#he cries so brokenly at that realisation

[edenesth]

The Way to His Heart [5]

Pairing: general!Seonghwa x wife!reader

AU: arranged marriage au (Joseon era)

Word Count: 3.7k

Summary: Life has been hell ever since your mother's passing many years ago. Despite being from a prominent family, you've never received the privileges associated with it. It only got worse with the arrival of your stepmother and her daughters. When the intimidating General Park was in search of a wife, your father seized the opportunity to dispose of you, simultaneously securing a connection with the powerful general—killing two birds with one stone.

Part 4 | Fic Masterlist | Part 6

"She's severely malnourished, and the injuries on her body tell us that she's undergone quite the abuse, seemingly for years. But I assume you already deduced that much, yes?" Yunho stated as he turned to your husband.

Seonghwa nodded grimly, "Yes, unfortunately. Is there anything you can do to help with all the marks?"

"Given the lack of proper treatment for so long, most of her wounds have only worsened, resulting in permanent scars from various infections. I'll do my best to treat as much as I can, but please understand that I won't be able to eliminate most of these scars." The physician explained, not wanting to give the general any false hope of restoring your skin back to its original form.

Thankfully, Seonghwa wasn't naturally inclined to optimism, and he didn't care to entertain the idea of a miracle. He sighed, "I understand, Yunho. It doesn't matter to me if the scars remain, just... make all the pain go away for her. That's all that matters."

Though possibly surprised, Yunho didn't reveal it in his expression. That might have been the sweetest sentiment he had ever heard from the general. He nodded, "Very well. I'll need a few tools and herbs to prepare her tonic and ointment. Should I stay in the usual quarters until my work is complete?"

Eager to see her mistress recover quickly, the head maid was ready for action. She stood up as soon as her master addressed her, "Eunsook, you know what to do. Organise a team of servants to assist Physician Jung with everything he requires and prepare his usual accommodation."

Without having to be told twice, she swiftly moved to leave Seonghwa's room, "Yes, master! Please come with me, Physician Jung." The general watched as everyone exited his private quarters, leaving him alone with you.

Bringing a chair beside the bed, he seated himself next to you and mustered the courage to hold your hand. Gently rubbing his thumbs over your skin, he felt a pang in his heart, realising that it was far from how the hand of someone your age should be – smooth and flawless. Instead, it bore the marks of what he could only imagine as endless pain.

Reflecting on the unfounded accusations he had hurled at you after your sincere expression of gratitude during dinner, he wished he could turn back time and retract his words, if only it were possible. As if your life hadn't already been hell, he had only made it worse for you.

Suddenly, the notion of you being genuinely happy with The Cold Palace didn't seem so far-fetched. After all, who could fathom the inhumane living conditions you had endured for all those years? However, this realisation brought him no comfort; the fact that your life back in the Jang estate was so bad that you had to express gratitude for being given such a place was heartbreaking.

Seonghwa was jolted from his thoughts when he sensed your weak hand squeezing his. Looking up, he noticed your anguished expression as you cried in your sleep, your voice brokenly uttering, "I'm sorry..."

He felt his heart clench at the sight, prompting him to move and sit closer to you on the bed. Lifting his free hand, he gently wiped away the tears streaming from the corners of your eyes down your cheeks, "Hey, it's alright... You're safe now." He whispered, returning the soft squeeze to your hand.

As if aware of his presence, your eyes snapped open in alarm, and a whimper of fear escaped you as you saw him. For the first time in a long while, the general found no satisfaction in the fear reflected in someone's eyes. You gasped upon realising that the lifeline you were clinging to was him, noticing your hand in his.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" You cried harder when you realised your marks were still fully on display. Pulling your hand away from his, you grasped the sheets around you and clutched them close.

Despite the disappointment he felt at the absence of your hand, he didn't have time to dwell on it with your little panic attack. To ground you, he cupped your face with his hands, "Look at me," and you complied, your trembling eyes meeting his gaze, "Stop apologising and tell me what it is that you're sorry for."

"I-I'm sorry for all this," You gestured miserably to your own body, "I'm hideous. I'm tainted. I'm n-not good enough to be your wife, a-and I never will be. I-I don't deserve happiness... I was foolish to think I could find it h-here... with you."

Shaking his head, he caressed your hollow cheekbones, staring firmly into your eyes, "No, you listen to me. Never think that again. I forbid you from believing you're hideous or tainted or anything ridiculous like that. Whoever dares say you're not good enough to be my wife can go to hell because you're the only one I want. You deserve all the happiness in the world, and I will give you just that. You're not foolish to think that. I'll prove it to you."

Leaving you speechless, Seonghwa wrapped his arms around you before you could muster a response, pulling you close. The sudden warmth felt foreign but good, and you nestled your face into his broad shoulder, allowing yourself to relish the moment.

Am I dreaming? Feels too good to be true.

Marvelling at the luxurious interior of this beautiful room, you couldn't shake the feeling that this was all a product of your imagination. How could any of this be real?

The last memory you had was the general storming angrily into your room and ripping your hanbok open. After seeing you in your truest form, how could he have ended up acting this way towards you? It didn't make sense; he should have been disgusted and hostile. Instead, here he was, seemingly accepting you.

Exhausted from a lifetime of pain, you lacked the energy to question the reality of your situation. Even if it were just a dream, you decided to embrace it and savour the experience. On the other hand, if this was reality, you knew you had the rest of your life to understand his change of heart.

All that really mattered now was that the pain and the suffering stopped. If Seonghwa truly accepts you as his wife, the reason behind it doesn't seem important. You would simply be grateful for his kindness, or perhaps sympathy—whatever it was, you welcomed it wholeheartedly.

So long as there's no more pain.

With that decision made, you set aside the lingering questions in your mind and focused on how comforting it felt to be held in a warm embrace like this. A contented sigh escaped you as you whispered against him, "Thank you, my lord."

He responded by tightening his hold around your frame, gently cradling the back of your head with a hand, "No, don't thank me yet. I haven't done anything to deserve that from you. I've been horrible, the absolute worst. And for that, I'd like to apologise. I'm sorry, my dear. I promise you, I'll make up for it."

When you attempted to voice your protest, he halted you with a knowing shake of his head, "I know I may seem like an angel in comparison to the people who have... done all those horrendous things to you, but I won't lie and say that I'm proud of myself for the way I acted. You're important too, okay? You're the general's wife now, and I want you to remember that. I won't let anyone disrespect you again."

With a grateful nod, tears of relief welled up in your eyes. This transformed version of Seonghwa before you was a stark departure from the one you initially encountered. You didn't think he was capable of being so soft and caring, but you had no complaints; you could certainly get used to this.

"Oh, mistress! You're finally awake!" Eunsook exclaimed, standing at the room entrance with the physician in tow. This caused you and your husband to break eye contact. The general cleared his throat and averted his gaze, a faint blush tinting his cheeks when he realised the two had witnessed your shared intimate moment.

Yunho suppressed his smile and respectfully bowed at you, "Good day, Lady Park. I'm Physician Jung; it's nice to properly meet you." Blinking, you struggled to come up with a response, gaping at his handsome face.

While the elderly woman giggled at your loss of words, Seonghwa was less than amused at your reaction to the doctor's appearance. He scoffed lightly, finding it ridiculous that you were here gazing at another man after he had just poured his heart out to you.

How dare you be unfaithful this soon?

Upon catching the enticing scent of food, your eyes swiftly moved away from Yunho's face. Your face lit up as you finally noticed the bowl of piping hot congee in Eunsook's hands.

"Oh dear, you must be famished. With Physician Jung's help, we concocted this healthy meal for you. I know it's not very appetising, with all the medicinal herbs in it, but you must get better before indulging in tastier foods, alright?" She smiled encouragingly at you.

You shook your head as she approached with the bowl, "Not appetising? It already smells and looks better than anything I've ever had. Thank you for the food." You murmured, eagerly waiting as she fed you.

Unbeknownst to you, your innocent response had affected Seonghwa more than you realised, and it also surprised the physician. While Yunho had heard a bit about your situation from the head maid, he wasn't fully aware of the extent of it, and hearing it directly from you was truly heart-wrenching. That definitely explained the severe malnourishment.

The congee was gone within moments and Eunsook couldn't help but coo, "Well done, mistress." You bit your lip shyly, feeling embarrassed for devouring it in such an unladylike manner, but nothing mattered the moment the food touched your lips.

As if on cue, a group of servants arrived with a fresh set of clothes and bath supplies originally intended for you earlier in the morning. Turning toward the two men, the head maid bowed and gestured toward the door, "Master, Physician Jung, if you wouldn't mind stepping out. We shall bathe and change the mistress."

Yunho nodded, "Certainly, I'll be getting back to work then," and immediately excused himself, reassured to know you had finished your first sitting of medicine.

The general stood up from his spot, "Alright, Eunsook. I'll leave her to you for now. Take care of her for me." He said, moving to press a soft kiss onto your forehead. The action caused your eyes to widen, and all the servants internally squealed, shocked to see their master being so affectionate for the first time.

Your heart swelled as you watched him leave, his back suddenly seeming so reliable. It was hard to believe that he was your husband, yours. How lucky were you to be wedded to Park Seonghwa?

"Come, mistress. Let's get you cleaned up."

You observed with intrigue as the servants rushed around to prepare a bath for you, an experience you had never had before. However, as they began to assist in stripping off your clothes, you realised you had forgotten all about the marks on your skin earlier. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, you pushed the hands of the servants away and shook your head.

Reassuring you, they withdrew their hands with warm smiles, "It's okay, mistress. Please know we are all on your side; nobody here will disrespect or look down on you. You are now the official wife of General Park, and we will work our hardest to serve you."

The head maid nodded in agreement behind them, their sincerity deeply touching your heart, "Thank you for your kindness." You whispered, finally allowing them to help you out of your hanbok. They handled you with gentleness, and it took you some time to get used to it—finally not being manhandled like you always had been.

After they finished scrubbing you clean, the other maids momentarily left you alone to enjoy the bath, touched by your endearing demeanour—constantly expressing gratitude for every little thing. To them, it felt almost like caring for a child. Exchanging excited glances, none of them could hide their pleasure in having such a sweet mistress.

With your presence, perhaps the general's anger could finally subside, and the estate could experience some peaceful days. If only you knew the hope you had brought with your arrival.

Eunsook lingered in the background, cleaning and tidying up, while you played with the rose petals floating around the bath water. You couldn't recall the last time your life had been so relaxing, so peaceful. Turning to the elderly woman working nearby, you gathered the courage to ask, "This... this isn't a dream, is it?"

Setting down her supplies, she approached you with a motherly smile on her face, "I assure you, mistress, it is not. This is all very real. Perhaps the master's sudden shift in behaviour can be confusing."

She gently held onto your hand, "Trust me, he is actually not such a bad person at all. There's a good reason why all the servants here have been with him for a long time. Though he believes it is simply because of the good pay, it isn't. He just... has a hard time trying to express his feelings. Let's just say master did not exactly grow up living an easy life. He struggles to show his love because he has not been given nearly enough of it while growing up."

That sounds a little like me too.

Giving your hand a soft squeeze, she added, "And now, with you here, it seems we can all hope that things will change for the better, for master and for you, mistress."

"M-me? Better because of... me?" You whispered, returning the squeeze, and she nodded, "Yes, mistress. All because of you. You are our light and our hope. Thank you for coming to us. You're so important to everyone here, you know that? Never let anyone tell you otherwise."

You didn't realise you were crying until you felt a gentle touch as the elderly woman wiped away the tears rolling down your cheeks, assuring you, "No matter what happens, I promise you won't be alone anymore from now on."

Standing in the centre of the room later on, it almost felt like a dream come true as the servants attentively assisted you in getting dressed. For once, you felt genuinely cared for and respected, a stark contrast to your previous experiences at home, where most servants treated you as less than human.

Turning to face the mirror, a gasp escaped you as you gazed at your reflection, "You look beautiful, mistress. Master is going to love it." A servant exclaimed, admiring your natural beauty. Your eyes widened as you took in the pleasant appearance before you, surprised that despite the visibility of your scars, you could look appealing. It appeared that with proper care, hair, and clothing, you could indeed appear somewhat pretty.

I guess all hope is not lost.

"We'll be taking our leave now, mistress." The rest of the maids bowed in a line before you as they finished up. Panic crossed their faces when they saw you about to return their bows, and Eunsook stopped you in time, saying, "Oh dear, mistress! We'll have to work on that. Please remember you do not have to bow to any of the servants here, or anywhere, for the matter."

You nodded, "I'm sorry, I'll remember that next time."

She chuckled and shook her head, "That too, you do not need to apologise to us. We are here to serve you." The maids nodded to signal that the elderly woman was right, smiling encouragingly at you before bowing one last time and leaving to return to their other tasks.

"Now, there's still a bit more time before dinner. What would you like to do until then, mistress?" The head maid asked.

You blinked, realising you didn't know how to answer. You never had the luxury to do as you pleased; all your supposed spare time was spent rotting in your prison cell of a room. What did your stepsisters usually do? Right, make your life hell. That's what.

What do young ladies around your age do?

Suddenly remembering Eunsook's earlier words about having to work on what you should and shouldn't do, you perked up, "I... I wish to learn. I want to be a proper lady, to be a proper wife for the general."

You stared, puzzled, as the elderly woman tried to hide her cheeky grin, "Well, the master's study is full of all sorts of knowledgeable books. Maybe you can find something in there. Would you like to go there now, mistress?"

Finding nothing wrong with the suggestion, you agreed. The next thing you knew, you were left standing alone by the entrance to the study she had been talking about. She had explained that she needed to assist the physician with an important task before hastily disappearing.

Not wanting to be impolite, you knocked on the door and waited for a response, "May I please enter, my lord?" After a moment of silence, you knocked again, only to be met with silence.

Maybe he's not inside.

With a shrug, you cautiously pushed the door open. Your eyes widened when you immediately spotted Seonghwa seated at his desk, deeply engrossed in his reading with a slight furrow of his brows. Despite planning to leave, you found yourself rooted to the spot, admiring how attractive he looked, even when only sitting there.

As if sensing someone watching him, his eyes immediately shot up in alert, only to soften when he realised it was you. Caught off guard, you sputtered and bowed repeatedly, "I-I'm sorry, my lord! I didn't mean to spy on you or anything like that. Eunsook told me I could occupy myself with some books in here until dinner, and I—"

Too busy staring down at your feet, you didn't notice he had been making his way towards you. You gasped when his shoes came into view, looking up to find him right in front of you with a gentle smile on his face, "Relax, I'm not angry. You're welcome to spend time with me; I'd be happy to accompany you."

Looking at you closely now, his heart raced as he realised how stunning you appeared in this natural state, even more so than with a face full of heavy makeup, "You... you look beautiful, by the way." He remarked, watching with admiration as a blush tinted your cheeks when you quietly thanked him.

As you bit your lips shyly, he found it hard to look away, feeling a desire to kiss you that he had never experienced with any woman before, "M-my lord?" You stuttered, feeling flustered by the sudden attention he was paying to your lips.

With a hand outstretched, he cleared his throat and gestured for you to join him, "R-right, let me know what you're looking for. This is no royal library, but I'm sure I'll have whatever you need."

You gulped, shyly placing your hand in his waiting one, "I was hoping to learn more about lady etiquette. I... I want to be a proper lady and wife for you, my lord." His heart melted at that; despite the less-than-warm welcome he had given you, you were still willing to work hard and be better for him.

"Very well, come with me." Tightening his hold on your hand, he gently led you towards the bookshelves lining the side of his study.

As you passed by his desk, you couldn't help but do a double take at the reading material he had been so focused on just earlier. You'd recognise the Jang family crest anywhere.

"Wait, isn't that—"

Before you could inquire about it, Seonghwa was already in the process of tidying up the space and simultaneously putting the book away, "Sorry for the mess. Now, which area of lady etiquette did you want to start with first?" He asked, gesturing to the entire row of books dedicated to the topic.

"O-oh, I haven't really thought about that. I wasn't aware there were so many different areas. Gosh, I have much to learn..." You trailed off, your mind already reeling as you tried to figure out which area would be best to begin with.

He sighed in relief, successfully redirecting the conversation. His heart nearly stopped when he spotted the recognition in your eyes upon seeing your family records. The general didn't want to have to interview you in order to delve into your past; he didn't want you to relive any nightmares. More importantly, he didn't want to worry you by revealing any of the plans he had in store for your family.

« Preview of Part 6 »

Jongho entered his master's study that night, panting and puzzled to find the desk filled with books on... lady etiquette?

"S-sir?"

Seonghwa snapped up immediately, catching the assistant's appalled gaze on your books. He chuckled, "Oh, those are just your mistress' books. She said she wants to learn to be a proper lady and wife... can you believe that?"

Without himself noticing, the general had an almost dreamy look on his face as he smiled, lost in thoughts of you, unaware that he was letting it show on his face, revealing his affection for you.

"I see. I'm sure the mistress will no doubt make you proud with her studies soon." Jongho responded with a knowing grin, pleased to see his master being soft for a change, the intimidating General Park momentarily gone, all because of his wife.

Recalling his aide's purpose for being here this late, Seonghwa quickly turned serious, "Well, have you managed to find anything?"

The assistant immediately straightened up, moving closer to the general and lowering his voice, "I have, sir. With the funds you provided, I hired a private investigator willing to infiltrate the Jang estate. Fortunately, one of the older servants didn't take much to crack; she told him just about everything."

With a clenched fist, your husband asked for confirmation, "Well? Was it her father?"

Nodding, Jongho's expression turned grim, "It was as you assumed, sir. It was him, his wife, his stepdaughters, and even the servants. But there's... more. We've uncovered new information, the minister... he truly is despicable."

Sorry, this part took a little longer! Happy to report that I'm feeling much better! I was out all day with my family and immediately got to work finalising this as soon as I got home!

Thank you so much for 800+ followers! And as always, thank you for reading and I'm so excited to hear all your thoughts (or even predictions for what's to come😈), I promise I won't spoil anything in my replies! <3

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All Rights Reserved © edenesth // DO NOT REPOST, TRANSLATE, PLAGIARISE OR REPURPOSE.

[play-rough]

AH IM SORRY I SENT THAT UNFINISHED PLEASE READ THIS ONE INSTEAD

Dazai’s been grumpy all day in his big headspace, only to be unconsolable when kunikda tries to put him down for his nap.

