#i got this one toe on my left foot that curls inward behind the one next to it

[keitheaverage]

y’all remember

these

[intheticklecloset]

My Hero Academia Sentence Starters #11-20

A collection of the MHA sentence starters I've done, compiled for the sake of ease. These are all stand-alone stories.

~~~

11) Lee Kaminari, Ler Todoroki

“Get away from me,” Denki murmured into the pillow, shifting away from Todoroki. “You’re making me cold.”

Todoroki wrapped his left arm around the electric teen and pulled him back, pressing his face into his shoulder. “Come back, you’re leaving me cold.”

“Just use your other half to warm yourself up. Actually, warm us both up. You’re freezing.”

With a chuckle, Todoroki found the hem of Denki’s shirt and slid his hand under it, pressing his warm fingertips against his chest. “Better?”

“Mhm.” Denki sighed contentedly, then giggled. “Stop it, that tickles.”

“What? I’m just kissing you.” Todoroki pressed his lips to the back of Denki’s neck again, smirking. “You just can’t handle my love today.”

Denki giggled even louder, trying to squirm away but held firmly in place by Todoroki’s arm around his torso. “Stohohop…Todoroki…”

“You’re so ticklish.” This time, Todoroki used the hand that was already under Denki’s shirt to scribble along his ribs, chuckling when the blonde squeaked and squirmed even more. “Nuh-uh. You’re not getting away.”

“Nohohohoho!” Denki giggled frantically, beginning to kick his legs. “Lemme go! Todorokihihiehehehehe!”

“Mmm…but you’re so cozy,” Todoroki hummed, nuzzling into his shoulder and scribbling even more. “I don’t want to let you go.”

Denki whined, giggling and writhing, helpless to save himself. “Plehehehease, no mohohohore! Todoroki, please!”

“All right.” Todoroki stopped, resting his hand comfortably on Denki’s chest once more, getting settled as the big spoon behind him. “Just relax. I’ll keep you warm.”

*

12) Switches Kirishima and Todoroki

“You’ve never had a proper tickle fight?!” Kirishima exclaimed, staring at Todoroki, who lay curled up in a ball on the floor below him, still grinning widely from his brief tickle attack at Kiri’s hands.

Todoroki shook his head. “Tickling was never a thing we did in my family growing up. I didn’t even know I was ticklish until recently. So…no, I’ve never had a tickle fight.”

“But…but…” Kiri was incredulous. “Your siblings?”

“I never really hung out with them.”

Kiri shook his head. “This has got to change.” He slid onto the floor beside his friend. “Come on. Tickle me back. Let’s do this.”

“W-What…now?”

“Yes, now. There are wrongs that must be righted!”

“B-But…”

“Tickle me,” Kiri insisted, but when Todoroki didn’t move, he plunged his fingers into the boy’s ribs again. “Tickle me, or I’ll tickle you forever!”

“Aiehehehehehehehe!” Todoroki cackled, smiling wide and squirming on the floor. “Kiri!” Finally, he managed to reach up and scribble lightly along the redhead’s side. It didn’t really tickle, but for the sake of their play, Kiri pretended that it had by jerking back.

That was all the encouragement Todoroki needed. He lunged forward, latching his fingers into his sides and stomach, digging in deep and making Kirishima giggle brightly. “Thehehehehere! See? Thahahahahahat wasn’t so hahahahahahard!”

“How is this a tickle fight?” Todoroki asked, only to be sent into a fit of giggles himself when Kiri grabbed his hip.

“Because I’m going to keep tickling you back,” the redhead replied, pushing him onto the floor, “and you’re going to keep tickling me back, until one of us gives up. Hope you’re ready, Todoroki – I don’t go down without a good, long battle!”

*

13) Lee Sero, Ler Kaminari

“Wanna see a magic trick?”

Sero looked up from his book, blinking in surprise at Denki, who stood grinning at him. “Uh…sure.” He bookmarked his spot and set the volume aside. “Hit me.”

“Can I borrow some of your tape for this?”

“Sure…” Sero curled his elbow inward and started ejecting tape until Denki waved his hands, signaling that was enough. Then he was told to close his eyes. “How am I supposed to see the trick if my eyes are closed?”

“Just trust me,” Denki replied.

Sero closed his eyes. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, he was shoved backward against the chair, his own tape being wrapped harshly around him, pinning his arms at his sides so he couldn’t go anywhere. He snapped his eyes open, staring at Denki’s smirking face. “Dude! What was that for?” He struggled, but his tape was nothing if not strong. “What are you doing?”

Denki hunkered down by his feet and peeled both socks off, wiggling his fingers teasingly. “Heh…always wanted to see if you were ticklish.”

Sero’s eyes widened. “Wait! Wahahahahahahait!” He tossed his head back with crazed giggles, wiggling helplessly in the chair. “Nohohohohoho! Dehehehehenki!”

“You are ticklish! I knew it!” Denki only grew more enthused at the discovery, peeling his toes back and raking his nails up and down the sole of his bare foot, sending Sero into cackling fits of laughter. “Bakugou owes me a soda.”

“Stahahahahahahap it! Denki! Plehehehehehehease!” Sero cried, giggling and squirming but going nowhere fast. “Why ahahahahahre you dohohohoing this?!”

“Because I want to, duh,” Denki answered, laughing as well, dragging a nail down his arch slowly, torturously. “Plus, your smile is the brightest thing in the room right now, and I want to make sure it stays that way!”

*

14) Lee Bakugou, Ler Kirishima

“I bet I can break you with just one finger.” The words sent a shiver up Bakugou’s spine as Kirishima settled himself on his hips, smirking confidently. “Better get comfortable. We may be here a while.”

Bakugou’s heart began pounding in his chest. Kiri’s weight on top of him was making his insides do flips and cartwheels. He swallowed. “Ei, you’re being stupid.”

“I think you’re just afraid that I’ll make you giggle when you really, really don’t want to, grumpy pants.” Kiri held up a finger, wiggling it twice. “Tickle, tickle.” The redhead giggled himself when he saw how red his boyfriend got at the teasing words. “Aw, look at that blush~”

“Shut up.” Bakugou turned his face away, but that was a mistake, because the instant his guard was down, Kiri jabbed that wiggling finger into his underarm and dug in, forcing the blonde to let out a startled squawk and bite his lip to stifle his mirth. “Kiri! D-Don’t-!”

“Don’t what? Tickle you? But I’m determined to make you smile, grumpy. So I’m sorry, but you’ll just have to deal with it.”

“I hate you.”

“I love you, too.” Kirishima leaned back comfortably, smirking, still wiggling that finger in Bakugou’s armpit, watching him squirm and smile and try not to break so easily. Eventually, however, the blonde had no choice but to let out some of his pent-up ticklish frustration by chuckling slightly, twisting his face into the pillow to try and hide it. “Uh-oh~ Was that a giggle?”

“No, idiot.”

“I think it was.”

“It wasn’t.”

“Too bad.” Kirishima ditched his pretense and vibrated his fingertips into his boyfriend’s belly and ribs, grinning when laughter finally burst out of his angry blonde. “Guess I’ll have to take it up a notch.”

*

15) Lee Deku, Ler Todoroki

“Wow, you’ve got such an infectious giggle!”

Deku whimpered, arching his back against Todoroki’s chest as he dragged his fingers up and down his sides and ribs. The teasing words made him feel ten times more flustered. He even let out a little snort as he giggled.

“Was that a snort?” Todoroki asked, chuckling, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him closer. He pressed his lips to Deku’s neck. “You’re so adorable it’s killing me, Izuku.”

“Dohohon’t say that,” Deku whined, but it was clear to his boyfriend that he was loving all of this attention.

“But it’s true.” Todoroki kept pressing little kisses to Deku’s neck, making the poor boy giggle and squirm, being driven insane from the light, tickly touches while also never wanting them to end.

Deku let out a small, contented sigh in the midst of his gentle laughs, and Todoroki wanted to just squeeze him so hard for how adorable he was being.

“God, Izuku, you’re killing me,” Todoroki murmured, teasingly pinching his hip and making him jerk in surprise.

“Todoroki,” Deku whined, “not there.”

“I can’t help it. I want to hear you laugh. I want to feel you move.”

“T-There are other ways…!”

Todoroki paid him no mind, gently pinching his hip again, smiling against his neck at the loud yelp Deku let fly. “Not tonight, there aren’t.”

*

16) Lee Todoroki, Ler Deku

“Aw, does this kiss tickle?”

Todoroki giggled hysterically. “No!”

“Then why are you laughing so much?” Deku chuckled, pressing another kiss to the spot right below Todoroki’s ear, grinning when the half-and-half hero gasped sharply before letting out another breathy snicker.

“F-Feheheheheels…” Todoroki tried to explain without using the word ‘ticklish’ but simply couldn’t do it. He squeaked when Deku nuzzled his other ear in the same spot. “Fuhuhuhuhunny…”

“Funny, hmm?” Deku smiled, pressing a kiss to Todoroki’s lips this time. “Don’t you mean ticklish?”

“It d-doesn’t…tickle…”

“You sure?”

Todoroki averted his gaze, lips twitching in an effort not to smile.

Deku hummed, dragging his thumbs down to draw tiny, precise circles in his boyfriend’s underarms. Todoroki let out a strangled noise and shot his arms down, throwing his head back against the pillow. “N-No, dohohon’t do thahahat!”

“Why not?” Deku started kissing his now exposed neck in tandem with the little circles. “Does it tickle?”

“Yehehehehehes!”

“Aww, well, why didn’t you just admit it from the beginning?” Deku smirked, biting his ear playfully. “Now I’ll have to show you what really tickles.”

*

17) Lee Kirishima, Ler Bakugou

“You asked for it!”

“I know! But I – I don’t think I can – WAIT, NOHOHOHOHOHO!!” Kirishima screeched with laughter, desperately wishing he could squirm or flail but unable to do either.

Bakugou nibbled mercilessly on his ribs, holding his arms above his head by the elbows and lying on top of him so he couldn’t move at all. He smirked at the sounds he was producing. “Aw, what’s wrong, Kiri? A little too ticklish for this?”

“I AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAM!! I AM – PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!!” Kiri gasped in grateful breaths of air when Bakugou stopped and propped his head on his boyfriend’s stomach, grinning up at him. “Please, I can’t…I can’t take it, Katsuki…”

“You literally asked me to do this.”

“I know!”

“You can’t take it back now.”

“But it tickles too much! I can’t – NO NOT AGAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAIN!!”

Bakugou laughed between nibbles. “Dang, spiky hair, you can’t stand it!”

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!! PLEASE STAHAHAHAHAP!!”

Instead, the blonde took a big breath and started blowing raspberries along his boyfriend’s ribs.

Kiri screamed with laughter. “NOHOHOHOHOHOHO THAT’S WOHOHOHOHOHRSE!! KATSUKIEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE STAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!!”

“No way,” Bakugou teased. “You asked for this.”

“BUT I CAHAHAHAHAHAN’T--!!”

“And if you really wanted me to stop, you’d be saying ‘strawberry.’ So sorry, Ei, but you’d better get comfortable. I’m just getting started~”

*

18) Lee Kaminari, Ler Kirishima

“This is a form of training! C’mon, just take it!”

“I CAHAHAHAHAHAHAN’T!! THIS ISN’T TRAHAHAHAHAHAINING!!” Kaminari squealed, laughing hard into the grass, pulling at his own hair to try and ground himself somehow. Kirishima was sitting on his calves, scribbling over the backs of his knees, and Denki was pretty sure he was going to lose his mind if the redhead didn’t stop soon. “KIRI THIHIHIHIHIHIS IS TORTUHUHUHUHRE!!”

“You can do it, man,” Kiri teased, smirking up at Mina, who sat beside them with a huge grin on her face from the cute scene. “How much time does he have left?”

“Forty-five seconds,” she replied.

It had only been a minute and fifteen seconds since Kiri started?! Denki wailed, wishing he could roll over or clutch his stomach or something, but he wasn’t going anywhere. “PLEASE I CAHAHAN’T LAHAHAHAHAHAST THAT LONG!! KIRIHIHIEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!”

Mina giggled at him. “You said you could take it, Denki. Come on, you’re so close! Just thirty more seconds!”

“I TAHAHAHAHAHAHAKE IT BAHAHAHAHAHACK!!” Denki pounded the ground with his fists, crying with laughter. “I’M NOHOHOHOHOHOHOT STROHOHOHOHONG ENOUGH!! PLEHEHEHEHEASE STAHAHAHAHAHAHP!!”

Kirishima glanced at Mina’s phone, saw he had twenty seconds remaining. “You are strong enough, Kaminari. You’re proving it right now! Just fifteen more seconds!”

Denki squealed and thrashed and laughed and begged and everything in between, feeling like he was dying all the while, amazed he hadn’t blown a fuse yet. When everything finally came to a stop and Kiri climbed off of him, he giggled tiredly into the grass, groaning, gasping for breath. “D-Don’t…dohohoho that agahahahain…”

Kiri and Mina exchanged amused glances. “Then don’t make bets you can’t follow through on, buddy.”

*

19) Lee Sero, Ler Kaminari

“It’s just a back massage,” Denki said with a smirk, knowing full well what he was doing. “Why’re you laughing so much?”

“Gohohohohohod dahahahang it, Denki,” Sero giggled, gripping his shoulders with everything he had. “It tickles, thahahahahahat’s why!”

Sero was lying on his stomach with his arms folded in front of him, chin resting on them. Denki was sitting next to him, gently massaging his fingers into his friend’s back, focusing on the knots of tension the tape hero had formed over the last couple of days of intense training. At first everything had been going just fine, but then Denki decided to try electrostimulation therapy and, well…

“Stohohohohohohop,” Sero pleaded, burying his face in his arms but still refusing to bring them down. “It tihihihihihihickles!”

“But is it helping?” Denki asked, grinning at how stubborn his friend was being about not moving, not even squirming. “Do you feel better?”

“Thahahahahat’s not the pohohohohoint!”

“I don’t hear you denying it.”

“Denki, plehehehehehease!” Sero gasped sharply, gripping his shoulders so hard his fingernails left imprints when the blonde reached his lower back. “Dohohohohon’t – nohohohohot there!”

“You know, you’re protesting an awful lot for someone who seems to be enjoying this,” Denki teased, switching from his light electric shocks to wild scribbling, enjoying the fresh round of giggles he produced.

Sero whined into his arms, snickering uncontrollably. “Shuhuhuhuhut up…”

*

20) Lee Shigaraki, Ler Dabi

“Stay still, boss!”

Shigaraki growled, clenching his free hand into a fist while he struggled to keep from touching Dabi with all five fingers with his captured hand. “Did you have to draw the map on me?” he snapped, pounding his fist into his knee to make up for having to keep his palm still.

Dabi smirked, dragging the marker up and down Shigaraki’s open palm, drawing a pretty darn good map, if he did say so himself. “Don’t have any paper around, do we, boss? I’m being resourceful. You’re welcome.”

Shigaraki glared at him. “Just hurry up.”

“You can’t rush me,” Dabi protested, focusing his marker on a particular spot right in the center of Shigaraki’s open palm that made him twitch, making the line as black as humanly possible.

“Ugh, knock it off,” Shigaraki demanded, gripping his knee with his free hand now, clenching his teeth to keep his mirth at bay. He hated that he was so ticklish here. He hated that he was ticklish at all. “Dabi, what are you—HEY!!”

Suddenly Dabi abandoned the marker entirely and gripped his wrist firmly, drilling his fingers into his open side. Shigaraki jerked and twisted, but Dabi’s firm grip made sure he stayed in place.

“Stop! What are you--?!”

“Ticklish, boss?”

Shigaraki blanched. “N-No! Get – get off of me--!” Then Dabi grabbed his thigh, pressing his thumb into the spot where it met his hips, and Shigaraki couldn’t stop the bark of laughter that escaped him. “Nohohohoho! Dabi! I demahahahahand that you stohohohop!”

“Not pushing me away, though, are you?”

“Do you wahahahahant to dihihihie?!” Shigaraki shoved at him with the heel of his free palm, careful not to touch him completely. “Ohohohohoff! Off! Stahahahahap!”

Dabi finally let up and let him go, sitting back with a lazy smirk. “Gotcha.”

[buck-nialled]

Undertow- S. Mendes (I)

CH I: Catastrophe at the Cove 

The ceaseless crashes of Hawaii’s waves and the drowned cheering coming from shore were all white noise to Shawn now. He was enraptured in the scratchy velcro lassoing his ankle. The sea breeze made his nostrils burn with great intensity, and complemented by the golden rays beaming down onto his body—slathered in SPF 50 and donning a wetsuit—he felt tears begin stinging his eyes as they balanced on the brim of his eyelids. It was like his body was challenging him who could stay upright longer on this never-ending trapeze act: the threatened onslaught of tears or his body on the gun.

With his eyes transfixed on the approaching curl of water, his body flipped in autopilot as he adjusted his legs and shifted the full weight of his trunk. The audience’s murmured words of fascination morphed rapidly to cheers as he climbed the steep undulate, pivoting his body before taking the drastic plunge down through the foam. Keeping his stare trained on the blue surface, Shawn can vaguely understand the announcer’s voice through the speakers on the sand. But he knows exactly what tricks have been screamed into the microphone for the last seven minutes while he has been doing them. Every few seconds his feet remained planted to the board, Shawn’s eyes would flicker over to the other competition around him. He sensed their reciprocated side-eyes as well but maintained his equilibrium.

“Getting nervous, Mendes? It hasn’t even been ten minutes!” Wesley taunted, catching waves lateral to Shawn. The boy only grumbled to himself, biting his lip to net all of the swears he wanted to throw back at his competitor. Wesley was Shawn’s largest adversary on the sea. People on the shore who barely know the two boys’ names could perceive the tension between them. He and Shawn were no strangers to the long-lasting feud either. They would alternate between who came out victorious or runner-up in every contest they shared (which was all of them). But Shawn was determined to be unpredictable this year. While his exterior goal to take home a cash prize and trophy were transparent, the inward objective to knock Wesley’s ego and stature on the island down a few pegs, he was determined to keep concealed.

Somehow Wesley wriggled out of his parents' demands to attend university in exchange for a full-time lifeguard job. Shawn felt envy still crawl inside of him each time he looked up from the sand sticking to his toes to see the man waving down at Shawn in his red-painted throne with a smirk. And the green that would cloak Shawn’s cheeks when he passed by could not be more apparent. He would do anything to just sit by the sea and bask in Hawaii’s warmth, day in and day out with no woes about when his next biology assignment on the island’s flora would be due. Nobody saw through the facade Wesley was so keen in dressing himself up in; a pair of designer sunglasses, overpriced board to add to his collection of six, and swim trunks hung all too low on his hips, whenever Shawn caught a glimpse of the man’s v-line unwillingly he experienced a heightened level of nausea.

A recognizable splash and groan were heard, alerting Shawn that yet another contestant had wiped out. Whispered roars sounded from the huddle of bodies on the sand, both for the fallen surfer and encouragement for Shawn and Wesley.

Shawn’s breathing began to pick up as his eyes zoned in on nearby terrain. The rock jutted out of the water and stood tall, the lip of it glaring back at Shawn as he maneuvered his body to perform a cutback to save time. The Cove was a hazardous area to be approaching, surfer, or not. Habitants of the island always spoke of the jagged processes lining the interior and hostile, branching coral that leave lacerations on any venturer’s foot if they dare get sucked into the small bay. Especially at high tide is when most warn beach-goers to keep a safe distance as drowning is a likely possibility when strong currents are present.

Shawn proceeds to twist his body and bend lower to maintain his well-built momentum. Upon exhibiting the cutback with appraised technique, the announcer’s voice begins narrating his moves once more. Halfway through his announcement and Shawn’s introduction to a new wave, the deep voice grows in awe by a new sight. Wesley, who was now feet ahead of Shawn and to his right, slightly closer to shore lurches his body into the air, grasping his board along as he displays a perfect aerial for the crowd's eyes. Gasps leave everyone's lips as the announcer continues, and Shawn’s hopes of winning are drastically deflating when Wesley’s board cuts into the water and keeps gliding without fail.

“Where’d he learn to do that?” Shawn whispers, before snapping his head back and eliciting a yelp. The nose of his board is halted by the stone protruding from the blue and the man finds himself being catapulted further into the water and off of his board seconds later. Exclamations of terror coming from the audience turned muffled as the waves engulfed Shawn’s frame and the current pulled him under alongside his surfboard.

Y/N grumbled and flipped her body on one of the flat rocks located inside of the small cave as another rambunctious applause woke her. She curled her legs upward to her chest and trembled with each splash of water that crashed onto the rock and kept the flowing, white dress damp on her body.

These surf competitions happened way too often in her opinion. It felt like there was a new kind of surfing event every two weeks, breaking the usual quiet of the cove she liked to hang out in. It was nice to watch the competitions every once in a while, but on days like these, she wished she could sleep without the noise.

She let out a groan as she sat up, rubbing her hands over her eyes and stretching her legs. She could see some of the surfers from where she sat, making a face when she saw one fall off his board. His face popped out of the water soon after, eyes in the direction of the cove. Y/N slinked into the shadows, trying to keep herself concealed. People seeing her would lead to questions.

Who are you?

Why are you in here instead of shore?

What are you, a mermaid, or something?

The last one would be a joke to the person asking, but not to Y/N.

She scooted over to a corner located a little further back, hoping to get a better view of what was going on. Even if she was annoyed with them, watching the events brought some excitement to what was usually a fairly boring day.

There were only a few people left, all of them seeming to be unbothered by the other contestant going down. She wondered how they did it sometimes: ignoring all the cheers and splashes while executing insane tricks and keeping their balance. She had to admit, it was a little insane.

A peculiar stream of water captured her stare, and she immediately felt her muscles clench up. Slowly, she reached beside her to clutch the abandoned fishing knife she uncovered from the seafloor on one of her many late-night swims. The stream jetted straight towards her, encouraging her to lift her knife higher, and steady her position. By the sight of the rubbery gray bottlenose exiting the depths, she relaxed immediately and sent a look of disdain to the dorsal-finned creature.

“Douglas, what are you doing here?” She receives the usual squeak in reply, the young bottlenose sparing her a sheepish smile.

“You can’t be following me, they’re probably still looking for me.” Y/N grumbled, rolling her eyes and splaying out across the hard surface. Douglas responds with a series of clicks the girl translated within a matter of seconds. Her head turned to face the bottlenose, looking less than amused by the information.

“Well tell my dad that he can take his little search team and--” A pained groan perks her ears up. She sat up on the platform and slowly scooted to the ledge, leaning over to see a man being sucked in her direction by the current.

“Someone’s coming. Go!” She demands in a hiss to Douglas, who chirps in protest.

“No, I don’t think Harry Styles filmed Watermelon Sugar here.” She says. Another series of clicks sounds before she rushes, “yes, I’ll get you his autograph if I see him. Promise, now shoo!” She waves off the bottlenose, who happily swims away with a future gift on his mind. Another wail, now sounding closer in proximity, has Y/N shifting further into the platform’s corner in hopes the shadowy inlet would hide her well enough for the disoriented-sounding human.

She hesitated before peeking her head out to see who the noises were coming from.

What if it’s a trick?

Her father seemed very adamant about finding her. Y/N got news from Douglas within the first two days she ran away that he sent a search party after her. She told the dolphin multiple times that he needed to stop following her around in case someone used him to find her, but he refused to leave her alone. He scared her every time he came up to talk, but she couldn’t deny that it was nice to have someone to talk to every so often.

She was well aware of the lengths her father would go to find her. It wasn’t like he was the worried father whose daughter disappeared out of the blue. She hadn’t left on good terms and she knew he was only going after her to get his revenge for the humiliation she was sure to have caused.

Another groan and the splashing of water broke Y/N out of her thoughts. She gripped her knife tighter. Her head slipped out ever so slightly around the corner, eyes transfixing on the large figure that was a little too close for comfort.

The wetsuit and surfboard floating behind him told you that he was likely one of the people from the competition. He was laying in the shallow water, brown curls soaked as he struggled to get himself upright. He eventually got himself into a sitting position on a nearby rock, pulling his foot up to examine the bottom of it. Y/N could see the red gashes from where she stood, feeling sorry for the poor surfer. He was struggling to get the board close to him so he could untie it from his other ankle. He wasn’t trying for long, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair.

He was just going to have to wait for the rescue team. That would probably take a while, considering how dangerous the area was. His eyes scanned the area around him. Y/N threw herself against the stone wall when he looked at her, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. He didn’t see her, thankfully, and she contemplated whether or not she should help him.

On the one hand, he looked like he needed help. She could help him get his board off and get him out of the water so he wasn’t enduring the sun’s scorch while he waited for help.

On the other hand, part of her was still convinced this was a well-plotted plan to get her back to her father. Who knew who this boy was?

He put his head in his hands and she felt her heart drop. She didn’t even know him, yet some strange part of her was drawn to him. She slowly emerged from behind the wall, dipping her foot in the water. He lifted his face from his hands and she froze, worried he somehow managed to hear her. After a few seconds, he put his head back down and Y/N continued submerging herself.  

She silently swam over to his board, seeing that it managed to get tangled in the coral. She dislodged the board and rope and kept the board over her head as she guided it over to the surfer. She stopped once he was close enough to grab the board, waiting for him to take hold before she could swim away. She rose out of the water up to her eyes when she didn’t feel a tug, pushing the board into his leg. His head shot up, glancing at the surfboard before he caught sight of her. He jumped, falling back onto his hands and feeling the jagged rock cut into them. Y/N immediately sunk back into the water, swimming as quickly as she could back to the cove.

Shawn stared at the board in shock. Was there just a girl there or did he hit his head that hard? He pulled the board all the way over to him and untied the rope from his ankle. It was a little red from being rubbed so much but it seemed fine otherwise.

He heard a soft clang from behind him, making him whip his head around to see what it was. He was surprised to see a girl in a white dress climbing onto the rock, whispering something to herself.

“Hey!” he shouted to her. The girl visibly froze, eyes wide and focused on the ground. She looked towards him and saw him staring right at her, causing her to grab something on the rock and dart into a part of the cave he couldn’t see.

“Wait, come back!” he called as if that alone was going to be enough to bring her back. “Please? I just need to thank you.”

Y/N placed her hand over her heart, praying that the boy was a harmless surfer. She could hardly make out his voice over the sound of her breathing. Her knuckles were white from gripping her knife so tightly and her eyes were screwed shut.  

“If you don’t come out, I’m coming in.” He wasn’t exactly sure how effective that would be. It wasn’t meant to be a threat, even though it sounded exactly like one. He wasn’t even sure how he would get in there, considering how beat up his foot was.

Y/N weighed her options. Him coming in wasn’t playing out well in her head and her coming out meant she might be able to escape should the need arise. She took a deep breath, dropped her knife, and stepped out from behind the wall.

Shawn smiled at the sight of her. “Thanks.”

She shot him a thumbs-up, causing him to chuckle. “You got it.”

Her voice was angelic. He couldn’t point out what it was, but there was something that made him want to hear her talk every day for the rest of his life; all she had said was three words.

She felt uncomfortable under his stare, lowering her eyes to her feet and biting her lip.

“Can you come over here? I want to see my hero.” He cringed as the words came out of his mouth. He was well aware it sounded like a cheesy line from some romantic movie, but he wasn’t sure what else to say in the situation.

Y/N’s gut told her to step back into the cove; that allowing this person to see her, even more, wouldn’t end well. Despite all the warning bells going off in her head, she stepped out into the sunlight, now no more than five feet away from him.

Shawn wasn’t sure what to say. He was suddenly faced with the stranger who saved him and his brain was a jumbled mess.

She offered a small smile, swinging her foot to splash him with a few droplets of water. “You’re not here to kidnap me, right?”

“No?” he laughed. “What are you doing in the cove?”

“Would you believe me if I said I was exploring?”

“Since you phrased it like that, no. Not to mention that it’s pretty dangerous over here. I find it hard to believe that you willingly came over here without getting hurt.”

“Some of us are more athletically inclined than others.” She took a few steps closer to him, sitting down and pulling her knees into her chest.

“Fair enough.” He looked out across the ocean, seeing Wesley perform yet another perfect trick. It appeared that everyone had already forgotten about him. “I’m pretty sure no human being in their right mind would voluntarily come over here though.”

“And what makes you think you know me so well? You don’t even know my name.”

Shawn turned his gaze over to her, met with a suave look from the girl next to him. “Most people are concerned with not dying. You look adventurous but you also look like you value your life.” He shrugged. “What is your name?”

“Looks can be deceiving,” she pointed out. “But you make a fair point. The name’s Y/N.”

“Shawn.”

“Well, Shawn, you also look like you value your life. May I ask why you are sitting here on this rock with some serious gashes on your foot?” She let go of one of her legs, allowing it to stretch into the water.

“I was in a surfing competition ten minutes ago but a rock caught me off guard, launched me off my board, and the current pulled me in. Now, I get to watch my rival shred the rest of the competition.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Quite. Why are you here?”

The simple question caught her off guard. The bells went off again, telling her what a terrible idea this was. The fact that she was in the open world was enough. Was it worth it to expose herself? She knew deep down that it was a bad idea. She also had some deep feeling that she could trust Shawn.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“It can’t be that crazy.”

“You say that but-” Y/N was interrupted by a splash of water. She quickly noticed Douglas floating a short distance away. “Douglas, what are you doing here?” Douglas responded with a few clicks and Y/N’s face fell.

Shawn gave her a confused look. He could let the weird cove lurking slide, but talking to a dolphin? Something was up.

“What do you mean they’re almost here?” she asked, eyes frantically darting around as a feeling of dread took over. Douglas used his tail to motion at a raft that was slowly drifting towards the cove. Y/N’s eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet. It was too late, she knew. People had already seen her.

“What’s up? Are you a mermaid or something?” Shawn joked, using his hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he looked up at her.

“Uh…” The booming shouts begin growing in their volume. “No comment.” Y/N feels a tightening in her throat as she spares a glance down to her white, bedazzled gown. Anybody from below would recognize the fabric to be from royalty. Her eyes darted back to the bottlenose.

“Douglas, I need you to distract them.” With a few clicks, his rubbery head is submerged in the depths and he is hopping back towards the raft with a few splashes. Her eyes meet Shawn’s next, and he is staring at her with creased brows.

“Okay, here’s the deal. I’m gonna take this dress off and we’re gonna get back to shore.”

“Um, you-you don’t need to--” The man’s breath hitched seconds later when Y/N ignored his suggestions to remain clothed and began shedding herself of the gown. “Okay, and you’re doing it.” He spins around to shield his eyes from her stripping. All she donned at this point was a pair of damp panties and a makeshift band, constructed with pieces of weaved seaweed to wrap around her breasts.

“Look, Y/N, is it? I’m loving the determination and everything. But that current is too strong to push through. We’re just gonna have to--”

“Shawn, if you don’t get on this board I will not hesitate to leave you behind.” She heard him release a weak sigh and caught sight of his shoulders hunching. Shawn’s eyes peek at his still-injured foot and a sharp wince left him as he tried standing on it. Y/N bit her lip and observed the raft from the distance, finding Douglas’s nose trying to bounce it the opposite direction without being noticed by the confused men aboard.

Swiftly, Y/N clutched her blade and ran to the edge of the cove, submerged herself in the blue, eyes frantically searching for seaweed. Shawn’s hazardous shouts from above to watch for the coral made her roll her eyes. Amateur, she thinks to herself, as her eyes landed on the swaying green which was a similar color to the strands lining her breasts. She brings the knife to the plant and slices a strand clean from its place in the ground.

Shawn yelps as she reappears in front of him, bobbing up and down in the shallow waters. She holds up the seaweed with a proud smile, before sparing a glance at his left sole. The man clenched his teeth and elicited a loud hiss when Y/N cupped a small amount of saltwater in her hands to cleanse his wounded flesh. Afterward, she securely wrapped the greenery around the gashes, tying it in a secure knot at the top of his foot.

“Shawn,” his eyes opened and stayed focused on hers, “we need to go. Now.” He decided to leave questions for later and wasted no time clamoring onto his board. Y/N situated herself behind him, and Shawn could not choke down his snickers when she advised him to hold on tight.

“Please, honey, this isn’t my first time riding one of these.”

“It sure seemed like it ten minutes ago.” She grumbled, meeting Douglas’s eyes as his head popped out from the water. She sent him a small nod, a cue for the dolphin to halt his diversion of the raft while her hand grazed the top of the water.

