes on, the opening tone far more subdued. Carlos looks to TK, his face covered with a slight sheen of sweat. It makes Carlos’ breath hitch and he can’t help but to want to keep going, even though this is a different terrain than they’ve been dabbling in thus far.
“Do you still want to—,” Carlos begins to ask but TK answers in actions, not words as he slips his arms up over Carlos’ shoulders and begins to sway to the music.
This part is the variable, the break from their usual bit. Instead of dancing around each other with no real contact, they’re now wrapped up closely with TK hugged to his frame, their bodies pressed together, enough for Carlos to feel the firmness of TK’s chest against his.
This feels right in a way that Carlos can’t even begin to put into words. He wonders if maybe everything feels heightened because of where they are and what they’re celebrating tonight. But that still doesn’t change what he’s experiencing now, the rush of having TK’s warm body in his arms, more alive than anything. Even though they’re now moving slower than they have all night, Carlos feels the most electric now. It only instills what Carlos has known all along. This is so much more than a crush, it always has been, but now it feels like a tangible thing, a very real possibility and a step up from the hypothetical.
TK peers up at him as they continue to rock gently and Carlos can feel the man’s breaths as they fan across his face like the gentlest, most subtle breeze. The longer Carlos stares back at him, the more he realizes how uneven TK’s breathing actually is, the way it stalls and starts. The only explanation is that TK is nervous. Carlos is well-versed in reading people. After all, he literally gets paid to assess situations. He’s seen countless people he’s interviewed on a call panic and grow uneasy. He’d know the telltale signs of an anxious person anywhere.
“Relax,” he murmurs quietly, just low enough that the words get trapped between the two of them, safe in this private bubble. His hands hold even more firmly, more reassuringly to TK’s hips as if to remind him that Carlos is truly right here holding on to him, keeping him upright and present in this moment.
TK blinks twice and licks his lips. Carlos tries to take his own advice and settle his racing heart but even without meaning to, with doing something as mundane as wetting his lips, TK is getting under his skin. There’s something about this hazy summer night that’s making his mind feel like it’s drifting, floating like the fireflies that flicker on and off in the yard. It’s as if they’re under a spell of some kind. Carlos can’t remember the last time he’s felt a pull this strong towards someone, as if they’re a planet and he’s a helpless moon sucked into their gravity. And yet still, TK makes him feel grounded.
“Carlos, what is this?” TK asks, his voice barely above a whisper. But Carlos catches it all with how close they are to each other, with how much he always seems to hang off TK’s every word.
It would seem that Carlos isn’t the only one keen on getting answers tonight.
“The beginning of us, I hope,” he replies.
Carlos isn’t sure where that boldness comes from but with the words out there, there’s no way for him to snatch them back or undo them. And frankly, Carlos realizes that he doesn’t want to. Clear cut answers. A line drawn in the sand. Clarity. That’s what they need now. Tiptoeing around feelings or pretending as if they aren’t there at all is no longer something that he can accept.
TK eyes him for a moment before slipping his arms off of Carlos’ shoulders, letting them fall at his sides. Speaking outright about this thing that’s been brewing between them is in clear violation of the unspoken rule, he knows but if TK was bold enough to ask, Carlos figures he was right in matching that. Yet now TK is pulling away and Carlos fears he’s said too much, his bravado from only seconds ago now dwindling. But before he can dwell on it for too long, TK is grabbing hold of one of his hands and tugging him off the dance floor.
Carlos knows better than to ask questions then. Wherever TK wants to take him, Carlos will willingly go. TK leads him out of the yard, ignoring the piqued interest of their coworkers who no doubt have questions and assumptions about where these two are headed off to. But Carlos takes a page out of TK’s book and tunes them out as well. Instead he focuses on how easily their hands slot together as if they were designed to hold on to each other.
They come around the side of the house to the front of the Ryder household. A few guests are milling about outside, chatting among themselves. Carlos doesn’t recognize any of their faces, the entire lot of the 126 now left behind in the yard.
TK keeps moving forward, beginning to walk down the block, raking a hand through his hair.
“TK?” Carlos ventures, starting to grow a bit concerned.
With an abrupt stop in his tracks, TK turns to look at Carlos before taking a seat on the curb. They’re only two houses down from the festivities and can still hear the revelry of the reception but it’s distant enough that Carlos feels far removed from it all. TK looks up at the sky, his face bathed in a wash of moonlight, half his features thrown into shadow from the lamppost a few feet away. Carlos settles in beside him, wrapping his arms around his legs.
The silence between them is heavy and with how unmoving TK is now, Carlos knows he’ll have to be the one to breach it if they’re going to get anywhere with each other.
“I know I’m not losing it here, am I?” Carlos asks. “I haven’t been imagining this vibe between us, right?”
TK looks down at his hands and shakes his head. “No, something is definitely happening. I just...it’s starting to feel real now and that’s not something I was expecting to find out here in Austin.”