He won’t stop crying no matter what, won’t eat or drink anything, and can only be held for so long before he gets fussy and starting wiggling aggressively to get down.

No one knows what to do, poor thing wailing until he goes hoarse, and just continues to cry. The only people who can get close to him are ranpo and atsushi; but they can’t do much beside cuddle with him in the playpen.

Ranpo’s distressed because nothing he tries to do fixes the situation, and atsushi is crying too because he’s sad dazai is so upset. Yet they refuse to leave his side and sit with dazai while he cries.

Unsure what to do, kunikida calls chuuya, who promises to come as soon as he can. Leaving a very important meeting to run home before heading to the agency.

Once he gets there, he all but rushes into the break room with a bag in hand. Chuuya smiles as he makes eye contact with dazai, slowly taking off his shoes and coat and setting them down on a chair before he goes to join dazai in the playpen.

Poor dazai just starts crying harder when he sees chuuya, his companions forgotten as he whines brokenly and reaches out to make make grabby hands at chuuya.

What was wrong? He missed chuuya. Bad

Kunikida and yosano pull out atsushi and ranpo, leaving the executive alone with his baby.

Chuuya gets in with dazai, a baby who’s so overjoyed to see chuuya he’s a pain to get in the redheads lap because he’s squirming so much to get closer.

Once he gets dazai settled he tells him he brought dazai something. He grabs the bag he brought from home and pulls out fishie. Dazai grabs him immediately and cuddles it between him snd chuuya.

It takes a while to get dazai calmed down enough to be able to transport him safely to his apartment, but chuuya knows dazai’s feeling better when he starts playing with the chain on chuuya’s hat.

Everyone in the agency is amazed out how fast it was for chuuya to calm down (ranpo lets it slip he misses chuuya) and realise they should have called him sooner. Enemies be damned, they care about their resident baby.

Chuuya then takes babyzai home and they have a nice calming night where chuuya makes him drink lots of warm water for his throat, and a bottle for his tummy

(I didnt mean to send this early whoops lol i dropped my phone. SORRY IT’S SO LONG i keep thing about this)

-🪼

It’s ok it happens!! I hope ur phone is okay!

Poor baby, I totally think he works himself up and spirals and convinces himself Chuuya’s not ever gonna come around again 🥺 he just gets snappy and pushes everyone away and then he feels so awful he doesnt know what to do or how to fix it 😭 his head is full of big feelings and he feels tiny and its too much 😭 good thing the agency cares about him so much i love the part about them wanting to put aside being ‘enemies’ because they all love dazai 😭🩵 really sweet and heartwarming i love this family sm aifhdijhsiu

[lunarheslwt]

Snippet Sunday

I was tagged by @enchantedlandcoffee to share a snippet on Saturday I think, thank you bby. So I present a slightly NSFW snippet from my feral alpha au I'm writing for the abo fest:

On his stomach, feeling like he could burst out of his skin, Louis wiggled around, gulping in Harry’s scent greedily, dragging himself up the bed and- shit- Fuck. He hissed loudly as a sharp thrum of arousal went up his spine when he had shifted against the nest, accidentally thrusting up against the soft materials. He was hard. He hadn’t even realised it but- fucking hell, he was hard and aching, body tingling with hot arousal just from Harry’s scent everywhere around him. Fuckfuckfuck. And now that he had realised it, Louis couldn’t stop, couldn’t focus on anything but how much he needed more, how wet he’d gotten. The last shreds of his self control snapped when his next inhale only further clouded his brain with alpha scent, making him whimper, biting his fist to stop himself from being loud. He just had to. He wasn’t going to last, neither did he care about getting himself off properly, or draw it out. He felt desperate as he began rutting down against the soft materials that made up his nest. It was not nearly enough, but still so good, so delicious against his needy cock. With his eyes closed, his traitorous mind went back to Harry, thinking of his warmth, how it felt to be buried in his neck, his hand on his neck. “Fucking god,” he cried out brokenly into his pillow, pleasure zipping through him, razor sharp, endless, as Louis chased a hurried, messy pace. Not nearly enough.

Don't know who's writing or who's done it already but tagging: @nooradeservedbetter @babyhoneyheslt @greeneyesfriedrice @larry-hiatus and anyone who wants to do it <3

[dreamsclock]

Sam sits in the ruins of a burning building, clutching Bad in his arms. For once, the world is quiet.

(arcane au with c!sam as vi, c!dream as powder.)

HUGE spoilers for arcane episode three !!

warnings: blood, death, child abandonment, violence, c!sam + c!dream are brothers in this au, c!sam neg but he's sympathetic, c!sam hurt, c!boomer hurt, c!hannah hurt, c!dream hurt, no happy ending :')

Sam sits in the ruins of a burning building, clutching Bad in his arms. For once, the world is quiet.

Quiet, other than the crackling flames and the desperate, whining whimpers of the few wounded left alive and his own choking sobs that rip from his throat on their own accord.

Sam sits in the ruins of a burning building, Bad's body in his arms, the bodies of his best friends burning above him, his own body bruised, battered, bleeding. The pain dims in comparison to the agony in his chest - his heart breaks, shatters, at the sight of Bad lying there.

"Bad," he whispers, voice cracking, "Bad. Get up. Get- Get up, Bad. C'mon."

Bad doesn't move. His expression is almost peaceful. Sam's sobs catch in his lungs, make him struggle for breath - grief, he discovers at twelve, is a brutal wild flame. It won't be satiated so easily.

The wild flame grows heat when he hears a familiar young voice behind him.

"Sammy?" Dream calls, flapping his hands excitedly when Sam turns round. "Sammy! Did you see it? Did you see what I did? I was just like you! My redstone invention worked, just like you said they would one day! You were right!”

"...You did this?" Sam whispers. He can barely get the words out. All of a sudden, things make sense. All of a sudden, things click in his brain: the explosion, the remnants of Dream's smiley face toy blob, the disaster that had followed after. "This... was you?"

Dream falters. "I- Yeah! I saved you! I came to- to help you, I came to save... Bad..."

His eyes fall to the figure behind Sam as the rain lashes down on them, and his little brother trails off. Horror makes Sam's stomach drop out, makes heat burn behind his eyes fiercely.

The world around them howls, and Dream only realises at that moment: expression faltering, stepping back unsurely, the boy looks around him, stares in dawning distress at the wreck of the world he's caused. A surge of rage and pain has Sam stumbling closer to his little brother.

"You did this," Sam rasps, and Dream's eyes widen fearfully at the viciousness in the older boy's eyes, "why? Why? Why couldn't you just do what I tell you, for once? Why couldn't you just stay home?"

Dream's bottom lip quivers. "Sammy, I wanted- I saved you. With my explosive."

"No, you killed them!" Sam roars, striding forwards, and Dream scrambles backwards, clutching his toy cat close to his chest. "You killed them all, Dream, you- Boomer and Hannah, you did this!"

Boomer's frog hat lies burning in the rain to the left of him. Sam swallows, nauseous.

"I didn't-" Dream is crying now, fat teardrops slipping from his eyes, earnest and horrified. "I didn't mean to- Why did you leave me?” His voice breaks. "Why did you leave me at home, Sammy? I was so scared! I was-"

"Because Hannah was right!" Sam snarls. "You're a Nightmare!"

Dream goes still, shrinking back. Sam doesn't, can't care, not when Bad is lying there, face still so kind, body so broken, not when his two best friends are dead, not when his brother is the cause of everything.

"You- destroy- everything you touch! I thought if I brought you along, you’d get people killed, and I was right! Everyone was right about you! You’re a jinx, a nightmare!”

“S-Sammy-"

Sam sees red. When he focuses next, his hand is throbbing, tears are falling down his face, and Dream is sobbing brokenly, a mean red mark blossoming on his jaw. Sam's free hand is fisted tightly around his collar. Dream's toy cat has fallen in the flames beside them.

"Sammy!" Dream cries. "Sam, Sam, I'm s- sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't- I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to- Please, Sammy-"

Sam staggers back, lifting his shaking hands. On his right is a smudge of Dream's blood. Stifling a cry of his own, he can't meet Dream's eyes. His brother collapses to his knees, so much smaller than eight. Sam stands over him, sick to his stomach, grief-stricken, watching Dream sob his heart out, and he does the only thing he can.

He steps over him, and walks away.

Immediately, Dream's head jerks up, face shining with tears, eyes red raw from crying.

"Don't leave," he pleads, voice hoarse, "don' leave, Sammy, Sammy, please don't leave me. Please!"

Sam doesn't look back. He doesn't stop. Instead, he breaks into a faltering run.

"Sam!!" Dream screams behind him as Sam ducks around a corner, hand clapping over his mouth to stifle his sobs. "Sammy! Sammy! Don't leave! Don't leave me! I don't wanna be alone! Sam!"

What kind of big brother leaves their kid brother with the body of their father figure? Sam's shoulders shake, frightened, horrified at himself and at Dream, unable to bring himself to go back for his brother. Just a few minutes, he tells himself desperately. He needs a few minutes to compose himself, and then he'll take Dream home. Just a few minutes. Just-

And then someone grabs him from behind - someone he doesn't recognise, someone unfamiliar, someone who presses a napkin to his mouth and nose and forces him to breathe in something strange. 

He's lightheaded immediately.

"This is to keep you safe," they say, "I'm sorry."

Sam's heart lurches in fright. Let me go, he tries to say, but he's already falling asleep, body leaden, I need to get Dream. I need to get my baby brother.

"I don't want them to kill you," the voice says, "this is the only way."

And then it's dark, and then he's floating in a deep, dreamless voice, and he's only vaguely aware he's being carried somewhere.

When Sam wakes up, it's morning, and Dream is long gone.

(Sam doesn't come back for him. Dream screams and cries for him, and when that fails, he collapses into the arms of the man who had killed his family, begs him to look after him.

"We'll show them," Schlatt tells him, and it's a promise to a broken boy, "we'll show them all."

And years later, aiming a gun at Piltover that will destroy everything, Dream does.)

[starks-hero]

Little Talks

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary: The world is desperate for a new Captain America. Amidst all the drama and conflict, you decide to speak with the one person who always stirred you on the right path.

Word Count: 1,004

Warnings: Angst, a lot of angst, minor tfatws spoilers! 1x01 and 1x04

*gif not mine*

"Hey Steve," you muttered quietly. "I'm sorry it's been a while. But things have been crazy and I haven't had the chance to stop by."

You glanced down at the flowers in your hand. You always brought flowers. Every single time you came to see him. You liked to think that he appreciated them.

"I guess I just need someone to talk to." You admitted as you took a seat. You placed the red roses aside and wrung out your hands. "Truth is I'm lost, Steve. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. The whole world is watching this new Captain America and I-" You took a breath and exhaled frailly. "I don't know if I can support the man carrying the shield. Or what he represents."

You took a moment to compose yourself. All of this had been bubbling and building inside you but you hadn't had anyone to express your anger to. So, you'd decided to wait until your weekly visit with Steve to let it out. You knew he'd understand, he always did.

"He's not Captain America. He's not you." You continued, shaking your head and glaring at the dirt surrounding your feet. You were beyond frustrated and confused. "But he does carry the shield. And that shield is a symbol of everything you believed in. Everything you fought for."

You breathed a quiet, humourless laugh. "I want to be able to convince myself that it's just a piece of metal and I should forget about it but we both know that's not true. That shield represents a lot of things to a lot of people."

You toyed with your hands as you continued to vent, no one interrupting you. It was just you and Steve.

"Bucky and I were considering beating his ass and then taking it for ourselves." You chuckled dryly. "But we had a feeling you wouldn't want that."

When you didn't receive a laugh or fond, scolding comment in response, you sighed.

"Steve, I don't know what to do."

Your mouth ran dry and you could feel the sting of building tears. You swallowed around the forming lump in your throat. "I don't want to let you down. I just want to do what's right but the worlds upside down and I don't know what the right thing to do is anymore."

The cemetery was quiet and almost completely empty which you were grateful for. You didn't want anyone to see you so upset. So broken. So lost. You finally found the courage to glance up at the marble gravestone in front of you. The name written clearly across its length bore into your soul and pierced your heart.

'Steven Grant Rogers.'

Your vision blurred slightly with tears, your breathing rattling with each inhale and exhale.

"I wish you were here." You managed as your voice wavered. "The world still needs you. I still need you."

Moments passed in silence, then minutes. You felt like you were waiting for the void to open and swallow you up. You wouldn't have been opposed to it if it would stop the hollow aching in your chest.

Sadness and desperation slowly melted into anger. Your gaze hardened as you glared at the grave in front of you.

"You said you'd always be there for me. But you're not." Your tone was bitter and unforgiving. "I need you now and you're not here. You left me."

Your final words trailed from an accusing shout into a sob and you bit your lip. Tears now stained your cheeks, you hadn't realised you'd cried so much.

"Why did you leave me?" You asked brokenly, knowing you wouldn't receive an answer. You never did, no matter how many times you asked.

You sighed and wiped at your eyes in a desperate attempt to regain some form of composure. A vibration in your pocket caught your attention and you begrudgingly pulled out your phone.

You had a text from Sam. You wasted no time in opening it, aware of the situation.

'Bucky and I have got eyes on Morgenthau but we've been compromised. Walker's tracking us and he won't be far behind. We need you asap, Y/N. We're counting on you. Call me when you get this, Sam.'

The message was followed by an address. Latvia. You swallowed and nodded to yourself. You could make it to Latvia in a few hours if you left right away. Sliding your phone back into your pocket, you carefully grasped hold of the small flower bouquet and stood.

You stepped forward and knelt beside the Marble stone. The small grave was already covered in flowers. Of course, the government had created a memorial in Brooklyn which is where most people went to pay their respects to their captain. But here, here where he'd been laid to rest wasn't for the masses. It was for those who knew him not as Captain America, but as Steve Rogers.

All these flowers had been left by friends. Family. A decent amount were from your previous visits. You placed the fresh bouquet of red roses beneath where Steve's name was ingraved into the stone. There was no fancy title, no long speech. All of that was saved for the memorial. Steve loved simplicity. He didn't want his grave to glorify him. Leave it to Steve Rogers to be humble even in death.

You smiled a teary smile, pressing a kiss to your fingers and then pressing them against the cool stone.

"I miss you, Stevie." You said softly. "And I'll see you soon."

Your legs were weak as you stood and you couldn't help the silent tears that continued to fall as you turned your back and left. Leaving him alone was always the hardest part.

But you had to. Especially now that you had a schedule to keep and a plane to Latvia to catch. Sam and Bucky needed your help and you wouldn't let them down. You were going to fight. After all, it's what Steve would have done.

tag list: @bakerstreethound​ @miraclesoflove​ @doozywoozy​ @kealohilani-tepise

[littleoddwriter]

Replaceable | Roman Sionis x Male!Reader

Another vent fic. Two in a day, wow.

summary; You’re spiralling because you feel as though Roman will leave (kill) you soon, since it seems inevitable to you.

notes; TW // Fear of abandonment; Spiralling; Suicidal and Homicidal thoughts (quite brief, tho). Emotional Hurt/Comfort; Soft Kisses; Roman being assuring and sweet in a rare moment of him being a decent person.

Being all alone in the loft, it felt huge to you. It always did. More often than not, you felt as though you didn’t belong here, like you were just an intruder, waiting to be spotted and put back on the streets, where you’d be lost and looking for another place to stay all over again.

It’s been about half a year since you and Roman have started dating. You had moved in a month ago. Roman had insisted on it, since you’ve spent most of your time here anyway. Part of you still had trouble believing that he really wanted you to live with him. That same part was just waiting for the other shoe to drop eventually.

All your life, people have very suddenly replaced you, so effortlessly, as if you have never mattered in the first place. In a way, you were used to it, expecting it even. It didn’t make it hurt any less, though. Nor did it calm your anxiety over it.

You knew how easily replaceable you were, and you really couldn’t fathom just why anyone kept you around in the first place, only to toss you aside the second they found someone better. It was always the same. You never learnt from it either, and instead you kept trusting blindly, loving passionately – platonically and not – and you always believed unconditionally. It made you sick to think just how naïve you still were after everything.

Even more so, you just couldn’t comprehend why Roman Sionis of all people would date you at all, and ask you to move in with him on top of it. It had made you spiral and you had no way of stopping it. Doubts kept eating away at you, the feelings of inadequacy dug their claws inside of you, and your anxiety slowly but surely tore you apart.

Sometime soon, he’d leave you, kick you out – no, he’d probably just have Zsasz kill you. Or would he do it himself and grant you that honour, too?

Sighing deeply, you squeezed the fuzzy orange pillow, which you’ve been holding and kneading, tightly against your chest. It just didn’t make sense to you at all and it terrified you.

You loved him so much, more than you’ve ever loved anyone, and you couldn’t bear to ever lose him. Fuck, you almost wished he really would kill you when he’s had enough, lest you’d do it yourself when he’s left you eventually. It was a frightening thought process, but not an unusual one.

Tears pricked your eyes and your chest felt so tight, it got difficult to breathe. Past relationships of any kind and how they’ve ended by replacing you, kept replaying in your mind. Roman would end up doing the same – finding someone better than you and getting rid of you. You knew he would, and frankly, you couldn’t blame him one bit. Not him or any of the others before him.

Perhaps that was your purpose in life – being a fill-in for people to find the person they were actually meant to be with, be that as friends or more. Although, it didn’t make sense in this context because you knew for a fact that Zsasz was this person for Roman already. Maybe you were there to make Roman realise his feelings for Victor? You didn’t know, couldn’t possibly. Your mind was nothing but a jumbled mess of questions, possibilities, and cries of agony. Spiralling like this had you in immense emotional pain, hence why your chest felt as tight as it did.

In the end, you didn’t know how long it’s been, but Roman was suddenly in front of you. You looked up at him from where you’ve been sitting on the chaise longue. His head was tilted to the side, a curious expression on his face.

“What’s going on, baby?” he asked.

“My brain’s being a dick,” you replied honestly. It was no use lying to him, ever, it’d only upset him and you didn’t want to be cause for that.

“Aw, how so?” Roman caressed your forehead with one of his gloved hands, brushing your hair back, oh, so gently.

It made the tears come back, burning your eyes, which had you lower your head, not wanting him to see it. Fuck, you were so weak, so stupid. You were nothing but a burden.

“Because I don’t want to lose you,” you whispered brokenly. You hadn’t planned on giving him that response, but now it was out and you couldn’t take it back. Your anxiety spiked, making your heart beat rapidly, your breaths becoming quicker.