“Ready?” Albeit Shawn could not see her lifted brow, the questioning lilt in her voice was enough for his forehead to wrinkle in puzzlement once more.

“Ready for wha--” A loud yell cut off his unfinished question, as Y/N worked the currents silently to surge the two back to the shoreline.

“Hey, Wes!” Shawn shouted while zooming past his competitor—already declared victor—yet wanting to show off. Water gushes from behind him and Y/N, earning a confused stare from Wesley as he snaps his neck to earn a better look at the woman’s backside.

“Huh?” Wesley exclaims before the wave he was targeting moments before turned against him and resulted in his unfortunate wipeout. As they neared the water’s edge, Y/N slowed the waves’ motions and, in turn, the board’s speed. Celebratory cheers rang about at the sight of Shawn’s reappearance but soon died down from the sight of the foreign face sitting behind him. Scattered whispers drifted through the crowd, eyes scanning over Y/N’s figure in question.

Shawn was the first to step off the board with a groan and take a few steps closer to the sand. Before he treads completely onto the grainy terrain, he held an outstretched hand for Y/N, who was still sitting on the board. Her wrinkled palm embraced Shawn’s as she delivered him a gracious smile. The two continued their departure from the waters together, Y/N dragging the surfboard behind her by its string. When their feet planted themselves on the warm sand, Shawn was immediately met with a hug from another man donning swim trunks and Y/N with a towel.

“Here you are, dear.” One of the islanders greeted with a kind smile. Y/N inhaled sharply and held the dagger tightly in her grip, but made no further moves. There were far too many witnesses for such a casualty to occur, and even if the woman’s intentions were not out of malice, Y/N was desperate for a new wardrobe that excluded her drowned white wedding gown. After cloaking herself with the soft fabric and sparing the samaritan a gracious smile, her eyes drifted over to Shawn. He broke away from the hug and allowed his eyes to meet Y/N’s apprehensive ones. Clearly, a crowd of people this large was something foreign to her. He stepped closer to her and placed a comforting hand against the towel shielding her back and began to speak.

“Everybody, this is Y/N. I found her when I landed in the cove…” Slowly, Shawn’s eyes moved down to his bandaged foot. Many eyed followed, gazing down wondrously at the makeshift aid before following the man’s stare back up to Y/N. “She saved my life.” He announced with a proud smile. More cheers rang out from the audience. Y/N only spared a shy smile at the praises, before the two survivors were escorted to professional medical attention.

Look out for the next part of Undertow coming 1/29/2021!

join the taglist so you can be the first to read what happens next

[no-mourners-at-my-funeral]

Careful - One Shot

Summary: Why did she even care? She told herself it was because her reputation relied on him. As long as Kaz Brekker was considered dangerous, his little spy would be feared as well. And fear was the surest form of respect. Without him, she could very well end up back where she started, or maybe somewhere worse. But it was more than that. She didn’t want him to die because… because…

Pairing: Kanej (Kaz Brekker & Inej Ghafa)

Warnings: Violence, Implied PTSD

Author’s Note: This is my submission for @weeklygrishaprompts​‘s Week 1 challenge. The prompt was to have a torn piece of clothing, counting down from ten, and hiding under a bed or in a closet. I hope I got this part right, at least. I notice that in the books, it’s always Kaz freaking out when Inej is injured, so I decided to reverse that, so now Inej is freaking out while Kaz is injured. Enjoy!

ALSO AVAILABLE ON AO3.

Careful

There was an itch on Inej’s foot.

She had been hiding under the bed for the better part of an hour. Laying under her back, barely breathing as she listened to the conversation going on around her. If anyone found her here, she could be killed for breaking parlay conduct. Kaz could very well suffer the same fate.

“You’re in too deep, Brekker,” the Razorgull leader, Oller, was saying. He had a quiet voice, product of a throat injury that had happened when he was young. But listen to him, he still sounded so much more mature than the boy he was dealing with. “My advice? Find a nice job in the country. Something that will keep you off of your feet.” Inej imagined the older man giving a pointed glance to Kaz’s bad leg.

To his credit, Kaz didn’t seem to react to Oller’s taunts, if they could even be called that. “Oller, we both know that isn’t going to happen,” he replied smoothly. “And definitely not while your gang is poking their noses where they shouldn’t be.”

“Poking our noses where they shouldn’t be?” Oller gave a wheezy chuckle. “Oh, I wholeheartedly disagree. We have every right to be involved in your little schemes. You think no one will notice, but I see you. You’re a smart kid, really Brekker, and I have to applaud you for that.”

A rat scuttled behind Inej’s head, and she bit her lip. The Drekig Hotel was utterly filthy, inside and out, infested with rats and all manor of deplorable creatures. But it was also neutral territory, a good place to meet when you wanted to make less-than-legal dealings in secrecy. Gang bosses would often meet here when they didn’t want prying ears listening in on their conversations, when they didn’t much desire the fanfare of the Exchange.

Currently, Kaz and Oller were sitting at a small, flimsy little wooden table in the corner of the hotel room. From where she was laying under the bed, Inej could see their feet - Oller’s toes twitching whenever Kaz spoke, as if he was having to restrain himself from punching the younger man in the face. Inej knew the feeling. And Kaz’s feet, utterly relaxed, bad leg stretched out at a comfortable angle, cane leaning against the wall beside him. Thoroughly relaxed.

She knew that Kaz would be keeping a calm composure, but she also knew that internally, he was probably seething in frustration. He had been going in circles with Oller for the better part of an hour now, with little success. At least he had managed to get Oller to admit that he was attempting to spy on the Dregs (or their private coffers, more than likely), but even that felt like a meaningless victory.

“It’s not a matter of every right , Oller,” Kaz was saying. “Saying you have a right to something implies that there might be some good in this world to ensure that right. Maybe that was how it was in the old times, but well, that’s why they’re called the old times.”

Oller’s foot flexed. His composure was cracking, bit by bit. Like the tide hammering away at a stone wall. Eventually, the tide would win. “Well, Mister Brekker,” the older man replied, “I must admit, you are a brilliant one. Could’ve made a beautiful contribution to the Razorgulls. Almost makes me sad about what I have to do next.”

Inej’s eyes widened. She realized what was going to happen a second before it did. Before she could even hear a reaction from Kaz, she had slid out from under the bed in one fluid movement. She jumped to her feet just as the door swung inwards, revealing a group of Razorgull lieutenants, crammed into the small hallway.

Oller let out a brief choking sound at the sight of her in the hotel room before recovering from the shock. He turned to his soldiers. “Well?” he hissed. “What are you waiting for?”

There was no time to plan anything. She exchanged a glance with Kaz, and he gave her a small nod.

The room was small, and Inej hated fighting in the enclosed space. She had pulled out two of her knives - Sankta Alina and Sankt Petyr - and was moving as gracefully as she could with the area she had. A Razorgull pulled a knife on her, and she ducked down, slashing at the exposed skin on the back of his ankle. He let out a yelp as blood spurted from the spot. She came up behind him, giving him a good whack over the head, and he fell over.

The fight felt like a dance, like a routine she might have performed on the trapeze, once upon a time. The Razorgulls had no grace to them, but they were all several times larger than her, and they were strong, and quite a few of them had guns. She could only spare Kaz a few glances, but he was holding his own. She had to trust that they could both do this.

She saw a Razorgull raising his gun before Kaz did, and lunged forward, jabbing Sankt Petyr into the man's throat. He choked, and Inej cringed. She hadn’t meant to kill him. But then he was falling to the ground.

She didn’t see his finger curling around the trigger until it was too late. A gunshot rang through the room, and she let out a gasp, bracing for the pain. But none came.

And then she turned, and saw Kaz, blood already staining his black vest. Dimly, she was aware that the Razorgulls were retreating, their job seemingly complete, but she couldn’t concentrate on that through the ringing in her ears. Kaz was glancing down at his wound, eyebrow raised, as if he hadn’t realized he was even capable of being injured. Inej hadn’t thought he could, either, she realized.

She came to her senses as the last Razorgull ran down the hallway. She threw one of her knives, and it stuck into his back, and the man collapsed. For once, she didn’t stop to say a prayer to her saints for the man’s life. She was already moving towards Kaz.

“We need to get you to the Slat,” she said, moving a hand to Kaz’s wound. He swatted her hand away.

“Don’t touch me,” he hissed, but his voice was shaking, and he already looked paler than normal.

“You aren’t going to make it back if you don’t put pressure on that,” Inej tried. Kaz gave her a stormy look, before pressing a gloved hand against the spot. “And we need to get you back to the Slat. Or to Nina.”

Kaz shook his head. “No,” he gasped. “There’s a safehouse a couple blocks away. It’s closer.” And it’s away from prying eyes , is what he didn’t say, but he didn’t have to. Inej understood what it meant to appear weak in front of others. Do that, and they might always think of you that way. And Kaz couldn’t live with the humiliation.

Inej nodded. “Okay,” she agreed. “We’ll go there.”

Kaz attempted to take a step forward and let out a small noise that reminded Inej of an injured bird. His hand clenched over his wound. And Inej moved forward again, placing her hand on his side.

“I said don’t touch me,” Kaz growled, but his voice was weak, without its usual ferocity.

“You won’t make it to the safehouse on your own, Kaz,” Inej reasoned. “You have to let me help you.” At Kaz’s pointed glare, she added, “Which would you rather have survive, your pride or your body?”

She could see he was debating with yourself. “Another Suli proverb?” he muttered under his breath, before giving her a tight nod. She moved so that he could lean against her side, as Kaz gripped his cane with his other hand. They made slow progress through the hotel, past the fallen Razorgull in the hallway and down the creaky wooden stairs. They took the back exit out, avoiding the crowds on the street out front.

And so they made their way through alleyways. Kaz would let a hiss when his wound was particularly agitated. Inej could help but notice how much he was leaning on her, increasing the pit of worry in her stomach. Their skin wasn’t touching, but his skin was warm in the spots under the fabric of his clothes.

Why did she even care? She told herself it was because her reputation relied on him. As long as Kaz Brekker was considered dangerous, his little spy would be feared as well. And fear was the surest form of respect. Without him, she could very well end up back where she started, or maybe somewhere worse. But it was more than that. She didn’t want him to die because… because…

The safehouse Kaz had referred to was a small back door in a sweet shop that led down into a basement. The place was coated in a heavy layer of dust, and the scent of rotting produce made Inej wrinkle her nose. After a brutal hurricane had hit Ketterdam about a decade back, many businesses had chosen to move their products from storage areas in basements to private banks. It left plenty of empty spaces, cracks for people to slip through.

Kaz slumped down against one of the walls, gesturing to a box in the opposite corner that seemed considerably less dusty. “There’s a first aid kit in there,” he told her, and she didn’t like how weak his voice sounded. “It should have some bandages inside.”

“Alright,” Inej said, darting over to the other side of the room. Opening the crate, she saw an assortment of guns, knives, and some canned goods. And in the very bottom, a small metal box with the symbol for healing painted on it in red ink. Picking up the box, Inej quickly moved back to where Kaz was sitting.

Inside the box were a couple towels, some bandages, and a small bottle of iodine. Inej gave Kaz a meaningful glance. “You’re going to have to take off your shirt,” Inej told him.

Kaz shot her an icy glare. “I can do it myself.”

“No, you can’t. Your hands are shaking,” Inej pointed out. Kaz looked about ready to murder her right then and there, but he moved to pull off his vest before wincing.

“Let me help you,” Inej said. It was hauntingly familiar to her first words to him, but she didn’t dwell on it. Kaz seemed disgruntled, but he didn’t protest as she gently helped him pull his blood stained vest over his head, only letting out a few grunts when he agitated his wound.

Once the vest was off, Inej could see that Kaz’s button-up shirt was stained with bright red blood, and there was a large tear where the gunshot was. “Can you unbutton your shirt?” she asked, and he nodded. She turned her attention to the washcloth, dousing it in a healthy splash of iodine.

When she turned back to him, the torn shirt had been discarded on the floor next to him. His chest was bare, and her eye flicked once to the tattoo on his bicep - a capital “R” - before she returned her focus to his injury. “The bullet didn’t go through,” she observed. “Can you feel in there?”

Kaz grimaced, before nodding. “Yeah.”

Inej sighed. “I’m going to pull it out,” Inej told him, grabbing the iodine bottle. Kaz’s eyes widened.

“No,” he choked out. “I’ll do it.”

Kaz,” Inej reasoned, “you’ll only injure yourself if you try to do that in this state.” Kaz pursed his lips. “ Kaz . You have to let me help you.”

Kaz dug his gloved fingers into his palms. For a moment, Inej was afraid he might refuse. How well did they know each other, really? They fought together, sure, and everyone felt a little bit closer after that. But virtually, she knew nothing about him. Not about his family, and what he liked to do. About what made him smile, really smile. But she did know that he didn’t want to die here, in a dusty basement, when he could live to fight another day.

He nodded, and Inej found herself letting out a sigh of relief. “Be quick,” he told her.

Inej poured some iodine on her hands, in the absence of proper sanitary options. It would probably sting incredibly for Kaz, but it would hurt a lot more when she pulled that bullet out. She handed him one of the washcloths still in the first aid kit. “Bite down on this,” she instructed him. There wasn’t a lot more she could do.

She took in a deep breath. She was stalling, and she knew it. “I’m going to count down from ten,” she told him, “and then I’m going to take out the bullet.” He gave her a curt nod, and she forced herself to breath. It wouldn’t do either of them any good if she panicked now.

“Ten.” She steadied herself, flexing her hands.

“Nine.” She would have to be quick. She knew the longer she messed with the wound, the more chance she would cause further damage.

“Eight.” Kaz’s eyes were squeezed shut, and he was breathing heavily.

“Seven.” This was just like when she would any other wounded Dreg.

“Six.” Except it was Kaz, and if he died…

“Five.” Well, then things would be considerably different for her.

“Four.” She heard Kaz take another deep breath, and she took another one to match him.

“Three.” She braced her right hand against his shoulder, and he flinched, squeezing his eyes shut even tighter.

“Two.” She didn’t move her hand, but she gave him a comforting squeeze.

“One.”

She didn’t hesitate before moving her hand to the wound. Kaz was trembling under her right hand, but she forced herself to stay steady. He didn’t scream or cry, but the silence felt almost worse.

There . Her thumb and pointer finger found the small bullet, and she pulled it out as delicately as she could before tossing it on the floor with a small ping . As soon as she was no longer touching Kaz, he seemed to visibly relax, and she allowed herself to take a few gasping breaths. The worst of it was over.

Kaz spit out the washcloth, and Inej silently handed him one of the ones she had soaked in iodine. He dabbed at the wound with it. “Put more pressure on it,” Inej advised him, and he did.

No thank you. No acknowledgement of what she had done. But when he looked up at her, their eyes met, and somehow, that said more than a thank you ever could.

[lord-explosion-baku]

Entitlement

Yandere!Hawks x fem!reader

Warnings: yandere, yellow sour fruit, dark themes, semi dubious consent, swearing

A/N: I started this before Halloween and just never fucking finished it but I figured that if I got one post out, might as well follow up with another. It was a bit rushed and the smut is short because it’s my bedtime but HEY! I’m DOING things!

Your keys clanked inside the glass bowl you threw them in as you sighed and walked into your apartment, holding dirtied white heels in hand and wearing disappointment across your face. The night’s events hung heavy on your shoulders which you tried to rub away while flopping down on your living room couch, but the tension was persistent. You had decided to go out, how very unlike you, but seeing as it was Halloween and it had been ages since you’d even spoken to your friends, you had figured that it might’ve been good to at least socialize a tiny bit. They took you to a party at some venue you’d never heard of, in a neighborhood you’d never been to, and the moment the crowd of costumed drunkards swallowed your friends was the moment you knew you wouldn’t be seeing them again.

You’d been left so alone, so exposed in your short white dress you’d thrown on just to look cute, the one you thought only your friends would see before they told you about the party. A sinful angel was the joke you were going for, but your joke had grabbed the attention of a few too many people and you were left to be incredibly uncomfortable. Friendlier celebrators were too touchy, brushing up against your exposed shoulders and offering you knowing smiles, as if you and any lingering stranger shared some sort of secret. One of your secrets was that you were distressed and didn’t want anyone you didn’t know to even look at you, your heels hurt, and the beer stench wafting through the air was giving you a headache. You really had to give yourself credit for how long you stuck around even though none of your friends were there to bear witness, but now you had to pay for persevering with sore feet and the feeling of being, well, lonely.

Lonely. You snorted. How you could feel isolated after receiving, what, attention?, was laughable. It was that sort of feeling that got you glancing at your window, waiting for movement. It wasn’t all the time you’d spot him, or maybe you’d gotten used to your outside disturbances, but ninety-nine out of a hundred times you did see something, you’d immediately pull your curtains together, however you thought that… perhaps… had you seen movement, you’d leave your curtains drawn apart.

Movement, however, didn’t come. That wasn’t uncommon. Your stalker, if that was what you could call him, was a very busy man, and on a night like tonight, it would be likely that he was on duty. It was either that, or he finally gave up on you, which would be a win for you for sure, but that didn’t stop you from walking to your balcony door, standing there for a moment, and sliding the glass open.

Cool air enveloped you as you walked barefoot onto your patio. You traced your fingers along the metal railing that kept you safe at ten stories high and glowered down at the busy street filled with teetering, costumed night crawlers. You glanced back inside to the empty loveseat that was practically calling your name. What was a lonely night if not one that involved relaxing indoors with a cool breeze blowing in while you had a nice drink in hand. Rubbing at your shoulders once more, you turned back inside. You told yourself close the door behind you, close the door behind you, but you gilded into your kitchen without touching the glass panel, leaving your unspoken invitation open.

Swiftly you poured yourself a glass, grinning stupidly at yourself for using something expensive. It was a ‘treat yo-self’ kinda night, wasn’t it? You adjusted the elastic straps that kept the white feathers strapped to your back and danced back into your living room, humming slightly as you took your seat.

You curled your toes around your soft throw and lightly dipped at your beverage as goosebumps appeared on your exposed legs. It took less than two minutes for a loud thud! to break your peace, although that wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

“You’ll catch a cold if you leave your windows open all night long.” The upbeat voice rang out from your patio and a second wave of goosebumps met your skin— that wasn’t from the cold. Boots sounded off the approach of your intruder, and you pulled your throw farther up your legs, already second guessing yourself. Hell, you knew it was bad having him here, you knew he was sick, and you knew that letting him keep you company wasn’t helping him in the slightest… but the other secret you’d kept to yourself at the party was that even though you were vastly uncomfortable, you wanted the attention, you wanted to be touched, you wanted to feel good, but you just didn’t want to be around people you didn’t know. Hawks knew you, at least, Hawks was familiar to you. As horrendous as it was, he was the easy route. He’d provide you with anything you would ask for if that meant that he could be near you, and sometimes you couldn’t help but take advantage of that, especially when you were feeling vulnerable.

Hawks’ head appeared out from the dark, a grin already playing at the corner of his mouth. Once he was inside, his crimson feathers ruffled, twitching off the residual cold of the night. His face was flushed, whether that was because he’d been flying in such brisk weather or because of the circumstances playing in his favor, you didn’t care.

“But that was intentional, wasn’t it?”

You sipped your beverage, not bothering him with a reply. You could tell by the look on his face that he already knew, and even if he tried to hide it, his excitement was strongly apparent. He pushed his visor off his head and placed it on your shelf, already making himself comfortable.

“Do you want me to make you a drink?” You offered, staring down into your glass. You shifted in your seat, noting the sudden warmth that flooded your body. God, you were a disaster.

“Do you want to make me a drink?” He asked as he shrugged off his coat and crept closer to your couch. You looked up to him, at his stupidly handsome face, noting how big his wings made him look to you even though he had a smaller, unintimidating frame. You shook your head. “Then I don’t want a drink.”

How he could still be there with you when you were showing the least bit of hospitality baffled you. Even still, letting him in was better treatment than how you’d handled him in the past. You’d screamed at him, threatened to out his behavior to the world, and continuously shot him down, but of course, he’d always look forward to these one percent days.

“No plans tonight?” You pulled your legs inward to make room on the couch. “You’re not dressed up.”

“Nah, I’ve just been out and about. Lookin’ for trouble,” he said as he folded his wings in and plopped down beside you, his knee brushing up against your foot. “I was at a little club earlier this evening. What was it— The Cove?”

You gulped, damning him and cursing yourself. That was the name of the party’s venue. “Hawks, you can’t keep doing this.”

“Hm? Doing what? Making sure you’re safe?” He lazily rolled his head at you, chocolate eyes scanning your form. You inhaled deeply and pushed your legs into his lap, your throw falling to the floor. “Making sure nobody touches-“ he grinned “-my little angel?”

You sighed as gloved hands founds your knees and his thumbs began tracing gentle circles into your skin. There was no use arguing with him, you’d done so countless times before and that was when you weren’t in need of some company.

“I love the costume, by the way,” he said, reaching up to touch your phony feathers. “I’m kinda honored by it.”

You scoffed at that, though it was fervently ignored.

“-but if you wanted to fly, you know I’m always here for you.”

His hand trailed down to your shoulder and up to your neck. You winced before leaning into him, into his touch, the tension in your back only growing more obtrusive. You closed your eyes and rubbed your shoulders.

“You okay?” His hand met the back of your head and tugged on your kicks like he knows you liked.

“Don’t worry about me.”

“Of course I’m going to worry about you, Y/N. I’m in love with you.”

“Stop.” You groaned and pushed his hand away.

“Do you want me to stop?” Hawks brought his hand to his mouth and bit his fingertip, pulling his glove off. “Or do you want me to give you a massage?”

You furrowed your brows. That sounded so nice and by the dreamy look in Hawks’ half-lidded eyes, you could tell, he was not going to take no for an answer. “Let me take care of you, hmm?”

You let up, reaching for the uncomfortable straps for your wings, but Hawks worked his hands faster, hooking his fingers around the elastic and pulling down your shoulders slowly, taking the time to run his thumb down your arm, relishing the prickling goosebumps you were unwillingly giving out at his contact. You were touch starved and he knew it.

The cheap wings were discarded to the floor and Hawks made a circular movement with his hands, ushering you to turn over for him. He pulled your legs out and sat on your ass, brushing his hands across your back.

“The lotion is-“

“-in the bathroom cabinet. I know.” Hawks wasted no time clambering to and from your restroom and soon he was back to the best seat in the house. Shamelessly, he unzipped the dress, taking his time to admire your back, bare and beautiful to him. Cool, lotioned up hands pressed into you and you couldn’t help but let out a low groan at the contact you hadn’t known how much you yearned for. He hummed in approval as he covered your back, making sure to smooth his palms over your pressure points. His hands cleared up to your shoulder, eliciting a moan from your as he palmed that area you were keeping your troubles.

“So tense, angel,” he mused, pushing down harder on you, “you should really let me do this more often.”

“Don’t push your luck,” you shot back, though your voice was muffled by a couch pillow. He snickered and rubbed you down, stopping right above your ass to massage circles into the sides of your tailbone.

Hawks touched you with languid pleasure, lingering on places you gave him more of a reaction. At the pace he was going, you were sure you could have fallen asleep while he touched you, and maybe that wouldn’t have been such a bad thing, but that would be impossible when your stalker had a one-track mind.

Hawks gripped hard onto your sides and pulled you up to press his bulge into your ass. Beside yourself, you rolled your hips to you rubbed against it, prompting Hawks to let out a groan.

“God, that’s hot,” he breathed, lifting your dress so your ass was on full display to him. He gave it a slap, compelling you to yelp out to him. He chuckled and squeezed your cheek, grinding against you. “You want more, baby?”

“Don’t call me baby-!” That rewarded you with another spank, causing your body to tremble against him.

“Aangeeel,” he drawled, stroking your pussy through the dampened material of your briefs. “You want me touch you?”

He hooked his fingers into the sides of your panties and pulled down, sighing at the sight of his ultimate pleasure. Fingertips slid up and down your glistening folds, making you twitch before he baited your entrance.

“Hawks,” you whined, dipping your hips to try to catch your desire, “don’t tease.”

“Tease?” He swiped right past your clit, snickering when you hissed. “I’d never.”

Both of his hands brushed down to you thighs while he rubbed his scruffy beard against your cheek, humming as if he was doing nothing, as if you weren’t wet and waiting for his tongue, his touch, his anything.

“Tell me you missed me, baby,” he purred against your slit. You moved to to catch his tongue, but he only snickered at your lame attempt, squeezing your thighs and clicking his tongue. “Ah, you give a little, you get a little amiright?”

He raked his nails across your skin, enjoying the sight of your fragile flesh reacting to him. “So go on. Why don’t you tell me how badly you’ve craved me since I’ve been away?”

“That suggests that you’ve been away,” you growled into the pillow in sheer defiance. You knew, you knew what game he was playing. He was going to taunt you until you were so desperate, so needy for him, until you were sopping wet without him even touching you. It’d happen plenty of times in the past, and you were already letting him do that now. You couldn’t let that happen. You didn’t care. Nothing was going to change the way he felt about you, nor you him.

You hoped he couldn’t hear the roll of your eyes as you finally muttered, “I missed you. I craved you.”

He clicked his tongue disapprovingly at your lack of enthusiasm and you felt the heat of his presence disappear. Fuck.

You turned to see him leaning against the opposite arm of the couch, arms crossed, waiting for your attention.

“Hawks?” It was stupid, it was childish, but you knew he had a point when he said ‘you give a little, you get a little.’ He did give you a back massage… and he didn’t even have to come in the first place! God, he was playing brat and you were letting him get inside your head. If you weren’t so needy…

You found yourself crawling over to him. It was exactly what he wanted; you giving him a pathetic and desperate display and though you hated yourself for it, you could drink about it later. You ran your hands up his chest, leaning against his neck as you say, “I meant it.”

You nuzzled yourself within the crook of his neck, peppering him with kisses. “I missed you. I really did, Hawks. And now, I want you so badly that it hurts. Please touch me.”

“You don’t mean it,” he said, though his hands caressed your back. “You’d rather me leave.”

“Hawks.” You brought your hand up to his face to turn him towards you. You gave him a light kiss, but he didn’t return it, still his hands ran across your body. It was a facade, he was playing you, and you were letting him. Your hand slid down his torso towards his trousers, not surprised to find his hardened erection poking out a tent in them, you began to stroke. “Keigo… please.”

A grin struck his face. Bastard. Finally, he leaned into your kiss, and you let his tongue explore your mouth while he undid his belt. You pushed your hands past his boxers and firmly grasped his cock. Hawks cooed. Like an actual coo, just how birds do. You could laugh if you didn’t actually get turned on by it.

You pressed into a more deeper kiss, gasping when he seized the back of your head. He nips at your bottom lip before pulling away and saying, “then show me, angel. Show me just how much you want me.”

He looked to your lips then down to his cock. You pouted. He smirked. “I can just leave.”

Yeah. You could. But you didn’t want that. You wanted him to fuck you. Beside yourself, you slid off the couch and took a position between his legs. You kissed his thighs, and using your tongue, you ran a hot strip up to his shaft. His wings bristled at the contact, encouraging you to lay your lips over the head of his cock. You lulled your tongue over him, enjoying the sight of his chest rising as you took your time pleasing him. His hands went to your head and he tried to push you down, but you sent him a death glare, opting to lap at his head before taking him in on your own accord.

“Mmmmm, you know exactly how to suck a cock.” He sighed as he gently massaged your scalp, while your tongue swirled around him. “Such a dirty girl, ready to please me when I give her a simple nod, isn’t that right?”

You hummed at the praise, not even minding the degradation. You dug your fingernails into his thighs and bobbed your head up and down his length, his subtle groans egging you on to take him in deeper.

“That’s right, you’re a good little slut for me.”

You moaned, the vibrations of your voice making your job all the more pleasurable for him. He weaved his fingers through your hair, hissing as you picked up the pace. He continued to curse at you, to dirty your name while you opened your throat up to him, taking him in completion.

“Fuck,” he growled, “waitwaitwait, ahah…” He pulled you off of him by a fistful of your hair and you scowled in disbelief back at him.

“What?”

“Come here.” He pulled you into his lap and forced his lips onto yours. He kissed you with fearless passion, lips molding to lips, teeth colliding with teeth. You tried to share you voice, to ask why he stopped you, but your words are lost to him. You felt his cockhead rub against your slit, and you know— he didn’t want his influence anywhere but inside your heat.

You dipped your hips and broke your kiss by moaning at his swollen member pressing into you.

“Oh fuck yeah, that’s my good girl. You know how great that feels? How tight you are for me? God, I missed this, babygirl.”

You rolled your hips, grinding into him, your pussy squeezing his cock with every word he spat in your direction. He felt incredible and you felt so hot while riding him, that you couldn’t help but laugh while wrapping your arms around his shoulders.

“Look at you enjoying yourself. I love seeing my angel happy. You know this could happen more often, if only you’d let me in.”

You had to remind yourself: Hawks was dangerous. His feelings for you were dangerous. Every time you let him into your home, into your body, you were allowing his delusions to grow to something more profound than they already were. You panted and stilled, raring yourself to pull off of him, but he grabbed you by your hips.

“Hawks,” you warned, scared he’d see both the reason and the fear in your eyes.

“I’m not letting you go anywhere.” His tone took a darker timbre, his eyes growing wicked. The corners of his lips twitched up, his canine teeth appearing to be sharper, more sinister than usual. Slowly he leaned towards your ear, his hot breath sending a shudder down your spine as we ever so calmly whispered, “you’re mine, do you hear me?”

In one swift movement, Hawks picked you up and threw you to the opposite side of the couch, climbing on top of you before you could even think to move, caging you in by not only his arms, but his wings as well. His lips latched into your neck, his cock pressing right back into you as he sucked a red hot mark into your flesh. “Mine.”

You moaned and pulled at his feathers when he began pounding into you. He looked at you, drinking in your conflicted expression and returning it with one of sheer adoration, affirming you with sweet words as he completely ruined you.

“You’ll always be my girl,” he growled, his cock stretching you out while his thrusts grew more violent. Besides your knowing fear, beside the pain you felt as he slammed into you, you felt your stomach grow tense, you felt pleasure building up, and you couldn’t hide how great you felt because of it when you allowed yourself to whimper for him, displaying your dishonorable satisfaction by incomprehensible blurbles. “Say it, angel.”

“Yes, hah~hah~ baby.” You mustered out, not following his demand. He chuckled at your pitiful attempt and reached up to squeeze your mouth between his hand.

“Say that you’re mine, sweetheart. Say it and I’ll be good to you.”

“Mmmmpph Hawks~!”

Hawks grinned and shoved his tongue into your mouth, reaching down to cup your sweat-covered breast. He bit your bottom lip with bruising force—you might’ve even tasted blood— and pulled back. “Baby, my name tastes so good on your tongue, but that’s not wanna hear right now.”

“Hawks!” your cunt pulsated around him, massaging his ruthless cock. God, you were close, so close you were practically writhing underneath him, and all you had to do was say one little thing. You’d let him win once already tonight, a second time couldn’t be too harmful. “I’m yours, baby. Yours. I belong to you. Nobody can make me feel like this. It’s like we were… made for each other.”

“You got that fuckin’ right.” He reached down to rub furious circles around your swollen clit and that was your tipping point. Electricity seemed to shoot up from your toes and flare over your core, waves of pleasure dancing out from there. You cried out for Hawks not to stop and he obliged, making sure to swallow your mewls, placing sloppy open mouth kisses over yours.

He chased your orgasm with his own, but not before you begged him not to do it inside you. He groaned, but respecting your wishes, he pulled out at the last second, spilling his white hot seed onto your chest, hissing as he did so. He vocally panted as he took in his handy work, wiping the sweat off his forehead, grinning wickedly down at you.

His body fell on top of you, mushing the mess between your shared embrace. It was nasty. It was hot. It was trouble.

His fingers tip-toed across your arm before reaching behind your back to push room for him to climb behind you. He held you close, whispering in your ears sweet, delightful, dangerous things, praising you, loving you, owning you.

It was the bitter truth; you’d always be his. Since you finally admitted to it, he wasn’t ever going to let you go.