Carlos considers this for a moment. “But is that necessarily a bad thing?”
It’s then that TK focuses back on him. “That’s what I’m still trying to figure out. It’s one thing to BS and flirt but it doesn’t feel like a game or a tease anymore. If it gets serious, there’s no going back and I don’t know what that’ll mean.”
Carlos’ brows furrow. “And you don’t know if this is worth it?”
“It’s so much more than that,” TK sighs. “Long story short, I left behind a lot of baggage in New York.”
Carlos knows what that’s code for. “What's his name?”
“Alex,” TK mutters, a hint of disgust coating the two syllables. Carlos doesn’t press for details. He simply nods his head in understanding and stays quiet for a beat.
“I can’t speak to this guy and whatever went down between you two but from what I know of you, I think you’re amazing. I’m sorry he made you feel like you can’t take chances or fall for someone again. But, I’m here, TK. I’m here and I’d like to see where we could go from this point.”
TK frowns and fiddles with his fingers again. “If you knew everything, I’m not so sure you’d still feel that way.”
This is a different version of TK than Carlos is used to but he welcomes that. Gone is the facade, the carefully crafted demeanor the man maintains in public. Here with just the two of them on a quiet street under the night sky, Carlos feels like he’s getting to the heart of TK and he likes what he sees. Certainly the man is in a self-deprecating mood, a complete shift from the confident guy out on the dance floor. But he’s being forthright about himself and Carlos can respect anyone that’s being candid. It’s an admirable trait and makes TK even more real to him.
“Maybe you could give me the chance to decide that for myself? Or to show you that I’m serious about this.” Carlos cringes a bit then, worried he’s coming on too strong considering TK’s hesitancy. “I don’t...I hope you don’t feel pressured here. I’m sorry if I’m—”
“No. Honestly, you aren’t making me feel like that. If anything, it’s the exact opposite. You make me feel...free. To possibility, to everything. I don’t know. There’s something about this town and the people here. Nothing is going at all like I expected it to, which is a very, very good thing.”
Carlos smiles softly at this. “Glad I could play a small part in that.”
TK knocks his shoulder lightly against Carlos’ and that tiny bit of contact sends his heart racing.
“Not a small part, believe me.”
Carlos bites back on the corner of his bottom lip and holds his hand out in the small space between them, palm up towards TK who smiles at him before accepting it. They sit in companionable silence for a moment before TK rests his head against Carlos’ shoulder. The reception is still in full swing with voices and music carrying over but Carlos couldn’t be happier with where he is now.
It makes him think loosely of that Oscar Wilde quote. He is quite literally in the gutters with TK now and yet there’s such a beauty to it as they both watch the stars beside each other for a short while with TK still resting on him.
“I could be good for you. Whenever you’re ready. If you’re ever ready,” Carlos amends, stroking his thumb along the back of TK’s hand.
TK sits up and Carlos shifts to face him. TK’s normally bright eyes are darkened now, his expression calculating as if he’s trying to make his mind up about something. Before Carlos can ask what’s on his mind, TK is leaning in, his lips pressing gently against Carlos’.  There’s no rush to it, no haste as if TK is trying to prove something by kissing him. It feels more like an exploration, a tentative dive into uncharted waters.
Carlos matches his pace, leaving this all entirely in TK’s hands but he’d be lying if he said his mind isn’t already spiraling, his thoughts running away from him to the point where all he can think about is the mouth keeping time with his own. TK’s ability to make himself Carlos’ sole focus reaches new heights with this now. Carlos wants all of him, to swallow him whole and keep every bit selfishly for himself.
TK deepens the kiss and Carlos follows his lead, his hands grasping gently onto TK’s hair. TK responds in kind, his nails dragging down Carlos’ back. TK kisses him hungrily and Carlos serves it right back. This is weeks’ worth of tension bubbling to the surface, completely unfiltered. It makes Carlos feel delirious, his breath catching and blood pumping in his ears.
TK lets out a small whimper and pulls away sharply, both of them breathless and panting.
“I’m sorry,” TK says, licking his lips and pressing his fingertips against his mouth.
Carlos shakes his head, waving him off politely. “There’s nothing to apologize for.”
TK breathes out shakily, lowering his hand and searching Carlos’ face with urgency.
“I still want to take this slow. I just got a bit carried away there for a second.” Even in the dark, Carlos can see the slight pink tinge to TK’s face.
Carlos leans in and gives him a soft kiss on the cheek, taking his hand again and entwining their fingers.
“Progress is progress no matter the pace,” Carlos says simply. “Point is, we’re moving forward together. That’s all I could ever ask of you.”
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Text
Long Way From Mykonos — Chapter One
Finished the Mykonos Questline and found myself rather pissed off. Only logical response is to write my own, extended version of what happened once the Adrestia sailed away.