“I can’t quite follow you, my little prince. Why would you lose me?” Roman sat down next to you, putting one arm around you and pulling you against him. Automatically, your head rested on his chest, listening to his rhythmic heartbeat. It was always so calming to you to feel his warmth against your skin, to hear the life thrum through his body so steadily.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, you explained to him what had been going through your mind in the past while. He just listened, brushing his hand through your hair, while his other hand stroked your arm soothingly, rubbing circles into it.

When you were done talking, you buried your face in his chest, smothering yourself for a moment. You were so afraid of his reaction. You couldn’t bear the beats of silence between what you’ve said and his eventual reply. It was a deafening kind of silence, one that rang in your ears and through your head, inflicting pain on you.

“Will you look at me, baby?” Roman asked to your surprise.

Cautiously, you lifted your head off of his chest and looked at him. Gently, he cupped your face in both of his hands, focusing his gaze on you, which had you feel exposed.

“I promise you, I won’t be able to find someone better than you. The only possibility would have ever been Zsasz and I’ve already got him. And then I found you. Baby, I- You know I’m not good at these things, but you are that better person already, ‘kay? I’m not leaving you, or killing you, I can assure you. Got it?”

Swallowing thickly, you nodded as best as you could with his hands holding your head up. “Okay, yeah. I’m sorry for- you know,” you spoke softly.

Roman leaned forward and captured your lips in a chaste, yet searing kiss, which you reciprocated as soon as you had caught yourself. For a few minutes, the two of you just shared soft kisses like that. Your heart soared with it, beating in your throat, it seemed, making you light-headed.

When you finally broke the kiss, you felt such intense feelings wash over you, choking you for a minute. They weren’t bad emotions either, but relief, happiness, excitement, and most notably hope.

You believed him and you could only hope he was right about what he’s said.

Only time could tell.

[reyeslonestar]

I can’t face the world without you

Available on Ao3

a little (long) follow up to this fic. I hope you enjoy

TK x Carlos, Angst with a Happy Ending (yay), Coma, Proposal

tw, mention of a panic attack and cardiac arrest

1.9k words

TK sits in the uncomfortable hospital chair that he’s claimed as his own for the past week, tapping his fingers absently against the velvet box he’s holding in his hands. It’s the ring box that came out of Carlos’ uniform pocket when they’d had to cut the blood stained clothing off on the operating table - the final straw that broke the camel’s back of TK’s emotional capacity on the day that Carlos was shot. There's another box in his pocket - the ring inside the one that TK bought a few weeks ago. The one that he was going to offer to Carlos that Friday night after they'd crawled into bed, holding each other close as they revelled in the wonder of each other’s company.

They should be fiancés by now.

Instead, he’s watching the unnaturally silent stillness of the man he loves most in the world; the slow rhythm of the heart rate monitor a soundtrack to the fear in his head that he might never get the chance to ask that question, or to ever hear it returned.

Because Carlos has been in a coma for 8 days. And while the doctors are hopeful, TK knows there’s no certainty that he will wake up.

TK nearly had a panic attack when they told him Carlos went into cardiac arrest on the operating table, the fluids Tommy gave him in the ambulance not quite enough to counter the amount of blood he lost in the field. He was in a critical condition for some time, but the surgeons managed to pull him through the surgery and he was moved onto a ward in an induced coma. They eased off the anaesthetic the next morning, and from then it’s just been a waiting game.

TK refused to leave the hospital for the first three days, sleeping fitfully on the unforgiving plastic chair pulled up against the side of Carlos’ bed, his head pillowed against his boyfriend’s side - the side without all the bandages and the stitches that are holding Carlos’ organs and tissue in place.

On the fourth night Owen was adamant for TK to go home, have a shower, and sleep in a proper bed, and it was a testament to TK’s exhaustion that he couldn’t bring himself to argue. However, after waking in a cold sweat at 3am from the horror of having to helplessly watch Carlos bleed out in front of him over and over, this time without Tommy and Nancy and the ambulance supplies there to save him, TK had ordered an uber and snuck back through the hospital corridors in the early hours, trembling with relief to see Carlos alive and breathing, even if only thanks to various plastic tubes criss crossing his body, and even though the sight of him so unnervingly motionless burnt a sour taste down the back of TK’s throat.

Carlos’ parents have been here every day, too, coming by the room to sit quietly on the other side of Carlos’ bed, and each time the nurses wheeled Carlos away for scans and tests, Andrea and TK would sit together in silence, gripping tightly onto each other’s hands for support. There were a lot of tests in the first couple days, and scans to try and gauge his brain activity, to know when he’d wake up and what kind of state he’d be in. Apparently the results were hopeful, indicating everything looked to be normal for the circumstances, and that Carlos would be back with them soon.

But Carlos still hasn’t woken up. And TK is losing the fight against imagining the worst.

Grace and Judd had stopped by the night before - the whole 126 have been in and out of the hospital over the last week to visit and lend their support. Carlos became part of their family when he became part of TK’s and TK knows they’re missing him just as he is. Judd had pulled him into a tight hug, whispering that Carlos was strong, that he’d pull through, before planting a kiss on the top of his head, ruffling his hair as they’d parted. Grace’s hug had been softer, but no less loving, and they’d both sat by Carlos’ side for a time while Judd took Andrea and Gabriel to get some more coffee from the hospital cafe.

He’d felt her eyes on the way he’d been fiddling with the ring box, the same way he has been ever since he found it.

“You know I wanted to propose that night?” he’d said suddenly, voice scratching with the first words he'd willingly volunteered in days. “Nothing extravagant, just- in a way that was us,” he’d added, volume diminished to a hushed whisper on the last word.

Grace had squeezed his arm gently. “So did he,” she’d said quietly, and TK had just stared at her, unable to put anything into words. She’d shrugged slightly. “He was going to make you dinner that night and propose then. He wanted it to be special, but like you say, in a way that was you.”

Tk has felt too numb with fear to cry since he broke down on that first night, but he’d been pretty damn close then.

“I can’t lose him,” he’d whispered, barely loud enough to hear himself, but Grace had heard him anyway.

“I know, honey, I know,” she’d told him. “The same way I know he’s fighting to come right back to you.”

As much as TK wants to believe her words, as the hours creep late into Carlos’ ninth night in this bed, he’s wondering if maybe Carlos has fought all he can. Maybe his strength finally gave out and the beeping machines next to him is the only thing keeping that chest steadily rising and falling.

Tucking his chair as close to the bed as he can, TK draws Carlos’ hand to his lips as he rests his head against the bedcovers, settling in for another night of interrupted sleep.

“I need you back, Carlos,” he whispers, holding back the tears that threaten to spill down his cheeks. “I dont- I can’t face the world without you.”

-

Tk wakes to the feeling of a gentle hand stroking through his hair with slow movements. He blinks slowly and looks up to see warm brown eyes smiling at him.

“Hi,” Carlos whispers, his voice a hoarse and grating sound from a week's disuse.

It’s the most wonderful sound TK has ever heard.

He cries Carlos’ name brokenly, launching himself at Carlos' neck to hold him close. He can feel Carlos chuckling slightly under his chest even as he pulls TK closer and he closes his eyes to soak in this feeling.

“I missed you,” he mumbles into Carlos’ neck and Carlos holds him even tighter.

“I’m sorry,” he hears Carlos whisper, and he pulls back abruptly.

“No,” he says firmly, wiping away the tears that have slipped down his face. “No, you have nothing to apologise for.” He stands up, shifting into action. “Let me get you some water and then we need to get your doctor, get you checked out-”

Carlos’ hand tugging on his interrupts him. “I love you,” Carlos says, voice still scratchy and rough, but he’s smiling at TK, who sits heavily back into his chair.

“I love you too,” he says, squeezing Carlos’ hand painfully. “I love you so much and I thought I was going to lose you and-” he stops and takes a breath, halting the runaway train of his fear in its tracks. “I’m just so happy to see you again,” he finishes with a whisper.

“I’m here,” Carlos says. “And I’m not going anywhere without you.”

-

TK hovers by Carlos’ bed for the next few hours, only stepping far enough away to allow the doctors and nurses to check Carlos over, run tests and eventually remove the various apparatus that have helped keep him alive. Gabriel and Andrea are a teary mess when they see their son sitting up, breathing, talking, alive, and TK can’t blame them. He feels like he’s been holding his body up through sheer stress and worry, and now he knows Carlos is going to be okay, he’s ready to collapse with relief.

At long last, though, the hospital staff retreat and Carlos’ parents head to the cafe to leave Carlos and TK alone once more and TK doesn’t miss the way Carlos sighs with relief.

“Are you okay?” he asks. “Do you need something? I can get you something to eat, or drink, or if you need to sleep-”

“I just want you,” Carlos interrupts gently. “I want to ask you something.”

There's something in his voice that makes TK sit up straighter and he frowns slightly. “What’s up?”

“When I woke up- you were holding a box,” Carlos starts, and TK, realising what he’s referring to, pulls the two ring boxes from his pocket and holds up the one from Carlos’ uniform so Carlos can see it. He nods, taking it from TK’s fingers and studying it as he carries on, “I had a whole dinner planned, you know? I was going to cook for us, lay the table out on the terrace and then after we’d eaten I was going to get down on one knee, and ask you. I definitely didn’t plan for this to happen but-” He opens the box carefully, turning it so the ring faces TK and takes a deep breath.

“I love you, TK. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to wake up every morning and know that the love of my life is lying next to me. I want to have a family with you, and make every house we live in into our home. I want to make you dinner whenever we feel like it and spend half our day off in bed even though one in the afternoon is outrageously late for a lie in.” TK chuckles slightly at the dig at his unwillingness to get up in the mornings and Carlos smiles, so bright and warm.

“I didn’t know I could love anyone like this until I met you.” Carlos continues, “You’ve filled my life with so much happiness and I want to try and make you as happy as I can for as long as I can, so - Tyler Kennedy Strand, will you marry me?”

TK smiles tearfully as he ruefully holds up his own box, laughing slightly as he sees realisation dawn on Carlos’ face. “Beat me to it, didn’t you?” he jokes, opening the box to look at the simple platinum band set with diamonds inside. “I’m afraid I didn't plan a dinner, or a big speech. All I knew was that I wanted to ask you, because I want all those things, too. You’re my family and you’re also my home. You’re the best thing in my life- Carlos, you nearly died and I-” he pauses, swallowing back the shadow of choking fear that threatens to mute him. “I don’t know what I would do without you. You’re everything to me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I don’t want to go another day without asking you to marry me. So yes, Carlos Reyes, I will marry you, but only if you marry me first.”

Carlos laughs through the tears welling in his eyes, pulling TK in by the wrist to kiss him, whispering “I love you” against his lips. When they pull back, he gently threads the ring onto TK’s left hand, his own hand trembling when TK returns the gesture. TK brings Carlos’ hand up to his lips in a mirror of the last night of Carlos’ coma and kisses the ring, warm lips against cool metal.

“I love you,” TK says quietly. “And I can’t wait to love you for the rest of our lives.”

[coachtedwelton]

i got you

summary - 2x10 - Rebecca hasn’t cried over her father yet, he is determined to be there when she does.

tw / revolves around the death of a parent.

He realises she hasn’t let herself cry over her loss while they’re at her fathers funeral, her hand on her mother’s back as she cries silently for the man she spent half of her life with. He watches her as she holds her head higher, swallowing down her grief as she inhales and he wishes he could do something for her, knows how much loosing a father hurts, but he can not even imagine how she must be feeling, her tainted relationship with her father something he’s aware of, and he worries about her. About what could happen if she continues to hold it all in. She turns, catching his eye and he smiles sadly with a small nod and she smiles back, but the pain behind her eyes is all he can see, and he wants to wrap her in his arms, let her know he’s there for her… he watches her for the entire service with concern, because if she doesn’t allow herself to feel it… she’ll never heal. He knows that all too well. 

She spends the first half of the wake shaking hands and accepting condolences from people she hasn’t seen in years, listens to people’s stories of her father with a fake smile, biting her tongue as they talk about how loving he was, how caring and sweet because that is not the man she remembers. It’s not that he was cold or cruel, but he was not warm, never one to offer a hug when needed, never home in time for dinner, he used his money to keep her mother in line, buying her gifts, buying her love, and as she got older, he did the same to her. As if he thought that he could buy their love when all he had to do was just be there.

She sneaks out slowly, around the corner and up the stairs before anyone could register her absence and as she closes the door to her childhood bedroom, she leans against it with a sigh, closing her eyes as she breathes deeply, letting the silence wash over her. The noise from downstairs gradually gets louder as she sits on the bed, staring blankly at the wall in front of her, half listening to the chaos erupting in her childhood home, half zoned out, memories of her father flashing in her mind and she wonders for a moment, how different things could have been for her and her father if she’d had reached out, if he had reached out, but it’s a pointless game, because neither ever did, and now he’s gone. Forever.

The three taps on her door are what bring her back, snapping herself from the wallowing pit she was falling into, and she clears her throat before whispering a small come in, because she knows that's knock. Knows who’s on the other side, and she would be lying if she said she hadn’t been waiting for him.

“Hey boss,” he says softly as he enters the room, quietly closing the door behind him and he stands there, waiting for her to give permission to join her, because he’s sweet, and he’s nice, and he cares about her, about her boundaries and he refuses to push them, people have been pushing them for too long.

“Hi Ted.” she smiles sadly, “thank you for coming today. I know it can’t be easy after—” she stops, his soft nod the only answer she needs.

“Anything for you, boss.” he smiles and she chuckles, dropping her head as she holds back a smile, her heart fluttering in her chest because he means that and no one ever has before. “I thought you might be hungry…” he smirks, holding out of plate of buffet sandwiches and wraps. “Thought we’d share a plate. Enjoy the silence together while it lasts.” he tells her and she smiles, tapping the space next to her as an indication to join her and he nods, taking a seat next to her and they both ignore the jolt of… something they feel as the side of their legs press together. He hands her a sandwich and she smiles, taking it from him, looking away as she rips it apart.

“You doin’ okay?” he asks gently, watching her in the corner of his eye as he takes a bite of the wrap he picked up.

“As well I can be.” she says, a sad smile on her lips, tilting her head to look at him. “I’ll be glad when it’s over.”

“Just because the day passes, doesn’t mean it’s over, Rebecca. Grief is a process. A long one.” he says softly and she looks away.

“Maybe so,” she agrees, “but me and my father weren’t close, I haven’t… hadn't spoken to him in years…”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t be sad you lost him.” he tells her, “Doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to grieve.”

“Sort of feels that way.” she whispers, staring down at the uneaten sandwich in her hand and he drops the plate to the floor quietly, taking the sandwich from and dropping it to the plate before taking her hands, letting his eyes burn into hers for the first time in weeks and he pushes, he pushes because she needs him to, because if she doesn’t forgive herself, it will have a hold on her forever. He knows.

“It’s okay to be sad,” he whispers, “it’s okay to cry, scream… anything. Because you lost your dad. It doesn’t matter how you felt about him or if he was good enough… it doesn’t matter that you haven’t spoken or seen him in years… nothing matter expect you and how you feel and it’s okay to cry. You loved your dad, and now I may never have met the man, but I know, as a dad myself, that he loved you even if he never really showed it.” he continues softly, squeezing her hands gently as her eyes glass over, watches her swallow the lump in her throat as she shakes her head, as though she believes she doesn’t have the right to grieve.

“It’s just me here,” he says gently, and she looks at him again, “just me and you, and if you want to cry, shout… even just talk, I’ve got you, Rebecca. And no one has to know.”

“I should have reached out,” she says, her voice breaking, “should have tried harder to re connect with him.”

“It works both ways. He could have reached out as well, don’t beat yourself up about that.”

“He died thinking I hated him.” she whispers brokenly, a tear rolling down her cheek. Ted lifts a hand from hers and wipes it, allowing his hand to cup her cheek as she looks at him and he smiles sadly.

“He never thought you hated him, and he never hated you. It’s impossible.” he tells her, “your dad loved you, Rebecca. And he’d want you to forgive yourself.”

“I can’t.” she whispers sadly, shaking her head and his heart breaks.

“You can.” he nods, “because there’s nothing to forgive.” he tells her, “a fathers love is unconditional, and you were loved by him, unconditionally… I know that for sure.” he tells her, and he counts to three in his mind, waits to see if he got through to her, if she will allow herself the right to be sad, and as he gets to three he just wants to hold her, to help her, and then a sob leaves her chest and the dam breaks.

He pulls her into him, holding her tightly as she cries, her head resting safely in his neck as he runs a hand down her back, holding down his own tears as he tries to soothe her.

“It’s okay,” he whispers, “I got you.” he tells her, kissing the side of her head as he holds her, wraps her in his arms as she grieves. “I got you.”

They stay like that for awhile, her sobs turning to soft cries, her tears wetting his neck as he continues to whisper soft, gentle words to her, stories of no meaning just so she has something to tether to, his voice known to calm people even in their worst states, his fingers drawing gentle patterns on her back. She tilts her head to the side, resting it peacefully on his chest and laces a hand in his, watching as he traces a pattern across her fingers.

“Thank you.” she whispers after a few moments of comfortable silence.

“For what?”

“Everything.” she says, and he chuckles, kisses the top of her head and smiles.

“Coupon for life.” he reminds her and the small laugh she lets out his enough for him to know she’s going to be okay. That they’re going to be okay.

(when he kisses her in the rain in the middle of the pitch at midnight when they’re finally alone after they win the whole fucking thing, she smiles into it, a small what took you so long whispered against his lips, he thinks back to all the small moments that got them here, and realises that moment in her childhood bedroom was the moment and now this is theirs.)

fin

[skzleeknow12]

Final Escape - Lee Know

Warning: Yandere themes (I do not support yandere themes in reality, this is just for the story), mentions of blood and death

Word Count: Approximately 2.8k

…

He picked up her limp form and quickly ran into the woods, not stopping even when her weight somehow seemed to drag him down. She had a petite body, why did it suddenly weigh so much? After running for what felt like hours, he hid behind a large tree, knowing there was no way anyone would venture this far into the woods. Finally, it was just the two of them again, just as he liked.

Minho laid her blood-stained body onto the ground and took her hand in his, rubbing small circles onto the back of hers.

“You can wake up now,” he murmured softly, “no one will find us here. It’s only the two of us here, just how we like it. Open your eyes.” She remained still, not even breathing at a normal volume to show she was awake. Minho was getting impatient; she knew how much he hated being made to wait; so where had this sudden confidence come from that stopped her from listening to him.