TAGS FOR EVERYTHING: @ayeputita @yandere-inamorata @dee-madwriter@unboundbnha @rizamendoza808, @rubycubix @smbody-stole-mycar-radio@zellllyyyy @sarcastictextstuck @kpanime @captain-sin-allmight-queen@psionicsnow @wickedlewicked @ghost-of-todoroki @kattariapenn @im-an-adult-sometimes @bnhya @local-senpai @eggpienutbuttercroissant@usernamekate94 @reyvenclaww @hi-ho-and-hello 

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It’s a Mother Flocking Puffin Pt 21

Barefoot in a heavily embellished fluffy layer crazy skirted gown, with a lace full length sleeved top, sheer save for the corseted bodice layered with embroidered flowers and vines all across it you stood in the center of what could only be a lake. Deeply you sighed lifting a surprisingly injury free hand to brush back the bangs blowing into your face on the breeze to the shift of toes on the lone rock you had landed on. This wasn’t the first time you had done this, as if your life couldn’t get more awkward in this tropical sort of paradise you kept zapping yourself off to when times got tough quite randomly somewhere you would find a new friend. Usually absurdly tall Elves or other massive animals who guided you on small adventures or train you to whatever craft they were practicing that you had stumbled across.

But the lake was new. The ocean you had dropped into but not this lake, in fact narrowing your eyes in another scan of the land around you those geode formed trees weren’t familiar either. Even the ground seemed to give off a golden sort of glimmering dust blowing around the shoreline looking far too course to be taken as sand. “Hmm,” the scent of mead and a feast was what forced you to turn fully around on that little island finding a cliff wall just covered in stone statues and runes you couldn’t place alongside weapons and the faces of beasts from one end to the other as best you could manage against its curve and break behind more of those geode formed trees.

Sharply you inhaled and said, “Fingers crossed there’s no pelicans this time.” Foot extending for ice to gather underneath for the start of the stepping stone bridge to the cliff wall.

Half a mile to shore the shadow of the wall fell over you for a stunning chill free path in this pleasantly warm mystery island you found. Even in the shadow the way ahead was clear thanks to the glimmering trails cast by fireflies floating off the tall grass your feet brushed through with flight paths in spirals around your gently glowing self. The heads of the figures carved into the cliffs grew white fluffy brows in the drop of the nearest clouds thanks to the growing breeze shifting directions that wanted away to where Manwe deemed them destined. The drift of musical notes lured your eyes downwards in a wonder to where it was coming from.

Off to your right however the sudden plop of a boulder into the lake had you lifting your skirts allowing the lick of water to spill over your bare feet then recede again to the roll of the new addition towards the shore. Hunched and dull in its split apart an elderly Dwarf began to straighten up on its feet again. The more it did backwards the clock turned with youth seeped into each crack and crevice until alive again the limber younger form of the Dwarf smiled to itself on its eager steps ahead following the same sent their bulbous curled mustache framed nose had caught a whiff of.

Three more stones fell under and rose up to the surface of the same mirror like lake while you hurried a couple steps around a waking badger in its den you were passing hoping not to scare it. Curiously at the sight of you it began to follow along right with the clicking Ravens and Crows above on tiny ledges in the wall hopping forward as you did to keep you in view. Between the legs of one of the figures what appeared to be a wall wasn’t and timidly you walked onward still following the Dwarf now smiling at discovering the hidden doorway that with a hand out you noticed was an illusion hidden archway using the wall behind a narrow entrance hall to complete said disguise. To the right it branches and wound a half turn back jaggedly to open into an endless mountain city. Layers upon layers of floors with fires and joyous Dwarves were to be seen.

“Ahem,” behind your back a burly Dwarf look you over at your prompt glance back.

“Sorry,” you replied with a quick step aside into the hall along the wall. The Khuzdul you spoke however had his eyes fixed on you through your quick flash of a grin. “Taking it all in.”

Stepping inwards he kept his eyes on you allowing the two behind him through to trot ahead in search of someone of something they clearly were expecting. “Hmm, could have sworn I knew you.” His head bowed and curtly he turned and strode past you with grin returning headed to who knows where.

Head tilted slightly again your eyes rose and fell admiring each carved pillar and statue coating the sections of floors with colored glass shifting shades in each of the brave steps you took forward. Once past the first landing down three broad steps you almost had to hop to reach the next in a somewhat graceful way without hiking your skirts all the way up thanks to your little legs the Dwarves behind you took with some irritating sense of ease even in their own heavily layered skirts. A soft breath left your lungs on the edge of a grand ballroom packed with those dancing, feasting and drinking encircled by those sharing grand tales and raucous jokes.

Didn’t take long however for eyes to shift your way in return and off in a distant corner a shoulder was tapped to nod one of the burliest to come and inspect the newcomer. One low hanging decoration turned you around to the wall to get a better look on its gradual spin around the tile you had stepped onto. With a gasp however when you turned back a familiar pair of blue eyes had fallen upon you.

“Durin, you’re, I know you’re him.”

Gruffly he replied in Khuzdul also stunned at you’re knowing his mother tongue. “You seem awfully certain of that.”

That had you giggle and step off of the tile to avoid the decoration passing between you smiling up at him, “No I know you I’ve seen your face on portraits and statues all through the Palace in Erebor and even one in the Iron Hills.”

Ever so slightly his eyes narrowed causing his dark brow to furrow in the process, “I do not know of this Erebor you speak, and these Hills,”

“Well, I’m not fairly certain the exact dates, but your clan moved from the Grey Mountains to a new Kingdom named Erebor, it’s near the Greater Greenwood.” He shook his head, “It’s just past the Misty Mountains kind of North to Rohan and Gondor, if you sort of curve,” you said with a curve of your hand after points on some imaginary map between you involuntarily making the corner of his mouth tick upwards. “Look, I’m not an expert on schematics of where you have dwelled, but your family rule over Erebor, Dale, a sub city of Erebor, and Moria as well as the Blue Mountains, and King Nain rules over the Iron Hills so I think that means he’s either one of your relatives or married into your clan. So I think that counts too.”

“You said Nain?” You nodded and he turned, “Gorpumbden!” (‘Gather my whiskers!’) “Fetch Rtain! The little Lass knows his grandson!”

Outwardly he was smiling now and asked in the rush of one group of Dwarves rushing off to fetch the Dwarf while his hand motioned to guide you onwards back to his own private table with his wives from his lifetimes and their children and all the generations of grandchildren milking about nearby with their own broods. “Tell me, who else do you know from my line, Little Lass?”

“Oh, well, I’ve met nearly everyone in Erebor, well you see, it’s sort of,” you sighed and he glanced over your confused pouting moment luring grins on the faces of others you passed through across the dance floor matching his timed steps to do so with ease between bounding couples. “Ok, I’ll start here, I met my One, Thorin II, son of Thrain and grandson to King Thror. I’m not certain how far down your line they are, and well we weren’t married at first. But then we met and I sort of bumped into him and I thought I’d have a heart song but I never heard one but it turned out these freckles on my back were a Mate Mark,” you said lifting your wrist to show off the bracelet spreading his smile admiring the craftsmanship. “And he’s been so kind to me, whole clan has really, I had some trouble with my adopted clan but then he helped with that too.”

You had reached the table and he faced you asking, “And just how far has young Thorin II reached in his courting of you, Little Miss?”

“Oh we had to elope, so technically we’re married but we’ve picked a cottage and are designing rings and I made him some love spoons.”

Adoringly his hand reached out to cradle your lifted hand inspecting your wedding band, “How precious. I do not know the pain he must suffer at your place here. Though as part of my clan you are amply welcome to wait for him amongst us.”

Rtain arrived beaming and eager to hear more about his son and grandson that you had met through the service only stirring up more confusion for how a clearly non-Dwarf had made it to the Halls of Mahal. A familiar passing Dam had your mouth drop and you said, “Celeste!” Draped in yards of velvet in fuchsia over her pastel pink gown she had been painted in, her hazel eyes scanned over your waving and smiling self, “Oh don’t you look lovely. That is a fitting color on you. Really compliments your mustache.”

Three confused steps later and she reached your table while the males behind you grinned at your bubbly self just blooming in this social circle of their clan and others you had known from portraits in passing. “Forgive me, but I do not seem to be able to place your name.”

“Oh, you don’t know me, Jaqiearae Pear,” you said extending your hand with the name making a Dam dancing stumble and straighten to look you over having recognized the name. She accepted the handshake and you added, “I married into your clan, I’m designing my ring after yours. Hope you don’t mind it is stunning.”

Widely she smiled and accepted a spot beside you to talk about the ring now a ghostly glimmering copy on her finger of the one back in the vault back at the Palace. After the discussion of band changes and her blessing was given she asked in an almost pained tone, “How did you find yourself here?”

“Well, that’s a bit of a winded answer, but, Melkor hated my clans and sent others by some oath after he was killed to attack them. My parents went into hiding but they found them anyways and killed them.” Beards bristled and fists clenched the more you shared, “And I was adopted by a Noldo in Numenor. Then I got accepted to University in Dale where I met Thorin’s nephews Fili and Kili my roommates. They took me along for a break to the Palace where I met the rest of your clan there and bonded with Thorin. Since then they’d helped me to find my birth family. Then this morning the followers of Melkor remaining brought a Fire Drake to the school. And last I remember Thorin just got back to the Palace and was eating while I spoke to Fili and Kili through tea, then I was in the lake. And I heard all of you.”

After a solemn moment from them you asked, “Your clan has faced coups for centuries, a lot of people got hurt and could have died when they were after me, how am I supposed to live with that weight?”

Hands were laid on you and several shared words of wisdom on their own experiences with acceptance of that same weight until Durin asked, “The Beast was brought down?”

You nodded, “I shot him with a wind lance,” rippling proud smiles your way.

“Mahal’s Beard! Very good!” More than one of the clan exclaimed.

“Didn’t take very long, though everyone was scared and Bagheera especially was upset.”

That had his beard puffing up and him smiling widely, “You saw my Bagheera?”

“Yes, he’s back at the Palace. Probably won’t be glad for me to miss a meal. Sometimes it takes days for me to get back from these islands.” Lips parted in confusion for what you meant, “Though this is a first time here and I wasn’t expecting all of you. Not that I don’t-,”

“There you are Little One,” beaming through the crowd that barely reached his hip Tulkas strolled through the dancers with hand outstretched for yours, “I presumed you would meet me by the wading pools, but Manwe’s companions took notice of your waking here.”

“Oh, I have to go,” you said laying your hand on the outstretched one from Tulkas and said to Durin and the others, “It was so amazing meeting you. Perhaps I can wander back here again sometime.” To Durin especially you said, “I’ll give Bagheera some fruit for you. I know he misses you terribly.”

Speechless they watched while Tulkas faded to mist and in a small snow flurry you were gone leaving the Dwarves more confused than ever. A state that had the First Born on his feet in a curious search for Mahal in his wife’s gardens to ask about the curious visitor.

.

*

Hand over his mouth Fili woke to Kili’s tug on his mustache and in a turn of his head he knew why he was woken. Across your skin faintly glimmering clan lines mapped out the stretch of your bloodline to the Eldar on your already glowing skin. And sweet and low Khuzdul eased from your lips in half hearted sighs echoing of your deep deep wandering dream none but you could shake yourself from. Taps on Thorin’s nose had his soft snores halting and eyes patting in time to hear your next murmur of, “Durin.” Wide eyed he sat up joining the boys, the younger of whom was already recording your side of the conversation that ebbed in and out only giving part of your side of it confusing them all the more why you were dreaming of talking to their clan father.

Through the door the Emperor peered having heard your voice and from there in his step into view he said, “I see My Yuula is speaking with her friend Meldamalta again.”

Thorin asked, “This is common? For her to speak in her sleep?”

At that the Emperor grinned to himself replying, “That is no ordinary sleep. My Yuula has taken Olórë Mallë, and her fea is within Valinor.”

Fili’s mouth dropped open, “Her soul-!!”

Kili clasped his hands over his brother’s mouth looking to you undisturbed still deep in sleep and the Emperor stated in his move closer, “She cannot hear you, when she was a child I realized as a Vanyar her path to Valinor is much easier than other Elven races might find it. The pathway is a mental one that through the link in her mind her fea may travel there at its whims. When she was younger she was often gone for days at a time, and always after times of troubling circumstances. The Valar will not allow harm to find her there it is quite safe.”

Thorin wet his lips and asked, “She is speaking to Durin though. Not any Meldamalta.”

The Emperor’s lips pursed, “Hmm, perhaps due to your marriage she is allowed there. Often she finds herself in different areas of the Valar’s control, Meldamalta will find her.”

Kili, “Who is Meldamalta?”

The Emperor answered quite matter of factly, “Tulkas.” Dropping their jaws, “Upon her first visit there My Yuula informed me she met a kind giant being with golden hair she couldn’t understand who allowed her to braid a crown of Marigolds into his hair and call him Meldamalta. He is quite fond of her, and his son enjoys their times in Nessa’s gardens.”

Fili, “You’re telling me Jaqi is friends with the Valar Tulkas?”

The Emperor answered, “He loves children and has watched her grow. They all have.”

Kili, “She would have told us! I would have told her if I knew Mahal!”

Thorin asked, “She only knows him by Meldamalta?”

“Correct,” was his answer.

Fili chortled, “You have to be joking! How could she not know! You know!”

The Emperor simply pointed and on the headboard where they hadn’t noticed Bagheera was seated puffed up with golden eyes glowing. “Each trip once she had woken once I had recognized the gardens and lands she had explored and faces of those guiding her and teaching her skills in each try to share where she had been he would stop me. She is not ready to know yet it would seem. Though in my teaching her Valinorian he has calmed to my learning of her travels at least and the times have lessened in her being able to converse with them. They grant her council where my expertise is limited.”

Kili, “Why don’t you go with her?”

“Noldo are forbidden re-entrance to Valinor since the departure from those shores without Valar permission. I grew up in those lands and as a child my parents brought me here. Though I have never witnessed the Halls of Mahal myself, in fact I cannot name an Elf ever noted to have traveled there. It must be due to your union.”

“Celeste,” the name turned their heads and Thorin smiled guessing as the others had why you would speak to her, namely the ring you would share stirring up questions if you would mention them as well to their ancestors.

Fili mused, “Great Gran will be so pleased she went to the Halls of Mahal to wedding plan.”

The Emperor said, “You can rest she will share her adventures upon her return.”

Kili, “So she just knows she has long dreams?”

“No, it is very much a physical journey for her. Several times she has stated she simply wakes up in odd locations in beautiful gowns.”

“Meldamalta,” you sighed out and they blinked curious to know should they arrive in those hallowed halls which Valar they might come to know themselves.

The Emperor chuckled and stated, “You should get some more rest been a long day and she won’t be screaming.” He said to the steady sighed Valinorean wafting out of you like a sweet hummed lullaby that took the trouble out of their drift back to sleep, right away they felt the physical urge to lay back down cuddled around you eased off to their own dreams again. Leaving just the Emperor eyeing Bagheera who he asked softly, “She is growing stronger?”

The owl fluffed up and let out a low chirp in an affirmative response as he usually did for the adoptive father’s question he had repeated through the years in wait while the Valar bolstered your hope and strength. And while he was mostly correct in his assumptions the owl was not keeping him from telling you the name of the beings you had been conversing with but trying to tell him that you already knew deep down just not believing it to be really true. Fear was what he was protecting you from, any fear or possible shame taken in any slight imagined and that path could be lost to you forever without the knowledge of how you were actually sending yourself there.

Though an adult on technicality you were very much a child and far from knowledgeable on deeper things you had not been taught by the elders of your clans as you should have had Melkor not struck his deadly blow. A child with strength you didn’t understand to master without their help all these years with just among the remaining lessons to share how you were waking in those sacred lands. They did miss you when you were away, but the time in between showed such heart warming strength brewing inside you, this time all the more in having arrived in, for all your other kin, an impossible place. But Tulkas had you now and he was assured the master dueler of the Valar would enjoy the story and send you on your way home back to him again. Hoping to himself that even in his exile they might not think too harshly of him now that he’d grown from the boy they once knew.

 *

Smiling widely in the gardens with your friends you sat talking while seated on a blanket for the picnic readied for you while the smiling Valar listened to the whole detailed story on the Drake luring the Elves serving under the cuddling couple across from you to come and listen. Loudly Tulkas laughed with pride for his youngest pupil while Nessa beamed at the clear passing of her swiftness lessons beyond just words that you had picked up in training on your own. His bravery and feats of strength and her agility and speed having aided in your success amongst lessons with Ulmo for the obvious control of water. The others far less obvious in their lessons, granting aid more in tasks and mini adventures during your stays in Valinor, rather hoped to present a chance to find those traits within yourself.

Although a few of their pupils, including one from Aule had aided greatly in the growth of your wood working craftiness, Celebrimbor in a new form had found himself in your path and in those bright eyes of yours found a kindred soul he wished to help and took to teaching you the basics. Among those pupils was Ecthelion of the Fountains, here again relaxed listening to your tale smiling with the others flute beside him in its carrying pouch that he had used to help teach you on the instrument between two more of your music instructors self assigned to ensure some time with spectacular you. No shortage of pupils had prided themselves on passing on what they had learned and a bit more on discoveries of their own to maybe aid you one day.

Off beyond a row of hedges through a disguising stream of water off a fountain a couple stood staring longingly at their child back here again, Jewels cuddled against her husband Lindo’s chest, both smiling faintly that their baby girl was growing so much stronger by the day. Even more so having brought them justice by searching out their attackers, whom Mandos was now taking personal attention to doling out Manwe’s orders for their atonement.

Both parents formerly in their unrest unable to travel here themselves since the date Mahal aided in their resting memorial in Erebor, now had a sort of physical form here in these lands to aid in their coming to terms with their own grief for all they, their clans and you had lost. They adored being close to you for so long however without a proper resting memorial from you they could not have visited you here until now, and even still they were fearful of approaching not to keep their precious girl from returning to her new life, the one you had fought so hard to build and defend.

Behind them however Este crept closer and hushedly began to speak with the pair sharing what they had missed through your trips here. “You will be strong enough to meet again one day, the three of you, you will,” she spoke softly warming their hearts as they nestled closer watching a bright smile split across your face laughing along with Tulkas and Nessa to a joke from their son.

.

Hours you had lingered and the same telling creep of bluebell vines towards your hand set aside gave you the same gut clench feeling that it was time to go. The look always was evident on your face and smiling still the crowd bid you safe travels. Up you stood with another ring of marigolds in hand you eased onto the glowing golden ringlets Tulkas had tied back from his face with ribbons from his beloved wife. In releasing the crown your fingers curled back in a slow recoil of your hovering hands recalling the first crown you had given him and the meeting of all the larger beings here you had once been unable to understand at all. His eyes lingered on your face with smile still in place through his thanks knowing things were clicking into place on who he was.

And softly you asked, “Are you really Tulkas?” Deeper his smile set in sinking more into his eyes at the bubbling courage in your gaze in asking, “Can I still call you Meldamalta?”

Tenderly his hands rose to cradle yours, “I have been and always will cherish being your Meldamalta.”

On his side Nessa eyed the still creeping bluebells reaching for your legs in your spring forward to loop your arms around his neck, eyes clenched in a tight embrace stirring a deep chuckle to his arms laying across your back, “Thank you for finding me.”

“Ooh now, Little One, you were the one to find me.” His words accented with a brush of fingers against your cheek in your step back brushing away the invisible trail of the tear threatening to fall from the corner of your eye holding it in place somehow.

Nessa smiled adding in her own taking of your hand, “The most welcome snow flurry in our lands, most precious Little One. Your bluebells are calling you to wake.”

Looking down you asked, “How do I keep arriving here?”

She smiled saying, “We have yet to travel that road, only Irmo would know.”

And up you looked finding Manwe approaching to the winding of a vine of bluebells around the layers of skirts folding in around your legs the more they climbed, “Fly safe, brave little Nique-Puifíní. And pray do inform Winge we have greatly missed his company here, his parents might have chosen to sail from these shores, an innocent to their oath, and welcome to return upon finding that doorway of dreams.” Like sinking into a well his voice began to muffle and echo in your ears to the clench of your eyes while from the feet up back into your flurry you shifted. Vana smiled in her stroll through the garden again in another try to find how you were entering these lands exactly to solve the sort of game Irmo had made in keeping the secret of how you arrived here each time.

.

To the opening of the door by a Butler entering to feed your fire at your side against Thorin’s side from your straight upwards position into him you leaned resting your head against his forehead. The sharp pain in your ribs stopped your wiggle into his side and when your ribs throbbed again a crack of your eyelid not being touched by a strip of his brushed up hair and softly you grumbled which drew a stirring breath from Thorin releasing his own grumble. Off behind his back however the Emperor whispered in a reach over him with dropper in hand containing medicine to help with the pain you were facing, “To ease your pain.” Groggily you parted your lips and with three drops on your tongue he drew back the dropper to add back to its bottle with a kind grin.

After wetting your lips you said, “I know Meldamalta’s real name now, remembered it.” Easing out his smile, “I was asked, Manwe says they miss you,” parting his lips, “Said you are always welcome back when you find the doorway, your parents swore the oath not you.”

Tearily he smiled again, “Thank you for telling me that. How are you feeling?”

“My head itches,”

“Bunnanunê,” Thorin rumbled through a deep inhale beginning to shift to prop himself up pressing a gentle kiss to your mildly bruised cheek between the scrapes there. “You are awake.”

“Just the one night?” You asked and he smiled.

“Just the one, are you in pain?”

“Not so much pain that I have to wash my hair.” Thorin nodded and with the stirring of the boys the bench brought earlier was moved to the side of the tub in a painful shrug he removed the sling hindering his ability to tend to you fully and scooped you up gingerly carrying you to the bath to lay you down on the bench. With care Fili held your neck while Kili turned on the water as Thorin undid your braid to the Emperor easing the bowl of healing oils and creams over with sleeves rolled up and comb in hand to begin recoating those cuts and scrapes aiding in some of the discomfort right away.

From the bottom to top the water was run stopping two inches from your scalp with Thorin tenderly lathering your shampoo lovingly into each curl watching the bloody grimy suds flowing down soon washed away revealing those awe striking curls. Without so much as a tug he wrung out the water he could and with Fili holding the blow dryer, certain to keep aimed away from your scalp that Kili held a hand towel against to act as buffer for the spare heat while the Emperor held you upright. Once dry your courting braid was added again with ribbon and bell intact to match the gentle tug free braid Thorin settled into your hair to keep it in place.

“Thank you,” you whispered in Thorin’s move to settle into your view again smiling at your relieved grin.

Kili however blurted out, “Weird dreams? You talk in your sleep.”

Fili smiled bursting with questions of his own to your weak chuckle, Thorin however scooped you in his arms again saying, “Back to bed, you can share there cozy in bed.”

Around you the group nestled you back in your former place with towel removed from over your pillow stained by your hair added to your empty hamper while covers settled around your waist and Sir Akdâmuthrab clambered over post stretch to plop down on your lap to sleep there instead of far below your feet. By now Dis, Vili, Dwalin and Balin had come to check on you and settled onto the end of your bed having come to check on you to send for your first meal of the day before the Doctors would arrive.

“So, I met Durin,” you started and in the growing group of their kin while the triplets continued to nap against your legs having been set down by their parents having scooted closer to grant more room for others to hear everything.

Kili, “How’d you get there?”

“I, don’t know. I never land in the same place when I go there, but this was the first time I woke up there. I think they thought I was dead. Must have,”

Vili asked, “Have you met Mahal?”

“I don’t know, I know Meldamalta is Tulkas, Manwe is obvious shroud in feathers, the others I am not certain. I might have, there are a few who look similar to etchings I’ve seen on display here, then there are others who are more, not feelings, that’s not the word…”

Dis said, “Un-bodied ones?”

That you nodded to, “Even Meldamalta’s son at times chooses to present out of his body. Mahal’s Halls none of your kin were like that, I think it was just the Elven lands. Even Celebrimbor held our lessons out of himself before as well. He might have been there, sorry to disappoint.”

Thorin’s hand laid on yours, “Oh no, no disappointment at all. Only few of our kin have returned from those halls, each tale is treasured.”

Gloin asked, “Would you mind us calling uncle Nain? Letting him know about his grandfather meeting you?”

“No, is he in the clan by blood or marriage, I didn’t know.”

Thorin smiled again as Frerin answered, “His Amad is of our line, but Firebeards and Longbeards have always been close.”

Your eyes drifted to Dis, “Celeste seemed happy hearing I chose her ring. And the keeper of yours told me to tell you,” for a moment your brows furrowed in repeating the mouthful of words slowly, “Mire the Spring?”

Dis smiled to Vili who explained, “A joke on how my Spring proposal was as troubled as hers had been.”

She patted her hand on your legs, “A good sign, thank you for the message.”

Through them a tray was brought in to rest on top of your lap for the meal the rest of the clan shared their plans for the day to help settle things of their own charge throughout the kingdom to aid in the recovery of the populace from this stunning attack while those in other kingdoms were doing the same. Doctors did follow after and with a sigh you settled into bed as Thorin was off to his own rooms for a private second inspection of his own wounds and warm bath to freshen up before his few tasks of the morning between him and his evening in with you.

Pt 22

All –

@himoverflowers​​​, @theincaprincess​​​, @aspiringtranslator​​​, @thegreyberet​​​, @patanghill17​​​, @jesgisborne​​​, @curvestrology​​​, @alishlieb​​​, @jogregor​​​, @armitageadoration​​​, @fizzyxcustard​​​, @lilith15000​​​, @marvels-ghost​​​, @catthefearless​​​, @imjusthereforthereads​​​, @c-s-stars​​​, @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore​​​, @mariannetora​​​, @shes-a-killer-kween​​, @ggbbhehe4455, @xxbyimm​​

Hobbit/LotR – @abiwim​, @jotink78​​, @pastelhexmaniac

x Thorin – @evyiione​​, @deepestfirefun​, @queenoferebor​​

X all Rich. A - @abiwim​​, @deepestfirefun​, @thestorybookmistress

[philthepegacornfics]

Limits Part 3

Sam Wilson x Sibling!Reader, Peter Parker x Reader

Word Count: 3k

A/N: This chapter doesn’t have a lot of the mentioned dynamics. But, it’s still a chapter that I wrote and felt like keeping in. We’ll eventually get the to Spider-Man x Reader, lol.

Trigger Warnings: Potential swearing (I don’t remember), Physical Therapy

Part 1  Part 2 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How was school?” Tony asked as he walked into the room. The doctor had just finished removing my casts.

“It was good!” I beamed. “I made a new friend. Crazily enough, we have all the same classes together. Our teachers asked him to help catch me up in our classes, since I missed so much.”

Tony just nodded as he moved wordlessly, using body measuring tape to measure my left leg.

“Like I told Peter, it’s like some higher power wanted us to meet,” I continued.

He paused and looked up at me, giving me a smirk. He then continued to measure my right leg. “His name is Peter, then.”

“Yeah, that’s his name.”

“Is he cute?”

Heat rushed to my cheeks as I changed the topic, “What’re you doing?”

“I’m going to take that as a yes,” he smirked again. “I made you a present, I’m just seeing if it’s going to fit.”

“You got me a gift?!”

“I made you a gift. There’s a difference. You lost more muscle mass than I had anticipated. Give me no more than an hour to make the adjustments.”

“Thank you so much Tony!”

“Anything for our little Avatar,” he ruffled my hair.

I let out an annoyed groan, “Why do people keep doing that?”

“Because you’re adorable,” he deadpanned before walking out of the room.

Moments after he walked out of the room, a woman, who I assumed was my physical therapist, walked in. She had long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She carried in her hands a green elastic band and a red solo cup.

“Good afternoon (Y/n), how’re you doing today?” she asked, setting the solo cup and green band on the floor next to the table.

“I’m doing good. How are you?” I looked down into the cup. It was full of marbles. 

“Good,” she answered as I gave her a curious look about the marbles. She laughed, “You’ll see what those are for in a minute.”

“Oh, okay.”

“I’m Doctor Webb, by the way. But you can call me Stephanie.” She offered me her hand.

I took it in mine and gave it a firm shake, “Nice to meet you, Stephanie.”

“So, how are your legs feeling?” she asked, pulling her hand away.

“They definitely don’t hurt anymore. I haven’t taken any pain medicine in awhile.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Though I will warn you now that more than likely they’ll ache again as we get into therapy. Your muscles haven’t been used in awhile, so it’s a matter of rebuilding them. Let me know if you need to rest at any point. We do want to push, but not too much. Okay?”

I nodded my head in understanding.

“Great! First I’m going to test your range of motion and stretch you out.”

She started with my left leg. First bending and straightening out my leg. Then moving to my foot. Seeing how far I could move it in each direction. With each direction it was pointed, she’d hold it for thirty seconds before moving on. Once done with that, she repeated the process on my right leg.

“Okay, now can you flex your feet for me? Bring your toes towards yourself,” she instructed when she finished.

I nodded again, and tried to do as she asked. However, my feet didn’t move. I furrowed my eyebrows and tried concentrating. Again, they didn’t move.

“I-I can’t,” I stuttered. Panic started to spread through my chest. “Why can’t I move them?”

Stephanie sighed, “It’s okay, (Y/n). To explain it in terms you’d understand; since it’s been so long since you’ve used your legs, your brain has lost a connection to them. You just have to relearn your motor skills.”

“O-oh.”

“Try again. It’ll take a second, but I know you can do it.”

I took a deep breath and focused on moving my feet again. My leg muscles twitched throughout my legs.  After a few moments my feet started to move up towards me. I got them half way and let them fall back to their natural point. I tried again and was able to flex them with ease.

I released the breath I was holding. Stephanie let out a small chuckle from watching me point and flex my feet over and over again. I didn’t want to stop moving them, afraid that I wouldn’t be able to do so again.

“Very good!” she praised me. 

I couldn’t help but beam up at her.

“Now we’re going to use this,” she said while bending down to grab the green elastic band. “We’re going to use it to add some resistance to your movements, so you have to use your muscles more.”

With my left foot, she slid the band over the top and had me pull my toes towards me ten times. She rotated it so I then had to point my toes ten times. Next she had me move my foot inward ten times. And finally outward ten times.

We continued the process with my right foot. When we were done, I could feel myself getting a small headache. A dull one that ached all over.

Stephanie then had me dangle my legs over the side of the examination table. She slid the band under my calf and had me bend my knee to pull against it. After ten reps, we did it the opposite direction. Having me kick out and extend my knee ten times. Next was my other leg. Ten times pulling in, ten times kicking out.

By the time we were done, I was slightly panting and my headache was stronger. I could feel blood pulsing throughout my legs.

“How’re you doing, (Y/n)?” Stephanie asked.

I waited a moment to catch my breath before answering, “I have a headache. Other than that I’m fine. It feels good to move my legs.”

She gave me a small frown, “We can be done for today. You’re already doing better than I expected.”

I shook my head, “No, I want to keep going.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yup, just pop some ibuprofen in me, and I’ll be good as new.”

“Alright. Let’s get you shifted to a chair. You can either use mine or your wheelchair.”

“My wheelchair would be easier.”

Stephanie helped me lower myself from the examination bed. When I was settled, she grabbed the red solo cup and dumped the marbles out on the floor in front of me. She set the now empty cup next to my right foot.

I gave her a curious look and waited for her explanation. 

“We’re now going to work on your fine motor skills,” she started. “I’m going to have you pick up each marble with your toes and drop them in this cup.”

I nodded. The task itself was easy enough. I moved to get started. Spreading my toes the best I could before trying to curl them around a blue marble. I was able to lift the marble about two inches above the ground before it fell.

I let out a huff of breath and tried again. This time I couldn’t get my toes to grab the marble. I accidentally kicked it and it rolled across the floor to where I couldn’t reach it. Stephanie moved to grab the marble and added it back to the pile of marbles on the floor. Her actions made me acutely aware that she was watching me.

I swallowed thickly before trying again, only to fail another time. I let out a frustrated sigh. Taking a few deep breaths, I tried one more time. My toes curled around a red marble. I lifted my leg, hovered over the cup, and dropped it in.

The next marble was easier to get into the cup, but still took awhile.

“I’m going to go get you some ibuprofen that you asked for earlier. Keep going. If you finish before I get back, just dump the marbles again and work on your other leg,” Stephanie said before exiting the room.

I continued working after she left. It took a long time but I finally got half way through. Feeling a little dizzy and tired, I decided to take a small break.

Leaning back in my wheelchair, I let my mind wander. It started off with school and how much homework I have to catch up on. Then I thought about how tutoring was going to help. I then thought about the shy dork that is Peter. And finally Tony’s question about Peter rang through my brain. “Is he cute?”

I blushed again at the question. Peter was undeniably attractive. The way he had hair styled back to try and keep it out of his face left me wanting to mess it up. To run my fingers through it. How every time he blushed, it stood out against his pale skin. Making his barely visible freckles stand out. I liked his deep brown eyes and his messed up eyebrow. 