                                                          -----
Alexios hummed the tune quietly to himself, though he still couldn’t remember where he’d first heard it. It’d been stuck in his mind for weeks, on a loop that never quieted. So there he sat, his legs dangling over the edge of the Adrestia, humming the notes to the darkness. 
The day crew had settled for the night hours ago, leaving just Barnabas and the small skeleton crew. This crew, unlike the other, was quiet as they worked. Leaving the misthios to only his thoughts; thoughts that had been bleak since they’d left Mykonos. His parting from the lush island was nothing but a bad memory, but one that he couldn’t stop seeing whenever he closed his eyes. The inside of his eyelids seemed to have that night carved into them. 
Alexios couldn’t unsee the mixed look of guilt and shame that had avoided his gaze as the couple had told him about their decision. To stay together and rebuild what Alexios had destroyed. The other man’s unwillingness to look him in the eyes had said all that his mouth hadn’t. The rejection was palpable in the air between them, so much so that Alexios hadn’t even tried to catch Thaletas’ gaze. Instead, he’d let himself blush when Kyra mentioned her  lover’s new skills. No matter how much time passed or how much distance he put between himself and the couple, Alexios couldn’t shake the weight that had settled on his shoulders when he’d seen Kyra run her thumb over Thaletas’ bottom lip as she explained their decision.
A heavy sigh left him as he looked down at his own hands; hands that wanted so badly to hold Thaletas again. 
“What happened to getting some sleep, lamb?” 
Alexios jumped at the sound of his mater’s voice behind him. He turned at the waist to see her standing with a wolf fur wrapped tightly around her small frame. The nights were cold enough on the Aegean to force even the burliest of men to bundle up. 
He gave her a weak smile and quietly admitted, “It hasn’t been coming easily to me.”
Myrrine blinked slowly and nodded at his words. She pulled the fur tighter to herself and walked the few steps between them. Alexios offered a hand as she started to sit next to him, not wanting her to tip into the water. Once she was settled beside him, she took a moment to look across the water at the glassy sheen left behind by Selene. “You despised that song when you were young,” she offered out into the silence. 
Brown eyes glanced at the woman next to him. They’d spoken of much since being reunited, but the topic of their time as a real family had been strategically avoided. Alexios wouldn’t have been surprised if it never came up, but he was more surprised that it had. “I did?”
“I used to sing it around the house and anytime you heard it, you’d tell me to stop.” Her features softened as she spared him a glance. “You’d tell me that it was too sad to sing when there was so much good, but you were never patient enough to hear the end of it.”
Alexios’ brow furrowed as he tried to remember what she was talking about. It was the small moments that he’d forgotten first, the waves of Kephallonia washing them away along with the blood of thieves and liars. 
“You’d insist that I sing something else.” She shook her head as she smiled to herself. “You were as much a fighter as you were a lover, always looking for the happy ending in things. A week wouldn’t go by without you asking to hear the tale of either Hades and Persephone, or Adonis and Aphrodite.”
Alexios hummed in response. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her that he no longer believed in those endings. Perhaps he had for a time, in those ruins as the sun had set below the horizon, but the gods had made it plain that he wasn’t destined for that kind of peace. “I suppose I grew out of that.”
A chilled hand landed on Alexios’ leg, drawing his gaze back to Myrrine. “What happened, lamb?” 
He looked away from her as he felt tears threatening to spill from his eyes. His teeth pulled at the inside of his bottom lip and he closed his eyes against the flood of emotion that pushed its way into his chest. 
“I’ve been the victim of much pain over the years, and I’ve seen more pain on these islands than I could ever account for. Those tears you shed, back on Naxos, were not just because you’d missed me.” Myrrine spoke quietly, keeping the words between mother and son. 
Alexios opened his eyes to find the world blurry from the unshed tears. They both knew that she wasn’t wrong, but he couldn’t speak the actual words to her. He couldn’t tell her, after he’d just gotten her back, that he would never be the perfect Spartan son that she was meant to raise; that his heart belonged to another man and that she wouldn’t get the grandsons that she no doubt wished for. 
The shame in Thaletas’ eyes was enough to tell Alexios that his desires were something to be ashamed of. In the agoge, it might’ve been different; but now he would be expected to serve Sparta by giving it sons, something he couldn’t do in the arms of a man.  
“Whoever it was, you can tell me.” Myrrine supplied gently. 
“It’s done now, mater. There’s no use dragging it into the light any more than it already was.” Alexios breathed in a heavy gulp of air, and turned back to her. “Please don’t ask me to relive it any more than I already do.”
He almost sobbed outright when she offered a hesitant nod of acceptance. “Whenever you’re ready, lamb. I know I wasn’t there before, but I’m here now and I’m willing to listen to all that I’ve missed.”
Alexios laid his hand atop hers and squeezed it for a moment before he let her go. “You should try to get a bit more sleep,” he suggested quietly. He found himself relieved when she followed his advice, and set out towards the hull of the ship.
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