“Get up,” he said once again, lightly shaking her arm. He decided he wouldn’t get angry just yet, he would wait for her to open her eyes first. Afterall, he knew she would end up listening to him. She loved him too much not to. However he was shocked to see that she hadn’t moved a single muscle since he laid her down. That was it; enough was enough. Minho held his hand in the air before harshly bringing it down to her cheek, causing the sound of the slap to echo in the quiet wooded area. Yet she did not stir. He slapped her again and again, but she gave no reaction. Her face remained deadly pale; even the force of his hand was not enough to cause a red imprint on her cheek. Minho realised with a start that she looked very similar to… a dead person. No, she couldn’t be dead. He loved her and she loved him, there was no way she would leave him like that.

Minho grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her wildly whilst shrieking her name brokenly, but it did nothing.

“WAKE UP!” he screamed as her head lolled to the side, her eyes rolling to the back of her head, looking eerily empty. “STOP PLAYING AROUND, OPEN YOUR EYES! LOOK AT ME!” He suddenly felt a weird texture coating her silky hair. Confused, Minho turned her body around so that her face was towards the ground. He gingerly felt the back of her hair when he caught the sudden stench of blood coming from it. He furrowed his eyebrows as the memories of the previous hours of that day came back to him.

“Minho where are we going?” she asked, fear evident in her tone as she glanced around the car nervously. Minho merely chuckled in a sinister manner as he kept one hand on the steering wheel whilst the other held her hand rather tightly, hurting her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked in mock-confusion. “You’re the one who wanted to go out for a bit, so we’re going. Besides, I have a little surprise for you.” She couldn’t do anything apart from sit still in fear. The radio was on and Minho was happily humming to the familiar song. He didn’t look angry, quite the opposite actually, but she had a bad feeling about this. Minho seemed in a mood too good to be true. He had a smile on his face that to others would look charming, but she knew him well enough to know that the reason for it had to be something inhumane and gruesome.

She tried to think back to remember if she had done anything to make him angry, but nothing came to her mind. She had gone out shopping a few days ago with her friends and then in the evening she had dinner with them and the guys in a restaurant. She suddenly realised that she had forgotten to tell Minho that she was going out with her friends for her birthday. To be honest, she had assumed that, like every weekday, he would be coming home late so she didn’t think it was a problem. She remembered coming home a bit drunk but she couldn’t remember anything else, other than the fact that she could somehow smell her favourite meal cooking from the kitchen. She had been so exhausted though, that she had paid no attention to it and gone straight to bed, and she just realised as she was sitting in the car that Minho’s private studies light was on… meaning he had been home.

She grew increasingly tense, and if Minho noticed he didn’t let on that he had.

“Wait why are we here?” she asked suddenly. She realised that Minho was driving towards the edge of the woods where an old, abandoned warehouse was situated. Minho merely chuckled in response and didn’t reply, causing her to grab onto his arm without thinking. She was shocked at herself and immediately regretted her actions, knowing for sure she would get punished for her behaviour, but Minho just raised an eyebrow with an amused expression on his face.

“You’re getting bolder, love,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road, “a bit too bold for my liking.” She saw how his grip tightened on the wheel and she immediately let go of his arm, shrinking back in her seat. “Let’s talk about the sudden wave of disobedience that’s come over you, shall we? Like when you tried to escape me by going out for dinner with those excuses you call friends?” she felt her chest tighten with anxiety when she heard the tone of his voice, and mentally slapped herself for not telling him. Of course now he was bound to get the wrong idea. She decided to play dumb.

“W-what do you mean?” she stuttered, closing her eyes at her stupidity. “I d-did tell you I was gonna go for a bit.” Minho sighed deeply and she knew he was controlling his sure-to-come outburst.

“Then why are you stuttering, love?” he asked with an evil smirk plastered across his face. When she didn’t reply, he grew angry and banged his hand against the wheel, causing it to honk loudly. “ANSWER ME!” She remained silent and Minho rolled his eyes. “Were you really so desperate to see those boys and run away with them?” her eyes widened and she quickly shook her head at his wrong accusation, but to his corrupt brain, it looked as if she was getting defensive just because she had been caught. “DON’T LIE TO ME! WAS MY LOVE NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU?” and as suddenly as his anger came it went, causing the car to go silent once more, which she knew was not a good sign. She turned her head to analyse his facial expressions, and was horrified when she saw a sadistic smile on his face as he kept his eyes on the road. “Don’t worry darling, you won’t get to try and run away with them again, I’ve made sure of it.” She tensed up and was visibly shaking due to fear of what Minho had done, and that made him satisfied, knowing what kind of effect he had on her.

They finally reached outside the old warehouse and the two got out of the car. Minho started walking towards the entrance of the warehouse and for a minute, she thought of running away before his cold voice stopped her.

“Don’t even think of running away love, you know I would eventually find you,” he said menacingly and she gulped because she knew he was right. There was no way he would rest until he found her, and it was with the thought of this that she followed him into the warehouse. It was eerily quiet and dark inside and there was a strange stench in the room, until Minho flipped the switch and the lights turned on. What she saw next made her want to puke.

In front of her was a long table filled with different food and desserts as well as a big birthday cake; it seemed like it was all for her. However, sitting on the chairs behind the table were none other than her friends she had met up with for her birthday, all bloodied and beaten and quite visibly dead. She gasped loudly and turned to look at Minho, who had his nose wrinkled in disgust as he looked at the sight in front of them.

“Disgusting,” he muttered under his breath as he grabbed her hand and led her forward, much to her horror, “making the birthday room smell already. Don’t worry love, we’ll leave as soon as we finish your birthday celebrations.”

“M-minho…” she mumbled as she fought the tears in her eyes. She could feel her breakfast coming up her throat and swallowed roughly. “What… what have you done?” Minho looked at her with fake confusion on his face.

“What do you mean love?” he asked innocently. “Don’t you like my surprise? I worked so hard on it.” She felt so horrified and disgusted that she had no idea what to even say to him.

“My friends…” she whispered as she looked at her friend’s dead bodies. Their faces were covered with blood and their throats had been slit, revealing all the blood and gore underneath the skin. Minho’s eyebrows furrowed with annoyance as he heard the worry in her tone for her pathetic friends. He knew that if it had been him in their place she wouldn’t have been upset at all.

“Ah yes, I see why these pathetic excuses for friends would ruin the mood a bit,” he said, mocking thoughtfulness. “Have a seat love, we can celebrate by ourselves-”

“HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!” she suddenly screamed, making him pause in surprise; she had never raised her voice at him like this and it annoyed him even more that it was due to her friends. Even after their death they continued coming between the two. She walked towards him and started banging her fists against his chest, abundant tears running down her cheeks uncontrollably. “WHY? WHAT DID THEY DO THAT YOU HAD TO DO THIS? HUH? WHY DID YOU DO THIS?” Minho easily caught her two fists and threw her onto the floor, looking at her pathetically whimpering on the floor. He crouched down to her level and reached his hand out towards her face, lifting her chin so that they were maintaining eye contact. He ignored the way she flinched away from him and kept a tight hold on her chin.

“I did this,” he whispered sinisterly, “because they were taking you away from me. You even sneaked out to meet them without my permission, I had to do something. They won’t bother us now.” She cried harder at the truth of his last sentence; her friends wouldn’t be able to do anything anymore.

“They’re… my friends, Minho… I didn’t… sneak out… we just c-celebrated my… birthday,” she gasped between heavy sobs and for a second Minho had the tiniest bit of sympathy for her, until he realised she had just taken advantage of his love for her. It seemed he would have to punish her more severely. Clearly her last punishment of isolation in the basement wasn’t enough. But he couldn’t let her anticipate any kind of punishment, which was why with a heavy sigh, he got up and went to the table, grimacing as he looked at the dead people in front of him. He grabbed a plate and put a big slice of cake on it before bringing it to her. However, she just pushed it away harshly, causing him to roll his eyes in annoyance as he sat down in front of her. He grabbed her face with his one hand, causing her cheeks to squish together and open. He ignored her protests and put a big piece of the slice of cake into her mouth as she coughed and choked. He forced his fingers into her mouth, pushing the cake in even more until she had no choice but to obey and eat the cake. He smiled, pleased with himself as he gave the cake to her, and she had enough sense this time to just take it and eat it herself.

“It’s nice, right?” he asked, “I ordered and designed it myself.” She merely replied with a nod, too numb from crying to do anything else. Minho sighed for the umpteenth time whilst clicking his teeth together. He realised she wasn’t going to let him enjoy the “party”, so he stood up, pulling her up with him. “Let’s go home,” he said as he pulled her out through the doorway, not allowing her to give one last glance at her friends. That was when the warning signs started flashing in her brain; she couldn’t go home with him. There was no telling what he would do with her when they got back and she didn’t want to be trapped there again. She had to escape. Minho let go of her hand for one second and she took the opportunity and immediately started running away from him, mentally cursing her short legs for not taking her further. As she ran she looked over her shoulder and to her horror, she saw Minho just standing next to the car, staring at her whilst smiling.

“I’ll give you a head-start,” he called to her and she forced her legs to go faster, “and then I’ll come.” She immediately started sprinting faster, realising she was nearing the woods that marked the end of the city. However, now was not the time to be scared of the woods; she had to get away as soon as possible. But soon, she heard the sound of a car engine and when she turned around to look, she nearly fainted when she saw Minho getting increasingly closer to her in the car. The car was speeding up and she knew she wouldn’t be able to escape him. Finally with a frustrated and terrified shriek, she threw herself down onto the ground and she heard the car come to a stop. She hid her face as she heard his footsteps approach her. She felt him stand above her and felt sick as she heard him chuckling.

“You really thought you could escape me?” he asked amusedly and he leant down to yank her up by her hair, causing her to yelp loudly. His glare was hard and she immediately regretted giving up running away. “Get in the car, we’ll discuss this at home.” She hesitated before stubbornly shaking her head, unable to form any sentences. She would not go home, she couldn’t. He would kill her with his torture and punishments.

“What do you mean no?” he asked, teeth gritted as he shook her hard. She shook her head again and Minho pushed her backwards, causing her to stumble into a tree until she was pushed up against it. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her forward before smashing her back into the tree multiple times.

“ALL I HAVE DONE IS LOVED YOU AND YET YOU TRY TO RUN AWAY FROM ME?” he yelled as he carried on his actions, paying no attention to her pleas for him to stop, or the way her eyes rolled into the back of her head, or how her head suddenly slumped forward. He was fuming and he wasn’t paying attention to anything else. “YOU BELONG TO ME AND ONLY ME! YOU WILL COME HOME WITH ME, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!” He let go of her and she slumped before falling to the ground harshly. Minho kicked her roughly before running his fingers through his hair frustratedly. He looked at the tree and for a second was shocked to see the red liquid dripping down it but disregarded it quickly as he looked at her form on the ground.

Minho gasped as he remembered the red liquid on the tree and realised that that was the exact place where he had hit her head against. He put his fingers on the back of her head and was terrified to find blood on his hands. He looked down at her face and noticed how all the colour had faded, how her lips were grey and crusty. He opened her eyes and saw how they were unfocused. He put his hand to her neck, trying to feel a pulse and screamed when he couldn’t find one. He grabbed her body and held her against himself tightly, as if that would stop her from leaving him forever. His grip was so tight and he cradled her against him as he pleaded for her to open her eyes, to not leave him. He screamed her name, but got no response. He would never get a response from her again. She had finally escaped him, forever.

A.N// Thank you for taking the time out for reading this :)

[captain-josslett]

Broken Melody - Part Twenty Seven

Masterlist

Summary: Grammy Award winning Emma Danvers is the first to say she has a pretty good life. But what happens when it implodes around her and it looks like things will never be the same again?

Words: 6.7k+

Warnings: Fluff, angst-ish?

Pairings: Emma Danvers x Lena Luthor

This Part: Alex and Kara finally leave their cell at the DEO and Emma settles into life at Lena's apartment.

So sorry this took so long. Had a very hard week but hopefully this chapter is okay! Not gonna lie I laughed out loud a few times while writing!

p.s It's been six months since I started posting on tumblr 😅 That went quick!

Thank you for reading and let me know if you wanna be tagged or any general feedback will be greatly appreciated. Please! I like knowing your thoughts.

Taglist: @finleyfray, @life-is-hella-unfair, @natasha-danvers, @supergirl-writingz, @camslightstories, @thinking1bee, @aznblossom, @crispykidcookiebasketball

“Nice form Alex.” J’onn comments as he enters the gym, watching as she continuously attacks the punching bag.

“Letting out some steam, you know?” Alex says while doing a few jabs.

“Oh I do. Come on, I have an assignment for you.” J’onn nods his head to the gym door and Alex dutifully follows.

“What kind of assignment?”

“You’ll see.” He holds the door open for Alex to step through, revealing Emma’s apartment, with the Superfriends gathered around the sofas.

Alex walks through and they all immediately look up.

“Alex!” Greetings are yelled happily and Sam comes skipping over to her.

“Hey babe.” Sam grins and leans in for a kiss, capturing Alex’s lips. The redhead responds enthusiastically and wraps her arms around the brunette.

“Al-EXXXX!” A voice whines at the pair.

The redhead immediately stops and gapes at the familiar voice.

“Babe?” Sam asks with a frown on her face. Worried about Alex’s reaction.

Alex quickly turns to Emma, snuggled into Lena’s arms. “Ah come on! You did the same with Lena and I!” Emma laughs and grins at her sister. Lena chuckles and kisses the top of Emma’s head.

Alex shakes her head and smiles back. Feelings of love and happiness stir within the Director as she quickly makes her way over to her baby sister. Kara kneels on the sofa to grab a hug as Alex passes. The redhead quickly embraces her other blonde sister but keeps her eyes on Emma. Whose chatting and joking with the group. Her bright laughter rings clearly around the room.

When Alex steps back from the hug with Kara Emma jumps to her feet and closes the gap between them. Launching herself at the redhead and wrapping her arms around her.

Alex happily sighs, smelling Emma’s vanilla shampoo as she buries her head into her mass of wavy blonde hair.

The sisters pull apart when suddenly there is a loud gunshot. Alex spins around, trying to find the source of the noise. The Superfriends gasp and yell. But they are all staring with wide eyes at Alex. Causing the redhead to frown and her eyes darting to each person in the room.

“Al-” Emma's gurgled voice makes Alex immediately turn back. The redhead’s eyes widen at the increasing bloodstain on her sister’s t-shirt. “Why?”

“Emma!” Lena screams as the blonde begins to collapse.

Alex manages to catch Emms and goes to place her hand over the wound. Put instead finds a gun in her hand.

“What?”

“You shot her.” Brainy says accusingly, his eyes blazing with anger.

“No, I-”

“But, you did.” Nia spits out, shaking with anger.

“We all saw it.” Sam’s furious eyes stare into Alex’s.

Alex glares down at the gun and drops it. She tightens her hold on her baby sister and presses down on the wound. Trying to stop the seemingly endless flow of blood.

Emma gurgles out in pain as blood dispells from her mouth and more and more blood oozes from the wound.

“No, no, Emma, hold on okay?” Alex says quickly while pressing even harder over the wound.

“Al.” Emma croaks out. The redhead’s gaze shifts to Emma’s half closed hazel green eyes. Her breathing becoming progressively laboured. Her face turning increasingly pale and losing all colour.

“No, Emma, please.” Alex sobs as Emma gasps for breath. Until finally she stills. Her eyes staring at nothing.

“Emma!” Alex yells, trying to bring her baby sister back. “Emma! I’m sorry! Emma!”

“Alex?” A muffled voice calls out to her.

“Emma!” Alex yells again and shakes her unresponsive baby sister. Her head flopping side to side from Alex’s movements.

“Alex.”

“Emma please!” Alex weeps and holds her close to her chest.

“Alex!”

Alex’s eyes fly open and focus on Kara staring worriedly down at her.

“Alex?” Kara asks softly, trying not to spook her agitated sister. “You're okay. It was just a dream.” Cautiously the blonde reaches out and rests a comforting hand on Alex’s shoulder.

Alex sits up and puts her head in her hands. Breathing deeply to try and calm her racing heart.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Kara asks softly as she rubs Alex’s shoulder.

Lowering her hands, Alex brokenly stares at her sister. “I- I shot her.”

“Who?”

“Em-” Before Alex can finish her baby sister’s name she bursts into tears. Hiding her face from Kara.

“Oh Alex.” Kara wraps her arms around the distraught redhead and swallows deeply. Trying to hold in her own emotions that are threatening to overspill from Alex’s cries. She feels Alex’s muscles tensing but soon loosen and somewhat relax into the embrace.

Kara eventually manages to calm Alex down and persuades her to lie back down. They don’t go back to sleep. Thoughts from the past few weeks infiltrate their minds. Instead they just hold each other and listen to each other’s breathing.

The sisters don’t know how long they stay laying there when the doors swing open. Eliza, Sam and Lucy walk through with bags of food and a drinks tray.

“Goooood morning!” Eliza beams at her daughters. “Happy release day!”

Lucy snorts and places the drink tray on the table. Sam is also smiling but it slowly fades when she notices how tired they both look. The bags under Alex’s eyes and the haunted presence within them.

“You guys okay?” Sam asks softly.

“Tough night.” Kara responds vaguely as she sits up and stretches.

Sam frowns slightly and places the food on the table. Kara immediately zooms over to it and opens the first bag. The corner of her mouth lifts up at the sight of the box of sticky buns. She grabs it and zooms back over to Alex and hands her one.

“Thanks Kara.” Alex slowly sits up and indulges in a bite of the still warm sticky bun, causing a little moan to escape at the sweet taste. Sam smiles at the noise and holds out her coffee cup, which the redhead takes with a grateful smile.

She blinks as she remembers the part of her dream where Sam treated her like her girlfriend. Alex’s cheek starts to colour when she thinks about their kiss. In an attempt to hide it Alex takes a long sip of her coffee.

But soon Alex’s mind shifts and is filled with blood seeping from Emma’s torso and mouth. Slowly she lowers the cup and glares at the sticky bun in her hand. Her appetite promptly disappeared. However, she knows it will raise questions if she doesn’t finish it.

Especially from her Mom.

Reluctantly, Alex lifts the bun to her lips and she starts taking bites out of it. Trying to chew even though it feels like she is eating sand and not a sweet, sugary breakfast.