And he was physically fit. I could tell during gym class. During that class, I had nothing to do as I sat on the sidelines. I watched everyone exercise, but my eyes kept wandering back to Peter. He was doing sit ups, talking to Ned who held his feet down. It was obvious that the physical exercise was no strain for Peter. I couldn’t help but wonder what he looked like shirtless.

The door suddenly opened, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“There you are, Stephanie! I was starting to get worried,” I said while putting my hands on my cheeks, trying to cool down the burning sensation. 

“Guess again,” Tony said while walking through the door. He was trying to hide something behind him. From what I could see, I could tell that it was tall and black.

“Tony!” I cheered before pausing for a moment. “Where’s Stephanie?”

“I ran into Dr. Webb in the hall. I told her that she could go home and I’d make sure that you finish up your exercises. Also, I got something for ya,” he said while tossing a small white bottle out of his left hand at me.

I leaned forward and tried to catch it, but my hands ended up smacking it away. The bottle landed on the floor. Rattling came from the contents from inside.

“You have got to work on your catching game,” he sighed. He walked further into the room, stepping over the marbles, and placed the long black item onto the examination bed. He then moved to pick up the bottle off of the ground and handed it to me. I rotated the bottle in my hands. Reading the label that says, “Ibuprofen.”

“Thank you!” I beamed up at him, “You’re a lifesaver.”

“Don’t thank me just yet,” he waved a dismissive hand before turning back to the object he laid on the bed. “Just wait until you try these on.”

“What is it?” I asked while screwing off the lid to the ibuprofen, taking out the correct dosage for my body weight.

“I haven’t worked out a name for them yet.” A weak hiss came from the object before Tony separated it into two. “They’re basically braces for your legs, but better.”

“Better how?” I put the bottle in my lap as Tony looked back at me. Moving my right index finger in a circular motion, I started drawing the moisture in the air together to form a small ball of water. I opened my mouth wide, popping the medicine, and moving the water into my mouth. I swallowed before looking at Tony, whose eyes were wide in surprise.

“Since when have you been able to pull water out of thin air?” he wondered.

A small smirk played at the corner of my mouth. “I’ve been practicing.”

“Clearly.” He shakes his head before he continues speaking, “Anyways, they’re better because I’m using advanced nanobots and healing technology. It’s a little similar to the brace that I made for Rhodey”

“Well, let’s try them on,” I motioned to my legs.

Tony put one of the halves and set it back down on the table. He rotated the brace so the half that was connected to the other was facing me. Upon closer look, I could see that it was hollow. A place for me to squeeze my leg in.

“It’s not very pretty now, but it will move and adjust to your leg once we get it on,” he warned.

“If it’ll adjust to my leg, why did you take my leg measurements earlier?”

“I needed them for this initial size. If it was too small, you wouldn’t be able to get your leg in for it to adjust. If it was too big, then it wouldn’t be able to read that your leg is there,” he explained.

I nodded my head in understanding.

Tony motioned for me to lift my leg up. I obliged and extended my right leg out. He, with my help, slid the brace on to my leg. It was a snug fit, but not too tight. After a moment, the nanobots came to life. They moved over my leg to form bars down either side of my leg. As well as creating four straps across my leg connecting them. Two across my thigh and two across my shin around behind my calf.

I bent and extended my leg a couple of times to get a feel for it. It moved with ease and was surprisingly light. It was as if it wasn’t there. We then repeated the process on my other leg.

A warmth spread through both my legs slowly. It felt as if I had a bunch of extra energy in them, and was ready to go for a run.

“What do you think?” Tony asked.

“They’re a lot lighter than I thought they’d be. And I think they’re working already. My legs feel warm and cozy, while having extra energy at the same time.”

“That’s good,” Tony then pointed towards the marbles. “Finish your exercises.”

I nodded and followed his instructions. Moving a lot quicker than I was able to earlier, I finished putting the marbles in the cup. I dumped them back out and started on the other leg.

“This is so much easier now!” I giggled with excitement.

Tony leaned against the wall and watched me.

“Ready to try standing up?” he asked once I finished.

My eyes widened and my jaw fell slack. “Already?

“If you think you’re up to it,” a smirk played on his features.

“You know I’m up for anything,” I scoffed at him.

“I know,” he said, offering me his arm.

I planted both my feet on the ground. Using both my hands to grab onto his arm to pull myself up. He shifted his weight and pulled me up faster than I had planned. I stumbled a little, but Tony helped catch me. After making sure I had my balance, he slowly pulled away from me.

The bottom of my feet tingled as my legs got warmer. Despite my legs lightly protesting, I couldn’t help but smile. It felt so good to be standing up for once. Something that used to be such a simple task, made me now feel like I was conquering the world.

“Look at me! I’m standing!” I squealed.

Tony chuckled softly. He took a step back towards me, again offering his arm. “Do you want to try walking around?”

“Yes!”

I put both of my hands onto his arms to help my balance. Shifting my weight back and forth, I decided to start with taking a step with my right leg. I put some weight on Tony as I moved my right hip upward to lift my foot off the ground. I bent my knee to get it further off of the ground before kicking it back out. My movements felt robotic and choppy.

I placed my foot on the ground, putting weight on it at the same time. Causing my legs to be too spread apart for me to be able to take another step without falling over. 

My eyes widened in fear of falling. I looked up at Tony desperately. He moved his free hand to my shoulder to help balance me further.

“Shift your weight back and forth, with each shift, bring your legs closer together,” he instructed.

I did as he said and in no time, my legs were close together again. My right foot was still ahead of my left, but with only an inch between them instead of a huge gap. My legs were starting to burn.

I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I was starting to panic.”

“Let’s just start out with a shuffle.”

I nodded my head in agreement and he removed his hand that was holding my shoulder. I shifted my weight to my right foot and dragged my left foot forward. When it was a little in front of my right foot, I shifted my weight to it and dragged my right foot forward. I repeated the motions over and over. Tony being very patient with me and taking a step forward only when I’d finally start to pass him.

We got halfway across the room. My heart was racing and I was panting, completely out of breath. My legs felt like they were on fire. I couldn’t ignore them anymore.

“Tony,” I said between breaths.

“What’s up, kid?”

I pointed behind me in the general direction of my wheelchair. “I need to sit down.”

“Are you okay to stand on your own for two seconds while I grab your seat?”

Planting my feet shoulder width apart, I let go of his arm and gave it a small push. The movement caused me to wobble a bit. His hands shot out, getting ready to catch me. But, I was able to regain my balance on my own.

Quickly he grabbed my wheelchair and moved it behind me. I placed my hands on the armrests and lowered myself down onto it. As soon as my weight was lifted off my feet, my legs relaxed. Dulling some of the pain that’s spread throughout them.

Tony wordlessly started pushing me out of the room and down the hall.

“Where are we going?” I asked once my breath caught up to me.

“I’m taking you to your room. I think that’s enough therapy today.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist: @galcalirwin @frontmanash @dontdowhatisayandnobodygetshurt @aneclecticwriter

[thisisthehardestthing]

This Is The Hardest Thing - 6

18+, nothing happens but mentions of sexual fluids.

Authors note: Would like to apologize with how short this is, but the previous chapter was quite intense (or at least I thought it was) and so this is mostly just for a breather, to give some info and develop a bit more plot.

Masterlist

CHAPTER 6

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Your eyes were wide, glancing from Bakugo, to the laundry room, back to Bakugo. The events that just transpired replayed in your mind. Nausea began to bubble up in your stomach as you sat upright, willing your feet to be steady once it hit the wet tiles. He shouldn’t have touched you. No, it’s your fault for not controlling it. You winced when you felt the cold cum slide down your thigh, buttoning your shirt, rubbing whatever you could feel on your legs with the inside of your skirt, thankful you were still on birth control.

The room, once clean and mopped and tidy, was now a complete mess, all thanks to you. All the dryers lining the wall were open, a few dented inwards with the one furthest away shifted out of line, almost ready to fall onto the floor below. The washing machines below, usually two neat lines, seemed to have gotten the brunt of the attack. They were scattered, zig-zagging across the room as the white metal tops and sides were dented in. Somewhere in a corner, a pipe must’ve ripped free as a puddle of water began to form and pool down to where you both stood. Your eyes wandered up, taking in the hanging lights. Thankfully, none had burst. The vibrations must not have traveled there.

Bakugo’s red eyes burned with anger and confusion and you wondered if he always had that level of energy in him. You were used to your quirk, yet you still found it difficult to remain standing, so how was he moving so freely? You were mortified, embarrassed, disgusted. Where could you even start? Do you apologize to him first? Do you explain everything? This was so messed up and you feel your chest start to constrict, tighten up so that it’s hard to breathe.

“Oi!” Bakugo’s sharp tone cut through your inner turmoil. He had taken a step away from you, standing as far in the width between two machines as possible. “Explain yourself.”

Your thumbs fidgeted awkwardly as your palms clasped together, the cold tiles under the soles of your feet an inviting, cool thrum against your frantic nerves.

“Bakugo, I’m sorry,” you began but he waved you off, an exasperated look in his eyes, biceps twitched as his arms across his chest. It was the only sign of muscle strain you could see in him.

“Fuck that, apologize later. What the fuck happened?”

You took a labored breath, tight chest hindering your movement as your mind whirred around the different explanations you could give him. So you settled on the easiest, most detached one.

“I can feel, absorb, and control the vibrations of atoms.” You said, opening your palms and lifting them. The fingers prints and lines on your hands were defined, which magnified your sensitivity with whatever you touched. “Even with my eyes closed, I can see what’s happening around me through the neighboring vibration and move it.” Your fingertips curled into your palms, half-moon indents forming against the skin. “I can’t control it properly. Sometimes, there’s too much energy…”

Bakugo made a strange growl, deep in thought, brows furrowed.

“So, what I felt when you touched me? What was that?”

You swallowed, the feeling of nausea returning as you struggled to look at him.

“It’s like an electric circuit. That’s the best way I can describe it. If I touch something… alive, it can feel my vibrations while it’s being moved, and I can feel theirs.” The explanation is chosen carefully, avoiding the fact that your feet were the same, you didn’t always need to touch objects, that you were a child of a quirk marriage.

Katsuki unfurled his arms and stared into his hands with an expression of longing and confusion. The skin on his palms was so thick, he could barely feel anything underneath them, but when he touched you, he had felt every centimeter beneath his calloused hands. Just remembering the way those vibrations flowed from his and into your body was enough to send him into a spiral of doubt, self-loathing and once again, need.

“Bakugo, I really am sorry. There are no words I can say that makes me losing control over my quirk okay.” The apology erupted from your chest as you saw his face, staring into space at his hands. His eyes snapped up, signature frown and clenched jaw evident.

“Tch, I don’t need your apology. I wanted to fuck you anyway, but don’t touch me again.” He stooped to pick up his shirt and twisted it, the water trickling into a puddle beneath his feet. The wet fabric was thrown over his shoulder, the resounding slap against his back sent another wave of shame through you. He picked up the bucket, then the mop, and busied himself with tidying up whatever else had fallen to the ground.

“Don’t just fucking stand there, we need to clean this place up.” Bakugo chastised, the glare in his eyes deadlier than before as he pushed a machine back in line with the rest.

You hesitated before turning to the machine behind you, limbs heavy like you were wading through water. The cold metal beneath your palm welcome as you focused on the dull thrum. The zig-zagging vibrations of aluminum laid out a map behind your eyelids. You were exhausted and the energy that poured into you from the metal contraption helped you feel a little more human, until you lifted your hands and it dispersed, draining back through the soles of your feet. The machine looked new again, no more dents in the side, the white surface completely smooth. Although your quirk did not drain you of your own energy, it did work your muscles more than any gym could, flushing them with an ache and endorphins.

So you moved to the next one, smoothing out any imperfections that were created before Bakugo maneuvered it back into place. It was soothing and painful at the same time, the feeling of the metal popping back up akin to the sound of a spoon scraping against a pan. It made your skin crawl, goosebumps rose on your forearms and shins. Bakugo made sure to keep a distance from you, at least a machine width. Everything about this day ended up wrong, and you couldn’t wait to crawl back to your room and hide beneath the covers for the rest of the night to ignore the hollow feeling in your chest.

He’d only stood next to you one time for the entire hour that was spent cleaning the room, and it was right before you both turned to leave. Your arms were close enough to feel the static between the hairs, but not touching. You suppressed a shiver and curled your toes up to ease permanent wave rolling off him. The bucket, mop, and broom gripped tight between those large palms, with the same strength they had latched onto your breast. He let out a sigh, head-turning only slightly towards you, ruby eyes peering down.

“I don’t blame you,” Bakugo said. It was curt and final, his tone sincere. Although not entirely relieved, those words made some unwitting tension release from between your shoulder blades. Saying ‘thank you’ in return felt wrong like he meant to pity you. You didn’t know him very well, at least emotionally, but you could tell that he did not pity anyone.

“Don’t tell anyone,” you replied, meeting his gaze, just as pointed. He made a snarky comment under his breath and walked out of the room.

You stayed a minute longer, partly to give him space but mostly to rid yourself of the feeling of his footsteps on the floor. When you could no longer feel him, you cried.

************************************************************

Dabi stood in the middle of the dark room, facing a figure shrouded in shadows, seated in an overly large, pompous armchair. His piercings glinted in the orange flame of the fireplace that flickered in the corner. He crossed his arms, scarred skin tight on his forearms that pulled dangerously against thin skin. They were in the middle of a boring conversation; how to get the League back on their feet, next steps, and it was all Dabi could do not to set the entire place ablaze.

Absentmindedly, he picked at a scab and blood fanned out into the dips of his flesh, red on bruised purple. He mumbled a fuck before pressing the fresh wound with his thumb, annoyed at his habit.

“So, what do you think of the plan?” Shigaraki croaked out, his voice similar to the crackling of the fire before him. Honestly, Dabi had stopped listening twenty minutes ago, he couldn’t care less about how the League pulled out of their slump as long as he got to have some reckless fun.

“Yeah, sounds good. Let me know wha—” The door burst open, slamming against the wall as Giran hobbled in. The golden light of the hallway created a runway directly to Shigaraki’s chair, illuminating the grey hand on the red leather, pinky fingers lifted. Eyes peered around the edge, chapped lips pressed together tightly, as the newcomer was observed.

“You’re late.” He quipped, voice dripping with contempt.

“Sorry, Shigaraki,” Giran reached into his pocket for another cigarette, his tone indifferent to the underground ‘king’. After a long inhale, stretching out the silence, Giran blew smoke out, his jaw tilted to gaze at the ceiling. “I’ve got… news.” He selected his words carefully. Shigaraki had started losing his temper frequently, and Giran did not want to be on the receiving end of it.

“Spit it out.” Dabi huffed, his weight shifted from one foot to the other, a finger stroking the column of staples pressed into his chin. A sigh left Giran’s lips.

“I was cornered last night, well, this morning. There’s a pro-Hero currently in Japan from America, perhaps you know him? Soil?” Shigaraki grunted in response, neither a yes or no, but in distaste. “He wanted me to tell you that’s he’s waiting for you and that you can no longer hide in the shadows.”

The edges of Shigaraki’s lips turned up at the threat. “Someone I don’t know is making threats? Directly at us? They must be incredibly dumb, or incredibly strong. Dabi?”

The scarred man ran a hand through his hair, pulling at it slightly, ignoring the way his skin itched.

“Why don’t we go find out?”

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

Thank you for reading, you rock.

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@aizawascumslut @whats-her-quirk @icythotsenpai @destiel1597 @joyousandverywarlike 

[shreddedparchment]

The Brightest Star Pt.05

Celestial Confessions

08/15/2019

Pairing: Thor x Reader     Word Count: 6,984

Masterpost     Warnings: language, fluff, angst

A/N: I am so sorry that it has taken so long to get an update out for this. As most of you know, I have signed up for quite a few challenges and some of those have turned into series of their own so, please forgive me for the delays. I am still very much discovering what I want this story to be so I thank you for your patience. If you happen to reblog, thanks so much for helping me spread my work! xoxo

“Ouch.” You whisper, the slice of the knife on your finger shallow.

Almost no blood. Cutting cheese is hard.

A quick anxious glance shot over your shoulder at your bedroom’s wide open door while you press the slice to your lips to suck the flow to a stop.

Had he heard you?

When no one comes you turn back to your tray.

You’ve got a nice layout, crackers, cheese, ruby red apple slices, and midnight purple grapes to accompany the blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry red blend wine.

It’s a dusky taste, clinging and deep, the tart flavor dulled by the fruity aroma. You fill two glasses, plate them along with your selection of fruit and cheese, and with an excited heart head back in search of Thor.

He’s right where you left him at the mouth of your balcony doorway gazing out at the Eden you’ve created.

The long elegant lines of his limbs, strong bulging biceps, and as he turns to you, an electric blue eye accompanied by the other in amber all draw you breathless.

Your feet falter as he smiles at you. The soft curve of his lips gentle and inviting.

You’re at a loss. Complete and utter bewilderment as to how or why this God is in your home, smiling at you as if you were some sort of gift.

Deftly he eyes your tray. “Goodies?”

That deep tremor of his voice nearly chokes you. It fills you up with too much giddiness and you chuckle stupidly.

“Sorry.” You clear your throat. “Yeah, some cheese and fruit. Some wine. It’s not expensive. I don’t really have a refined palate but this one has always been my favorite.”

A twenty-seven dollar bottle of wine. That’s what you like.

“I’m sure it’s wonderful.” Thor smiles, moving towards you with strong confident steps.

Despite the kisses he'd given you only an hour ago, your own confidence wavers. You shrink as he approaches, just slightly. Just enough for him to notice.

He doesn’t stop walking until he’s standing right in front of you.

You stare up into his eyes, holding his gaze as he peers down at you. Happily. That small tempting curve of his lips so sweet and seductive all at once.

“Allow me.” He says, takes the tray and moves to set it on your coffee table behind you.

Once settled on the sofa, he pops in a grape then reaches for a glass. He sniffs the wine, brow furrowed, then gives it a rapid taste.

Worried, you wait. Does he like it?

Slowly, he smiles. The soft yellow haze of light from the ceiling paints him warm.

“It’s delicious.” He assures you, gets back up when you don’t join him, and walks towards you with his glass in hand and yours in the other.

When he offers it, you take it and drink a quick sip.

So good.

“I love your garden.” He gestures over your shoulder at the open balcony doorway.

The crisp fall air is colder now that winter is even closer. Soon, you won’t be able to keep the door open.

You shiver lightly as the air wafts in towards you bringing with it the aromatic scent of a hundred different blooms.

“Thanks.” You smile, never taking your eyes off of him despite the fact that he’s looking at your garden and not you.

“It reminds me of the gardens my mother tended to on Asgard just outside the courtyard. She would spend hours watering and pruning. Really, it’s very beautiful, Y/N.” He nods then finally brings his gaze back to meet yours.

Beaming you take a sip of your wine again and smile bashfully at him over the rim of your glass.

“I was too distracted last time I was here to notice.” He begins, voice sharp with a subtle playfulness.

It’s almost not even there. What he saw you doing with Jeremy must have really upset him.

Oh, shit.

“You know. Because you were busy.” The corners of his smiling lips twitch, eyes dazzling mischievously.

Lowering your glass, you reach up to wipe your lip, flashing back to that night of torture and bliss all rolled into one.

You’d been so heartbroken over Thor ghosting you but then so pleasantly satisfied and wanted by Jeremy.

When he'd made to leave the first time your heart had panicked. Being alone meant thinking about Thor and you’d been grateful for the reprieve that Jeremy had offered you.

“I'm…” You swallow hard, curling your wrist inwards to press your glass of wine against the side of your breast as you find the words. “I'm sorry you saw that.”

When you meet his gaze, Thor’s teasing light is gone as your own sincerity shimmers through your own. His smile falters and then slowly fades as you chew on your lip.

“I’m not strong, Thor. I’m…I mean, you’ve seen me with Nan and Seth. I needed to feel something other than incompetent that night and Jeremy has always been there for me in that sense. I definitely didn’t want you to see me…like that…And Jeremy and I aren’t—I mean, he has a girlfriend. So…it’s not like that with us.” Your cheeks are burning.

“Y/N…I don’t…” He begins but your stare seems to make him speechless. “I will not lie. I was rather hurt by what I saw.”

You breathe in slowly, heart racing.

“I have no right to be upset about you being in…in the arms of another man.” He nearly chokes on the words and clears his throat to cover up the hitch in his voice.

You breathe out, deflating under the nerves he’s betraying. You laugh, a small huff of air as a joy unlike any you’ve felt before warms your limbs.

The trickle of heat begins at the center of your chest and spreads out across your shoulders, along your arms, hip, legs, and down to your toes.

For him to be upset, it would have to mean that he likes you, right?

“What?” Thor asks, surprised by your amusement but also smiling again.

You shake your head, flat out refusing to admit to your source of giddiness and take another sip.

“Keeping secrets from me?” He asks playfully, stepping towards you.

You nod.

He takes another step and reaches out for your left arm.

You make to pull away, but he catches it, his touch burning but nowhere near your own body’s strange heat.

With your body pulling back, he chuckles and makes to pull you towards him but you turn into his left arm, to try and pull away as you chuckle but he uses your own move to wrap both his and your arm around your waist and pull you back against his chest.

His heart is pounding. A wild thrumming to match your own.

He smells like rain. Earth. The metallic sting of ozone saturated with a sweet floral scent. It’s intoxicating and melts all resistance you have as he leans down to rub the right side of his bearded face against your left.

He leans down more and more, scratching your cheek with his scruff until you’re no longer chuckling and he’s pressing his lips to your cheek.

The tension builds in seconds, making your body hum.

“Keep your secrets.” He whispers, his deep timber marks your soul. “As long as I can have you, I don’t care.”

He steals your breath. Romancing you sweetly and gently.

You turn your head to look at him and he dips down to kiss your lips before you can say anything.

Warm, wet lips, with the fruity taste of your favorite wine massage your own.

Slipping your left hand out from underneath his arm around your waist, you slide it up behind his head and stroke the soft waves of his short golden hair.

“Mmmm.” He mumbles against your lips making your hips ache and your stomach flutter.

The arm around your waist wraps you up tighter and he brings his right around your torso with his glass slowly teetering back and forth in his distracted state.

There’s a slosh and you feel it fall against your skirt.

Thor gasps, regrettably pulling back to look down over the pale blue of your dress.

“Damn. I’m sorry.” He frets.

Cloud nine. That’s where you’re still at. You open your eyes slowly, hovering in the bliss of Thor’s kiss but he’s distracted, removing his arms from around you as he meets your dreamy gaze.

“I should have been more careful.” He worries, his left hand still on your waist as he turns you around to face him.

Looking down at the stain, you smile and find your bearings.

“It's okay.” You shake your head. “I’ll just have Jeremy buy it from the designer and see if he can’t get someone to clean it up. I should go change though. Can’t spend the entire night in formal wear, right?”

Thor gives you a smile, his hand drifting up to caress the skin of your cheek. His fingers are so gentle. Slowly gliding from the back of your jaw all the way down to the curve of your chin.

“No.” He agrees. “I suppose you can’t. Go. Make yourself comfortable.”

You really hate to pull away, but you also do really want to get out of this dress. “I'll be right back.”

You make to pull away then turn back to him and push yourself up onto your toes, pulling him down by the silk lapels of his suit with your free hand.

He meets your peck with a smile, eyes wide open as you pass your glass of wine into his left hand.

“You should make yourself comfortable too. And…don’t go anywhere?” You ask, still a little unsure in your confidence with him. Does he want to stay longer?

“I'd rather be beaten than leave you again.” Thor jokes.

*****

You are absolutely stunned when you walk out of your bathroom. Not just because Thor seems to have gone for pizza—you can smell the melted cheese and cooked toppings—but because as you move out and search for him, you find him staring out your wall of windows at the city below.

It glitters like starlight out before you, so high up, you’re immune to the sounds of it but can enjoy the display of lights.

Thor’s got his tuxedo jacket off, laid out on the bench at the foot of your bed, his bow tie pulled apart, left to dangle in the collar of his pressed button up which now has the top two buttons undone giving you a relaxed view of his sun-kissed clavicle.

He’s rolling up his sleeves to the elbow as he turns towards you.

He freezes too and you don’t realize he’s gawking until you remind yourself not to be an ogling creeper.

A slow smile spreads across your lips as you realize he’s ogling right back.

At what, you aren’t sure.

Your nightgown, like your wine, is also not fancy. A little feminine perhaps but comfortable. Soft white cotton that billows out around you as you start walking towards him again.

It ties at the top of both shoulders with ribbons made of shiny antique white satin, and the back falls very low. It curves down in a narrow U stopping just above your bum.

The bottom hem is a band of lace that drags across your concrete floors. The soft pat of your feet the only sound as you move to stand before him.

“Wow.” He whispers, then clears his throat because you smile and huff a small laugh.

“That’s what I was gonna say.” You admit, giving him a quick head to toe.

Chaotic, casual formal wear looks good on the God of Thunder.

Nervous, you reach up and begin to thumb your necklace.

Thor’s eyes are drawn to it, gazing at the polished black stone with its craters as the tip of your index finger slides over the smooth red gem that can only be seen if you tilt the stone up.

“What’s that?” He wonders, moving closer.

His hand slides over yours until you drop it and he takes hold of the rock.

“It’s the most important item that I own.” You admit, smiling stupidly up at him despite the depressing reality of the rock you wear daily.

“This little thing?” He asks genuinely curious.

You nod but since you don’t explain, he drops it to gesture at the coffee table. “I brought you dinner. I didn’t see you eat at Stark’s gala so I assumed-?”

“Thank you.” You’re touched. “I am starving. I didn’t get there until after dinner was over.”

“Oh.”

Thor reaches down and takes your hand, heated digits tickling the center of your palm making you nearly quiver.

“Then come.” He tells you softly and pulls you towards the sofa.

The two of you settle on it and Thor quickly pushes the slices of apples off the plate you’d put them on and lifts the pizza box lid.

You’re awash in the delicious smell of bread, cheese, and tomato sauce. It makes your mouth water and you have to swallow as you watch Thor pile on slice after slice. One. Two. Three. Four slices.

“Wait…” You tell him, then chuckle as he places a fifth piece on the plate.

“What?” He asks, confused, stopping as he looks at you.

“I-” You chuckle again and watch as Thor’s eyes light up, his own lips pulling at the corners subtly. “I can’t eat all that, Thor.”

“Oh.” He quickly pushes three slices off and holds the plate out to you.

“Thanks.” You continue to chuckle to yourself. Amused by his cuteness.

He’s so big…so wide. You feel for his heat and enjoy it. That golden aura that had first seduced you. How can he also be cute?

“I was thinking with my own stomach, I suppose.” Thor explains, analyzing the slices before taking one for himself.

“Oh, I mean, I can eat them. I just like to eat slowly. Two slices at a time. We’ll probably need another pizza.” You confess, brow drawn together in an apologetic gaze.

“Don’t worry. If we run out, I’ll go get some more.” He promises, leaning forward elbows on knees as he takes a bite and watches you chew on your own piece.

For a whole two minutes, the two of you sit staring at each other. Eating in silence. Small smiles playing on both your lips but your eyes roaming over every curve of his face. The straight line of his nose. The deep imposing brow. His cheekbones are surprisingly flat. They still form a small apple, but they’re not as pronounced as, say, Jeremy’s? His jaw looks strong, covered in his beard as it may be, but it’s soft. You might not cut yourself on his jawline but it’s still a square. Still twitches deliciously when he clenches it. And damn it if you don’t want to kiss it.

“I’m really glad you went to the gala.” Thor says, reaching into the box for another slice.

“Me too.” You admit, though your trepidation at the event had been great.

If Jeremy hadn’t pushed you to go and gotten you through that first bout of anxiety, you’d have left and never seen Thor. You wouldn’t be here, sitting with him in your apartment, loving the way the longer golden strands of his hair up on top of his head fall against his forehead.

You want to reach out and stroke it.

To rebel against this instinct, you fist your nightgown, deciding to let Thor lead the night. You’re not sure what he wants really. You know that he likes you—for some unknown reason—and you know that he wants to spend time with you.

Does he want to get all touchy feely right away? You really want to start touching him, you’re touch starved and you’ve wanted him, however quietly, for months.

Jeremy is the only person you’ll allow to touch you and that’s only because he knows who you really are.

Thor can handle you. The real you. It had seemed like a dream that you might find someone that could fit with you so perfectly.

“What are you thinking?” Thor asks, staring right back at you.

He reaches out and sweeps your hair back, the pads of his fingers stroking the swell of your cheekbone.

You lean into his touch without meaning to. Your eyes are relentless in their gaze, taking in the soft admiration in his own.

Does he really like you? Is this possible?

You lick your lips, tasting oregano and mozzarella.

“I…I told you that I'd explain.” You begin.

Thor straightens up. Finishing his bite of pizza, he places the slice on the box and wipes his hands on a napkin. He crumples it nervously, crushing it into a small ball.

Suddenly he looks terrified for some reason.

“Before you do, I…I think I must confess something.” The deep tone of his voice is so impossibly beautiful, but you can’t even enjoy it because the worry in it, the shame he speaks with overpowers it.

“What?” You ask, brow furrowed as your heart sinks.

It can’t be that he's with someone, can it? Why did he kiss you then? Maybe they have a complicated relationship and he’s going to tell you that he’s also seeing someone else?

Can you share him? Probably.

Do you want to? Fuck no.

“I…if we are going to be together, which I very much hope we are, I want to be honest with you.” He says somberly.

Damn him. His words make you happy, but his tone makes you worry.

“Thor, what?” You plead, free hand flying up to fidget with your necklace.

Thor watches your hand then reaches into his right pants pocket. He pulls from it a sleek black phone unlike any you’ve ever seen. After he unlocks it, he opens his gallery and scrolls to his videos folder.

When he opens it, a singular thumbnail shines up at him. He selects it and the screen goes dark before he holds the phone out to you.

After a curious look at him, his electrifying eyes holding you captive in their remorseful hope, you look at it and place your plate down beside you.

You watch, hands steady as you wait for the darkness on the screen to change.

When it does, you wish it had stayed black.

The video opens to a corner lab. A large metal table with looming rings from head to toe around it. It glows faintly, blue and teal.

You know this lab.

You swallow hard, staring as your now deceased stepfather walks into screen, followed by your mother and a much younger version of yourself.

You watch with your heart slowly filling with lead as your mother convinces you to get on the table.

She makes you count. Uses your innocence to lure you up where you’re already too scared to go.

As you watch the video, you suddenly flash back and see it as if it were happening again. Glistening between the metal rings that thicken and trap you inside of that cradle, the flash of stars. The color of rainbow in neon against the black backdrop and void of space where moments before there’d been a regular old ceiling.

Mind rushing back, you focus on the video again.

You’re screaming. The little version of you, who still doesn’t even understand that daddy is never coming back, is screaming.

Your body blackened. It burns and you can remember the agony. It’s in your bones. It’s who you are.

You don’t remember much before that pain. Your consciousness in childhood was awoken on that day when you were scorched so your life, it all springs from the pain of that night. The fear and the confusion as to why mommy wouldn’t help you.

The room explodes and then they’re dead and you’re just a baby on a lab table, changed forever by the whims of a man who never loved you.

Never cared about you.

And the woman who should have protected you.

You click the screen off, blood flowing like magma in your veins.

Angry does not even begin to explain how you feel. You hold his phone back out for him to take, using deliberate, slow, calculated movements and Thor hesitates before taking it.

“How…” Responding to the wrath in your voice, Thor leans in closer as you speak, reaching for your hand which you yank from his grip with the hiss of his calloused skin sliding against your own.

You struggle to clear your mind, that seething bubble of emotion that threatens to explode overwhelming.

You get up, move around the coffee table then turn to look at him, needing the distance to keep from burning. You can already feel it. The heat rushing through your arms and legs.

He’s standing too, wringing his hands, brow puckered with worry and regret. He’s also watching you, looking your body over and you know what he’s seeing.

That light. The shimmer you get. So rarely does it come out. You’re never this upset.

“How do you have that?” You demand, pointing at the phone replaced in his pocket. “H-how long have you known?”

Thor moves around the table and you back up, retaining the space between you as he still reaches out for you but remains too far to touch you.

“I found out on the day we shared our coffee. When you gave me your number? Stark-”

“Tony?!” You gasp, glaring at Thor because this is betrayal.

You look away, pace to the glass wall and place your hands on the cool surface, urging yourself to stay calm.

You know what Tony wants with you. You know what he’s been after all these years. Like everyone else in your life, he wants something from you. He doesn’t care about you. Only what you can give him. The answers he so desperately wants.

“Yes, I-?”

“So, this…this has all been, what? Some type of recruitment? Trying to get me to come in so that he can run his tests?” You turn and narrow your eyes at him, suddenly suspicious.

The golden God looks different suddenly. Still beautiful. Still breathtaking. Untrustworthy.

“What?” Thor asks, shocked by your leap. “No!”

“Was it his idea for you to seduce me or was that you? Get me t-to lower my guard and then ask me for a favor?”

You can hear the paranoia in your words, but you can’t help it. This has happened too many times. Not since Jeremy came into your life, but it’s happened before and it hurts every time. This time might be too much.

You really like Thor. Fuck.

“Y/N, that’s not-”

“She’s lonely enough, it won’t be hard, right? That’s what he told you?” Your heart aches, the kisses tonight, the soft touches…had they all been fake? “Get the f-freak to come in and get some tests done?”

Thor’s expression darkens. For a moment, a very small quick moment as he lunges towards you, strutting across the space between you and taking your arms in his hands, you’re afraid.

You squeak as he grabs you, though you can fight him off, you’re not sure you’re as strong as a God.

“You are not a freak; do you hear me?” He demands, giving you a very small shake. “You are beautiful and perfection.”

You’d thought that his touch might fuel your rage. That you might blow up if he came closer, but it seems to have had the opposite effect. With his touch, you cool, your anger melting to be replaced by heartbreak. You are definitely not beautiful. Or perfect.

His words hurt despite their positivity. “You should have told me that you knew.”

You gripe, staring down at his chest with stinging eyes.

“That’s what I just did.” Thor explains, pleading with you, his voice rising and falling as he pulls you closer.

Damn, he’s right.

In your defense, you weren’t expecting to have the darkest moment of your life thrust at you like that.

“I didn’t want to start anything with you until we had all of the facts laid out.” Thor explains, his hands stroking your bare arms, chafing them and slowly lulling you back into your blissed-out state. “I’m sorry. I should have…warned you.”

Yes, he sure the fuck should have! With a sigh, you shake your head, your rage rising again but this time it’s not for Thor.

“How does Tony even have that video?” You demand angrily, growling under your breath but speaking softly.

Thor sighs, tracing your arms all the way down to your elbows where he lets them linger.

“He’d said something about a data breach? Hydra-?”

“Oh.” Your mind races back to that incident but you’d had little to do with it.

Papa Roman had been alive then and he’d dealt with it. You only remember reading about it.

“They’d stolen only this video and Tony retrieved it. Out of curiosity, he watched it.” Thor explains. “He was saddened by what he saw.”

“Oh, how nice for him. Must be tough to be sad about watching a toddler kill her parents.” You spit, still angrier than you’ve been in ages.

You move around Thor, pulling out of his grasp and he lets you go.

“I think, as he explained it, he feels regret for abandoning you.” Thor says.

You wrap your arms around yourself, hating Tony because he had abandoned you. He’d stayed away for so long. You could have used someone to confide in. Someone who’d truly known your parents. Who’d known you.

“I swear to you, Y/N…my feelings are not a ruse.” You can hear Thor move towards, slow heavy steps as he approaches you from behind. “I was not sent to you by Stark. I walked into a coffee shop and watched a woman smile with excitement. Her eyes shone like stars and then the light was sapped from them. Her disappointment has haunted me every day since I saw it there and all I have wanted is to help put those stars back.

“I have thought only of how I might get close enough to you to make you smile. To make you laugh. Please, don’t push me away.” He begs.

You shut your eyes, willing yourself to think. To process what he’s saying.

It’s not his fault that Tony stole that video. It’s not his fault that Tony had shown it to him. It’s not his fault that Tony has been itching to get you into his lab to run his tests. And it’s not Thor’s fault that you find it hard to trust, to believe, to accept that someone might really want you to do as he says; to smile.

Strong bulging arms wrap themselves around you.

You can breathe properly again.

It feels so good, as he settles in against your back with his scratchy bearded chin nudging against your cheek. It feels amazing to have his heart absolutely pounding against your own.

He’s nervous. He’s worried. Or…whatever it is that makes his heart beat like that.

“I’m sorry.” You whisper, ashamed of your outburst.

“No.” He whispers against your cheek, soft lips featherlight against your skin. “I’m sorry I did not warn you first. I only wanted to be honest. I know about what they did to you, but I don’t understand what it means.”

You did promise to explain. “Thor-”

Your bedroom door suddenly flies open, so forcefully that it hits the wall and swings back closed only Jeremy is there to stop it, still dressed in his powder blue couture tuxedo.

“Jer?” You stand up straighter, Thor’s arms only tighten around you. “What’s wrong?”

He looks frazzled, breathless. Like he’s been running.

“I-” He begins, his dark brown eyes moving from you down to Thor’s arms wrapped around you, then up to his face before settling back on yours. “I didn’t know where you went.”

You frown. “I told Tony to let you know that I’d come home. Sorry. I should have found you myself.”

He’s already mentally brushed off your explanation, taking a step closer, eyes narrowed as he really looks at you.

“Are you okay?” He asks, taking a step towards the two of you with his hands clenched into fists.

“Okay?” You ask confused. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

Jeremy frowns at you. “You’re crying.”

Startled, you reach up to touch your right cheek making Thor drop his arms as you move. He doesn’t stray from right behind you, keeping his chest pressed against your back. His heart is pounding harder now. Faster than before.

Sure enough, your cheeks are stained with tears. You’re not sure when you cried. Maybe while watching the video?

“Oh. I’m-I’m fine. I was just…remembering my parents. Thor—Thor knows what happened to me and it kinda caught me off guard.” You explain, shrugging one shoulder only to feel Thor’s hand slide up along your arm to rest on the side of your shoulder.

He gives it a squeeze and you look up at him, feeling calm again. Floating on his warm golden aura. How could you have ever doubted him?

You smile.

“How the hell does he know about what happened to you?” Jeremy asks, needlessly sounding aggressive.

“Jeremy,” You begin, frowning.

“That’s not your concern.” Thor tells him.

Surprised by the harsh note of his voice, you turn to look back at him, searching his face for a hint but he’s got his eyes trained on Jeremy.

“What the hell did you just say to me?” Jeremy asks, strutting forward, chest first.

“Woah, hey.” You move out from under Thor’s grasp and put your hands on Jeremy’s chest, pushing him back gently and he complies with your touch. “Tony gave him the video of how it happened. I guess he took it back when Papa Roman dealt with that big data breach. Hydra. Remember?”

Had he been here then? You think so.

Jeremy turns his glare down to you, softening his brow as he reaches up to take hold of your hands.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asks, thumb stroking the back of your hand.

Thor clears his throat, his hand rising to stroke the shape of your hip.

You’re not expecting it and his touch makes you dizzy.

“She’s alright.” He says.

“I didn’t ask you.” Jeremy seethes, then pointedly asks, “What happened to your date?”

“Jeremy.” You chastise him, frowning up into his handsome face. You don’t appreciate the reminder of Thor dancing with Helen Cho. “What’s wrong with you?”

“This guy blew you off, Y/N. You were a mess for days.” He says pointedly, looking from you to Thor.

“It was all a misunderstanding.” You tell him, smiling up at him. “Thor thought—”

You have to stop because you can’t explain about him seeing you and Jeremy together in bed. Jeremy will freak out. Thor spying on you? That’s not what it was but it’ll sound like that.

“It turns out Thor was still off planet the entire time I was messaging him. The other Avengers released a false story about them having returned on purpose, to throw off the bad guys here on Earth but really, they hadn’t come home yet. And…”

Maybe you don’t have to tell him about the sleeping with him. You and Jeremy have kissed and hugged and shared affection in spaces where you could have been seen.

“And what?” Jeremy demands.

“Well, Thor saw us. Kissing. He…he thought you and I were together, but I explained everything to him. So, he understands now.” You smile, looking up at Thor who has finally turned his gaze back on you, eyes dazzling in affection.

“I can give you that now.” Thor whispers, making you smile wider.

“Y/N, he could be lying to you.” Jeremy insists.

“He isn’t.” You tell him, turning your happy gaze on him.

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.” You shake your head, confused by Jeremy’s resistance.

“Y/N…” He begins.

“I’m fine, Jer. You can go.” You order, shifting your tone into your boss voice.

You don’t understand why Jeremy’s being so difficult, but you don’t need it right now. You need to talk to Thor and figure all of this out.

Jeremy watches you, eyebrow scrunched, eyes worried, biting his bottom lip. He looks at Thor, gives him a glare, then turns on his heel and heads back out, slamming your door shut.

Instant regret. That’s what you feel.

Jeremy has been so good to you lately. He’s been patient and kind and he’s given you his body and you’ve accepted his comfort. You owe him more than this.

“Jer…” You move to go after him, but a hand pulls you back. Strong thick digits around your wrist.

“Wait. Let me. I’ll explain myself.” Thor promises and moves around you, after him.

“Thor?” You move a step towards him as he stops with the door open to look back at you. “Please, if he hits you, just let him? He’s really protective over me and his hit won’t hurt you anyway, right?”

“You have my word, my starshine.” He caresses your cheek, then nods leaving you with a barrage of flutters as he shuts the door behind him.

Starshine? You smile, teeth plunging into your bottom lip.

“Stop.” Thor calls out, reaching out to grab the assistant’s shoulder.

He jerks out from under Thor’s touch, but he turns to face him, pulling himself up to his full height. Chest puffed out. Disapproving glare set in place.

Thor drops his hand. Rolls his shoulders and looks down at the man. He’s really tempted to knock him on the head, just once. He can hide him in a closet until you’re asleep then take him and leave him on a park bench.

No. Keep your word, Thor.

“What do you want?” The assistant nearly growls.

Thor watches him, taking in his defensive stance, the hard light in his eyes, the way his hands are balled into fists. With his brow furrowed, Thor chooses his words carefully.

“You mean a lot to Y/N.” He acknowledges. “You’re very important. More important than anyone else in her life.”

The assistant isn’t expecting this. A keen observance but also one easily made by anyone paying attention to you. It’s clear that you love this assistant. Maybe not in that way, but you do care about him immensely.

“What’s your point?” The assistant asks, confused, relaxing a little.

“She’s very important to me.” Thor confesses. “I’ve been watching her for a long time, and I have never wanted to make someone happy the way I desire to do so with her. I want to see her smile. Genuinely. Happily. I want to see her express real excitement and enjoyment without having it be broken by those two morons she calls friends.”

The assistant shifts his weight, uncomfortable because this isn’t what he was expecting maybe? Thor can see right through him and he wonders. Does he know? Is he aware what he really feels for you?

You clearly aren’t.

“In order for me to do that, you must let me.” Thor looks down at the floor, wondering if maybe he should say it.

He felt it. As soon as the assistant had walked into the room and saw Thor holding you, that aura…that energy…so clearly, Thor had felt it.

“You hurt her.” The assistant argues.

“A mistake.” Thor explains. “Just as she said. A misunderstanding.”

He thinks quickly. Calculating the odds of him getting punched if he says it.

Fuck it. He needs to know if he’s right. For himself.

“I saw you with her.” He begins. “I came that night I returned, when I suddenly received all of her messages at once and realized what she must think.”

Thor can see the assistant putting two and two together. He should help him. He’s being slow about it.

“I saw you with her.” Thor says, lowering his voice because they’re only in the kitchen. Your room is not far. “The way you treat her—you try to deny it but…you love her.”

“So?” The assistant doesn’t even hesitate!

Thor’s lips curve up into a small knowing and slightly bitter smile. He’d been prepared for a denial.

“She doesn’t know.” He nods.

The assistant finally averts his gaze.

“If she did, she would not let you touch her the way you do.”

“You don’t know that.” The assistant protests, moving towards Thor, maybe itching to hit him.

Thor doesn’t respond. He just stares. He lets the assistant come to the correct realization on his own.

He drags his hand through his dark brown hair, messing the carefully styled do in his frustration. “I just needed some time.”

Thor takes a step towards him, the movement drawing the assistant’s eyes up to face him.

“Are you going to stand in my way?” He asks, the slightest hint of a threat in his voice.

This isn’t in Thor’s character. He doesn’t get this possessive. He doesn’t feel this jealous. This voice is reserved for his enemies in battle and yet, that’s what this assistant feels like. He’s an enemy.

He doesn’t think that he could ever actually hurt this human. This weak man.

He wants to though. He really wants to make sure that he knows that you’re already his. That you belong with him and only him.

Whatever past this assistant might have with you, it’s clear that to you it meant something different. Your eyes are hopefully only on Thor.

The assistant stares up at him for what feels like ages without saying anything. He reads him, glares at him, hates him. Thor can see it in his dark eyes. The assistant would give anything to cut Thor out of your life again.

“Thor?” Your gentle voice drifts out towards him and the assistant.

You round the curving wall and Thor takes a step back, renewing the distance between them to a much less threatening space.

“I’m here.” Thor assures you.

He hears your feet stop a few feet behind him.

“Jer…?” You plead, worried and hesitant.

Thor watches the assistant stare at you. Slowly he forces his face to relax. He gives you a smile.

“Sorry.”

Thor looks over his shoulder at you, watching as you shake your head.

“You always take such good care of me, Jer. It’s okay.” You promise him.

“I’m gonna go.” He tells you. “Take it slow, Y/N. There’s no rush.”

Thor looks back at him, frowning. Does he think he wants you for your body? As if you’re only good for that? He doesn’t care if you never sleep with him—okay, maybe it would sort of break his heart—all he wants is to make that sparkle in your eyes come back.

“Jeremy…” You say, reprimanding his thinly veiled accusation.

“Good night, chipmunk.” He whispers, and Thor can feel the heartache in his voice.

That energy that he’s so good at reading is flaring up from the assistant’s side but he feels nothing from you.

Thor almost feels bad for the man, but he’s grateful that only an hour ago that heated aura had been wafting off of you in droves and at him specifically.

“Night.” You call after him as he turns and leaves, taking Thor’s nervous tension with him.

However he might have just made it seem, Thor is terrified of the assistant. He’s known you longer. He knows you better. He knows you intimately. If he were to tell you that he loves you, if he were to confess, would you go to him?

Would you abandon this freshly blooming romance to commit to the man whose been by your side for so many years?

If the world were just, you would.

But Thor is pretty sure that if he doesn’t already, he’ll soon love you as much as the assistant does.

No.

He’ll love you more.

His heart skips a beat as your hotter than normal fingers slide down along his forearm, wrist, and finally intertwine with his own.

His hand engulfs yours, swallowing it in his soft caress. He looks down at you, watching that amazing sparkle that he’d fallen for brighten your eyes.

“I’m still hungry.” You tell him, and almost as if on cue, your stomach grumbles loudly.

Thor can’t help himself. He chuckles, releases your hand to cup the sides of your face, then kisses you softly.

You shut your eyes and Thor feels you melt against him. That strange heat of your body flares as you press it to his. You kiss him back eagerly, your tongue sliding forward to coax his lips open before he can make the move himself. He welcomes your kiss, opening his mouth and tilting his head to the left as he breathes you in.

He gives you what you want, slipping his arms around your waist, letting his hands trace up along the bare back of your nightgown.

Your skin is intoxicating and soft. The small imperfections perfect in that they’re yours. He loves every inch of skin he can feel, and he wants to kiss you and make love to you, but he can’t do the latter yet.

Even though you moan against his lips as he brazenly touches you. He pulls back, noses nudging, foreheads touching, lips ghosted over yours.

“You feel like silk, my starshine.” Thor whispers, deep, and that attraction he’d felt flowing from you almost drowns him.

He feels you shiver in his arms and he kisses you again, pulling another moan from you as he scoops you up, arms wrapped tight around your waist as he walks with you towards your bedroom.

To feed you, of course.

As he crosses into the room, your tummy rumbles again and Thor chuckles against your kiss.

Buy Me a Coffee

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[ansgar-martinsson]

The Best Intentions - Part 7

“You know, Joline, you remind me of someone,” Ansgar chuckled, lifting his fingers to wave languidly at the passing jogger. He laughed harder when said jogger did a double take and turned his head quickly away. “Someone I knew in America.”

“Really?” Joline replied. “I remind you of an American woman?”

He nodded. “You are very American in your demeanor, but in only the good ways.”

“In the good ways, huh?”

“Yes,” Ansgar bowed his head slightly. “In the good ways.”

“As opposed to like… the bad ways?”

Ansgar inhaled, his eyes widening. “Oh, there are many, many bad ways, believe me.”

“Like what?”

Ansgar snorted. “Like…,” he blinked, pulling down his lower lip in a slight cringe, “a bizarre obsession with American football and baseball, a love for tiger-piss beer, a craving for over processed foods, hyper-consumerism and and an overt label consciousness,” he frowned, still considering. “Not to mention a need to be considered independent paired with a constant demand to be pampered, kowtowed to, and fawned upon, and a tendency to be offended by the slightest thing and then post a crusade on Facebook about it. That sort of thing.”

She sucked air through her teeth. “Yeah, bad ways. I get it. So, who was she? This American in the good ways who I remind you of.”

“Her name is Kay. Kay Browntree. She’s in the construction business, a flooring contractor. Has her own business, very ambitious. But she has her boots on the ground for all of her work. Very hands-on. Grout under the fingernails and all that. I liked that about her.”

“A girlfriend?”

Ansgar sighed. “A potentiality that never came to fruition, I’m afraid. I was in Chicago on a project, she was one of my subcontractors. Unfortunately, I had to move on to another project across the country.”

“Why do I remind you of her?”

Ansgar lifted his eyes in thought. He crossed his legs as he twisted to face her, one arm draped languidly in his lap, the other remained perched atop the back of the bench. “Many reasons, I suppose. Kay makes me laugh – a rare thing indeed. She’s carefree. She gives zero shits about who I am, about my bank account or about appearances or personal hierarchies or societal proprieties. She speaks her mind, damn the consequences. She’s honest, transparent, hard-working, and driven. There’s nothing false about her. What I see is what I get. Much like you.”

In short, nothing like Faye. Nothing at all like Faye.

“Oh,” she intoned. “Tell me more.”

He laughed again, but his face softened. He reached toward her and brushed a lock of her dark hair away from her eye, drawing the soft strands gently between finger and thumb. “I see… I see a soft sophistication to you– a knowledge of art, a taste for luxury, an appreciation of the beauty in machinery and an admiration of the finer things. I see an innate grace in the way you move – in the way you shook out your hair when you took off your helmet, for example.” He shrugged. “She’s a lot like you in those ways as well.”

Her eyes widened, just that little bit, Ansgar noted, a microexpression of self-conscious surprise, a shiver at his touch. She shifted further on the bench, crossing one leg beneath the other, her booted foot dangling off the edge of the bench. She leaned against the back, her elbow hooked around the wood slat, her hand dangling just near her breast.

Ansgar couldn’t help but look.

And she caught him looking. She peered down at her own chest, and knowingly lifted her eyes back to him, her hand open in an indicative gesture. “Oh, I get it. Really, it’s just that she’s got great tits like mine.”

Ansgar choked, his eyes gone wide, his mouth formed into a hollow ‘o’. He recovered quickly, flipping a sardonic yet appreciative quirk of an eyebrow. “Noooo,” he crooned. “Yours are far better.”

It was her turn to choke. She sat bold upright, staring incredulously at him. “Excusemewhat?”

He formed his features into a comical ‘oops’ face, his eyebrows shot high, his lips puckered, his hand covering his mouth in a gesture of mock delicate prudishness. “Oh, did I say that out loud? Well. Hmmmmm.” His lips curled in a wicked half-grin. “That must mean that I find you sexy as well.”

“We’re doing brilliantly at keeping our partnership purely professional.” She dipped her head back to follow a bird in flight. “Nice alliteration.” “Thanks. It pops out sometimes.” She shifted on the bench, bending the knee under her to bring up to her chest. She tugged her foot as close to her bum, hugging her arms around it. Her other foot swung underneath the bench, her toes scraping an even tempo against the gravel. “Dad’s influence.” Ansgar saw her zealousness turn inward. The curse of loss taught him the same trick. He nearly opened his mouth to say something when she beat him to it. “He was American, you know,” she dropped in conversationally, without truly pausing to ask. “Got my guts, gumption, glory and grin from him.” A faux smile appeared, behind closed lips and a pensive look. “And my alliteration.” “But your surname… Lindberg, is Swedish, yes?” “My mother’s surname. My parents were… unconventional, never married, never lived in the same country. Scandalous!” She jazzhanded past that tidbit expecting outrage and judgement. When none came, she lifted her eyes to her companion. “Do you really want to hear all this? Or will you be reading the backs of your eyelids in sixty seconds?” Despite himself, Ansgar was intrigued by her. “Feel free to tell me as much or as little as you would like.” Jo’s eyes followed as a family of four chattered by, disrupting the atmosphere with all their ruckus. The baby cried, the toddler whined, the mother yelled and the father talked over all of them. “I’ll abbreviate. Dad worked for Zim International, that shipping company–” “I’m familiar with them. I held several contracts with them importing bamboo from Asia." "Oh, figures… all you executive types know each other.” He chuckled at the generalization, not at all offended by the stereotype. “I grew up here, near Gamla stan… until seventeen. I moved to America to go to uni, Norfolk it was, in Virginia. I stayed on there, graduated, worked, travelled…”

“And,” he flipped his hand, palm up in her direction, looking for another handout of information, “what made you move back here?”

Joline looked at him for a long moment, considering for as long as it took to make a decision on how much she should tell, how much was appropriate. She inhaled slowly, reciting the mantra on her arm over and over in her head.

Live life when you have it. Live life when you have it. Live life when you have it.

And so, she did. “I love my family; I needed them. I missed so much, my mother, my brother… He got married and had kids while I was away. I’d never met my sister-in-law. I didn’t meet my nephews until much later. My mother got sick. I missed so much. And then my marriage fell apart while I was living in Florida.”

“You’re married?”

“Was. Right out of uni. We were young and stupid and playing grown-ups, but we weren’t compatible. It was a mistake, one I’m glad to have made only so I don’t repeat it,” she sighed, playing at a rueful smile. “When there was no affection left in it, we went our separate ways. He went off to DC, and the offer for the Globe workshop fell in my lap. The Globe led me back here, put me in the running for the Opera House, and here I am.”

“I’m… I’m sorry,” he couldn’t find any other words to say. His thumb tucked in against his palm to follow that familiar track to the gold band on his ring finger. He didn’t spin it this time, only tapped it, reminding himself it was still there.

She smiled sadly, but there were no hard feelings of resentment or sadness in her features. “No need to apologize.  Sometimes two people aren’t meant to be together. That’s not always tragic or the end of the world.” She stretched out her legs again, unraveling from the coil she’d put herself into. “I loved him once and I remember that. A part of me, my younger self, the overgrown teenager self, still loves Steven… always will. But she’s not all of me and I’m not quite her anymore. I don’t know if it happened suddenly or over time, but one day I just knew. I needed my family… and they needed me.”

Ansgar nodded. “Family, yes…,” he he paused for a moment in thought, his lips pursed. His eyes focused on nothing in particular… a boat in the distance… as the impact of Joline’s story washed over him.

He thought of his own losses. His own journey, the ways in which he’d shed skin after skin, identity over identity over the past few years. The way in which he’d, as Faye had put it, gone soft. Soft in Faye’s estimation, however, was still as prickly as The Iron Throne to the rest of the world. He thought of Magnus, of Rebecka, and of their child. Their children, now, plural. Thought of the way they had welcomed him back into their home, into their arms, into their world – no questions asked, no consternation about him being for all intents and purposes dead for a year and a half.

And to know Joline had lived that, or something like it as well gave him the sense of a kindred pull to her spirit. A knowledge. An understanding, and the weight of it, the warmth of it settled upon him like a blanket.

“Family is everything, isn’t it?” he finished his thought at last. “I mean, when you come down to it, no matter what sort of shit you get into, no matter how much you hurt them, no matter what pain you endure, no matter how long you’re… you’re gone, no matter how much you change, no matter how hard you try to disappear, it’s your family that… that….”

The sound of a screaming child from just to his right yanked him from his reverie. He shook his head, blinking hard, and gave a breathy chuckle, smiling ruefully up at Joline. He sighed. “Well,” he shrugged, “let’s just say it’s a good job you had your family to come home to.”

He pressed his hands to the bench and shifted forward to stand, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Ansgar.”

“What!?” he snapped, but his eyes softened in almost immediate apology. Live life when you have it, right?  “Look, Joline,” he sighed. I’m just going to come right out and say it. I think you’ve sussed by this point that I am rather… intrigued by you. Even more now that we’ve had this talk.”

“Yeah, I think I get that.” She smiled. “And I kind of want to jump your bones, too, so what’s the problem?”

“Complications,” he said, “albeit minor ones.” His lips curved in a melancholy smile. He stayed perched on the end of the bench, his knees spread wide, and he bent forward, elbows rest on his thighs. He clasped his hands together between, his thumbs working one against the other. “Things we should lay out on the table before we continue.”

“With our partnership? You’re not having second thoughts or…?”

“No! Of course not,” Ansgar sat upright. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“But,” she stood then and rest her hands on her hips. “What are you talking about, then? I mean… how can we even think of anything personal when we’re working together?”

“I’m very good at compartmentalizing,” Ansgar declared. “We simply need limits… understandings. I’ve done it before.”

She frowned, cocking her hip. “Done what before?”

“Worked closely with someone,” he took a long breath, his jaw jut forward. “Someone with whom I’d engaged in another sort of relationship.” He stood, then, and stepped nearer, peering down at her, his eyes hooded and intent. “I would like to know if you can do the same.”

She narrowed her eyes, tilting her head and matching his gaze with her own. “I can, I think,” she said slowly. “But, first, I need to know who.”

“Who? What do you mean, who?”

“Who was the someone you worked with? Who were you working with and fucking at the same time?”

He blinked, and his breath caught in his chest at the blunt force of her question. He kept his mask in place, however, his muscles barely moving, his eyes not wavering at all as he said slowly, evenly, “Faye Valentine-Martinsson. My former VP of Security. My wife.”

She lifted her chin, ever so slightly, and her right eye twitched. “Your… wife,” she intoned. She shook her head, her breath hissing from her flared nostrils. “Damn. That ring on your finger you keep playing with…. I should have known.”

“Joline…” Ansgar grasped her arm. “You don’t understand….”

She slapped his hand off, stepping quickly back. “You know, I thought for a minute that maybe you weren’t like that… how silly of me, how stupid! How…ah, fuck all of this… all of it!”  She turned and ran, bolting down the gravel path, her boots kicking up small white rocks in her wake.

“Joline! Wait!” He pelted after her, quickly and easily catching up to her to run beside her. “Joline! Joline!”

…Joline… Joline! Please don’t take him just because you can.

“Leave me the hell alone!”

She increased her speed, but again, he matched, overtaking her. He passed her, cut her off, and quickly turned around, He caught her as she caromed into him, clutching her hard by both of her arms. “Stop,” he commanded. “For fuck’s sake, stop!”

“Let me go, Martinsson!” She writhed, grunting and growling against him, her leathers creaking against his.

“Hey!” He held her fast with an arm around her back. “Come on now! Listen!”

“You can’t…do this,” she seethed. “I won’t… I won’t be that… that woman!”

“What… oof! Ohhhh, fuck!” He groaned, bending over but keeping his grip on her. She’d turned in his arms and threw her elbow sharply backwards into his ribs. “Christ! What… what woman?”

“The other woman!” She gnarled, her teeth grit. “Won’t be your fucking mistress!” She kicked backwards, landing the heavy wooden heel of her boot squarely in the middle of his shin.

“Jesus fuck!” He howled and split his legs wide to avoid more blows. Likewise, he craned his neck to avoid her fists that flew at his face. “You… won’t be! You’re not…. ouch, damn you! Stop hitting me!”

“Fine! Then I’ll do this!” She lifted her foot and slammed it down hard upon his toes. “Fuck! Off!”

“Aargh! Stop that! That fucking hurts!” Ansgar released her, but swiftly whirled her back to face him. He grasped her by the head, one massive hand on either side, and he stilled her. First with a small shake, and then with his gaze, penetrating and sharp. Then with his voice, firm and commanding. “Joline! She left me! I. Am. Not. Married. Anymore!”

… and then, with a growl, he pulled roughly on her, drawing her firmly to him where he silenced her, at last, with his lips.

Joline grunted, her eyes slammed shut, not unexpectedly, but for the control she lost in the situation. All her fight instincts took flight, leaving her defenseless to Ansgar’s kiss. She opened to him, having lost her protestations, denials, angry outbursts of sexual frustration, and let his lips do the caressing, manipulating the last of her vigor.

His tongue swept across her parted lips, a brush against her lower lip, to test her, to make sure she wouldn’t bite as hard as she kicked. Instead she moaned as he tipped her head back to deepen the kiss. Boldly, encouraged by the heady auditory approval, Ansgar plundered her mouth with as much possessive greed as she had entered his office… and his life.

Joline hiked up on her booted toes to erase the last bit of distance between them, wanting for be consumed by the torrential heat blazing off of him. The tangle of tongues sent the sweetest torture of sensation straight to her core, her body heavy with need. One of his hands dug into her hair to hold her captive against his mouth, the other pressed into the small of her back, tipping her hips against his. Dull fingernails scraped along his scalp when she took hold of his curls.

Lust played an undeniable force around them like gravity held them to the Earth’s surface. Slaves to it, but masters of it within their sphere of two. Their friendly jogger, his sights on Ansgar, now making his fifth lap past them, cut his losses and kept going to beat off his own arousal at the picture the two made, a smash of leather, denim and desire.

Ansgar was the one to end the meld of lips and teeth and tongues, regrettably. He knew that if they went on as they were he’d tear her clothes from her body and take her right on the spot, the wandering curious gazes be damned.

Joline herself felt ready to jump into her arms, coil her long legs around him and search out the closest surface to fuck against. He tasted of coffee, sex, danger and she already felt the addictive streams pouring through her body, her pores itching for his fingers and mouth as a balm.

His breath panted against her lips, swollen and pink from the pressure of their passionate kiss and the burn of his goatee. But—Fuck! She was a vision! His influence on her for all to see, he was almost… enchanted by it. He dragged his thumb across her lip, “You’re delicious. I simply cannot wait to taste what other flavors you’re hiding.”

Joline kept her eyes closed, concentrating on the bursts of heated breath spreading over her abused lips and the vibrations from his lips to hers. “God-fucking-damn it, Martinsson!” Only her voice had dropped to a seductive purr instead of the angry tones from moments ago.

He dropped his mouth to her ear, his tongue rasped at the fleshy lobe just once before her murmured, “Search out other art on your skin.”

The five ink decorated skin spots hidden beneath her clothes tingled, sending out a honing signal for him to lock in on. Joline pried her eyes open as he lifted his face to peer into hers. The brassed off woman had been somewhat tamed by temptation, he could see it in the flush of arousal and the relaxed scowl. “If this is what ‘intrigued’gets me, I’m fucked if I ever pique your interest,” she quipped in a delayed response to his comment that led to the heated argument and equally as heated kiss.

The pride and arrogance displayed on him in the forming of a Cheshire grin. “You’re fucked either way, as soon as I get you alone,” he replied confidently.

“I was half hoping you’d be shit at the kissing bit,” she groused. Her hands and the rest of her trembled in her heightened arousal, her libido blaring red to near overload.

He smirked, his fingers playing in her hair once more, wondering at her natural color, “Should I apologize or thank you for the backhanded compliment?”

She sighed dejectedly, “Which drawer have you shoved me into then?” Her words adopted a combative tone but she was still pressed salaciously against him.

The slight didn’t faze him as it would anyone else. He recovered within the blink of an eye, “Joline, I didn’t mean you and you know that’s not what I meant by compartmentalizing.”