“-you think Alex?” Lucy’s voice brings Alex back into the room. The redhead’s eyes dart between the four women who are looking at her expectantly. They had pulled the chairs from the table over to the bed with Kara sitting next to Alex.

She quickly swallows the food in her mouth. “I’m sorry, I must have zoned out.” Alex says apologetically. “What were you saying?”

“It’s okay, the coffee hasn’t kicked in yet?” Lucy jokes lightly. “I was saying I’m planning to have a housewarming party tonight.”

“We think it will do you both some good, spend time with those who love you.” Eliza looks pointedly at both her daughters.

Sam’s eyes drift down to Kara’s hands, noticing how she is almost breaking her  cup with how tight she’s holding it.

“Will, umm, will-” Kara goes to fiddle with her glasses but soon realises they aren’t there, so runs her hand through her hair.

“Will Emma be there?” Lucy finishes for her and both sisters nod. “I communicated with her yesterday and she wants you two to decide.”

Alex feels her shoulders sag as she stares down at her lap. Weighing up the pros and cons for seeing her baby sister again so soon. She is desperate for things to return to normal, but part of her is unsure if they ever can. Emma’s swollen face as she was dying under her hands still haunts Alex.

“Will there be precautions in place? Like a dimmer or-”

“Kara stop!” Sam interrupts the nervous Superhero. “It’s been weeks since there was any trace of R.K in your system. You’ve proven over and over that you both are of sound mind.”

“And if it makes you feel any better J’onn has agreed to watch over you.” Eliza takes a deep breath as Sam slouches back into her chair. “But Sam is right. You both need to start moving forward. The three of you need each other.”

Alex lifts her head and focuses on Kara. They silently communicate, something that used to drive Eliza up the wall. Especially how easily Alex and Emma could know what each other were thinking with just a quick glance. Regularly plotting pranks and mischief.

The sisters look back at the three women and they nod.

“Great! It’s gonna be really chilled! A few games, food, that kind of thing.” Lucy says eagly, waving her hand around to emphasise her point. The sister’s just nod again, their expressions remain hesitant.

Eliza silently sighs as she finishes her croissant. Disappointment spread across her heart. She had been so hopeful after witnessing her daughters’ interaction the other day.

‘Just a small step back.’ Eliza tries to reassure herself. She has been seeing her own therapist to work through the emotions and trauma she experienced. Wanting to be there for her daughters.

Sam tips her head back as she drains the last of her drink and throws it across the room at the bin. It lands perfectly inside causing a smile to grace Alex’s face.

“Bet you can’t do that again?” Alex challenges and hands Sam her empty cup.

“Alex, you know it’s completely useless to bet against a Kryptonian? Right?” Kara rolls her eyes and chuckles at her sister, who just shrugs and watches Sam.

“I need to know what we’re betting on.” Sam twirls the cup in her hand.

“How about dinner?” Lucy suggests before taking a big bite of her bear claw, challenging Alex’s glare.

Sam raises an eyebrow at the redhead. “I make the shot you pay for dinner?”

“You miss the shot, then you pay for dinner.” Alex smirks and ignores the wide eyes Lucy and Kara are giving each other.

Sam keeps her eyes on Alex as she flings the cup behind her. It lands perfectly in the bin, not even touching the sides.

Lucy and Kara burst into loud cheers and Eliza smiles with amusement.

“Looks like you’ll be paying.” Sam says cheekily and stands from the chair. “I’m sorry to leave but I need to head into work.”

“Aw, can’t you stay?” Kara pouts, enjoying the morning's entertainment. At least something was working out well for them.

“Unfortunately not. Lena has today off and we need a senior member in the office due to the backlog.”

“What backlog?” Alex tilts her head at Sam’s response.

“Things have picked up recently.” Sam says lightly and picks up her bag. “Busy, busy, busy!”

She quickly gives everyone a hug, pausing longer as she wraps her arms around Alex.

“See you tonight!” Sam grins at them before rushing from the room.

They watch her whiz away and Alex’s eyes dart to Lucy. “What backlog?”

Lucy subconsciously shuffles in her seat from Alex’s questioning gaze. “As Sam said, things have been busy recently.”

“But-”

“Alex, it’s okay.” Eliza quickly cuts her daughter off.

The redhead shifts her jaw to the side, not liking how her Mom interrupted her. She looks down as Kara’s hand gently holds onto her, trying to keep her calm.

“Good morning ladies.” J’onn’s voice causes the women to look at the door as he marches towards them.

“Morning J’onn!” Kara calls, waving and smiles at him as he sits in Sam’s occupied seat. He greets them all with a small smile, Alex can’t help but notice his smile widens slightly when his eyes connect with her Mom’s. Or the fact they keep holding eye contact.

“So!” Alex slaps her hands together, breaking whatever was going on between her Mom and J’onn. “Have you decided when we can return to work?”

J’onn sighs and leans forward in his chair. “We think you should take a few more days off-”

“J’o-” Alex immediately begins to interrupt him. Her blood starts to heat up as her frustration builds. But J’onn holds his hand up to stop her and continues.

“-just so you can settle back into life outside of these four walls.”

“And what about me?” Kara’s grip tightens slightly around Alex’s hand. The redhead squeezes back.

“The city has been quiet recently, but, any major incidents I will come out with you.” J’onn says reassuringly and Kara nods. Knowing she cannot go against the other alien.

J’onn turns his attention back to Alex. “We will do daily reviews and return you back to your post as soon as we can. You have my word on that.”

Alex bows her head and takes a deep breath.

“We can do this. Together.” Kara says passionately and Alex places her other hand on top of her sisters.

“Together.”

-- -- --

Emma slowly blinks her eyes open as she feels someone shifting next to her. Trying to get out of her arms.

“Sorry love, go back to sleep.” Lena’s voice coos softly as she strokes Emma’s cheek with the back of her hand. Her eyes travel up and down the blonde’s toned, naked form. Grabbing the blanket she covers her girlfriend but gasps as loving hazel green eyes open and lock on hers.

The corner of Emma’s mouth lifts sleepily and she raises her hand to softly cup Lena’s jaw.

“Ek!” Lena yelps as Emma uses her other hand to pull Lena on top of her, kicking the blanket off and curling her legs around the raven haired beauty. “Emma!” Lena laughs and squeals while Emma repeatedly plants kisses around her face. Eventually Emma stops and runs her fingers up and down Lena’s exposed back. Feeling the scratches she placed there last night during an intense moment of Lena using the strap on her.

Lena sighs happily but knows she needs to get up and raises herself up while still laying on top of her girlfriend. Her still very naked girlfriend. “What are you smirking about?” Lena tilts her head, her hair falling partly over her face, causing her to try and blow it away.

Emma lets out a puff of air, laughing at the raven haired beauty and tucks the offending piece of hair behind Lena’s ear.

“Thank you.” Lena bows her head and places a soft kiss on Emma’s lips. The blonde instantly deepens the kiss and Lena chuckles but regretfully breaks it. “Sorry love, I need to do a bit of work.” The CEO apologises and slides off of Emma, trying to ignore the pout and puppy dog eyes Emma is no doubt giving her. One look and Lena would promptly jump back into bed.

She quickly dresses into her underwear, a pair of Emma’s sweatpants, t-shirt and grabs one of the hoodies on the way to the kitchen. Lena can’t help but grin at the clothes that had been thrown around the apartment from last night.

Grabbing a water bottle from the fridge Lena makes her into the home office. Taking a few sips Lena sits and starts up her computer to start working through the many emails and paperwork that has been waiting for her.

Barely an hour has passed and an instant messenger notification pops up on her screen.

Sam: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?

‘Uh oh.’ Lena thinks but quickly writes a vague response.

Lena: What do you mean?

Sam: Why are you online and have been working for almost an hour?

Lena: I just wanted to get some work done and will be finished soon.

Sam: Bullshit! I am logging you out of your computer. Go spend time with Em!

Lena: Sam Arias if you even-

The CEO scoffs as her computer logs her out before she could even finish her threat. Knowing there was no point trying to attempt to log back in, Lena stands from her desk chair. She stretches and heads back into the living room.

Music draws her attention to the kitchen and she smiles widely at a clothed Emma who is dancing along to the radio while chopping up some food. As she draws closer Emma lifts her head up and beams at her, making Lena’s knees become like jelly.

“What are you making?” Lena glances at the many ingredients on the island.

“Omelette. Do you want one?”

“Please.” Lena sits on one of the stools and watches as Emma grabs another pan and the eggs. “So, has Lucy confirmed what’s happening tonight?”

Emma nods and places the knife down to sign. “They agreed I can come too. So that’s positive! Coffee?”

“Yes please.” Emma quickly turns and grabs Lena’s favorite mug and fills it from a cafetiere. Placing it in front of Lena, Emma gets back to her tasks of making their omelettes. “Thank you and yes that is good news.”

Emma nods and smiles at her girlfriend, almost causing Lena to choke on her coffee.

Oh don't you dare look back

Just keep your eyes on me

Emma looks at the radio and starts bobbing along to the song as she mouths the words.

I said you're holding back

She said shut up and dance with me

Lena giggles as Emma starts putting on a show for her, shaking her hips and ridiculously mimes along.

This woman is my destiny

She said oh oh oh

Shut up and dance with me

Shutting the hob off Emma dances around the island and holds her hand out to her girlfriend.

“Em! You know I can’t dance!” Lena whines and pouts.

“Oh I’m sorry! Do we have an audience in the apartment I don’t know about?” Emma motions around the room and scrunches up her cheek.

“Fine.” Lena takes Emma’s hand and allows herself to be pulled from the stool. Emma takes her other hand and they start dancing together. Lena feels embarrassed. Knowing she can’t move as well as Emma but the blonde doesn’t care. She wraps an arm around Lena’s waist and holds her other hand, twirling them around.

“Emma!” Lena laughs loudly and lets go of the blonde. Allowing herself to move with the music, no matter how silly she thinks she looks.

When the song ends Emma gently kisses her lips and pats her ass. She goes to head back to the hob and continue making their food. But Lena grabs her hand and pulls her back. Placing a passionate kiss on her girlfriend’s lips.

Although Emma can’t make noise Lena knows how she is feeling by how Emma’s body moves against her. The way her hand gently caresses her face and the other runs up and down her body. Emma has always been tactical, something Lena struggled with at first, especially when she first met Kara. But now, Emma’s touch is everything.

Breakfast forgotten Lena starts pushing Emma onto the sofa. Causing Emma to let out a breath of surprise and grin up at the raven haired beauty before Lena straddles her. They reconnect their lips and start moving as one, unable to get enough of each other.

-- -- --

Hours later Kara is flying around the earth for an unspecified amount of time. She just wants to be left alone to think and enjoys the feeling of the sun on her face.

“Supergirl?” Winn’s voice crackles through the comms link in her ear.

“Yes, Winn?”

“Lucy wanted me to remind you it’s almost six.”

“And where are you?”

“At Lucy’s.” Kara can almost hear the ‘duh’ in her friend’s voice.

“Who else is there?”

“Everyone other than you, Lena and Emma.”

Kara tilts her head in confusion but steers herself in the direction of National City. “Okay, I’m on my way. Does Lucy need me to pick anything up?”

“Nope, just yourself.”

“Alright. See you soon.” Kara ends the link and takes a deep, steadying breath through her nose. Her jaw clenches and she tries to go through the calming exercises Doctor Jackson has taught her.

Feeling a bit more grounded, Kara lands in an alleyway by Lucy’s new apartment. She quickly disengages her suit and heads to the entrance of the building. Planting on a convincing smile, Kara runs up the flight of stairs, wanting to avoid the elevator. Soon Kara is standing outside Lucy’s front door and she slowly raises her fist to knock.

Letting off a few rhythmic, quick taps the blonde superhero waits for the door to open. Hearing someone approach from the other side, Kara prepares herself.

“Kara!” Lucy smiles brightly at her and pulls the blonde into a hug. “You made it!” The brunette lets go and opens the door fully to allow Kara to enter.

“I’m sorry I don’t have a housewarming gift or- something.” Kara fiddles with her glasses and stares at the modern open planned apartment. “Wow. Your place is amazing.”

“Yea it was a steal!” Lucy leads Kara to the kitchen area to get her a drink. “The couple before it hadn’t seen its potential and had aged decor that was definitely not my style. So new, well, everything, and here we are. Drink?”

“Er sure, vodka tonic?”

“Coming right up! Make yourself at home.” Lucy smiles at Kara before getting the things needed for the blonde’s drink.

Kara nods and wanders over to the lounge area where all of her friends are sitting.

“Kara!” Nia yells happily and jumps to her feet to give the blonde a hug, with Ruby right behind her.

“Hey!” Kara genuinely smiles at the pair and gives them a warm hug. Ruby holding onto her a bit longer as she explains the new drama between the love triangle of her friends.

“Gosh! So-” Kara blinks trying to make sense of it all when Ruby finally takes a breath. “Claire is now with Ri? But she thought she was straight and…”

Alex snorts at how she can practically see the clogs working in Kara’s as she tries to figure out the new teen drama. Eliza smiles over at her daughter and they roll their eyes fondly at each other.

“Yaha!” Ruby says happily and kneels next to the coffee table by her Mom. Grabbing a handful of crisps from the bowl. “It’s all the school can talk about! Which is nice since all they’ve been talking about is-”

“Rubes! Save some food for the others!” Sam quickly interrupts, knowing Ruby was about to reveal the mini shrines of Emma that had been placed around the school from dedicated fans.

Thankfully, taking the hint, Ruby stops and passes the bowl around.

“And how’s school work going? In general, I mean.” Kara sits opposite Ruby and grabs a huge handful herself when the bowl is placed back on the table.

“Well-”

A knock makes Ruby pause for a second before she continues telling Kara her favourite subjects and what the teachers are like. She has already told Kara this many times but the blonde Superhero enjoys hearing about a subject that is completely normal and isn’t related to what's happened over the past few weeks.

Both sister’s keep their attention on the teenager as they hear Lucy enthusiastically greet Lena and Emma.

Eliza excuses herself and heads straight for her youngest daughter. Crushing her in a mama bear hug. Also surprising Lena when she gives her one too.

Sam grins at the sight and drains her beer before getting up.

“I’m getting another” Sam points at her empty can. “Does anyone want anything?”

Choruses of no greet her making the brunette turn towards the kitchen and approach the trio.

“Hey!” Sam smiles and hugs Lena from behind.

“I’m not talking to you.” Lena huffs and keeps her body rigid.

“Aww why? What did I do now?” Sam whines and winks at Emma who is watching them curiously.

“You logged me out.” Lena responds matter of factly, causing Sam to snort and lean close to Lena’s ear.

“Well, it seems like a good idea, since your neck is covered in hickeys.” Sam teases, but before Lena can respond Emma, unfortunately, chose that moment to take a swig of her soda. Promptly choking on the liquid as her breath of surprise makes it go the wrong way.

“Sweetheart?” Eliza quickly pats Emma’s back hard as the blonde voicelessly coughs and splutters. Lena goes to help her girlfriend but Sam keeps her arms tightly wrapped around her.

Emma holds up a hand to signal she is okay and massages her throat as she tries to get her breathing under control.

“Emma?” Ruby rushes over, her face full of worry. “Are you okay?”

Emma nods and gives the teen a thumbs up.

“Great!” Ruby yells and flings her arms around the blonde, making Emma let out a breath of shock and simultaneously tensing for a brief moment.

“Rubes! Remember you need to be gentle with the puny humans!” Sam jokes, letting go of Lena and ruffles her daughter’s hair. “Sorry Em.”

Emma shrugs her shoulders and hugs the teen back. It wasn’t like Ruby’s tackle hadn’t hurt her or anything. She didn’t even move or feel like she was being knocked over.

Soon Ruby lets go and grabs a few snacks from the island.

“So your powers are starting to develop?” Emma signs before taking a handful of grapes and popping them in her mouth.

“Yea! Mom’s been teaching me and hopefully Kara and Alex can help too.”

“What came first?” Emma signs and she can’t help but remember the time Alex tried to experiment with Kara’s powers. Emma mainly stood on the sidelines and watched, knowing they shouldn’t but too fascinated to leave her sisters alone.

“My strength! I can lift a car!”

“Only a little way.” Sam bumps her shoulder into Ruby’s before focusing on Emma and Lena. “This one is still a bit of an unknown, being part human, part Kryptonian.” The brunette boops her daughter’s nose, making Ruby scrunch it up. “So we can’t push it.”

“Yes Mom…” Ruby rolls her eyes and quickly escapes to the group around the sofa.

Emma watches her and her eyes connect with dark brown and crystal blue ones. Emma smiles warmly at her sisters, who return it. Although, Emma can see a slight tightness in their faces.

“Go to them.” Lena whispers softly in Emma’s ear and nudges her forward.

Lena watches as Emma takes a deep breath and follows Ruby towards the sofas. Kara stands slowly, as if making any sudden movements would spook Emma. But the two blonde sisters immediately embrace and Lena smiles sadly as Alex hesitantly joins them. Even Lena can see how tense the redhead’s shoulders are. Which Emma seems to sense too as she soothingly rubs her sister’s back.

A buzzer screeches out across the apartment making Emma jump at the sudden noise.

“You okay?” Alex asks as she pulls away from the group hug. Kara also frowns slightly at Emma, having also felt her jump.

Emma smiles sheepishly. “Yea, the buzzer was loud.” She tries to explain and shrugs before flopping onto the sofa.

“It wasn’t that loud.” Alex comments but sits next to the blonde. “So, why were you and Lena late?”

Immediately Kara swoops into the empty space next to Emma. She grins and shakes her head, taking a sip from her drink.

A blush creeps on Emma’s cheeks and she lifts a hand to hide her beaming smile. Feeling a bit self conscious and shy.

“So the move went well?” Alex takes pity on her and asks a different question. She reaches out to play with Emma’s long wavy hair, something she would naturally do, but for a moment she pauses.

Emma nods and smiles as Alex begins to curl her hair around her finger. “Yes, it went very well. She actually has space for me in her wardrobe!”

“You’re sleeping in the walk-in wardrobe?” Kara asks, a bit confused.

Emma lets out a snort and a quick burst of air. Shaking her hand she raises her hands to sign again. “I meant my clothes. She made room for my clothes in her wardrobe.”

“Ahhh. Yeah that makes more sense.” Kara laughs and Alex gives her a small smile.

“And I’m sure it's way too soon, but how are you two doing?” Emma looks back and forth between her two sisters.

“Er, fine!” Kara lifts her hand up casually. “I did a few laps, cleaned, looked through emails. That kind of thing.” She shrugs and settles more into the sofa.

Emma watches her carefully but before she can ask anymore Lucy interrupts her.

“Pizza!”

Ruby whoops and zooms towards the island. But a blur gets there before her. “Hey! No fair!” She yells at Kara who is already piling her plate.

Emma grins and shakes her head. Looking back over at Alex, her smile fades slightly as she catches her sister’s emotional eyes watching her.

Alex immediately schools her expression and as she goes to get up Emma places a hand on hers.

“Em?”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Pretty much what Kara said. Did normal, mundane things.” Alex crosses her arms tight over her chest. “Nothing exciting to report. Unfortunately. Or fortunately.”

Emma nods and gives her sister a warm smile. “Pizza? Before the Kryptonians eat it all?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Alex stands and pulls Emma up. As they walk to the island, where everyone else is standing, the redhead places an arm around her sister’s shoulders. Emma grins, copying her sister and lays her head against Alex’s.

-- -- --

The night continues with laughter and banter as the superfriends fall back into the normal routine of hanging out together.

That is until Emma goes to sign something but someone cuts her off or Emma voiceless laughs, expelling heavy breaths, which cuts her sisters deeply. Emma notices this and always tries to smile reassuringly at them, sensing the slight tension in the air.

“Are we going to play something?” Ruby asks, getting a bit bored of all the talking and catching up everyone was doing.

“What game do you suggest?” Sam smiles at her daughter as she thinks. “It needs to be something we can all play.”

“Pictionary? Charades?”

“Pictionary!” Lucy jumps up and rushes to her home office. She comes back with a huge conference board flip chart and sets it up. “Okay! So teams!” She looks around the room. “How about those on each sofa?”

“That ain’t fair!” Winn motions to the sofa Emma, Kara and Alex were sitting on and Lena was on Emma’s lap. “They have a weird sisterly bond and can read each other's mind! And don’t get me started on your team!” Winn points at the other sofa with Brainy, J’onn and Nia on.

“Winn, it’s fine.” Sam laughs but gives him a knowing look that shuts him up.

The teams end up being sofa one, aka The Champion team, name chosen by Ruby and Winn while Sam and Eliza just shake their heads in amusement at her teammates.

Sofa two, aka The Dream team, consisted of Brainy, Lucy, Nia and J’onn. The group laughs loudly as Nia reveals the name.

Sofa three, aka The A Team, which is the go to name for the Danvers. Lena feels slightly awkward, as if she was interrupting their moment and offered to swap with Eliza but Emma’s arms, encasing her waist, kept her from moving off her lap. Eliza thanks her but reassures that she is happy where she is.

“Right! Team The Champions! Are you ready?” Lucy gets the card out of the holder. “Whose drawing?”

“Oh me!” Ruby’s hand shoots up in the air.

Lucy quickly checks the word to make sure Ruby will know what it is. She hands the teen the card and turns the egg timer.

Chaos ensues as Ruby draws quickly and her team starts screaming random words that could work with the lines she is drawing.

Emma looks at Alex and unlatches her hands from Lena to sign behind her back. “Priest.”

The redhead looks back at the board and suddenly sees it. The dog collar Ruby was trying to draw around a stick figure's neck and the cross.

They watch in amusement as the group yell different things and all Ruby could do was stab the dog collar over and over.

“Time!”

“PRIEST!!” Ruby yells exasperatedly and flops onto the sofa in a huff.

“Oh of course!” Sam slaps her forehead.

“Sorry Ruby.” Eliza places a hand on the teen’s shoulder. “I thought it was something else and once my mind is onto something it’s hard to change it.”

“And don’t we know it.” Alex sasses and takes a big gulp of her drink.

“Alex!” Kara laughs loudly and Emma joins her with a few big exhales of breath.

Alex quickly glances at the blonde before focusing on the second team.

“Okay Nia. We are one.” Brainy sits on the edge of the cushion and doesn’t blink as he keeps focused on his girlfriend. Lucy hands Sam the egg timer and the game starts again.

Emma purses her lips forward, reacting to how cute the pair are being. Looking up at her own girlfriend she wraps her arms around Lena’s waist and pulls her down.

“Em!” Lena squeaks as she suddenly finds herself laid down on Emma’s shoulder. The blonde responds by kissing Lena’s cheek and nuzzling her neck. “Hi love.”

“Small person!” Lucy screams and Nia quickly shakes her head. “Dammit!”

“Big person?!” J’onn holds his hands up and Nia rolls her wrists over and over, hinting they were on the right track.

Brainy’s eyes dart over the stick figures on the paper. How each one was getting bigger and bigger. His brain computing the possibilities.

“Do you know what it is?” Alex whispers to Emma, who nods in response. She moves her hands so only Alex and Lena can see.

“Giant.”

“Basketball player?!” Lucy screams and looks panicky at the timer.

“Giant!” Brainy yells just as the last piece of sand falls.

“YES!” Nia jumps up and down in excitement and Emma claps a few times in applause. The others join in with her and give whoops of approval.

Emma smirks as she watches Winn’s clouded face, especially when Nia rolls the dice and it lands on a six.

“It’s got a triangle by it.” Nia informs as she looks at the card.

“Means it's an all play round.” Lucy explains. “Right teams! Choose your drawer!” She grabs some paper and places it by each team.

“Peanut?” Alex turns to Emma.

“But Emma’s the best guesser!” Kara argues but closes her mouth when Alex gives her a look to be quiet.

Emma shrugs and helps Lena up so she can go to Nia to look at the word on the card. Nia smirks at her and Emma lets out a loud breath as she reads it. Sam joins in when she looks at the card as well.

“May the odds be ever in your favour.” Emma signs and kneels by the sofa. Placing the paper on a book to lean on. “You need to be quick with this!” Emma signs at her group.

“Hey! No communicating beforehand!” Winn yells and Emma sticks her tongue out at him.

“Okay, ready?” Lucy asks and everyone confirms. “Three, two, one, go!”

Lena stands over Emma’s shoulder and watches as her hand almost blurs as she draws.

“A gun?” Alex quirks her head to the side.

“Water pistol?!” Kara yells over the noise of the other teams and bounces excitedly.

“Silencer!” Alex claps and Emma lifts her hands in the air in triumph.

“HOW?!” Sam screeches and stomps over to look at Emma’s drawing. “Oh, that’s pretty good.”

“What do you expect? My girlfriend’s an artist after all.” Lena says smugly and kisses Emma’s head.

“Blurgh! There’s children present!” Lucy hollars from the other sofa and a pillow flies straight for her head. “Hey!” She splutters and Emma grins at her.

“Okay A Team, let's see if you can do two in a row.” Sam rounds her shoulders back to look intimidating.

“Bring it.” Kara stands and tries to look as intimidating as the brunette.

“No sweetie.” Alex pulls Kara back down to the sofa and wraps an arm around her.

“Em?” Lucy grabs their attention. “Do you wanna go again?”

Emma looks back at her team who nod for her to do the main one herself. She shrugs and gets up to take the card from Lucy.

But something strange happens. Emma misjudges where the coffee table is and the world blurs slightly. Her foot catches on the corner of the table and she goes flying towards the other sofa. Landing heavily in a heap on the floor.

“Sweetheart!” Eliza quickly kneels next to her daughter whose shoulders are moving up and down rapidly.

Emma sits up and her face is flushed with embarrassment but she is silently laughing at herself.

“And I thought Kara was the klutz.” Winn muses and the blonde superhero shoots him an offended look.

“Well they are sisters.” Nia agrees and laughs with him.

“Technically-”

Nia quickly interrupts Brainy. “I know, it’s a joke.” She places a hand on his thigh.

“Oh! Yes! Good one!” Brainy smiles and nods in approval.

Emma gets up and dusts herself off. Her head aches and her eyes hurt but that isn’t anything new.

“Here's the card.” Lucy says as she hands it to her.

Emma reads it and eyebrows shoot up at the word. Alps

“Yea! Good luck with that.” Lucy snorts. “Get ready Champs.”

“Ions. The Champ-ions.” Winn tries to correct her but Lucy playfully ignores him.

“Okay Emma! You got this!” Kara claps and leans forward. Alex and Lena copy her, ready to make the correct guess.

“Three, two, one, go!”

Emma quickly sketches out a map of Europe, showing the tell tale signs of Italy and France.

“Europe!” Lena yells and Emma does a thumbs up before circling where the Alps are placed.

“Switzerland?” Kara asks quickly.

Emma rolls her wrist letting them know they are on the right track. She starts drawing big, jagged mountains.

“The Alps!” Lena screams and Emma nods immediately.

“How did you get that?” Lucy’s eyes go wide.

“Because they also have a weird, soulmate connection.” Winn huffs as he leans back against the sofa. Eliza pats his head a few times.

“Roll the dice Em.” Alex holds the die out and Emma rolls it.

The game goes on for quite some time with much laughter and tantrums. But the clear winners become the A Team. Winning on the word chandelier that Alex immediately gets.

“I’m telling you it’s null and void!” Winn huffs as he stomps to help clear up.

“Look! Just because they have some weird, mental connection, does not mean they didn’t win that fair and square.” Lucy argues back, still impressed with Emma’s drawing of The Phantom Of The Opera mask and the famous chandelier.

Once the apartment is cleared of rubbish everyone starts saying their goodbyes. Emma gets hugged the most and finally it's her sister's turn.

“Night Em.” Kara hesitantly wraps her arms around her baby sister. Almost barely touching her. “Sleep well.” Kara quickly lets go, racing for the door. Emma’s shoulders slump slightly as she watches her go.

“Hey.” Alex turns Emma’s attention to her and holds out her arms. Emma dives into them immediately and Alex closes her eyes as she holds her there. The images of her dream invade her mind so Alex snaps her eyes back open. Involuntarily going rigid at the memory.

Emma steps back and gives the redhead a sad smile.

“Love you.”

“Love you too.” Alex answers almost automatically and heads for the door. She rushes down to her motorbike in the garage and shoves the helmet over her head and turns on the ignition. Roaring the beast to life she zooms out of the underground garage and onto the streets. Trying to force the images of a bloodied Emma out of her mind as she speeds into the night.

(Twenty Eight)

[xhanisai]

More of ghost blanc AU PLZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Aightyo~! Here’s a little drabble I’ve concocted up on the spot!

~(x)~

“You’re him...aren’t you?” Marinette addressed the white figure with as much courage and bravery as she could possibly muster, clutching her purse with a white-knuckled grip. “I’ve had my suspicions for a while...but now I know...it’s you.” 

She didn’t dare to move a muscle, the darkness and quiet of the hallway in the school created an eerie atmosphere. In the beginning, it would have frightened the French-Chinese girl without a doubt; she understood the presence better now.

“...and who am I, Marinette?” His voice was soft and full of melancholy despite the smile that was plastered on his face, pale feline ears drooping. 

“You’re Chat Noir...my Chaton...from that timeline, right?”  Marinette took a small step forward, brows furrowed and sapphire eyes full of worry. “All this time...you’ve helped me in the shadows...saving me from that car accident...pushing me off that building so that I didn’t get shot...always there for me...”

Chat Blanc didn’t say anything, merely watching the girl as his body solidified more yet maintaining the ethereal look that made him seem inhuman.

“I thought I saved you...” Tears were starting to pool in her eyes and her hands reached up to cup his cheeks, hesitating to make physical contact, hovering a breath away from his skin.

“My love for you is very strong, My Lady. Not even time would stop me from aiding you,” Blanc attempted to grasp her wrists so that her hands could rest on his cheeks only for his flesh to pass through hers and it was then that the excruciating sadness in his heart mourned once more.

Marinette couldn’t stop the wet gasp that escaped her, bringing her hands back to herself and eyeing the slender digits in horror.

“Maybe...this is my punishment for what I did to you, everyone and the world.” Chat Blanc laughed brokenly, stepping away from the girl. “I’m a monster.”

“No! No you’re not! That’s not fair on you at all! You were akumatised! If anything, it was Le Papillon’s fault...it was my fault! I couldn’t help you-”

“Don’t be stupid.” His sharp tone halted her spiralling, a dangerous glint in his eyes taking her breath away. “All you ever did was make me happy...and love me! The memories that we made together was what helped me fight back the cold, lonely insanity that tried to corrupt me during my solitude in the empty world.”

“Chat Noir...” 

“It’s Chat Blanc, Marinette.” Even though his body would simply phase through hers, Blanc attempted to wipe away her tears with a finger.

“How do I save you?” Marinette’s words were no more than a breath, begging for him to be free.

“You can’t.”

“I have to...I must!”

“This is beyond your power, My Lady, Ma Princesse...” With a warm smile, an expression that mirrored her partner in black and...another boy with green eyes, Blanc brought his face towards her and brushed his lips against hers.

For a split second, she felt his lips, a human warmth, a sweet softness, only for his body to fade away for now and appear when she least expected him to.

The designer immediately sank to her knees, pressing her fingers against her lips as tears rolled down her cheeks with much more vigour and before she knew it, she broke down.

‘I failed him...I failed my Chaton again!’ Was what ricocheted in her mind like a mantra despite her little kwami’s pleas and support.

So deep into her misery, she was deaf to a familiar boy’s cries of her name and it was only when he brought her into his arms did she finally come back to the world.

“Marinette! Oh God...Marinette...” Before she knew it, Adrien brought her into a tight embrace with an iron hold, his tan fingers knotting themselves into her hair as he breathed out how relieved he was to see her again. 

“A...Adrien?” Marinette rasped, still limp in his arms, too numb to move or even treasure his warmth.

“I thought he took you away...like he threatened to do so.” The blonde teen whispered with anguish, tightening his grip on her. “No matter what I did, no matter how hard I try to keep you close, he comes closer to you!” He pulled back a little so that he could see her confused face, brushing away her fringe with a look of desperation.

“Who?” Marinette suddenly dreaded his answer.

“Listen to me Marinette, please, please, stay away from that Chat Blanc! If you see him again, come to me or Chat Noir. We have to...we WILL protect you!” The shivers on her spine started to send cold sweat down her forehead.

“What’s going on Adrien...? I thought he was just a lost spirit, finding his way?”

“Is that what he told you?”

It was then that Marinette realised she’s never asked him nor did Blanc tell her why he was here. She didn’t want to doubt him...he was her Minou for crying out loud!

“Marinette. Once upon a time, he was m- Chat Noir! But now? Now he’s not. He’s an echo of destruction...something that should NOT exist. And he wants you. I don’t know why but he won’t stop until he has you! Do you understand? You need to stay away from him!”

Adrien’s eyes showed emotions beyond desperation. His teeth clenched with determination...determination to keep her safe. His relentless hold on her never budging- as if he feared that letting her go would mean she’d leave him forever.

He reminded her of Chat Noir and at the same time, the one who called himself Chat Blanc...

“Adrien, do you trust me?” Her question shook him off guard. Adrien pursed his lips in confusion, furrowing his brows. The expression smoothed away when he spotted the fire in her eyes.

“With my life and everything.”

“Then help me help him. Please.”

.

~(x)~

That’s all for now! Who knows~? Is Ghost Blanc a hero or a villain~? Might develop this AU or make it into a short oneshot one day UwU If you want that is~

[melodypond-thewomanwhomarriedme]

"Please believe me" for 11/river with lots of angst but a happy ending pleaseeeee :( I miss them so much :(

someone reminded me of the fact that 11 didn't tell cl*ra that river was his wife, or that he was married at all and it made me angry

The first thing she did when she regained consciousness was slap him.

It was instantaneous; one sharp slap as her expression contorted with rage and heartache as their eyes met. Her breathing grew heavy as she struck him, and though he expected it he still cried out in pain and stumbled a few paces back.

"How dare you," she hissed, and when he looked back up at her again, his hand covering his reddening cheek, he saw that she was quivering and her eyes were filled with tears. "How dare you, Doctor."

"River," he gasped, as she advanced on him dangerously again, getting out of the bed and striding calmly towards him. "River, I-"

"How could you trap me in that hell," she started, her voice quiet with fury, "and never return? No visits, no messages - I was in that computer for over a thousand years and you couldn't take a second away from your joyrides to even check if I was still there."

He gulped as she glared at him through her tears, still wearing that ridiculous garb she wore in Trenzalore, her hair like a majestic lion's mane against the bright lights of the medbay.

"I thought you would come back," she said, shutting her eyes. She seemed angry - but not at him this time. At herself. "I thought you would have the decency to just erase me if you couldn't find a way to save me. But you just went off gallivanting with your women. Did you even spare a thought for me at all? Or was I really just Professor Song to you?"

"Don't be - I - River - of course -" the Doctor stammered, but as she watched him, his cheek bright red from the force of her slap, she seemed to lose all the fight in her.

She turned back to the bed and leant on it, her shoulders hunched as she cried.

"I thought you would come back," she repeated, but instead of the fury with which she spat the words out before, now it was with a choked sob as tears poured out of her. "I waited for you. Every day I waited for you, until I realised that you wouldn't come. I was on my own. And then, after Trenzalore, it dawned on me - I was always on my own."

She turned and perched on the edge of the bed, looking at her husband with gaunt eyes and a wry smile.

"You never intended to save me, did you, my love?" she asked softly. "You trapped me there when we met but by the time we married you must have realised just how much I would have hated being in that data core - and yet you never had the decency to even see me there."

The Doctor shut his eyes and looked down. He didn't know what to say - she was right, about all of it. She didn't deserve him; she deserved a husband who loved her selflessly and he - he was the most selfish man in the universe.

"I'm sorry," he whispered brokenly, but it didn't sound enough.

"Did you even grieve for me?" she asked him, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. "Or did you find some other young, pretty thing to impress? What was her name - Clara, was it? I hope you treated her well, my love." she laughed harshly. " Better than you treated me, anyway."

"Of course I grieved for you," the Doctor answered softly, his eyes still shut tight. He couldn't look at her. "I never stopped grieving for you."

But she shook her head. "You didn't even tell anyone about me. Like I never existed at all." she pointed out to him. "Clara didn't even know you were married - what did you tell her I was?"

He didn't answer for a moment. And then he mumbled, "An ex."

She nodded once. "Is that what you want me to be? An ex? Was that what it took for her to fuck you?"