She pressed her shaking hands to his chest applying the slightest of pressure to extricate herself from his intoxicating embrace. It didn’t help, she wobbled like a newborn faun, her legs unsure after his seductive kiss. “I just need to know where I fit in your cupboard of playthings. One night stand? Fuckbuddy? Lover? Experiment? Trying me on to see if I fit? Mistress?” She hissed the last word.

Defensively, Ansgar grabbed her arms again, nailing her with his piercing gaze, rooting her to the spot. “I told you. My wife left me,” he ground out between clenched teeth. “You can’t be a mistress when there’s no spouse to cheat.”

She couldn’t explain her petulance. They’d only just met, she had no room to make demands on him. But she felt so strongly about being labeled… “I’m not a homewrecker. I don’t go after other women’s men. That’s not me. I’m not that woman! I won’t be!”

Exasperation colored his sigh of impatience as he dropped his chin to his chest. Women infuriated him at times, tested his limits and busted his balls. Getting laid shouldn’t be this difficult, especially when he reduced the woman to a quivering mess clearly affected by his kiss alone, as he’d done with Joline. “Christ, Joline, you’re not!”

“You’re wearing her ring… still. The one that you promised to love, honor, in sickness and all that rot, yes? It’s still on your finger where she placed it. So are you married or not?” She then crossed her arms under her breasts as if to shield herself from the truth or defend herself from crushing disappointment when he dismissed this thing as not worth the aggravation.

Ansgar’s eyes shifted back and forth between hers, assessing her stake in this. “Why is this so important to you?”

The traffic in the distance had faded, the boats on the water muted, the fragrant breeze that smelled of licorice stuck, even the humans in the ceased to exist. All of that stripped away to leave two souls trying to find common ground to explore their attraction for one another.

“Because when you take me to bed, Ansgar, I want you fucking me. I don’t want you fucking the memory of your wife or ex-wife or whoever she is. I don’t want agendas or schedules or any other person involved.” She stepped into his space again, tucked her forefinger into the belt buckle and tugged him against her until their bodies clashed together, breast to chest, stomach to abdomen, center to groin.

She purred, “Pleasure… adult animal magnetism… orgasms for hours.” Joline nuzzled her hips against his, not quite a graze but something akin to it, a promise of so much more. “Dirty, filthy, raw sex – between two people and we’re the only two people in that room. I want sweat. I want sticky heat. I want shortness of breath. I want my body clamped around your cock.” She bit his lower lip, raking her teeth over the sensitive flesh. “I want the neighbors needing a smoke when we’re sated and too blitzed to fuck again. You can have me when I can have you. You can fuck me when that ring isn’t on your finger.”

[alienduckpond]

Back in town - ch1 - Good Day

First of the 9 part childhood friend AU between Arlo and the builder I did for @nerdnag‘s birthday.

Slightly wtf-ish in places, but only because I followed canon logic. Also up on AO3 if that’s easier for anyone to follow, as it’ll be updated at the same time

-~-

When Arlo was younger he was friends with a sweet little girl who followed him everywhere, and copied everything he did. But after her Ma died her Pa took her away, and he hasn’t seen her for nearly twelve years. He still remembers her fondly, and wonders what she’s up to sometimes.

Until the day he runs into her at the Commerce Guild.

-~-

Arlo whistled happily as he left Gale's office and turned towards the Commerce Guild. Today was going to be a good day, he could feel it. He wasn't entirely sure why, but there was something about the way the sunlight made the spray from the fountain sparkle, and the fresh smell of Spring swirling around him on the warm breeze, that was making him feel more energetic and positive than usual.

He sidestepped around Higgins, walking down the steps engrossed in a commission with a smug smile on his lips. Which was strange, since Arlo was almost certain he'd seen him take one that morning already. But no matter, he could ask Presley after he'd dropped off this new one from Gale. He jogged up the stairs with a bounce in his step and decided at the top, screw it.

Lifting his foot, he kicked out at that sweet spot where the doors met, bursting them both open so they swung inwards and crashed into the walls. He didn't allow himself to do it too often, but it always felt so good when he did.

“Hey Pres, I’ve got a job for ya!”

He zeroed in on Presley and a young woman standing next to the main desk. Presley was perking up, going from disappointed to considering, and the women…

She wasn't anyone from Portia, and she wasn't dressed like a tourist. Thick mousy brown hair was escaping the ponytail that hung down her back and swung round her hips from where she'd spun around, and a fringe that she was lifting off her face to reveal surprised bright green eyes over a stubby nose that was peeling from a sunburn. A thin white scar along her cheekbone and going back into her hair that stood out against her lightly tanned skin. She wore a long floaty cardigan, the sleeves pushed up to her elbows over a tie dye t-shirt and loose jeans, which were rolled at the bottom to reveal mud splattered boots. And were hitched up with an oversized builders belt.

His eyes went back to the scar on her cheek, focusing on it. It was strangely familiar for some reason.

“Or not,” Presley muttered to the woman. “Gaby, this is the leader of Portia’s Civil Corps, Arlo. Arlo, this is--”

“Alolo!” she suddenly screamed, throwing herself forward at him, her arms lifting up to wrap around his neck. He let out a soft ouph as her face collided with his shoulder, and his hands landed on her waist to hold her steady as she giggled and jumped, her feet leaving the floor as she hung off him. 

“Alolo?” he spluttered, his hands on her sides firming to both support her, and push her away, before he froze, gears in his head turning. Alolo, that scar, Gaby… Gabriella? 

“Wait, Ella?!”

She pulled back, her hands linking behind his head as she let herself back down, beaming up at him with a now familiar toothy smile, her eyes crinkling up as she made a happy sound.

“Hi there Burny Boy,” she said with a wink, and he started to laugh before his arms wrapped around her tight and he lifted her back off the floor, spinning her round in a circle and making her shriek with surprise.

“Ella!” he shouted in her ear, unable to stop himself. “Oh wow, it’s been forever! What are you doing here, when did you get here and how long are you staying?”

She clutched at the back of his shoulders as he spun her around again, kicking her feet up behind her as she giggled happily.

“Oooh, down now, before I hurl,” she told him when he'd spun them again, and he immediately dropped her to her feet, keeping his arms around her as she wobbled. “Oooooh,” she groaned, lifting one hand to her head and gripping his arm with the other. He tightened his hold on her, helping hold her still as he looked her over again now he knew who she was.

His head filled with memories of her. Playing with her as a baby on his living room carpet while their Ma’s chatted over tea and coffee. Her being sniffly and curling up in his lap with her blanket and a book, wanting him to read her a nap time story. Her arms around his neck as she climbed up his back, demanding he play horsey through giggles. Her sparkling eyes looking up at him from under a messily self cut fringe, covered in dirt as she desperately tried to follow him everywhere, despite the eight years and massive height difference between them.

He lifted his thumb to her cheek, running it over the scar. He remembered the day she got it like it was yesterday.  Her stubby three year old legs trying to keep up with him as they walked to the apple trees by the tree farm. He'd let go of her hand for only a second to retie his laces, but it'd been long enough for her to trip over nothing and fall face first into a pile of rocks. 

He’d been more upset than she was as he carried her home, trying to soothe her as she demanded they go get her the apples he’d promised. Her Ma had just sighed, and bundled them both up in a blanket while she cleaned Ella's head.

“I got here yesterday, and I guess I’m going to be here a while,” she chirped happily, drawing him from his memories and tilting her head back towards Presley. “Pa left me his workshop, and Presley already gave me my builder tests, and I just got my workshop registered with Mayor Gale like, half an hour ago. So I am officially Portia’s newest builder.”

Her grin stretched even wider as Arlo looked down at her, and a feeling like warm pride filled his chest. His little Ella was all grown up now, and making her way in the world. But he was knocked out of the moment by a chuckle from behind her.

“Aaaah, I remember now, you two were close before she left, weren’t you?”

Arlo looked over her head towards Presley, feeling what he knew was a sheepish grin spread across his face. 

“Just a bit," he acknowledged before looking back down at her. "But you never wrote to tell me where you were. I always wondered what happened to you.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, sliding her hands forward to squish his cheeks between them. He let his lips pout out, like she'd always found amusing, and was rewarded with a snort of laughter. “Pa dragged me here there and everywhere for a few months, then left me with Aunty Kendra in Barnarock. And then I was so busy being signed up for stuff to make up for all the learning I’d missed, that I never had time to write. And then it felt like it’d been too long, and you wouldn’t even remember or have time for me.”

She trailed off with a sigh, then ducked her head and bit her lip when he looked at her.

“You were stuck to my side practically every day for seven years, and you thought I’d forget you after a few months?"

She shrugged, blowing a questioning raspberry at him, then giggled as he pulled her close again and held her tight. She moved her hands back around his neck and hummed happily into his shoulder as he threw familiar insults at her.

“Numpty. Snaillob slimed and Panbat brained numpty.”

“Yeah yeah Lolo, I missed you too,” she said sweetly as she pulled back, sliding her hands down to his elbows and gently pushing him away.  

“You were saying something about a job when you kicked the doors in like a hooligan?” she prompted him, and he made a small noise as he let go of her in turn, looking around and spotting the commission sheet on the floor, dropping down to grab it. He handed it to Presley before eyeing her speculatively.

“The Mayor wants to rebuild the bridge to Amber Island. Thinks it’ll be good for the tourists, with the Haunted Cave and all.”

“I remember your Pa built a few bridges during his time here Gaby, so the diagrams should be in his old Workshop Handbook. The job’s a little bigger than the one I had saved for you, but what do you say, want to give this a shot?”

“I surely do Presley. Sounds like it'll be fun.”

“Wait. Do you not go by Ella anymore?” Arlo asked, starting to frown. She blinked up at him a few times, clearly confused, nose wrinkling and a furrow appearing between her brows. But it quickly smoothed away again to be replaced by her bright smile as she shook her head, moving next to him and grabbing his arm to hug.

“Eh, I didn’t like hearing it from other people. Made me miss you and your Ma too much. So since you’re here, I’m kinda looking forward to hearing it again.”

He huffed a laugh at her wide eyes and stuck out lip, and reached up to pat her on the top of her head, just like he always used to.

“Understood. C’mon, how about I buy you lunch, and we can catch up? And then I should have time to help you go through your Pa’s things and work out what you need for this bridge.”

“I’ll never say no to a free lunch,” she said, perking up and bouncing on her toes. She smiled brightly at Presley as she took the commission sheet he was holding out to her. “Thanks for everything Presley, it was nice to see you again.”

“Always a pleasure Gaby. Let me know if you need any help, anything at all.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her outside into the sunlight, lifting a hand to shield his eyes. Yes. Today was a very good day indeed.

-~-

2 - Different Feelings

[grind-pantera]

Can I please get some Brian love??? I know everyone is going nuts for Ben Hardy but I've been so thirsty for Gwilym Lee I need content!! 😫😫😫😫 Love all your Roger headcanons btw!! 😘😘😘

Me: you get brian love, you get BRIAN LOVE, EVERYONE GETS BRIAN LOVE HAVE SOME KISSING HEADCANONS!

Warnings: Language, some mild crude humor, suggestive content.

Jawline / Neck kisses.

A soft and gentle kiss that makes Brian melt right in front of you. Whether it’s while the two of you are out and about and you decide to surprise him with such a kiss or when it’s the two of you are lazing around in bed during one of the rare slow days that Brian actually has and your lips are hot against the skin of his neck before peppering to his jawline, leaving a small trail of saliva behind, Brian loves these kisses. 

Loves to give them as well, especially when he’s able to hold your head in his hand and literally ravish your neck in kisses before delivering a few kisses to your jaw, along with a few bites here and there just to tease. 

It always makes you laugh when he’s got stubble and proceeds to give you kisses to your neck for the prickly hairs tickle your skin, often causing you to laugh out and toss your head back, hand on his chest as he attempts to nuzzle into you further, “What? Do you not like it?” He asks you, a bright smile on his face. He knows its ticklish. Hands flat against his chest, Brian rolls over in bed, the only thing covering his modesty being a thin white blanket as he’s pressing his face into your chest and rubbing. Your back arches as laughter spills into the air, fingers moving to tangle into his hair as he begins kissing your sternum, glancing up at you with mischief running wild in his eyes.

“It’s one,” Brian strummed the guitar and moved his hip to the left in a very awkward way as if he had pants made of concrete on. “Then two.” He said and moved his hips to the right this time with a very similar flabbergasted movement that was barely considered an advance to his attempt at dancing.  Can you do that?” He asked you as you stood across the stage from him. It was sound check for a local gig, your attention had previously been on Roger and John who were cuddling up to each other by the drums, staring up while Freddie talked to them about a new set that he and Brian had come up with. Better songs always meant a better show for the audience which Freddie was always willing to give. You laughed at Brian and nodded. From a distance, the dancing didn’t seem that terrible, but you knew what was coming if you dared to sneak closer to your boyfriend. “I’m not asking for a nod, I’m asking if you can dance, (Name).”“Depends, May.” You made your way towards him with a water in your hand, taking a small drink before continuing with sarcasm leaking poisonously in the tone you were using. “What do you consider dancing? Or, do you dance like all the other men I’ve danced with?” Your voice was flirty yet serious at the same time. “From that hip movement I got from you a second ago, I’d say you only know like two moves. Maybe three if you combine the two moves from before.” Gesturing your hands around, Brian’s face deadpanned as he looked at you, eyebrows raising at your intense honesty.“(Name) is right.” John peeped up and smiled at you, giving a thumbs up to show that he was on your side. Brian lifted his hand and scoffed, to which John shrugged carelessly and said, “You can’t bloody dance, Bri. It’s painful to watch…”“Thank you, Deaky.” You laughed as Brian strummed a few notes on his guitar before resuming his hip movements of side to side. “And that’s… Fucking awful.” Throwing your head back in a chuckle, you touched Brian’s arm very gently before resting your water down by the drum set. That only lasted a moment before Roger picked it up and took a drink, sitting down and watching with piqued interest as you attempted to show Brian how to dance.  “Here look, you need to loosen up, babe.” You reached down and grasped your lovers hips, narrowly avoiding bumping into the guitar that was now hanging from its strap around his broad shoulders. Brian perked up at the feeling of your hands on his body as he always did and looked down. He was used to the affection, but not so much so with such silence and with the rest of the band right there to watch. “You can do better than that.” Your voice finally tugged him back into reality. Clearing his throat, Brian made a face of distaste and tried to loosen his body as you suggested, but to no avail.” Think about last night, you were limber and so sexy. Your body was loose, soooo wild…”You purred at him, hoping that perhaps that would be some motivation to get your love to dance properly as you moved his hips once again, this time towards you in a rather crude move that resembled something more inherently sexual. Brian shuttered forward, placing his foot on the ground firmly as to not completely overpower you with his height as a kiss was placed tenderly on the underside of his jaw. “Think of that.”“Everyone, I think we’ve got a porno about to start. I’ve got the camera.”Brian looked over at Freddie, the one who had said that and gave him a look. “Only in your dreams, Fred.” He joked back and looked down at you. “Continue.”Chuckling, you moved your boyfriend’s hips with your hands and said, “Like this. You’re too stiff before. Like a board.”“Or something else Brian’s got.” Roger muttered causing Freddie and John to laugh.“Rog, I’d put a sock in it before I personally do it for you.” You grinned cynically at him but that expression changed when you looked back at Brian. “Babe, if you really can’t dance then maybe just feel the beat from the music and I don’t know, bend your knees and do your awkward little thing and maybe it’ll look good enough.”“I can dance.” He defended as you stood up on close to your tippy toes and pressed a kiss to his jawline, your fingers coming up to cup the side of his slender face. Brian smiled at you in a charming fashion which caused you to smile in return. “I can fucking dance my arse off if I wanted to.”“I’m sure you just nervous about dancing in front of so many people, love.” This was said in more of a whisper, a sort of support as you pressed another kiss to his jawline, seeing him physically relax into the palm of your hand with a small sigh.John sat in the background and shook his head. “Or, maybe, this is just a suggestion though, don’t mind me… Maybe he just can’t dance?”

Arm kisses.

Imagine sitting on the couch in the recording studio, curled up next to Brian who was glancing up at John with a confused look as he tried to explain what sort of sound he wanted on the next song. They were still experimental, but, Brian had his reserves about a song that didn’t sound like Queen, and sounded like they were trying to conform with the rest of the songs being played on the radio. You could see his contemplation running on his face as he sighed and shrugged his broad shoulders, “Are you sure the sound is right, Deaky?”“‘Cause you know,” Roger said from across the room, sitting at his drumset, “We’ve never been ones for disco. I mean, Brian can’t even dance. Your love gave the blond a dirty look which caused you to stifle your laugh.“You need to broaden your horizons, it’s like there’s a bloody stick up your-”“I like disco.” You peeped up into the conversation, John giving you a smile and pointing at you as if to say ‘My thoughts exactly!!!’.“Disco?” Brian looked down at you and smiled hesitantly, “really, babe? Disco? You want to go out to a club and dance to disco?”“You’re just angry because you can’t dance.” You teased and pressed your lips against his bare arm slowly. “So, disco doesn’t make sense to you because of you lack of rhythm.”“Oh, my god.” Brian laughed and threw his head back against the edge of the couch. “You’re killing me. I’ve died. Just, died. I play guitar for one of the most famous bands in the world and yet I lack the rhythm to dance to disco. I’ve died, thank you love.”Scooting over, you kissed his arm once more to assure him that he was fine and laughed cheekily, standing up and patting John’s back happily, “You’ve got the right idea, Deaks. Make it more disco like. I want to see Bri’s soul leave his body.”A groan emitted from the dark curly haired man on the couch.

Butterfly kisses.

One of the more intimate types of kisses that Brian has fallen in love with over the years. While at the beginning of your relationship, things were hard, including the kisses that were often followed by sex, now that you’ve gotten to know each other and have fallen in love, Brian’s favorite sort of kiss isn’t technically a kiss. He adores holding your face in his hands, as if he were holding the entire world in his palms, leaning forward and holding his forehead against you, close enough that if he moved just a centimeter inwards, he could give you a kiss, but at this proximity, you can feel the ghost of his eyelashes against your cheeks as he shuts his eyes and stays like that for a few seconds, seemingly admiring the silence and the endearment of being so entwined with someone else. One of the last bits of affection he shows you before going on the road with Queen. He savors being close. He savors being with you, knowing that he won’t see you for months.

Whenever he does this, you have a tendency of lifting your hands and tangling them into his thick, dark hair and holding him there, afraid to let him go because you never know when you’ll see him again. Eventually you have to, knowing that he has to leave, and with a drop in his broad shoulders, Brian kisses your palm and then your wrist before forcing himself to pull away.

“I don’t want you to leave, babe…” You whispered lightly, your face nuzzled into your lover’s neck while his thick and curly hair seemed to wrap around your cheeks, encasing you in warmth and in enduring security. He shifted in the bed momentarily so he could look down at you properly with sleep still clinging desperately to whatever shred of relaxation his body was still in. Brian breathed in, his chest expanding with your hand resting on it before he exhaled rather slowly, shutting his eyes and kissing your forehead. You knew that was a tender response, one that said right out, ‘I don’t want to leave either’ without the actual need for words. But, it was the inevitable truth that in a few hours, you were going to be left alone for nearly four months while Brian was gone with Queen to tour America. You felt a beam of pride hit you at that thought, as well as a string of melancholy. Brian was blooming, he was successful within the group with beautiful guitar riffs that were sweet when needed and sharp at other times, but then you’d remember the loneliness that you were going to endure without him, the only form of communication being a phone call here and there when he could spare the time to do so between the shows. It was a double edged sword that Brian was trying to balance, his career and his personal life, as best he could though you had assured him over and over again that you were going to be by his side and support him through the ups and downs that were sure to come with such an on the rise band.Sitting up ever so slightly, you perched yourself onto Brian’s naked chest, your skin now burning as it pressed against his slightly hairy sternum and for a second, you swore your hearts were beating to the same tune. Looking down at him, you dipped your head and peppered a few silent kisses to his pouty lips, up to his nose were you left one more kiss before collapsing gently back into his chest, face pressing into the crook of his neck. “You’ve got to send me things while you’re there. Like, I don’t know. Magnets…” You threw that out absentmindedly, trying to think of the items that people brought home after being on vacation.“Magnets, love?” Brian asked with a bit of perplexity running through his voice, as well as amusement. He hadn’t expected you to say something so mundane. You didn’t collect things like that, yet, you brought it up.“Yes, so when you come home we can both enjoy them.” You laughed, tilting your head up a bit so you could look at your beautiful boyfriend. Dark hair expanded onto the pillow below his head, almost giving the impression that Brian had a halo made of some very dark, very plush matter. “We can put them everywhere! You can use them to hold up your lyric sheets on the fridge so I can read them in the morning when I make coffee.” You teased. “It’ll be our rendition of shitty kid drawings that we’re forced to love until they become our favorites.”“That’s very considerate of you. I’ll be sure to only give you my shitty lyrics to put on the fridge, otherwise what’s the point?” It was his turn to joke around, your laughter spilling into the air which made Brian feel hot and gentle inside. “I’ll be sure to send you a magnet in the post from every state I go to. Just make sure you put them in alphabetical order.” Brian’s voice was deep, coming from the pit of his chest and came off as being absolutely sultry. You were ready to drown in the sound had he kept talking. There was no need at this point for words. You had said all you needed to, joked about what was going to hurt the most and accepted that you would see your love again in four months time, and then you would jump into his arms and smother him with kisses.But for now, all that was left to be done was the expected but as Brian reached up to hold your face, the heat of his palm burning scores into your skin, it felt spontaneous and new as if he were doing it for the first time. Your breath hitched in your throat, eyes shutting in anticipation as he finally pressed his forehead against yours. It was a soft touch, but you felt the headache of loneliness sneaking in behind the affection. Once he pulled away, he’d be getting out of bed to get ready to leave. “You could always come with us. We’ll kick Roger off the tour bus.”You laughed at that, reaching up and holding his hands to your face. “You need Roger, babe.”“I mean, do we?” He scrunched his face up playfully, “I’m sure I can teach you how to play drums. You can replace him.”Kissing his lips slowly, you let your mouths mesh together and stay like that for more than was really needed, but you needed desperately to remember how it felt to kiss him. “Maybe next tour.” You joked, watching happily as Brian’s mouth curled into a smile.“That better be a promise, love.”

Thank you for reading! These are my first Brian headcanons and I hope you all liked them! Likes and reblogs are always appreciated! Hit me up with some more requests for Movie! Verse Queen if you want more! Thanks!!! And thank you @dana-in-wonderland for helping me come up with ideas for him!

–

[littlemeowmeowschimmy]

Play With Me [Jungkook x Reader]

credit: littlemeowmeowschimmy

Requests opened // m.list - next

Genre: Thrilling // Mysterious // Smut [later]

Summary: After a fateful night, Jungkook realizes that he was put up against something more dangerous than he imagined. He never thought that through his undercover work that you were much more than just cunning, you were also seductive. 

Word C: 3278

A/N: I’m in love with anything and everything Batman related. It’s another one of my passions outside of BTS. If I’m being honest, I really hope y’all enjoy this mini series I’m putting out. I also apologize for any of the references that are made and people don’t understand them. If you are a long time Batman fan, you will realize that I made a few small changes here and there. Mostly to fit the boys as I didn’t want to change their genders. With that being said, enjoy :) 

»»————-　★　————-««

Nighttime was his favorite. He could reflect on the previous day, then place a mask over his eyes and go undercover. Since parting ways with old bats, Jungkook knew situations would be difficult. He had grown up under his wing, then, flew away (no pun intended). He learned everything from Seokjin, as it shaped him who he was today. 

Now, all he did was detective work and then fighting crime on the side. Jungkook’s legs dangled off the side of a building, his hands gently turning the pages. He was helping Seokjin on a case, one about a mysterious woman. He had heard very little concerning her. Only snippets of what she had done, such as small bank robberies, putting a few people in hospitals, the usual. 

“Maybe you should stop looking at the files,” Jimin’s condescending voice spoke. “And start scouting like the rest of us Kook.” he finishes sneering afterwards. Not only did he have to team up with Seokjin, but he had to team up with the man-child named Park Jimin. He had come into Seokjin’s life a few years after Jungkook left, only to be killed by Joker. He was resurrected by the Lazarus pit, only to become insane after. 

His death hit Seokjin hard because Jimin was like a son to him. They all were. The family suffered greatly, their wounds healing only to be torn apart. Since his marbles were somewhat back in place, Jimin had become a real pain in the ass. He was seeking revenge, murder, and doing other villainous deeds. Old bats didn’t have it in him to take Jimin in, to Arkham that is. 

Jungkook rolls his eyes, then slowly moving himself up. Another voice pops in, this one sending a small smile on his face. “Jimin, we get that you’re fast,” Yoongi mumbles the quick typing of his keys in the background. “However, Kook does what he does best.” pausing then continuing. “Research. Unlike your head ass who jumps into everything.” 

“Because who cares about intel.” Jimin puffs clearly Yoongi’s blunt attitude hitting Jimin’s pride. “Little bitch has been fucking me over. I need to get her back.” 

“You need to listen dumbass.” Yoongi snaps twirling around in his wheelchair, scooting himself over to his other computer. Yoongi was known as Oracle to the outsiders. He was quick with his fingers and had all of Gotham under his surveillance. He got into a freak accident with Joker, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. His father, Gordon, was captured by Joker try and break him. Thankfully, Seokjin made it in time to save him, but it wasn’t enough for Yoongi. 

“Woah guys,” Namjoon speaking softly, the wind making it harder for them to hear. Namjoon was like the brains of the family per-say. He knew everything about Seokjin and Jungkook, making it easier for him to find the Bat-Cave. Letting him join the family was amusing to say the least. Jungkook enjoyed him, more than he thought he would. Namjoon was very level headed and he often agreed with Jungkook on things. “We get that you two love birds had a fight but calm down.” he starts fixing his headgear. 

“Shut up!” Yoongi and Jimin hiss, a low chuckle escaping the back of Jungkook’s throat. 

“And this is why I wished father would let me go on my own.” Taehyung grumbles. Out of all of them, Taehyung was the only one related to Seokjin. Long story short, his mother got pregnant after seducing Seokjin. How Jungkook and Taehyung met was another story for another day. 

“The last time you went on your own,” Jungkook starts setting the files down, scanning the area afterwards. “You almost killed a man.” pausing then shaking his head. “Why do you think Seokjin doesn’t trust you alone?” 

“I was born and raised to kill.” Taehyung simply states landing besides Jungkook seconds later. He didn’t bat an eye, only reached his arm out to hand the files towards him. Much like Jungkook, Taehyung liked to get information on people. He remembers watching the little squirt in front of the huge computer reading up on everyone’s files. He was just as mysterious as the woman they were tracking down. “It’s in my genes.” 

A collective sigh escaped everyone. This was something they heard on a daily, so it wasn’t a surprise to hear it again. Jungkook was pleasantly surprised when he was told to babysit. It seemed as if Seokjin was out looking for new gear. Hoseok, their butler, stayed back. Often watching and listening on the computer in the cave. 

The only sound that buzzed in their ears was, Yoongi’s fingers dashing across his keys. Their mission was to capture her, make her talk, then send her to Arkham. It was proving to be a difficult task because she worked so quickly. Even Seokjin fought her, only to be stabbed in the side, then gone unconscious due to the poison that entered his system. 

“Jimin, on your right.” Yoongi spoke his eyes scanning across his screen. It seemed he found a lead, sending Jimin in. He was the closet, making it a great decision. Jungkook was given the file back, pushing it away, then peering off the side. He listened to their conversation, seeing if he could pop in at any time. 

“I’m coming up behind you Jimin,” Namjoon declares, the skidding of his bike causing Jungkook to wince. He turns towards Taehyung, nodding his head, silently telling him to jump. They found their target, each of them moving in one by one. Yoongi was giving them directions, each to split up and attack on all sides. 

They would come to find, that wouldn’t be the best idea that evening...

 »»————-　★　————-««

 Right foot

Left foot

Right foot

Left foot

Jungkook kept telling himself that simple pattern. He was sneaking in after landing on top of the warehouse. His weapons on his back, itching to be used. His eyes searching constantly, trying to make sure he was alone. Yoongi notified him that he was clear, but there was something that wasn’t sitting well in his stomach. 

A loud crash came from below, Jungkook’s heart racing. He heard fighting through his earpiece. It only made him assume that someone caught the boys. Jimin went in first, scouting the place and calling it clear. Then, Taehyung came from behind, whilst Namjoon to the side. It was from Taehyung’s end that the crash sounded. Leaving the rest to scan and be on their toes. 

“Well done,” a hushed congratulations followed by light clapping came from behind Jungkook. He spun, only to be greeted by the moonlight. A shadow peaked from behind a small column, your figure leaning against it. This was the first time he saw you face to face. 

The moon hitting your back, your lush hair flowing in the small breeze. Behind your mask, Jungkook noticed your sparked eyes. In them, he could tell that you were amused, enjoying yourself, and much more. Slowly, you moved inwards, the moon lighting you further. Showing the tight fabric, hugging your curves, illuminating every part of you. Around your waist a belt hung, holding every weapon you could ever need. 

“You found me~” You sang bouncing on the balls of your feet. Your body bends forwards, waggling your finger in Jungkook’s direction. He was quick to bring his hand back, only to feel a sharp pain in his wrist. His cane clanking on the ground. From far away, you had managed to knock his wrist back with your throwing star. 

The tool lodging itself in a nearby crate, the moon’s light radiating off. “Atata~” you mock waggling another finger in his direction. “That won’t be necessary. I just want to have a discussion with the big bad wolf~” a playful smile spreading, your body skipping towards Jungkook. 

His eyes narrow, dodging back and forth between your figure and his weapon. He had to quickly decide, the noise in his earpiece still loud. He knew his brothers were in trouble, but he also knew that you were right in front of him. Seokjin always taught him that family came first, but he knew that they would be able to take care of themselves. He had to finish the mission. 

“Talk.” Jungkook demands straightening himself, his guard up still. You purred, that low sound emanating from the back of your throat. You paused in front of him, a hip popped out and arms folded across your chest. Your index finger rested gently on your upper lip, that sick smile making Jungkook’s stomach clench. 

“I want to make a deal.” 

“Criminals only make one when they know they’re about to get caught.” Jungkook snaps, eyes narrowed and dark. You squeal with delight, your hands clenching. The small outburst of excitement startled Jungkook. 

“Oh, baby don’t talk to me like that~” You purred bringing a hand down to your chest. “You’re going to make me cum~” you tease Jungkook’s eyes rolling. He noticed that you were a masochist and a sadist...it said so in your file. Seokjin briefly described his fight, often stating that you loved watching him go down in pain, only to moan when he hit you. He wrapped you up as insane, the thought alone sending a deep and growing pit in his stomach. 

“Enough with the childish games’ L/n,” Jungkook hisses, arms tightening as he was getting impatient. You took another step forward, reaching in and curling your fingers under his chin. He smacks them away, not at all interested in your childish games. You tut again, leaning in now to make sure your face was close to his. 

“I would have so much fun with you.” a darkness to your tone sending chills through Jungkook’s body. “Just thinking about making you beg for mercy is getting me hot.” tilting your head just a bit, your tongue poking out to swipe across your bottom lip. Straightening out, you brushed your hands down your chest. It was your attempts to get yourself back to normal, but you weren’t normal to begin with. 

“If you let me go tonight,” you start taking a step backwards. “Your family won’t die.” a threat hanging in the air. This time, Jungkook takes a step forward. In doing so, he swiftly picks up his cane, placing it back in its holder. He leans downwards, making sure he was eye level with you. 

“If you do,” he starts tilting his head to the side. “I will hunt you down to the ends of this earth,” your heart thudding in your chest as your body melts at his threats. “And rip you limb by limb.” a soft moan escaping your lips, your body quaking with lust. Jungkook noticed you didn’t take this to heart because he saw how you acted. 

He noted your movements, watching you close your eyes in bliss. It seemed like you were trying to figure out the next words, but they weren’t coming. Instead, Jungkook was surprised. His back hit the concreate, a puff of air escaping once you landed on his waist. You held his arms up with one hand, your fingers tightening around his wrist. 

You had him in a position where he couldn’t get out without force. This brought your face closer in, the moonlight making your next expression frightening. You widen a smile, eyes crinkling and drool forming on the right side. You brought a hand back, pulling out one of your colorful knives to place on his cheek. The tip dug in, some blood escaping. 

Jungkook winces, trying not to tilt his head away. He knew you were trying to scare him, the tacit making his heart pounding against his ribs. What you did next sent another wave of chills down his spine. You licked his cheek, your breath hitting his skin. Jungkook twitches, clearly uncomfortable. “I think,” you pause giggling now. “I think you and I are going to have lots of fun later.” you whispered. 

Those words ringing as Jungkook remembers Seokjin speaking of the same sentence. It was right before you fled, the before the poison kicked in. It left Jungkook pondering if you had done the same, but you never got into a fight with him. You were holding him down, acting upon you small threat in the beginning. 

“Not when you’re behind bars.” he threats attempting to knock you over. Only to receive a tighter grip on his wrists. Your body applying more weight, making it difficult to move. Your head perks when you notice a spinning star flash before your eyes. This was a distraction; someone had found you on the roof. Your head instantly moves back, your grip loosening on Jungkook. 

He took this opportunity to wrestle you, trying to get the upper hand. It proved that you were more skilled than you looked. Your legs coming under his torso and kicking him off. Sending Jungkook backwards whilst he hears Jimin growling in the distance. You turned to lock eye contact with the agitated one, another playful smile. 

“Red Hood~ what a pleasant surprise.” You teased rolling back onto your feet. 

“I’ve got you now bitch.” He lunges, Jungkook screaming at him not to. You did a few back flips, avoiding his punches. One of your kicks landed under his chin, sending Jimin backwards. Jungkook came behind, wrapping his arms around him and pressing his body to his chest. Both men watch as you waved at them, standing on the edge of the roof top. 

“Au revior~” flipping off the ledge and disappearing into the night. 

 »»————-　★　————-««

 “I could’ve had her you punk!” Jimin screeches standing with an ice pack to his head. They all reported back to base, your picture in the middle of the computer screen. Hoseok was attending to Taehyung’s wounds, the little one mumbling under his breath. Namjoon was looking at the file once again, trying to see if there was anything he missed. 

Yoongi wheeled himself directly besides Seokjin, showing him the camera footage. Jungkook was during an argument with Jimin. Since they had to retreat, Jimin had been extremely grumpy. He didn’t like having to run away, nor did he like having to admit defeat. It was only a matter of seconds that he was going to explode in the cave. 

“Oh, give it a rest Jimin.” Jungkook sighs hearing enough of his complaints. He pushes himself off the staircase, moving over towards the computer. There he sat down, typing his password in then selecting other files. He scans through them, much like Namjoon was, trying to figure out what they missed. Since getting back, Taehyung revealed that they found multiple C4′s in the basement. They seemed to be hooked up to a wire but were eventually disabled because of his quick thinking. 

Namjoon was stuck in the lounge, getting as much evidence as he could. The warehouse was abandoned, but it seemed like it was set up for an event. What event, Namjoon never figured out. It was when Jimin came crashing in with Taehyung that they got into a fight. Somehow, Jimin escaped up to the roof where he threw his star in between you and Jungkook. 

Then proceeded to blame himself, no blame Jungkook for letting you get away. He slams the ice pack down, crossing his arms afterwards. “We need to call Starfire and Roy.” he demands pointing at Seokjin who looked up from Yoongi’s computer screen. His eyebrow rose, interested in hearing what the man had to say. 

“So, we can get more innocent lives involved?” Seokjin questions shaking his head. “We have enough men right here. We just need to find a weakness.” 

“What weakness?!” Jimin growls throwing his hands up. “She’s just like Joker, but ruthless. Crazier even.” his hands raking through his messy hair. Jungkook fell silent, the previous fight still playing through his head. He had to agree with Jimin, you were just as bad as Joker. One could say that you were on Harley Quinn level, but that wouldn’t compare even. 

Seokjin fell silent, his eyes narrowed as he was thinking of another point. Nothing came to anyone; they were all puzzled. “She’s hasn’t murdered anyone yet.” Taehyung points, grunting due to the needle poking in his flesh again. Hoseok questioned if he was alright, then quickly waving him off. Jungkook’s eyes move back to him, then right back to Jimin. Who evidently rolled his eyes and kicked the pack across the room 

“More brute force, we need them.” Jimin insisted pushing off whatever he was leaning on. He moves forwards, making sure he was headed straight for Seokjin. Namjoon stopped him in the process, shaking his head and standing in between. He gently pushes on his chest, trying to get some space between the two. Since Jimin came back from the pit, he had a deep hatred for Seokjin. He had all his memories back, making the struggle to overcome such a horrible past more difficult than need be. 

Making this set up difficult within itself. Seokjin knew not to test Jimin’s limits, but he knew that he needed him. This case seemed personal in small ways, mostly Jimin and Seokjin. Jungkook didn’t know what to make of it, instead he focused on the information they had now. 

“If we go into this with anger,” Jungkook starts picking his eyes up from the screen. “We’re going to be completely useless.” 

“Agreed.” Namjoon pipes taking a step to the side so Yoongi and Seokjin could lock contact with Jungkook. 

“What do we do?” Jimin insisted. 

“Go undercover.” Yoongi finishes turning his computer around to show the others what he found. When Jimin grumbled about not being able to see it, he glares at him. Slamming his computer shut, he gives it to Seokjin, turns around and wheels off to the big computer. 

This causes Jungkook to quickly get himself out of his seat. Trying to avoid all possible confrontation. Yoongi quickly types his password, then opens the files he showed. Jungkook watches your figure move in and out of a building, your mask and gear off. 

You looked normal, as if you were holding down an office job. “Her real name is Y/n,” Yoongi points out. “She works at the local police station.” his head turning to lock eye contact with Jungkook. 

He narrows his eyes, placing his hands on his chest. “Wait a minute.” the pieces starting to fall into place. “You want me to go undercover?” 

“No sherlock, we want Jimin.” 

“Fuck off.” Jimin spat throwing the discarded pack at Yoongi’s head. He growls, spinning around in his wheelchair and sending a deadly look in his direction. 

“Calm down children.” Namjoon spoke, both men glaring and growling in his direction. They weren’t pleased, Jungkook wouldn’t blame them. 

Yoongi took another deep breath, then sighed. He spun back around, pulling up a few other frames of you. “You’re the only one,” he starts pulling up Jungkook’s old file. “Who used to work undercover for so long.” moving it upwards as he continues to show footage and other pictures of you rooming around and outside of the police station.

“We need you to infiltrate the station again.” Seokjin proclaims, moving himself up and closer. “Grab any and all information on this woman. Find her weakness so we can take her down.” Jungkook scrunches his eyebrows together then shakes his head. It had been years since he had gone undercover, the fact that they wanted him to do it again, was beyond him. 

But he couldn’t say no. Jungkook had to take it. Whether he liked it or not...

[anoutlandishfanfic]

S4 Finale Part One.

So, needless to say, I’m not a fan of how the season four finale handled Jemmy’s birth. I highly recommend reading the book scenes, but I thought I’d do a Show!Canon take on how it should have gone... sort of a best of both worlds. It’s a two-parter, this one being Claire’s POV and the second Jamie’s.

The last three days of our journey were quite possibly the hardest. Not because of the terrain or even the weather, but the knowledge that we were returning empty handed. I was restless, unable to sleep and only wanting to return home to Bree.

Jamie was much in the same mood I was and, without really discussing it, we’d pushed our mounts and ourselves nearly to the point of exhaustion as we covered as much ground as possible. We rose before dawn and only stopped for the night after darkness had fallen in earnest, sometimes rousting in a barn loft instead of a tavern bed. Running on little sleep and even lower expectations of our homecoming, we moved with all haste, the little flicker of hope still burning within me that we would make it back in time growing with every passing mile.

I would be there for Bree. I would be at her side as she delivered, to support and reassure her as she was once again assaulted, this time from the inside out. She would not be alone. She would not be at the mercy of her body while being surrounded by women whose approach to midwifery was closer to the dark ages than it was to modern medicine.

We paused only for a moment as we crested the final ridge and River Run spread out before us in all of its glory. My heart clenched as it whispered the petition I’d heard Jamie repeat in the still of the night.

Lord, let them be safe… both she and the child.

Jamie heeled his mount forward and we galloped together, closing the distance between us and our daughter with as much speed as our horses could muster. My eyes burned with dust we kicked up, as well as the overwhelming need to see her… to hold her in my arms, shutting out the world and it’s harms.

The road widened as the river’s bank flanked us and we closed in on River Run, the busy fields whizzing by unnoticed as I set my sights on one thing and one thing alone…

The front doors.

I watched as they opened and three men stepped out onto the wide veranda, descending the stairs and approaching the gate at an alarming pace. One was easily identifiable as Jocasta’s manservant Ulysses, whom I’d expect to welcome us, but Jamie’s aunt was not by his side. Another, clad in a kilt with stark white hair, was Jamie’s godfather, Murtagh. As we drew closer, I identified the third as Lord John Grey, his posture and fine clothes eliminating all other possibilities.

But what did their presence and Jocasta’s absence mean?

A chill ran down my spine as a great many worst case scenarios played out in my mind and the shadows of L’Hopital began to creep in.

What if something went wrong? What if something was going wrong right now?

I dug my heels sharply into my horse’s sides and we flew over the remaining yards in a full out sprint, Jamie’s mount keeping up stride for stride. The welcome wagon arrived at their destination before we did and Murtagh swung the gate wide, striding through it with arms outstretched to take hold of our horses’ bridles. I was out of the saddle nearly before we came to a complete halt and my feet hit the ground running.

“The midwife is wi’ her,” he informed us, Jamie’s boots touching down moments after mine. “Third door on the left a’ the top of the stairs.”

With this, I was gone, rushing past both Lord John and Ulysses on my way towards the open door. A strangled cry pierced the air as I crossed the threshold, one that made my blood run cold and haunted only the worst of my nightmares.

Brianna.

I began hear voices in conversation as I took the stairs two at a time. Urgent requests jumbled together to form an indistinguishable hum, but it was hers that rang out above the rest, loud and clear.

“Don’t touch me!”

Her words gave me the burst of adrenaline I needed to keep going as I reached the landing. I couldn’t breathe as I surged forward and continued my climb, my heart fully lodged in my throat. Tripping over the lip of the final stair, I reached out and grabbed hold of the banister with one hand to steady myself as I hiked my skirts up above my knees with the other.

I tore down the hall and threw the door to Bree’s chamber open, sending it clattering against the wall as I burst into the room, all but running Lizzie over in my haste. We clung to each other for half a second in attempt to stay upright, the teen shrieking as if I were the devil himself. Letting go, I pushed past her and practically threw myself onto the bed beside my daughter.

Bree was in my arms the next moment and she clung to me, sobbing Mama over and over again.

“I’m right here, I’ve got you,” I gushed.

I knew the room was in uproar behind me, but their noise faded away as I focused on my daughter, examining every inch of her. I smoothed back the curls around her face, wiping away her tears and picking up her harried pulse as my fingertips brushed against her temples.

“It’s alright, luv,” I crooned, taking in her pale face, screwed up in abject terror. “You’re alright.”

My hand dropped to her distended abdomen, assessing as much as I could amid her contraction, then slid to the bunched material of her shift about her hips, pulling the hem back down over her knees.

I heard Jocasta protest from somewhere behind me and cold, foreign hands reached out to undo my actions, pulling at a fist full of cloth in order to bare my daughter to a room that meant her harm. I brushed them away and, with my help, Bree moved until they would literally have to go through me to get to her. A firm barrier now in place, her grip on me loosened and she began to tremble from head to toe as she leaned back against the pillows at the head of the bed.

They’d had her flat on her back — fully prone — with both gravity and raging emotions working against her.  Swallowing my rage, I hushed, “It’s alright, I’m here now... I’m right here.”

“It hurts,” she groaned, struggling to breathe through her pain.

“I know, luv,” I murmured in Bree’s ear, then, turning to look over my shoulder, I raised my voice to address the room at large, “When did her water break?”

Phaedre and a woman I’d never met, but could only assume was the local midwife sat and blinked stupidly at me from their position at the foot of the bed, Jocasta and Lizzie standing just behind them with their mouths hanging open.

“When did her water break?!” I demanded again with greater force, making Lizzie jump.

“Just after tea, Mistress Claire… maybe two hours ago, at most,” Phaedre eventually stammered.

The foul midwife beside her came alive at this pronouncement, her cheeks flaming red as she screeched, “You are placing both Brianna and her unborn child in grave danger!”

“The hell I am!” I spat, turning to face her fully.

Jocasta and this creature were well on their way to killing both my daughter and her unborn child and I was the one endangering them?!

“I am her mother and if you think for one second that I’m going to let you lay so much as another finger on her—“

“Claire!”

My blood pressure skyrocketed as Jamie’s aunt interrupted me, her knuckles turning white as she gripped one of the four posts of the bed for support, “I will no’ have ye speakin’ to Brianna’s midw—“

“I am her midwife and I am her physician and anyone who has a problem with that can fuck the hell off!”

The room fell silent again as I leveled each and every one of them with a look that clearly said I would fight them to the death on this matter. None opened their mouth to object and so I nodded, feeling a measure of satisfaction.

“I am her mother,” I repeated, feeling the cloak of medical command settle across my shoulders once again as I addressed the midwife head on. “I know her best and I know what is best for her… Your services here are no longer required.”

The woman’s mouth opened, but I cut her off.

“No! You will get off of this bed, you will keep your bloody paws off of my daughter, and you will not so much as speak a word to her on your way out.”

Not giving anyone a chance to respond, I turned to Phaedre, “Could you fetch me a change of clothes please? And Lizzie, find Jamie and have him bring me my box… He’ll know what I mean.”

Lizzie ran for the door, calling out an eager aye mistress as she disappeared, but Phaedre remained in her place as she looked to Jocasta and then to the midwife for permission.

“Fine,” I seethed, letting them battle it out as they may. I would simply strip down and work in my shift, if it came to that.

I turned back to Bree and found her nearing the point of hyperventilation, her face as white as the bed sheets. My diverted attention had allowed her to descend into abject panic and I quickly tried to bring her back.

“Sweetie, look at me,” I pleaded, scrambling to her side.

She writhed against the pillows, curling inwards as her uterus tightened it’s iron grip. Her jaw was set and her gaze unfocused, completely absorbed in her pain.

“Look at me, Bree,” I coaxed again, my palm cupping her cheek. “You’re alright.”

I turned her face towards me, but her eyes didn’t follow to meet mine.

“Brianna Ellen, look — at — me!”

She blinked once… twice… three times and a hiccuping cry escaped her, a strangled plea for help as she latched onto me once more.

“There you go, luv,” I encouraged and helped her sit up, settling her a little more comfortably against the pillows.

“Unhand her!” the midwife shouted again. “She needs to be laying down!”

“No, she needs to breathe,” I retorted and my spirit soared as I saw the barest hint of amusement flick across Bree’s face. Leaning forward, I placed a kiss on her furrowed brow and encouraged, “Let’s take this one step at a time, alright?”

Another wordless groan was my answer and I nodded, eagerly accepting any form of communication that she could manage.

“Focus on me, luv,” I coached. “We’ll get through this one and then you can give them their marching orders… and get out of this bed, if you like.”

Bree tucked her chin as her heels dug into the mattress. I rubbed her back, murmuring encouragements as I emulated the breathing pattern I wanted her to take up.

“Good,” I praised as her contraction began to ease and she began to move ever so slightly in the right direction. “That’s the way, Bree. Deep breaths.”

She lifted her head, her eyes clear for the first time as she insisted hoarsely, “Tell me.”

“He’s alive,” I murmured and watched her sag with relief, her head snapping towards the door. I reached to take her hand, pain knifing across my heart as I added, “But he isn’t here with us… he said he needed more time.”

Bree turned back to me and I watched helplessly as she registered what exactly that entailed, her every thought parading across her face. I saw the disappointment, the betrayal, the weight of the unknown crush her into a thousand pieces of broken glass, of shattered hopes and dreams.

“We will take you home,” I assured her, “back to the ridge… where your baby can grow up knowing just how much they are loved and wanted and cared for.”

She nodded, then tipped her head back, her jaw clenching again as tears overcame her. I pulled to me, not letting her descend back into chaos, and she wrapped her arms around my neck, clinging to me as she sobbed.

“Oh, Bree,” I hushed.

How I wished we could have gotten back even just a few hours before we did… so I could have broken the news to her before she’d gone into labor, when we could have talked and cried and worked through the pain of Roger’s rejection together without having to also work through the pain of childbirth.

Rubbing her back, I began to rock back and forth, my instinctual motherly response to Bree’s tears overriding my ability to speak. My tongue was thick in my mouth, swollen with all the things I wanted to say but couldn’t find the words for, effectively choking me as I held my daughter close.

“Da,” Bree hiccuped urgently. “I need to see Da.”

“Absolutely not!” came the rather expected but still vehement objection from the midwife. “To be unconventional in your ways of midwifery is one thing, Mistress Fraser, but to allow a man into the birthing chamber is simply — not — done!”

“He is her father and if she wishes him here, she will have him,” I retorted hotly, wishing Jamie were here to remove her from the room by brute force if necessary.

What I would have given to have him by my side when Bree was born… when Faith was born. My own rush of emotions threatened to overtake me as I glanced over my shoulder to ask of Jocasta, “Would you send for him?”

“Aye… I will,” Jamie’s aunt finally replied after many moments of silence, eliciting another outburst from the fiend.

“I cannot believe that you are allowing this woman to care for your niece in such a manner, Jocasta! Welcoming her back into your home after all that she has done to you is commendable and offering refuge to her disgraced daughter is very noble of you, but I will not stand by and be party to such a catastrophe as this will surely be!”

The entire bed shook as the midwife retreated off of it, pontificating at the top of her lungs with every inch of territory she forfeited, and giving way to the rustle of skirts as Jocasta escorted her across the room and out the door.

“I’ll fetch your things, Mistress Claire,” Phaedre murmured from behind me, the mattress shifting once again as the nimble servant left us. “Is there anything else you’ll be needing?”

“No, thank you,” I assured her, finally turning when I caught a glimpse of her out the corner of my eye, and added mentally,

Only Jamie.

[blankdblank]

It’s a Mother Flocking Puffin Pt 22

Use of Karliene: Walk with the Devil. Requested by @deepestfirefun​.

…

‘Rest up, hope you’re feeling better. Been getting calls and messages all day yesterday and this morning to pass on that everyone will wait as long as necessary for their instruments to be repaired and returned. Your health is imperative.’ Bilbo’s message read loud and clear across your phone screen once you’d been given it from your bag that had kept it safe.

Along with that inquiries from Mal and thanks for saving her from that dagger notices from the social page you were instructed to make to display previews of your artwork for your illustration course to be tagged for the class and school for possible interest from future employers. The only public account you had with scores of messages of well wishes and compliments of the song you had been at the school to record.

Curious of how you did the clip was easily found on the same site your videos for the guys were posted on in the popular news category. The stilled image was you in the booth while the band outside readied to play the tune for you. And to the first note the camera steadied into a slightly better angle to come to rest as your voice came out in an accented Khuzdul flow sounding so awkward to you while others in the comments were praising the song you’d written for the popular fable a production company was currently filming. Snare taps to a drum beat kept the song going while the brass section readied for their role to the melody.

I've never claimed to be a good boy

That lad is long dead

'Cause I got stuck in the wars, Grace

Ones with bullets

And ones in my head

But you made it so

Easy to let go

Now I'm all alone

And the shots are deafening

  A few lines in the footage flickered between you and a montage of sorts, reading a sort of fable linked to your lineage with Melkor’s death and inherited oath to bring down your family passed to the Avari.

  So I walk with the Devil

My rivals best be careful

'Cause when you're already dead

There's no gun at your head

You're finally free

  This one more of a fan video for your saving the day as slowed down enough to get stilled images of your fighting the Avari to when Smaug was released.

  I shook hands with the Devil

Ah this town best be careful

'Cause when you're already dead

There's no rope for your neck

You're finally free

Yeah, I walk with the Devil

  People fled while you ran from the courtyard. More stilled images flickered of the path to the Nursery until more flames destroyed that wing.

  Do you remember that broken man

When you sang your song?

And how you put him back together, girl

With your voice and with your love

  The shop came next up to the trio hoisting up the wind lance ending with the reduction of Smaug to rubies and gold.

  'Cause you made it so

Easy to let go

Now I'm all alone

And the shots are deafening

  The image of Thorin’s elated embrace of you afterwards was held for a good while with banners of wishes for long rules for their interim King and Queen.

  So I walk with the the Devil

My rivals best be careful

Cause when you’re already dead

There’s no gun at your head

You’re finally free

  The final part held a montage of clips from your videos on the progress for building your piano and repair job for the orchestra with words of hope to see what music you would bring into the world in the years to come.

  I shook hands with the Devil

Ah this town best be careful

Cause when you’re already dead

There’s no rope for your neck

You’re finally free

  The combination was a bit awkward of a match to go with the song but you simply took it as the culture variations at play that you simply didn’t see the tying features at not having grown up with their media they were used to. Still shockingly low on the pop culture references here down you scrolled realizing this was a fan video and not how this was put on the news. That footage was five times the length of this video due to the discussion of the anchors and a frozen image on one of the parts of you with what looked to be ice wings coming from your back used for another fan video titled Dragon vs Puffin Queen. Each video you saw continued the pattern of using various parts of the footage until you dipped to something else entirely. One focused solely on the song faces of Dwarves for the video you clicked on showed their shared plea for the production company to use the song you’d written for that fable in their upcoming film stirring a smirk out of you.

At your side you set the phone and again in your bag your hand dipped to fetch your notepad to continue working on a writing assignment formerly due in a week. Emails had been sent that the rest of the week the school was being cleaned with usable portions to continue housing classes while those in the destroyed wings would be moved to other courses. Among the few students on required bed rest and the parents understandably requiring some time off virtual courses were to be given for each applicable with written projects to be assigned weekly for the courses requiring physical attendance to have a grade to place until those lectures could be made up.

All the same you would do all you could to leave little extra stress for your Professors on top of the shift to not have to make up too many assignments. On the other hand however the Professors having heard from the news that the worst injuries you faced were cracked ribs assured you that there was no rush for you to hurry back to class before you were fully healed to not hurt yourself even more in returning before the month was up. Even after the Feast was set to take place to grant you more relaxation time even if your ribs and other troubles were healed by then.

.

Being with you was priority, though for his urge to stay curled up with you half an hour was what he set aside daily to work on the bunnies for you, maybe more if you had drifted off into a nap. Each day bringing him closer to the finished present he could give to you before the holiday break would come to tick off another marker to your courtship before meeting your clans in person. The first day went easily enough with small naps taken every so often between meals. With the second once you had finished off all your backed up work even a dig for an old needlework kit had taken up a few hours while Thorin had picked up some more loose ends to help carry the equal share of evening out from the fallout. Mainly the management of funds to be allocated to the building crews chosen for repairing the University and landscaping teams which should cover most of the issues for the remainder of the week minus the daily meetings.

A clever idea came from Balin’s wife in her time to bond with you while Dis sat for the official portrait for her, Vili and their children for that release at the end of the week when Thror and Niro would return home to the Palace. Propped on your legs rested on top of two pillows while you were being iced post stop by the Healers to stretch and massage out your still tight leg from hip to toe sat a tablet. With it you eyed the 3d model of the cottage you had chosen that she smirked relaxing that at least in your boredom some work to get more steps completed could be started, and the length of the task could take up ample time to get you through this healing bout of bed rest.

Easily the agreed furry foot stools and the forest green rug like in one of the studies you had seen with different color patterns were added. Tucked in the bedroom was a bed frame you wanted that by a peek into the boys’ room in the rental you shared Thorin might not be against using that frame for your marital bed. Blank boxy white furniture was settled where you wanted to fill spaces to be agreed upon later with the basic rooms first, starting with the living room. White furniture scooted around the room expanding and shrinking around the white rug before you turned your focus to the color of the walls, patterned wallpaper for a few rooms to be looked over by Thorin later surely as it wasn’t just going to be your home it’d be his too.

By the time you moved onto the dining room while your company was off to feed her little girl and put her down for a nap Thorin had come back and smiled ready to relax himself with an ice pack on his shoulder. Right up to your side with a gentle press of his lips to your cheek he wiggled closer, smile splitting wider in notice of what you were up to and the bashful grin on your face at being caught pressing forward on this step alone.

“Decorating to keep you busy?” He hummed gladly with eyes shifting to your face again, the blush on your face lured him inwards to steal another kiss on your cheek. “Let’s see what you have so far.”

“I have the stools we already agreed on, and I was thinking this rug, if those colors work.”

“That is a lovely rug,”

“And I did pick a bed frame like this, if you’d be good with that?”

“My beds have always been like this.” Hastily he wet his lips. “There is a style I imagined for the armchairs in our study and parlor guests won’t be using, just for us, it’s nice and deep,” his fingers on one hand found the style and settled one in place that with a tap of your own you added a second and switched between the colors tugging a smirk across his lips.

“Ooh, I like this grey one.” Once that was placed you said, “Maybe we should pick room colors and papers first.” Starting the task to coloring each room you could leaving the others blank for the time being with a symbolic giant crystal sculpture of Mumakil in the center of those rooms as a symbol to come back to later.

.

Kili grinned saying, “Now, I am on the camera, countdown, 5,” he hurried over and you giggled at his switching the camera on to record with the mini screen aimed at the three of you. You were tucked up in a plushy armchair with feet up on a furry foot rest with pillows rested behind your back fully warmed by the lit fireplace to your left, Fili was seated on one arm of the chair with Kili for the other. “2,” Back at your free side he came and smiled making you nip at your lip and grin through their usual sign in ready and comfortable for this video the guys thought would be a good check in for the public to say you are on the mend.

Lowly in Khuzdul they both said, “Welcome back to our little corner of the LonelyMountain. Today our salon doors are open to you.”

“ManeMan,” Fili said with a grin before Kili said, “And the GlitterGrizzly” Both bowed briefly making you glance down to shift your legs again, “At your service.” Their hands clapped and the pair settled a hand on the chair back behind your head smiling wider, “And today we are here again with our incredible model SnowBunny.”

In a soft giggle you waved with your now sling free arm glad to have some normal movement from that shoulder again and the pair each brought forward a set of measuring tapes, “Who is so kindly allowing us to measure her for a sketch while she relaxes by her lovely warm fire.”

Kili, “Already from our selection of candles she has chosen her favorite, a lovely warm cider scent.” With a smile he watched Fili play with and light the candle he set up on the mantle behind you.

Fili in sitting down again, “And now that we are assured our model is tucked nice and comfy in this large armchair with blanket, pillows and furry footrest we shall get to the measuring.” Through giggles you let them shift you subtly with tapes covering what was revealed above the blanket and just a long measure of the top of your legs and the tent your feet made on the stool. Each number was recorded on a notepad before the pair smiled moving to the stools set out they showed off smoothing their hands over them lifting the sketch pads and pencils waiting there for both on opposite sides of you to get started on the sketch. Halfway through to another exaggerated show of using their pencils to scale up a part of the sketches Sir Akdâmuthrab came over and climbed his way up onto your lap.

Kili, “Hey! I was almost done!”

Fili chuckled saying to the camera, “Introducing a little Burglar who is intent on stealing the focus of our SnowBunny.”

“Oh he can’t help it, nice and warm and he likes to cuddle since I can’t run away and wake him up,” you giggled out to the Princes who chuckled.

Kili leaned in saying, “Now to just wait for him to settle so I can get his markings right, him and his envious mustache and brows.”

Again you giggled out, “If he keeps up photo bombing we might have to pick him out a bowtie. Something fancy to wear.”

Fili, “Ooh, we could do that, stitch him up some options and have a try out for him to see which he likes.”

Exaggerated sketch sounds and taps on the pads came with your Burglar’s napping stretch granting them a second shot to get him added to the images that at the end they showed off. Once signed off the guys switched the video to edit while around you then posted it with a nice little message for a mini update from the Young Majesty from the Palace. The video had to be done today as the guys were meeting up with their team for a practice before the game this weekend taking them from your company and leaving you to Thorin’s watch once Thror and Niro return.

They were off while you slept soundly in a nap post lunch break, having been helped back to the comfortable mattress by the boys as walking was a bit rough on breathing easily for long distances past the occasional bathroom trip you could manage there and back again on your own.

*

Thror upon seeing Thorin tugged him into a tight hug, “How are you feeling?”

Niro promptly claimed her own hug widening his grin, “In any pain?”

“I am doing well, bit sore, but more for the massages and realignment from the Healers. Mostly just bruises and scrapes for me.”

Thror, “How is Jaqi? We saw the video the boys posted this morning. Quite early.”

“Jaqi is doing well, slept early, rough to say better or not, ribs are still troubling for her to walk or move too freely with just yet.”

Niro, “Are the Healers with her?”

Thorin shook his head, “No, resting right now, we just had lunch a bit ago.”

She looked over her grandson, “Are you resting?”

“Yes, I’ve been staying with Jaqi most nights unless it’s too late after things that have come up. I don’t want to wake her or make her shift by me joining her in her sleep to hurt her ribs. I am sleeping, just still tired.”

Thror, “Are you off to rest after we do the public hand off of the ring?”

Thorin nodded, “Small nap, then I would like to finish up the touches on the bunnies. Just a few tiny things to double check then it’s waiting until she is healed to have a walk or picnic at least.”

Thror patted him on the back, “That is a relief, come and we will handle this business and you will be demoted again to focus solely on our granddaughter.” Deepening the Prince’s smile on the joint turn from the garage where their jet had let them out to get inside the Palace walls.

All was still locked down on these grounds at least as it would stay out of respect for you to grant you ample protection and trust that you had all the time you needed to recover. While you had been resting the Emperor when not at your side had made a couple trips on the days you were meant to go into the shop to at the very least assure Bilbo that you were all holding up nicely, along with handling a few press updates with simple statements in passing. All that you were improving and following the Doctor’s instructions to continue doing so after a blow to the ribs. They were your main injury that none wished to rush you on as in their required sparring courses rib injuries were abundantly common and known to require a bit of babying to recover from no matter how irritating the bed laying could be. All in all the people were of good spirits knowing ample updates day to day after what could have gone so much worse for everyone involved.

Niro with a smile looped her arm into Thorin’s arm asking, “And what is this I hear about cottage decorations while on your bed rest?”

Thorin chuckled along with Thror, “A tablet was given to keep her distracted, mainly just wall colors and a few rooms down.”

Niro, “It is a start, once the mirrors are taken down off that pillar then we can get to painting and papering the cottage.”

*

“Put a little something together for you, my Yuula,” the Emperor said rolling you in the wheeled chair to your 3rd spare bedroom now turned into a mini workshop filled with a selection of the 8 double bases and 12 cellos sent from the orchestra the day prior. “I imagined the orchestra pieces might be wanted to complete first.”

Tearily you looked up at him smiling in his lean forward to give you a hug, “Thank you.”

“I know you just want to be productive, the boys helped me sneak these back, well, not much to sneaking, they are huge, but tagged and organized for you. Bilbo said the Violas come in a few days.”

And that was how your little bed rest rebellion began. Resting in your chair the 2 hours and 40 minutes for the bases went by smoothly. Followed by the first half of the cellos for 2 hours until your brunch came in to by followed by finishing off the cellos that were, via text to Bilbo, moved over in the system and to be taken back to the shop to notify the orchestra in a few days to not spoil the surprise. As if they had already been done and simply gotten shuffled down on the call to pick up list traded for the violas in their drop off. As it went the day of rebellion was followed by two mainly sleeping for the ease of the Healers and Durins only for you to wake to the first six of the 12 violas sent in at a time. Two hours was all it took and to avoid another slump like that again you spaced them out through the day before and after meals to grant you a shower and nap to be rested for supper with Thorin.

The Emperor was pleased to say the least that you were restless and somewhat calm, that your fighting spirit hadn’t taken an injury and sorrow or a deep depression had crept in to keep you wishing to stay in bed forever and never leave these palace walls again. Desserts were group affairs with breakfasts on occasion when you were up to be held together, each adding another tick mark to proof that you would be back to normal soon enough.

Tonight however with the shipment of Athelas plants from Gondor he had sent for the Emperor sat up next to you having helped you lay out on your side. With shirt tucked up revealing the painful black bruise of the handle surrounded by a sea or deep indigo bruises from your side branching onto your back matching those on your legs. Soft and tenderly his voice ebbed and flowed from wall to wall in the squeeze of his fingers around the wet cloth draining the excess warm water mingled with the essence of the ground Athelas blooms causing it to begin to glow. Barely touching the skin over your bruise his hand paused at the clench of your side feeling the heat already of the cloth and hand close to touching the painful spot. A healing bath was set to be drawn for you later today but this bruise and fractures had to be seen to first to ease your discomfort before you could soak in a hot bath preventing risks of losing your breath in the tub from the heat.