The Doctor's eyes widened. "No, River -"

"I'm leaving," she interrupted. "If you want me to be an ex, then I'll be one. I've spent too much of my life trying to be someone you can love, Doctor. I'm not about to squander my second chance at living on someone who never wanted me in their life."

"Stop," he whispered.

"Why?" she challenged, eyes blazing. "You know it's true. I gave everything up for you. I gave my lives to you - every single time, I was there for you. And you couldn't even-" she closed her eyes and swallowed as more tears escaped. "You couldn't even get over yourself to visit me. Just admit that it's over, Doctor. Because I am so tired of hurting over this - over you."

"It's not over," he said softly, staggering towards her. His eyes were blinded with tears as he dropped to his knees and held her hands. "It's not over, River. You're right - you deserve better than me. You've given me so much that I don't deserve - and I couldn't - I'm not -" more tears escaped and he took in a shaky breath as he continued. "You asked if I grieved for you. I couldn't - after our last night, I didn't leave the Tardis for over a century. I held your pillow to sleep because it smelled like you. I drove myself crazy because I missed you so much it felt like my hearts were being ripped apart."

He looked up at her and kissed the back of her hands. She was watching him and crying silently, red rimmed eyes cautious but hopeful. But he could still see how betrayed and heartbroken she felt, and he wished that he was a better man.

"I'm sorry." he repeated again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You deserve a billion apologies after what I've done to you and it still wouldn't be enough." He pressed another shaky kiss to her skin and she felt his lips quivering against her. "When I found out you escaped, I - I couldn't get there fast enough. I was so - so unbearably happy, River. Happier than I'd ever been. It was like my hearts stopped ripping themselves apart."

He sighed, heavy and remorseful, as he looked down and shook his head. "But I don't deserve you. You're right, River. I didn't tell anyone about you. But only because - because every time I thought about you, all the pain would come flooding back. It reminded me that I could never be with you again. So I didn't tell anyone - it wasn't because - I didn't do it so I could -"

"Are you sure?" she asked, her voice gentler than it had been since she woke up. "She liked you, you know. I could see it. And my love, you are not as innocent as you like to pretend. If she's who you're with now and I've showed up and complicated things, just tell me."

His head shot up and he held tightly onto her hands as he answered with a firm, "No. It's not like that, River. I - not since - I couldn't. Please believe me. Please, River."

"But she-" River frowned. "So you didn't fuck her?"

The Doctor flinched at her curse, but shook his head. "There was never any chance of it."

River looked doubtful but didn't say anything. The Doctor sighed and stood, sitting next to her. She didn't move away but she didn't turn towards him either.

"I didn't forget you. You were everywhere, River. I could hear your voice in my head, telling me that I left the brakes on or scolding me for being so slow." he said. She remained motionless, looking down at her lap. "I know I haven't given you any reason to believe me, but I do love you, River. You're my wife. And I - I'm so happy to see you. I'm so happy that you're alive and breathing and - and free. And if you want to remain free, I won't stop you."

At that, she turned to look at him, her eyes slightly widened in shock. He continued, smiling reassuringly at her.

"You choose what you want, dear. I won't stop you. I can be in your life as your husband, or a friend, or," he paused, as though even thinking the words were hard. "Or I can not be in your life at all. I won't blame you if you choose that. But I wouldn't be a selfish old man if I didn't at least try to convince you to stay."

"Doctor," she whispered, but she didn't seem to know what to say.

"I will be better," he whispered, fresh tears springing into his eyes as he gazed at her. His expression was one of hopeful desperation - she recognised it from when they fought together and were on the brink of losing. She never realised she was something he wanted to fight for. "If it's for you, I know I can be better. Please let me try. You don't owe me anything - God knows I don't deserve this at all - but I swear, River, I'll do everything I can for you."

He reached out to touch her cheek lightly, wiping her tears away. "I've missed you so much. I love you so, so much, River."

He leaned towards her but before he could blink she threw herself into him, sobbing into his chest as she clutched tightly at him. His arms wound themselves around her automatically and he found himself holding her, stroking her hair and shushing her.

"Whatever you choose, dear," he whispered soothingly to her, rubbing her back as she shook in his embrace. "Just remember that I love you. Please, don't forget that."

She cried and cried and cried until she couldn't anymore, until tears refused to fill her eyes again. She felt so conflicted but she knew herself - she knew that there was never any choice to begin with. It was only ever him, the Doctor. Her stupid husband.

'You don't have to choose now," he told her softly, as she stopped shaking and simply rested her head against the wet spot on his chest where she cried. "Think about it for a while."

"I don't have to. I know what to choose," she mumbled against his chest. She pushed herself up and looked into his eyes, her hand reaching up to brush his hair out of his eyes. "Just please, don't make me regret it."

His eyes burned with more tears at the realisation that she was choosing him. He sniffed and dropped his forehead onto hers, hugging her tightly to him.

"I don't deserve you," he whispered again. "River, my wife, my partner - my equal. How could I ever fall in love with anyone after spending centuries loving you?"

She smiled against him. "Don't be an idiot, sweetie."

Their lips met for the first time in centuries.

[yespolkadotkitty]

Can't quite believe you'd write a fic for little old me 🥰 Ezra is one of my favourites, I adore the dichotomy of the character, he's dangerous but soft, educated but unrefined. I love fics with feels, to me the emotion is what makes smut really connect. Maybe something from before he goes to the green? One final night with his lady before he knows he has to leave. Or conversely, a reunion after he and Cee escape. I'd be happy with anything at all. I know whatever you write will be amazing ❤

The Promise of Forever, pt 1/2

So... I got carried away by this. It’s gonna be a 2-parter.

Warnings: shameless, indulgent angst.

It’s been a whole year since you saw Ezra.

Sometimes you wonder if you made him up. His lick of blond hair, the languid way he speaks, as if he swallowed a sedative and the dictionary together on one wild night.

You can hardly feel the ghost of his touch any more, if you even recalled it properly to begin with.

“One last venture, Sunrise, and we’ll be set for the remainder of our days. I’ll be kneeling at your feet with my haul before you even know I’m gone.”

You clung to those words for the first few weeks. Still clung to them when the communicator crackled now and again, but no trace of Ezra’s syrup-over-broken-glass tones could be heard.

You moved aimlessly through the days at first. Nova-3 was a pleasant enough planet to make a home on - not too expensive, clean air, plentiful water. The twenty-foot trees got some getting used to, but now you found them a comforting shelter from what you knew to be the merciless expanse of space.

You knew Ezra had existed. You knew. And not just in your heart. You had the polaroid camera - a find in a junk shop on Polaris II; and the shop owner had sold you a compatible roll of film for a pretty penny - and pictures of Ezra littered the refrigerator. His sunshine-smile, a little crooked. He joked that it was a reflection of his skewed morality. His hands, the little circular tattoo on his left one that you sometimes kissed while he slept. His big, soulful brown eyes.

“I miss you, Ez,” you’d muttered for the first few months.

Then the weather turned, the huge trees turned from purple to a deep gold, the wind gentled, the seasons changed.

You missed him still, the ache got deeper, but you felt it less, some days. His side of the bed remained unslept in, after two weeks you had to change the sheets, and they no longer smelled like him.

You cried, the first night your bed smelled of laundry powder and not your sweet Ezra.

He’d left a few pieces of clothing behind and you slept in one of his shirts until it grew threadbare, drawing comfort from his clothing against your skin. When the shirt fell apart after constant washing and wearing, you curled up a strip of the neckline and tucked it into the locket he’d given you when you’d been together six months.

“Perhaps it’s overstepping the mark, Sunrise, although I’d wager you know that propriety and I have never seen eye to eye, but I chanced upon this and I thought of you. You have the promise of forever in your gaze, Sunrise, and I am but your humble servant, hoping for a crumb of your affection.”

You hadn’t taken it off since.

Your work continued, you’d accepted a position at the local botanist centre, cultivating new plants by splicing the seeds of herbs and flowers with healing properties. You’d made a few friends, you met them for drinks sometimes. Had even made a cocktail from one of your new plants. You’d called it the Sunrise. You knew Ezra would had laughed.

A man at the centre had asked you for dinner twice. You’d turned him down, but if he asked again, maybe you’d say yes. 

Maybe he’d touch you like Ezra had. 

You so wanted to be touched.

Then one not so special day, as the trees that passed your window had started to turn silver, signalling the start of winter sinking its teeth into the planet, your door buzzer crackled to life.

You hadn’t ordered any food. Some mistake, maybe? A lost traveller?

You depressed the button to connect. “Hello?”

A crackle, then, a girl’s voice, asking to confirm your name.

Must be a lost delivery driver. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Ezra asked me to bring him here,” the girl said into the comm.

Thank Kevve you hadn’t been holding anything. You would have dropped it. “Wh- what?” You must have misheard.

The girl repeated herself. “Can we come up?”

“I’ll come down.” You took your finger off the button and your hand was shaking. You took two deep breaths, pocketed your keycard, and hurried down the stairs.

You yanked open the front door.

The girl before you gazed at you with a clear, steady gaze. She wore nondescript clothes - jeans, a plain salmon pink sweater.

And leaning heavily on her was Ezra. Your Ezra. Here.

“Kevva,” you whispered, your heart leaping into your mouth. Ezra’s eyes lifted to yours, that soulful brown just like you remembered. A thousand words dried up on your tongue.

“Sunrise…” he murmured, but his voice was low and weak. No quick quip, no crooked smile.

“He needs to rest,” the girl interjected.

“Of course. Come in.” Your mind whirled with what their relationship might be, and as you swiped your keycard into the elevator slot to open the doors, you noticed that Ezra’s right arm was missing. His button-up shirt was loose, open three buttons down, the grey not injecting any colour to make his pale face any brighter. The right sleeve was tied neatly.

You pressed your lips together. Should you touch him? The girl seemed to have a handle on it, and confusion and sadness twisted your stomach.

The elevator pinged open four floors up, and you busied yourself opening the door to your home - yours and Ezra’s home - and holding it open.

“I’m Cee,” the girl said matter-of-factly, and you hurried over to help her lay Ezra on the couch once you realised her intent. Just touching him made a hot burst of serotonin flood your veins. “Took him to a doctor yesterday and they patched him up, but he refused to stay there more than one night. Wanted to see you.” Her lip curled in that teenage way. “He won’t shut up about you.”

“He does talk a lot,” you agreed, and Cee smiled slightly.

Unable to wait a moment longer, you dropped to your knees and smoothed your fingers over the blond tuft of hair on his head. It felt as soft as you remembered, and your heart turned over. “Ezra.”

He opened those bottomless brown eyes and met your gaze, and a sob wracked up your throat. “My… deepest apologies.. For the delay…. Sunrise.”

And upon hearing his voice, by far the most integral part of him, the dam broke, and you buried your face in the crook of his neck and sobbed, hearing your own voice crack like dry ground under the sun too long.

“I’ll, um, come back later. Gotta, um…. Yeah,” you vaguely heard Cee say, and somewhere in the back of your mind you registered the door closing behind her.

You cried for moments that stretched, breathing him in, your hand on his chest, just feeling his heart beating against your palm.

After a time, Ezra’s remaining arm curled around you, and you felt his fingers playing in your hair.

“Soft as spun sugar, Sunrise. I remembered you right.”

And those words made you cry harder, press yourself into him. “I was beginning to think I made you up,” you choked out, hearing your own voice clogged with tears and emotion so heavy it dragged at your limbs. “I thought maybe I’d never see you again.”

Ezra huffed softly. “Know that it was ever my most acute intention to return to you, Sunrise,” he murmured, kissing your hair.

Your hand wandered to what was left of his right arm. “What happened here?”

His face twisted. “Returnin’ to you in such a state pains me more than you can know,” he bit off darkly. “Regrettably, it was the arm or my life. Cee did a good, clean job, and the doc we saw yesterday patched me up further.” His hand clenched on your neck reflexively. “I… will understand if you no longer find me-”

Words failed you, because there was no universe where you would not want Ezra, this perfect puzzle of a man with his measured speech and bottomless heart and eyes that were like looking into his soul. You interrupted his words with a kiss. Your first kiss in an entire year of heartache, of tears, a whole year of empty beds and foggy memories.

Ezra opens for you, and you taste him, cheap, black coffee with too much sugar, and a moan escapes you, and you wrap your arms tight around him.

“Ezra,” you sobbed, brokenly. “You came back.”

“Always. It was my greatest fear, shuffling off this mortal coil without seeing my Sunrise one more time.”

And his words made you cry harder again, making his face wet with your tears, but he doesn’t complain. He takes what you dish out, and his arm stays tight around you.

“Tell me about Cee,” you asked, when your tears had started to run dry.

“Sunrise, the tale is a long one, and I fear at this moment in time, my energies would be best spent…. Elsewhere.” He smiled, and his gaze flicked down his body, and you followed the path of those hazelnut eyes and saw his cargo trousers tenting.

Oh.

Part II is now up here

Tagging the Pedro pals & Hummingbird ‘verse friends: @alldatalost @beccaplaying @ezrasarm @abuttoncalledsmalls @winters-buck @songsformonkeys @mrsparknuts @pajamasecrets @the-green-kid @dornish-queen @mrschiltoncat @synystersilenceinblacknwhite @cryptkeepersoul @queenofheavenandhell @badassbaker @buckstaposition @pedropascallion @theravenreads @libellule2001 @engineeredfiction @keeper0fthestars @hiscyarika @auty-ren @emmy-dandiliom918 @paniclana @starlight-starwrites @kindablackenedsuperhero @thisisthe-way @caitlincat-95 @trippedmetaldetector @harryandthatgayvodka @agirllovespasta

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[seoulsides]

when i’m down on my knees, you’re how i pray

⇒ asmodeus x fem!mc/reader

⇒ 2.2k

⇒ tags: slight angst, hurt/comfort, established relationship, crying, asmo finally getting the love he deserves

⇒ warnings: implied sexual content, spoiler for chapter 8

⇒ summary: you and asmodeus were happy together. at least that’s what you thought until you started waking up in the middle of the night alone, your lover nowhere to be seen. after waking up to an empty bed for the umpteenth time, you decide enough is enough and seek him out. what you find is not what you expect.

⇒ recommended soundtrack: religion - lana del rey

⇒ a/n: this is my contribution to Asmo’s Week. i’ve been working on this for days aka my brain is dead and i cannot do anything else and this is the result! thank you so much to @milas-imaginarium​ for creating this event. asmodeus is my favourite character in the entire game and i’m sick of how poorly he’s been treated. i hope that you guys like it !

When your bleary eyes blink open, you are met with the unwelcome sight of an empty bed. You reach out and pat the vacant space next to you, stomach sinking when the coolness of the silk sheets seeps into your palm; the warm body you sought had left long before you awoke. Swallowing the unsettling feeling in your throat, you take in a deep inhale, the faint aroma of roses that hung in the room engulfing your senses before you sit up. You see your D.D.D lying on the side-table and one tap by your finger illuminates the screen, the bright ‘2:57 am’ on display confirming your suspicion about how late it was. With a heavy heart, you sigh. This was the third time this week you had woken up alone in the middle of the night. 

Heaving another sigh in an attempt to alleviate the tightness that had formed in your chest, you look around the room, searching for any sign of the demon you were looking for. Immediately, your gaze falls onto the balcony door which was left slightly ajar, allowing the moonlight to pour into the room. Almost as if on cue, a chilly gust of wind pushes the door further open, the cool air bestowing a frosty kiss upon your warm skin. You shiver, skin breaking into gooseflesh as you stand to your feet, legs wobbling due to the activities that occurred earlier in the night. You lean down to scoop a discarded hoodie from the carpeted floor, tugging it on along with the pair of panties you had worn earlier, before you head for the gaping door which all but beckons you with the promise of finding the demon who had been plaguing your mind.  

One step out onto the cold tiles of the balcony causes you to shudder once more, momentarily distracting you from the million thoughts that were running through your head. The bite of the cold causes you to curse lightly under your breath, burrowing your chin deeper into the collar of the hoodie for warmth. You are instantly met with the strong scent of your lover’s cologne and you cannot help but sigh forlornly when you recall his distant behaviour over the past couple weeks. Just how did it come to this? For months you both were inseparable, practically attached to the hip, and now here you are, waking up alone in a cold bed, feeling more alone than ever. 

You had never heeded any attention to the barrage of warnings that bombarded you after your relationship with the aforementioned demon became public knowledge. Everyone knew that it had been a while since he had been in a committed relationship, so long in fact that it became the punchline of many jokes made in response to the rumours regarding your affair. You knew better than to listen to the words of others. However, it had just been over two weeks since you both had exchanged ‘I love you’s, and given his current behaviour you could not help but feel insecure about what this meant for your relationship. Completely consumed by your gloomy train of thought, you almost miss the figure tucked away in the corner of the balcony. 

“Ah, my sweet little petal”, a familiar deep voice cooes, the warmth behind the words washing over your frozen flesh, “what are you doing up at this hour?”

There he was in the flesh, the demon who had your heart in the palm of his delicate manicured hands. Bathed in the moonlight, he looked ethereal in just a pair of black silk boxers, lounging comfortably on a velvet chaise with a glass of what you were sure was one of the Devildom’s most expensive liquors nursed in his hand. His amber orbs bore into you, practically staring through your soul. There was an unidentifiable emotion clouding his eyes and combined with the small glum smile dancing on his lips, he looked sombre. He was a vision, and you could not help but think he was sculpted by the hands of Michelangelo himself; at that very moment, you were reminded of just how fitting his title as the ‘Jewel of the Heavens’ was.

“I could ask you the same thing,” you murmur softly as you take a couple of tentative steps towards him, “the Asmodeus staying up late and risking damage to his beautiful skin?” You tease him weakly, but the underlying concern is evident in the undertone of your voice, while your sleep-laced eyes worriedly scrutinise him. At your words, you swear you see a pained expression flicker across his face before he composes himself. He offers you no words in response and his uncharacteristic silence only serves to unsettle you further.

“Asmo,” the affectionate nickname rolls off your tongue, molasses sweet, gently but silently urging him to say anything at all.

Instead of replying to you, he looks off into the distance, avoiding your gaze entirely. He sits up, only to down the remnants of liquor as though it was a shot of Demonus, and then perches the empty crystal glass on the table beside the chaise. He grips the edge of the table tightly, knuckles white as you hear him take in a desperate intake of breath, and you can actually see how his form shakes with the intensity of it. 

“Asmodeus,” you plead, taking the remaining steps to the chaise, placing a hand on his bare shoulder, “baby, what’s wrong?” He shudders at your touch, almost flinching away from you. You call his name once more, desperately, and when he looks at you, you feel your heart shatter all over again. He looked so small and vulnerable, unshed tears flooding his watery eyes, shoulders hunched over. You let out a small gasp, “Oh, Asmo.” You sit beside him, wrapping an arm around his slightly trembling shoulders, a sorrowful cry ripping from his throat as he collapses into your embrace. 

“How could you love me?” he lets out a haggard sob into the crook of your neck, voice broken and raw as tears uncontrollably pour down his flushed cheeks.  

The abruptness of the question hits you like a blow to the face and temporarily renders you speechless. Your concerned expression morphs into one of uncertainty as you delicately question him, “What do you mean?” 

“I mean,” his voice hardens, hiccuping slightly, “All I have is my beauty and power.” Burrowing his nose in the crevice between your throat and clavicle, he takes in another shaky breath as more of his tears fall onto your flesh. 

“Everyone loves me,” he grounds out almost bitterly, scoffing against your skin, “but, they don’t. Not really.” His voice becomes unsteady and disturbingly despondent as you card your fingers through his mussed chocolate tresses in an effort to soothe him, “They only think they love me because of my power.” 

“I used to be magnificent, you know?” he murmurs quietly, sounding almost ashamed, “ ‘Jewel of the Heavens’, they used to call me.” Asmodeus pulls away to look you into your eyes mournfully, choking on another sob “I was revered,” his voice hitches before he whispers brokenly, a stray tear tumbling down his cheek, “I was loved.”

“And now?” he laughs sardonically, “Now, here I am.” He spits out disgustedly, sneering to himself,  “A disgrace.”

Asmodeus’ face crumples as more tears flood from his bloodshot eyes, “Someone so far beyond deserving of love that I need the power to forcibly elicit it from others.” He heaves through a sob, “So, just how could you, the one who sees me for just what I am,” he all but whimpers out, “How could you possibly harbour any love for the faded jewel no longer worthy of the heavens?” His voice cracks as he raises a trembling hand to cup your cheek and it is only then that you realise you are crying as well. 

“Oh, Asmodeus,” you cradle his face with both your hands, tenderly, thumbs gently brushing away the tears tumbling down his cheeks. “How could I not love you?”, you shift from beside him, throwing your legs astride his thighs. You lean your forehead against his, gently shushing his cries as your own tears cling to your lashes. 

You litter his face with soft chaste kisses, each more tender than the last. A kiss to the forehead, “How could I not love the one who made me want to love myself?” A kiss on one cheek, “How could I not love the one who taught me what love is?” A kiss on the other, “How could I not love the one who makes my every single day in the world better?”

“My sweet Asmodeus,” you finally press a kiss to his supple lips, “you are the sun, shining brighter than any jewel ever could.” You gaze into his eyes ardently, “I love you. Not for any other reason than for who you are.”

At your words, it’s like something inside him completely shatters, “I don’t deserve you,” he bawls. “I don’t deserve to be loved by you,” hiccuping, his lithe frame shakes with each sob as he latches his arms tightly around you. 

“You deserve all the love in the world, Asmodeus,” you tut at him, kissing his brow, “And if you ever think you don’t, I’ll remind you.”

You feel him stiffen beneath you before he shoots up, cupping your face, pressing a harsh searing kiss against your lips. “I love you,” he gasps, pressing his lips insistently against yours, “I love you, I love you, I love you.” 

He pulls away to kiss your forehead, “I don’t know what I did to deserve your love,” he presses a kiss to your cold-bitten nose, “but I will spend every day of my life loving you to prove to you that I am worthy of it.”

You cannot help but cry more at his words, relief flooding through your veins. Unable to stop yourself, you throw your arms around his shoulders, slumping against him. “Is this why you’ve been away in the night?” you ask in a small voice. Surprised, he looks down at you with furrowed brows,“You noticed?”

You tuck your face into the crook of his neck and inhale deeply through your nose, working up the nerve to utter the words that had been sitting in your throat for weeks. “I...I’ve woken up a few nights and you weren’t there,” you admit, hesitantly. “I thought you had some regrets about all this,” you suck in a quivering sigh, “About us.” Unwilling to look at him, you keep your face firmly tucked away, “I’m sorry. I should have asked you earlier, but,” your voice grows quieter, “I was scared.” 

Asmodeus is deathly silent, and you feel your heart plummet to the floor. You open your mouth to say literally anything to change the subject, your insecurities practically suffocating you, but before you can, he growls out, “That won’t do.”

Before you can utter another word, he grips your chin and lifts your face up so his lips can devour yours in a hungry kiss, his free hand digging into the flesh of your hip. You let out a surprised gasp, allowing him to sneak his tongue in your parted mouth. It takes you a moment to gather your wits before you kiss him back with the same frevor, whimpering when his hands slide down to roughly grab the pert globes of your ass, giving them a harsh teasing squeeze. 

Asmodeus kisses you silly, not stopping for a second until your mind was numb from all the pleasure coursing through your veins, and you were only able to focus on his scalding touch against your skin. Parting with a pant for air, he lets out a deep throaty chuckle when you whine at the loss of contact. 

“Clearly, I need to be punished for making my master feel like I was anything but hers,” he coyly hums, a sultry smirk dancing on his lips, all traces of his earlier sorrow erased. There is a familiar lustful gleam in his eyes and you feel your face flush under his heated stare. His honeyed voice burns deep with the promise of more to come, “But, first I think I should just show her how much I belong to her. Just as she belongs to me.”

He barely gives you a second to register his words, arms snaking over your thighs for a firm grip, hoisting you up against his hips and standing to his feet. You yelp, clinging desperately to his bare torso, unable to stop the giggle that tears from your throat. At the melodic chime, he joins you with his own mellifluous laugh as he carefully carries you inside to the bed, where he fully intends on making good on his promise for the rest of the night. 

As Asmodeus plops you on the bed, playfully collapsing on top of you while you both giggle uncontrollably between tender kisses, you cannot help but think how lucky you were to have him in your life. Perhaps you didn’t have the best relationship, but you knew as long as you had each other, you both would be okay.

[irwinkitten]

broken like me | l.h

notes: day five of the birthday fic week!! today is the lovely lu and the prompts are from @converse-luke!!  prompts: “I’ll keep you warm.” | “Why me?”  warnings: none, smidge of angst word count: 1.5k 

donate to my ko-fi here

-

You’d tried your hardest to let him go, to let go of your love for him. But it was abundantly clear that for the both of you, that would never work.

Although you were fiercely independent, the thought of not having Luke in your life gave you a sadness that really twisted your heart and pulled you down from whatever good feeling you were in at the time. 

The first time you felt like that, it had alarmed you. But then you realised that it was more just being around him, hearing the dumb jokes he’d make if it got too quiet. It was the feeling of being noticed in a room full of people that spoke over you. Luke gave you his full attention  and it had always been like that.

When he was on tour, unless he had work obligations, he was always able to shoot you a quick text. Some days you struggled with replying so he took it on him to send small things like memes he knew would make you smile.

And the time away from him did you some good. You found ways to enjoy life without relying on that small bit of happiness. And he understood that entirely.

And soon your friendship was easy sailing, with him on the road most of the months out of the year. But then he started falling. He was with the wrong friends, he ignored you for days. There had been a brutal arguement when he’d told you to fuck off, stating you weren’t his girlfriend or his minder.

Ashton had held you when you finally cried about that a week later, feeling your heart tear itself up. 

Luke had never realised how much he’d hurt you with his words but you stepped back from him then. You sent him one word responses and stopped answering him when he called you at four in the morning.

But then it changed.

The ringtone had woken you up, and glancing at the time, the numbers read two in the morning. You scowled as you noted the I.D and the last bit of patience you had, snapped.

“What do you fucking want? It’s two in the goddamn morning Lu.” You snapped into your phone, feeling tired mind and body protesting being woken up.

“Don’t know where I am. Need you and everyone left me.” His words were slurred and you could hear the slight hitch in his voice. Putting your phone onto speaker, you switched to the Find My Friends app, feeling relieved that he’d never stopped sharing that with you.

“I know where you are, Lu. Want me to call Ash?” He fell silent before a sob broke through on the phone and you realised it was bad.

“I’m on my way.” You finally got out once you were in the car. You stayed on the phone with him, keeping it hands free as he brokenly begged you not to leave him.

And part of you wondered if you could deal with this. 

But as you pulled up in the car, your headlights washing over his hunched over form, your resolve settled, knowing that you weren't going to leave him. Not when he needed someone to love him.

“Luke?” His head shot up and his eyes were bloodshot and tired, tear tracks running down his cheeks. His hair was dishevelled and his face looked gaunt.

You felt your heart break.

“C’mon, let's get you back to mine.” It was easy to coax him into the car, but he was clearly tense, his body taut like a loaded spring ready to go.

Once he was in your place, his body seemed to collapse in on itself and you could do nothing but watch as the man you called your best friend at one point, break down.

“Why are you so fucking kind? Why did you bother answering that call? Why me?” It took you a further fifteen minutes to get him into your spare room, silently promising that you’d tell him when he was sober.

So when the morning came and you checked in on him, you watched how he was sprawled across the bed, his feet hanging over the edge a little as he turned at the sound of the door opening, cracking open an eye.

“I’ll get some food on for you. When you’re ready for food come down. And when you’re ready to talk I’m here to listen.” And you headed downstairs with relative ease.

It didn’t take too long for him to come down for food, and once you’d both started eating, he finally opened up.

He talked about the arguments he was getting into, the way he was feeling about the band and his life. And it hurt you to hear him so desolate and broken.

You could see the weight pulling off his shoulders as he lifted the burden and by the time he fell silent, you had tears in your eyes.

“You asked me ‘why me?’ last night.” You started off, watching as he shrunk in on himself. And you couldn’t let him do that to himself.

Moving off the stool, you stood in front of him, forcing him to look at you.

“Why you? Because you’re like a warm coat in the dead of winter for me, Luke. You’re a comfort that I’ve never known existed till I met you. You’re my best friend and even though you’ve been such an asshole to me, to the others, I still care ‘bout you because someone needs to be in your corner. You were there when I broke. I’m not only returning the favour, but I’m making sure you know that you’re loved and cared for.” 

It took him a solid minute to process your words, tears falling down his cheeks once more before his arms wrapped around you, pulling you into the tightest hug. 

His head was resting on your chest, your chin resting on the top oof his head as your fingers carded through his curls. Breakfast lay long forgotten as he accepted your small form of comfort.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” The words were repeated as he held onto you tight and you realised that he hadn’t had someone say it to him outright. He knew his best mates loved him, but to hear that someone was in his corner was another thing entirely.

“Do you want to go home, or stay with me? Might even invite Ash around for dinner.” This earned a weak laugh, his arms finally loosening from your body and you leaned back a little, giving him some room to tilt his head back.

“If you utter the words ‘I’m sorry’ once more, I’ll shave your hair off.” The threat was empty, but he silently understood, giving you a small smile instead.

“Have I ever told you that you’re amazing?” He whispered instead and you grinned, leaning up and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“Once or twice, now let go of me you absolute giant, I’m hungry.” And as if on cue, your stomach rumbled loudly, making the two of you giggle.

Once breakfast was over, the two of you curled on the couch, and he began to tell you everything.

And it was in that moment that you knew that you were never going to give up on him, or loving him. 

And you were okay with that.

It was a few months later when you were trudging through the snow to Luke’s place, your body wrapped up to ward off the chill. There was no way you were driving on the first day of snowfall, so when you reached his, he laughed.

He looked so much better. His face had colour back in his cheeks and the haunted look he’d worn when you picked up that awful night had long since faded.

“Get in or you’ll freeze to death!” He chided you as you stepped in, greeting Petunia once your outer clothes were shed. You were still cold despite the warmth of the house, and Luke noticed you shivering so he pulled you into the living room, giving you no space to argue as he sat down and practically pulled you into his lap.

This made you laugh.

“I’ll be fine Lu!” You whined, groaning as he added in a blanket.

“Listen. You told me that I was like a warm jacket on a cold day. So be quiet. I’ll keep you warm.” And you could feel your embarrassment flood as you hid your face in the crook of his neck, his laughter at your reaction making you groan.

“I love and hate you.” 

“Love you too. We have a couple of hours before more guests, so just stay here and warm up.” He instructed. And as he added a blanket over the two of you, you couldn’t find any reasons to complain at all.

-

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[smugzayn]

Orange [2]

[part 1]

That private place Harry has in mind is a closet. 

“Harry,” you whine as he slams the door behind you and twists the lock. “This is absolutely ridiculous. We are not doing this - Hmph.” 

His big hand suddenly presses up against your mouth, muffling your voice, and effectively silencing you quiet. He pulls you tight against his body, the hard muscles of his stomach pressing into you, and your cheek pressing up tightly to the space in between his pecs. It’s familiar, and comforting, and you use both arms to push away as hard as you can. 

“Quiet,” he whispers gruffly, holding you even tighter. “He’s looking for you. Listen.” 

The sound of heavy, Gucci footsteps echo down the corridor and then right outside the door. After a brief pause, a loud curse, and something hard slamming against a nearby wall, you hear your boyfriend tell someone that he suspects you left with Harry. 

When Harry finally lets you go, it’s with hesitancy; he’s not sure if he’ll get to hold you again and it scares him. 

You, on the other hand, sit down in a huff on a pile of boxes after pressing out your dress and tugging your bag out from wherever it had gotten stuck in the shuffle. 

“Is this why you came here? To this event? Just to pull me in a closet to talk?”

Harry leans back against the door, running a hand down his already exhausted face. 

“Thought I hadn’t forgotten how stubborn y’were. Yet, here I am - amazed.”

You roll your eyes. 

“So,” he starts, looking away from you for a second. “You love him, then? The prat?” 

You stand up abruptly, taking a big step toward the door, and only stopping when his big frame blocks the path out. 

“M’joking! I’m joking,” he sits you back down with two firm hands on your rolled shoulders. “I just want to talk to you. Really.”

“Go ahead,” you hiss through your teeth. You hope your glare looks as vicious as you feel. You want him to feel some of the hurt you’ve been harboring over the last three months while he was jet-setting around the globe. While he was lulled to sleep by the soothing roar of a jet plane you shoved a fist in your mouth to muffle your cries from a man that shared your bed but couldn’t touch your heart. 

Harry stares at you bitterly, all traces of humour gone from his eyes. Maybe he realises the hurt in your eyes and the pain in your voice, or maybe feeling undeserved of the contempt all together, or maybe just masking the sad understanding that if he was just a normal business man like your boyfriend then it could all work out. 

You feel a lump beginning to build in your throat. 

“I thought we wanted the same thing,” he begins, pulling a box from behind him and sitting down gruffly. Your knees are just barely bumping against his. “I thought when we started that we were on the same page and I thought - Well, whatever I thought, I was way off.” 

You study his face for a long moment, speculating. The bitterness is still there - you wonder if it will ever completely leave his eyes again. 

Your jaw tightens as you speak. “I thought we would be equals. That you would occasionally pick up your life and be there for me just like I always was for you. Love sided love isn’t love. I can’t love someone that loves me because I will cancel that meeting, or not visit those friends, or skip my plans because suddenly there is a longer layover in Chicago or an added night in Paris.” 

He drops his head. His fringe falling to cover his eyes, so you can’t gauge his expression. 

“We can’t be together if we’re only together during the in-betweens. In between a performance, or a show, or a city.”

When he raises his head, his features are hard and flat. 

“Performing is my job,” he mutters angrily. “You always knew that. I thought it’s one of the thing you loved about me -”

“Of course it is!” 

“- So, then what changed?” He’s suddenly standing and his faces shifted from anger to agony in a second. One barely shaking hand rakes through his hair. “Because you loved me and now - now you don’t.”

You look away, the feeling of hot, burning tears welling in your eyes. You loved Harry for his passion, and his charm, and the way he’s always so light and easy to love. It was easy to drop your life for him, and then it wasn’t. 

“I love you, Harry. I’ve always loved you…” you struggle with what to add, your voice breaking as you fight to control your emotions. You hear it in Harry’s voice, too. There’s resentment, and confusion, and the sad understanding that you’ve both lost something you’ve been desperately, desperately trying to hold on to. “But I can’t do what we were doing before. I need my life, too.” 

There was no reaction that you could read on Harry’s face. No flutter of his eyelids, or quiver of his lips, or movement of his eyes. There was just a vacant face, staring at you. 

Your mobile suddenly buzzes, and you send the call to voicemail as you read the name on the screen. Your boyfriend can wait a minute longer, you’re too busy creating new nightmares to cry asleep to. 

“I should go,” you say in a weak voice. You try to take a step forward, to wrap your hand around the door handle just around Harry’s back, but you are stuck. 

“What do you want?” Harry demands suddenly, his hand wrapping around your slightly outstretched wrist, and his expression hardening into something determined. “Right now, what do you want?” 

You look up at him, the violent desire of his gaze catching you off guard and knocking the words out of your chest. If you told him the truth it would only hurt you both - again. It was useless to grasp at wishes and dreams when in reality it would only result in more unhappiness and hurt. 

“Say it!” Harry yells, startling you back into the moment. 

“I want to leave,” you lie. “I want to find my boyfriend, and I want to leave.” 

Stupid tears of betrayal escape the corner of your eyes as you say it, and the way you never pull away from Harry’s hold tells him the truth instantly. 

He raises one eyebrow in disbelief, but he releases your wrist from his grip.

You reach around him, using everything in your power to turn the lock and open the door. It isn’t any easier with your back to him, it just felt more poetic than anything. 

“I’m sorry, Harry,” you mutter brokenly as tears roll down your cheek. “I wish it could be different.”

You don’t hear what he says next because you open the door and are roughly pulled through the entryway by a strong pair of hands. The vice-like grip of your boyfriend’s hand wraps around your upper arm in the type of possessiveness that marks itself with bruises. 

It isn’t until a breath later, when Harry’s frame blocks the yellow light spilling into the hall, and your boyfriend’s toes are inches away from Harry’s that those parting words finally find clarity in your ears. 

“I wish it could be different” you had muttered hopelessly, abandoning those dreams that either of you could be happy any other way.  

Harry watched your back, saw the tears streaking black down your face, and heard the hurt in your words before promising, “It will be.” 

You’re too scared to hope he’s right.

[masterlist]