Down his hand moved to fold around the bruise as kindly as possible for the slow and steady smooth of the cloth down your ribs to spread the healing ointment. Faintly to his song your skin began to glow and between each stroke of the cloth he would remove it to drench it again to coat your skin some more. Every one showing signs that the bruises were lightening, with eyes shut you controlled your breath to grow accustomed to the uncomfortable feeling of the fractured ribs underneath his palm beginning to seal whole again from the painful crack outwards. The sight from the foot of the bed had Thorin’s hand smoothing comfortingly over your ankle and lower leg eyeing each inch of the astonishing bruise covering your torso. Curiously the boys had asked to watch the process and having heard your bruises would heal as well were glad to get your approval for their filming the process.

Black to Indigo the ribs began to give way to a tolerable purple growing fainter to an olive shade where he would guide your body onto your belly. Up to your shoulders the back of your shirt was eased up revealing the back of your front clasped razorback bra in a stand out nude shade he worked around guiding those indigo bruises around the small bandages he uncovered to smooth the ointment over. Those remaining scabs moistened soaking it all in to heal by morning adding to the stunning process relaxing those watching even more at the growing ease you found to move and breathe again.

Down into the now empty bowl the cloth was settled. And over your back the shirt was eased again for his guiding you to sit up cross legged for a series of easy stretches to test your limberness regained again widening your grin knowing that surely after the bath you’d be mostly back to normal after another day of continuing to rest as much as possible. The return to health was much anticipated though glad for more days of cuddles Thorin stayed close. In private as the boys went to watch and edit the footage down to update the people again who had caught sight of one of your bruises before on your leg when a massage was being given to it in a try to help speed it along. The comments almost all focused on how long it might take to have those indigo bruises to heal on your Hobbity self with others of Hobbit lineage sharing their own long battles with bruises.

The videos surely were seen by your clan, who had called Winge and calmed at the delivery on its way to aid in those lingering wounds paining them greatly. Again and again the footage of the attack was viewed by them watching their brave strong lost heir defeating a formidable foe and foiling the anticipated death toll tipped entirely onto the Avari. Aching to have this week over with wishing to have you greet them in this new kingdom you’d yet to travel to that they could show you all of the secrets they had learned in their stay. They could have come to visit but still clung to the fact they did not wish to overstep as if they had been there in your pained moments they would not have left your side until you were back to yourself again while sharing all you had missed and they had been compiling on personal lists for the decades of your absence sure to spill out of them. But it was just another week until you would arrive, having assured them in your video call times at the back end of Winge’s daily updates that you were still coming on time so they didn’t have to change the Feast of Starlight plans.

.

Two sock bunnies sat on your table along the wall while tucked in bed with Thorin on top of the covers beside you watched a film. One baby blue with white spots and a white t shirt complete with blue button paired with an identical bunny in grey and white. Much like for you in the past his speech shot right out of his mind and even sore still a tight hug on your part was met by his gentle embrace pleased to have received your adoration on his skills. One loving dinner had been prepared by him and all night he remained close to you with just a break to change to his flannels and return again to stretch out with you enjoying the film he’d chosen, smiling brightly all the while at your place nestled half against his chest using his shoulder as your pillow. In the morning he’d be off to another final wedding being held out in one of the Southern Dwarf Kingdoms that would keep him away a few days. You wouldn’t be sitting around moping, not with classes beginning this week to sit for and instruments to pretend you weren’t fixing.

  *

“I’m telling you Amad I don’t know!” Kili huffed out plopping into a chair bedside his brother’s after having been standing so long to show off his mark dots on the shape of a clover on his wrist now in a darker shade of light gold hinting he’d touched his One.

Dis huffed as Vili said, “Well there has to be a hint on how many people you whacked your wrist into while Smaug was terrorizing the school.”

Kili blurted out, “Well what about Fili?! His mark is on his collarbone they’d have had to go under his shirt why isn’t he getting this grilling when he should no doubt know who touched him underneath his clothes! All I know is we were at the game and our marks lit up, so it’s someone that went to the game!”

Dis said, “No deflecting, we are working youngest to eldest. Now from the first sign Smaug was being let loose who did you come into contact with? As best you can remember. There are two clans to research and contact to begin courtship talks.”

Kili sighed and wet his lips looking at his wrist himself trying to remember. “We just came out of the orchestra session and we were in the breezeway, we saw the team, then dagger was thrown. Smaug came out and we grabbed,”

His eyes went wide as Fili’s did realizing who it might be, both groaning out rubbing their hands over their faces, “Mal.”

Dis looked them over asking, “Ok yes she is on the list we took note of on the security footage there is of this. Why the groan?”

Kili lowered his hands to say, “I grabbed her arm and Fi kept her head between us, when we went to the water I had to help him get her to let go of his shirt.”

Vili, “Ok, good candidate then, why the groan do you not like her?”

They both said, “You don’t date your friend’s friends! Bro Code! She’s Jaqi’s only friend outside the clan!”

Kili shook his head, “Can’t be her,” crossing his arms over his chest.

Fili did the same, “She’d never talk to us again.” His folded arms shifting his shirt to show the side of the pale blue jellyfish shaped dots of his mark once more of an off white than a legible shade of blue at all.

The parents relented and let the boys go with word given to Dwalin through his friendship with Bilbo to ask what clan she belonged to on her Dwarf side. A task leaving them less than satisfied as he said he paid no one to that ‘jumble of nonsense’ her father hailed from and had even himself broken free of to choose the more respectable Baggins clan and name for his own to get a fresh start from the life he rarely spoke of beyond a muttered curse. Leaving just one person to ask for any clue without approaching the young Dwobbit herself.

Pt 23

All –

@himoverflowers​​​, @theincaprincess​​​, @aspiringtranslator​​​, @thegreyberet​​​, @patanghill17​​​, @jesgisborne​​​, @curvestrology​​​, @alishlieb​​​, @jogregor​​​, @armitageadoration​​​, @fizzyxcustard​​​, @lilith15000​​​, @marvels-ghost​​​, @catthefearless​​​, @imjusthereforthereads​​​, @c-s-stars​​​, @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore​​​, @mariannetora​​​, @shes-a-killer-kween​​, @ggbbhehe4455, @xxbyimm​​

Hobbit/LotR – @abiwim​, @jotink78​​, @pastelhexmaniac

x Thorin – @evyiione​​, @deepestfirefun​, @queenoferebor​​

X all Rich. A - @abiwim​​, @deepestfirefun​, @thestorybookmistress

[the-walking-memelords]

Allegiances: Chapter 17

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 |Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 18 

Series is rated M

Word Count: 6356

The journey home begins, but how far will they make it in a sea of the undead?

Read it on Ao3!

Read it on Wattpad!

Warning for Graphic Depictions of Violence and Gore

The ringing in Clementine’s head was deafening, managing to temporarily drown out the roar of the flames that began to engulf the deck of the sinking ship. She slowly pulled herself to her feet, The formerly cold metal railing burning with the heat of the fire.

Looking over the side, the shore was a warzone.

The sound of gunfire was the only thing that rivalled the flames. Delta soldiers scattered the beach, firing shots at the neverending onslaught of the undead, but ultimately outmatched. The second one of them ran out of ammo, the walkers would descend upon them and in such numbers, it was doubtful they’d leave anything behind. Walkers continued to pour in from the forest, vastly outnumbering the herd James had brought them.

I hope the others made it past them.

Another explosion rocked the vessel with earthquake intensity as the ground beneath her began to severely tilt to the side. The shockwave sent her back to the floor, groaning as she searched her will for the strength to continue.

The mangled corpse of Lilly slid next to her, leaving a crimson streak where it travelled down the incline. The unrecognizable body slumped next to her, the sight now causing her stomach to turn.

I did that.

Her face felt itchy as the woman’s blood dried on her skin, but there was no time for a bath just yet.

I have to get out of here.

The last thing she wanted was to join Lilly again.

“AJ!” The bloodstained girl practically screamed over the chaos.

He had been right here.

Right next to her.

Where is he?

Clementine felt bile creep up the back of her throat when she thought of the walker-infested waters below. Such a small boy… A blast like that could’ve thrown him far… Her eyes scanned the deck wildly as she crawled along the rail, the boat growing closer to tipping at every second.

“AJ! AJ where are you?” Smoke began to engulf her, cutting off her breath and stinging her eyes.

“Louis? James?”

Anyone?

A lifeboat swung loosely from two fraying ropes, the only bridge between the gap in the railings. Clem launched herself onto the boat, landing hard against the wooden benches.

“Clementine!” The voice came from above her.

Clementine looked to see AJ barely hanging by the upturned boards surround the hole the bomb had blasted through the ship, the space below him nothing but a steep slope into a pool of walkers.

Fuck, we’re running out of time.

“AJ, look at me.” She called to the boy.

“Let go, and I’ll catch you. I promise!”

AJ looked hesitant, but the slope became steeper with each passing second so he made his decision. He swung himself towards her as best he could before releasing his grip on the wood, sliding down the deck as Clementine reached out to him.

She caught his arm at the last second, the sudden weight nearly sending her over the side as she struggled to maintain her balance. The blue cap flew from the boy’s head, but Clementine’s grip never faltered even as the last piece she had of her parents sunk into the waves below.

“I’m slipping!” AJ cried as Clementine heaved him back up with all of her strength. She pulled her boy in for a tight hug, never wanting to let him go again. Part of her heart broke at the loss of her hat, but she had something far more precious to her in her arms. Sadly the hug was brief, as another blast rocked the boat, reminding her of their dire circumstances.

“We need to get off this ship.” Clem could see fear in his eyes. She rested her hand on his shoulders before looking for a way out of this.

“You have to jump across first, you’ll need a running start. Climb along the railing and jump down onto the roof of the pier.”

“It’s far!”

“I know it’s far but it’s the only way!” She couldn’t let him break right here.

“Don’t think, just move.”

AJ did as he was told, just barely making the jump and grabbing onto the railing tightly as he began to shimmy across. He looked back at Clem, who was preparing her jump before the boat just as the state of the rope caught her attention.

Oh shit.

Clementine only had a second to react as the fibres of the rope quickly snapped before her eyes. She dove backwards, clinging to one of the wooden benches as the front of the boat fell, the small vessel now only hanging by a single rotten rope. The rough wood dug into her skin as gravity threatened to send her plummeting. Hands of the dead bobbed in and out of the water, hungrily reaching for her.

“Clem, I’ve got you!” AJ began to move back to her.

“Don't!” She pleaded for the boy to keep moving.

“There’s nothing you can do, I’ll find another way!”

“I can’t just leave you!” The boy scanned the area, trying to find some way to help her.

“I’ll make it! Just go!”

Clementine gained some footing on the bench below her, throwing herself onto the railing of one of the lower decks. The metal was almost unbearably hot as the flames roared too close for comfort.

Another explosion rocked the ship. The shockwave sent AJ falling onto the fabric roof of the pier, breaking his fall. Clementine made the final jump, landing next to him.

“C’mon, we have to find the other kids.” She pulled him along, helping him to the ground just as an arrow stuck into the pillar with a thunk.

“I saw you, you little bitch!” A man wielding her bow yelled as he took aim at them again.

“Lilly should’ve killed you when she had the chance.”

But, she didn’t.

Clementine grabbed the arrow as she ducked behind a crate, jamming it into the man’s foot as he approached. The man let out a furious scream just as Clem’s elbow connected with his jaw, grabbing the bow from his grasp and sending an arrow into his jugular. She left the bastard to bleed out as she reclaimed her quiver as well.

The intense sound of metal collapsing resounded as the tilt of the ship became too much, tipping over completely in one last burst of flames.

Clementine grabbed AJ’s arm, pulling him along to escape the blast as it threw them both to the ground.

Smoke clouded the area like a thick curtain. Flashes of gunfire and the echoes of screams filled the beach. Vague shapes moved within the mass, one growing larger as it stumbled towards them. Clementine scrambled to her feet as the walker emerged into view before falling dead in front of her, the back of its head crushed inwards.

“Louis!” She cried as the boy dropped the large rock, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend as she clung to him.

“You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now.”

“I think I have some idea.” He said as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

Clementine felt AJ’s hand grab hers as he stood hesitantly in front of Louis.

“Hey there, little man.” Louis greeted him gently.

“My name’s Louis, we’re gonna get you outta here, okay?”

“Okay.” AJ responded confidently.

“GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!” A sudden scream broke the moment as the three of them turned to see Violet struggling to pull herself out of the water, a walker trying to knaw its way through the toe of her boot as it struggled to pull her under.

Clem and Louis nodded to each other, Louis retrieving his rock to take care of the oncoming walkers as Clementine drew her bow and fired an arrow through the rotting eyesocket of the walker.

Violet, now freed, crawled her way onto dry land. Parts of her clothes blackened with ash and scorch marks.

“Violet!” Clementine raced to her friend, feeling sorry for what she had done to her earlier.

“Clem, where are you?” The blonde looked right at her, but didn’t see her. Couldn’t see her.

Bloody red and black burns splashed across the girl’s face, the flames having painted her with their anger. Her right eye, formerly green, now bleached completely white resembling deadness of a walker’s. Her remaining green eye searched helplessly for the face of her friend, squinting through the pain of her injuries.

No…

No. No. NO!

“Vi, I-I’m right here.” Clementine didn’t know how to help. Could Ruby fix this? Perhaps such an injury was beyond her expertise.

“Oh fuck, Violet, I’m so sorry.”

“Minnie and I tried to stop the bomb and just… fuck.” Violet gripped Clementine’s arms as she bent forward, a new wave of pain overtaking her.

“I… Louis! Get over here, she’s hurt!” Clementine half-held her friend as she called for help.

Louis couldn’t hide the shock and concern on his face when he found them. He gently put his hand on Vi’s shoulder.

“It’s gonna be okay, Vi, I’ve got you.” He took Violet’s hand, helping her stand.

“Shit… Can… Can you see?” Clementine hoped the answer would be the opposite of what she feared.

“I-I don't…” She mumbled out with a broken voice.

“Just don't let go of me, okay?”

The sound of a horse whinnying caught their attention. Through the smoke, they saw Ruby atop one of the Delta’s horses attached to a cart. Willy was the one providing cover, sinking his arrows into the skulls of any walkers that got too close.

The rest of their captured friends took cover near some boulders, waving them over quickly.

“Thank god you guys are okay.” Aasim said relieved.

“Clem. Give us some cover.” Mitch instructed, his arm around a still shaking Brody.

“We’ll make a break for the cart.”

“Alright. I’m right behind you.” Clementine drew an arrow from her quiver.

“I’m staying with you.” AJ insisted.

“Thanks, buddy.”

“Clem?” Brody squeaked out, judging by the other’s reactions it was her first word in a while.

“Thank you… for coming back for us.”

“Of course.” She smiled at the redhead as the others began to move towards Ruby’s position.

“Be careful.” Louis put his hand on her cheek, brushing away the stray curls and pulling her in for a quick kiss.

“Just like the ninja I am.” She joked.

“The ninjas we are.”

Clementine released arrow after arrow into the approaching walkers. She listened unsympathetically to the screams of the Delta soldiers as one by one they all fell to the herd. That was until one specific scream caught her attention.

“Sullene! NO!” Minerva screamed as the woman who was with them during the raid was chewed to pieces by several of the dead.

“Get away from her!”

The crazed redhead grabbed her pistol and fired useless shot after shot into the walkers around the woman. The walkers quickly descended on her, the first one ripping a chunk out of her left arm.

Now, Minerva was truly lost.

“She’s lost it!” AJ spoke over the groaning of the herd.

I’m sorry, Tenn.

Clementine couldn’t look away as another walker latched itself it the left side of Minerva’s face. The girl screamed as she blasted its head off with her gun, blood flowing from the gaping hole in her cheek. Minnie pressed her hand to her face as the two girls made eye contact.

“CLEMENTINE!” Minerva screamed as she pulled a grenade from her jacket and ripped out the pin with her teeth.

Shit.

Clem tackled AJ to the ground as it was thrown their way. They dodged the blast, but the sound sent Ruby’s horse into a frenzy, causing it to race away with everyone else already in the cart.

Now they were alone in a sea of the undead.

Clementine wasted no time as she grabbed tightly to AJ’s hand, pulling the boy along as they weaved through the gaps in the herd. She had come too far to give up now. Coming up to a clearing, she realized to her slight horror that not everyone had escaped with Ruby.

“Tenn!” Clementine raced to the boy who was wielding a large hunting knife.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m okay.” He assured, casting a curious glance to the child next to her.

“We need to find a way out of here.” Clementine tried to usher the boys forward just as Tennessee grabbed her arm.

“What about Minnie? She’s still out there somewhere.” Tenn looked back into the herd, looking for any sign of his sister.

“I-I’m sorry, Tenn.” Clementine didn’t have any way to sugarcoat what she’d seen.

“She… got bit. She isn't going to make it.”

Tennessee froze for a moment, looking into Clem’s eyes as if begging for it to be a lie. She could tell he was forcing back tears as all hope of his sister's return was squashed. He looked down, holding out his knife by the blade as he offered it to the older girl.

“Then she’ll be with Sophie soon.”

Clementine lead the way as she tried to find a path to lead them around the herd, dispatching with any walkers that stood in her way. Rounding a corner against a rockface, she nearly stuck her blade into the head of one walker who wasn’t as dead as the rest.

James and Clementine had a momentary standoff before recognizing each other. To the girl’s surprise, her pacifist friend wielded to substantially large knives, tucking them into his vest once he realized who had approached him.

“I’m sorry you got caught up in everything on the boat.” Clementine felt guilty for the deal going farther than they intended.

“I’m glad you got out.”

“I couldn’t let them take the kid.” He said in his normal hushed tone, gesturing to Tennessee.

Their reunion was cut short by the hungry snarls of the dead as the herd began to catch up to them.

Do these fuckers ever go away?

“There’s a cave entrance this way.” James pointed to a split in the cliffside.

“It may be our only option of escape.”

“We don’t know where it goes.” Tenn protested.

“Well, we know there are walkers in the other direction.” Clementine examined the narrow entrance. It would be a tight fit, but not impossible.

“Let’s go, dummy!” AJ raced ahead of the others, his small size allowing him to slip easily between the rocks.

“AJ, wait!” Clementine squeezed her way more slowly through the opening, her bow and quiver nearly causing her to get stuck at some points.

To her surprise, the inside of the cave was quite large from what she could see, although the lighting coming through the thin mouth of the cave didn’t offer much illumination. Clementine ripped the shirt from an already dead walker and wrapped it around a stick, striking her knife against some flint to create a torch.

The inside of this cave truly was vast. The light of the torch reflected off of the stalactites hanging from the high ceiling. Water rushed from a thin waterfall, running along a river that cut the land in half with the cavern continuing on the other side. The river gushed out another tall waterfall through what Clem hoped wasn’t the only exit to this cave. The moon reflected off of a lake in the distance surrounded by more forest for miles.

“We don’t have long before those walkers get in here.” James warned as a dark and decayed arm flailed from between the rocks. His mask obscured his face but the tone of his voice was easy to read.

“If they do… I’ll… I’ll have to kill them.”

“Then let’s find a way across before they do.” Clementine caught sight of a hollow log jammed across the waterfall, most likely having been washed down here by a storm.

Let’s hope it’s solid enough to walk across.

They didn’t really have any other options.

“James, help me move this.” Clem and James heaved the soggy piece of wood until it was able to flow freely in the current, getting stuck against the rocks creating a makeshift bridge.

“They’re through!” AJ called.

Walkers began to pour in through the entrance, the boys standing awfully close.

“Everyone across, now!” Clementine drew her knife to save her dwindling supply of arrows.

The kids crossed first, the log holding their light weight. James crossed next as the walkers drew closer and closer. Clementine finally burst across with the dead on her heels, gravel scraping her chin as she landed hard as the walkers dislodged their bridge from the rocks sending it plummeting down the second waterfall along with the walkers that tried to advance on them still.

AJ lifted her arm around her shoulder to help her up, while James was already heading down the tunnel.

The next part of the cavern was much smaller and empty, with many tunnels leading off in different directions. Any one of them could lead outside or get them lost further, possibly turning this place into their tomb.

“Okay, does anyone see a light coming from one of these tunnels?” Clementine stuck the torch into the ground, peering down each dark passage finding them appearing the same as the last.

James pulled his mask from his head, letting it drop to the ground. He faced away from them with his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“James?” Clem slowly stepped towards him with caution. Something wasn’t right.

“I can’t forget what you did to that woman.” He growled, turning to face her with disgust across his features.

“You killed her, but that wasn’t good enough for you, was it? You massacred her.”

“Lilly was a monster,” AJ piped up, stepping between the two.

“She always did bad stuff to us. She made Clem do bad things even though she didn’t want to.”

“Regardless of who Lilly was as a person. The way you enacted your revenge on a person who had already been defeated was revolting, lacking any kind of humanity whatsoever.” James never dropped his glare from Clementine.

“You tried to convince me that you and the people of your school were different from the murderous scum everyone else portrays themselves as, but you’re all the same. You put yourselves first not caring how many bodies you leave in your wake. I can’t stand it.”

How fucking dare you.

“You don’t get to judge me.” Clementine hissed.

“So take this guilt-trip of yours and shove it up your ass.”

“Oh, ouch.” Sarcasm dripped from his words.

“All you know is violence. Once we exit this cave, I’m done. I’ll leave, and hopefully, we’ll never see each other again.”

Frustration nearly overtook her body. His pacifism had taken many steps too far.

“You can’t fucking force your ideals onto other people. The world out there may not be ‘Kill or Be Killed’ but it’s damn near close!” Clementine said through gritted teeth.

“Violence and killing have a lot of the time been what’s kept me alive. What’s kept AJ alive. I’ve had to hurt a lot of people in my life and if it came down to it I’d do whatever it takes to protect the people I care about. You’ve lived out there alone. It’s easier to think the way you do when you’ve got nothing to lose. But I do. I have a home now. A family. Having those things means defending them. Whatever the cost!”

The tension in the air was so thick you could slice it with a knife. The anger melted from James’ face, leaving him looking conflicted. He opened his mouth as if to give a response, but his words were quickly cut off by the growling of an unwanted audience.

Walkers stumbled through the way they had come, reaching out for their next meal.

“Go, I’ll make sure you aren’t followed.” James pulled his mask back over his face, unsheathing his blades.

“Your family needs you, now go. ”

A cold breeze blew through Clementine’s hair originating from the cavern to the far left. She nodded a goodbye to James, silently hoping he also finds means of escape before leading the kids out into the cool night air.

Clementine took a deep breath, not realizing how suffocating that cave had been until the fresh air hit her lungs. She looked around at the surrounding forest, attempting to collect her bearings.

“So… The shore is that way, so the school must be… this way.” Clem tried to hide her uncertainty but it was honestly difficult having only lived in the area for a few weeks, she hardly knew the terrain.

They walked in what she hoped was the correct direction for a few minutes. Clementine kept her senses alert for any sign of the dead wandering about when a heavy foot snapped a branch just ahead of them. Clem drew her knife, ready to pounce when the freckled face of her favourite dork came into view, hands raised in surrender and relief in his soft brown eyes.

“You’re not dead, that’s good.” Louis’ joke hardly masked his delight as he practically ran towards her, squeezing Clementine tight as if she was about to float away in the wind. As the embrace ended, their hands remained clasped together, neither willing to part.

Clementine managed to pry herself from getting lost in his eyes long enough to wonder about the fate of everyone else.

“Did everyone else escape?” Clem brought herself back to reality after a moment.

“Damn right they did. They took that cart and hauled ass back to the school.” Louis beamed.

“But you came to look for us.” She raised an eyebrow.

“I thought I lost you.” He cupped the left side of her face with his hand.

“Only for a minute.” She smiled, nearly melting at his touch.

“Longest damn minute of my life.”

Louis let out a deep sigh, moonlight sparkling in his eyes as his grin widened further.

“It’s over, Clem. The raiders are gone, you and AJ are free, and we got everyone out alive. Ruby said Violet’s eyes aren't infected so that’s good too.” Louis seemed amazed by the whole situation and honestly, Clementine was as well. Their plan didn’t work as perfectly as they hoped, but their end goal had been completed.

“Now we just gotta get home.”

“Any idea which way that is?” Clem really didn’t have much of a clue where she was going.

“If I remember correctly… there’s an old bridge not too far from here.” Louis pointed off into the woods. “If we cross it, we won't be far from the school.”

“We really got a real home now?” AJ asked, nearly bouncing in excitement.

“What’s it like?”

“It doesn’t have electricity or running water like the Delta but it’s not bad.” She kneeled down to his level.

“The people there are good people. You’ll get to make some friends.”

“I can be your friend.” Tennessee smiled.

“Do you like to draw? I have a lot of art stuff.”

“Cool!” AJ seemed happier than Clem could ever remember.

“Clem, I could draw you stuff, and no one can take it away this time.”

“I-I’d like that a lot, Goofball.” Clementine was biting back tears. This moment right there was where the weight lifted. Where she felt as if she had grown wings and could fly anywhere she pleased.

“Let’s get going, then.”

She locked her finger’s with Louis as they lead the way with the kids in tow, having their own conversation about the friends AJ would make and the games they’d play upon their arrival.

Louis’ fingers loosened their grip on her hand for a moment before squeezing back. Clementine saw through the dreads that hung in front of his face the concerned look in his eyes.

“What is it?”

“I really thought we were going to die on that boat.” Louis confessed, residual fear in his tone.

“The dumbest shit always goes through my head when that happens.”

“Like, your life flashing before your eyes?” She inquired curiously.

“Yeah, kinda. My old pet turtle, Geoff. My grandma’s phone number. The word that lost me the fourth-grade spelling bee: ‘Recommend.’” He let out a half-hearted laugh.

“Stupid shit.”

“Anything new this time?”

“Before my parents divorced, they were building a house. I begged my dad to put in a skylight. Begged. ‘Please, if you love me, you’ll do it.’” His brow remained furrowed as he reminisced.

“That shit certainly didn’t work.”

Does it ever?

“Ha, that never worked with my mom.” Clementine had tried such a line over and over in her childhood. Whether it be for a new doll she saw on tv or fast-food on the way home from school. Her mom was too smart to fall for her antics, though. Her dad, on the other hand, was a little easier to convince.

“Eventually, I convinced him to make a deal. If I got straight A’s, he would put a skylight right in my room.” Louis looked up to the stars in the sky as if imagining himself lying in his bed as a child, falling asleep to the twinkling lights.

“And you just remembered the skylight?” Clementine was used to sleeping under the stars after being on the road for years. Her dorm offered a solid roof above her head and an unlocked door as a welcomed change.

“...They never got to build the house.” His head dropped as his voice became quiet.

“I didn’t even know what colour it was going to be. I should’ve asked.”

“Well, what colour did you want it to be?” Clementine gave his hand a small reassuring squeeze.

“Well, uh, maybe... Purple?” He stuttered as his smile slowly returned.

“Is that your favourite colour?”

“No, but you don't see a lot of purple houses around.” He reasoned.

“Why not stand out?”

“Of course you’d say that.” Clem giggled.

“Of course.”

He does have a knack for standing out.

Clementine and Louis became enamoured with this dream house. Four floors painted a brilliant purple, and as a finishing touch? A beautiful mahogany piano that never lost tune.

“You could teach AJ how to play.” Clementine remembered how much AJ enjoyed music when he was little. Humming a tune or singing a verse was sometimes the only thing that could calm him down.

“And uh, you too… if you want.” He blushed.

“You can return the favour by teaching me how to throw knives like that first day you were with us.”

Clementine rolled her eyes playfully, remembering the time she had to save his life the day they met.

“When we get back to the school, we are building that house.” Louis said with determination.

“You really think we can?”

“I sure hope we can.” Louis stopped the group as they rounded a bend.

The dilapidated covered bridge stood before them, an abandoned truck sitting halfway across. The river far below roared ferociously. Falling into that would most likely result in death.

“Go slow, watch your step, and keep an eye out for walkers.” Clem knew getting cornered here wouldn't end well with their limited weapon supply and close quarters.

Clementine stopped when they reached the truck, quietly crouching down to make sure nothing was waiting underneath to chew on their ankles. Clem slid over the flatbed as Louis helped the kids over. She stopped the second her boots hit the planks. A large section of the bridge had been taken out but a falling tree, leaving a gap several feet wide between them and the way home.

I knew it wouldn’t be that easy.

“I think we can jump it.” Louis said confidently. Sure, he and Clem could, but Tenn and AJ?

“The next river crossing is miles up, the others are going to worry if we take too long.”

“Okay then, how about we-” Clementine was cut off by a haunting melody travelling along with the breeze. She saw Louis’ face pale as they all turned with dread towards the way they had come. It was then, that the tune rang familiar in Clementine’s mind.

“Nevermind the darkness,”

“Nevermind the storm,”

“Nevermind the blood-red moon,”

“The night will be over soon.”

The pale frame of Minerva came marching up the path, clothes stained with blood and a fireman’s axe slung over her shoulder. The words she sang fit the melody of the music Louis had played for them at Ruby’s party. Though the name of the song was “Don’t be Afraid” Clementine suddenly felt terrified.

She’s not alone…

Along with her singing came a chorus of moans and growls as Minerva lead her herd to corner them.

“Tenn!” Minnie cried in a sickeningly sweet voice. Her breathing seemed laboured and her movements were weak. She didn’t have much time left.

“I finally found you!”

“Minnie?” Tennessee’s eyes filled with horror upon finally reuniting with his sister.

“Don’t look, Tenn.” Clementine tried to shield him from what his sister had become, to protect him from the sight of her gored face.

“I know that looks like your sister, but the real Minnie is long gone.”

A bullet struck the metal of the truck only a foot from her head. Minerva held her pistol out with a shaking arm. The rest of them ducked for cover, but Tennessee held his ground.

“DON'T YOU FUCKING SPEAK TO HIM!” She shrieked

“Tenn… come with me… please…”

“You… You’re dying.” The boy took a step away from her but Minnie never stopped moving.

“Yes, I am. I’m finally going someplace better.”

“With mom and dad... and Sophie… You need to come too.”

“A place… where everyone gets to be a person again?” Tenn couldn't really be buying this, could he?

“Tenn, don’t listen to her she's trying to kill you.” Clem didn’t dare leave cover lest she get her head blown off.

“I-I know... but…”

Clementine dived for him just as Minerva unleashed a flurry of bullets at her younger brother. They whizzed over their heads as she knocked Tenn to the ground.

The herd paid their leader no mind as they passed her by, advancing on them instead.

The truck won't hold them off.

“Get across, I’ll hold her off.” Clementine growled as she drew an arrow from her quiver.

Minerva’s presence became lost in the numbers but Clementine kept an eye out for her bright orange hair in this sea of dull and rotting colours.

Clementine unloaded her quiver into any walker that tried to climb across the truck.

“I got AJ across but Tenn won’t budge.” Louis gestured to the poor boy who cowered against the wall with his head in his hands.

“Behind you!”

Louis reacted before Clementine could, practically throwing her to the side as Minerva’s axe came down right where she had been crouched. He jumped at Minerva, grappling with her axe before she knocked him across the face with the wooden end. Minnie charged him into the wall of the covered bridge, effectively knocking the wind from his lungs.

Clementine grabbed her from behind as she pulled out her gun, putting the taller girl in a headlock before she could put a bullet in Louis’ skull. She wrestled the gun from her hand, dropping it when Minerva spun the shorter girl off of her back, knocking Clem in the jaw with her elbow. Minerva took another overhead swing at Clementine, who didn’t see it coming until the last second. She tried to dodge, but when the axe came down it sliced through her boot splitting open her entire lower leg.

The pain was more intense than anything she’d experienced before. Electricity ran up her entire leg as dark spots began to cloud her vision. She dropped to the ground as Minerva readied her final swing.

“I won’t let you take my brother from me you bit-” Minerva let out a cry of pain and surprise as a bullet tore through the center of her chest.

“I’m sorry, Minnie.” Louis said softly as he lowered the gun, watching the girl fall backwards into her own herd.

Minerva let out a blood-curdling scream as the walkers tore her to pieces, piling on top of her as they took her life.

“Minnie! Minnie!” Tennessee finally snapped out of his fear as he raced towards her, only to be caught in Clem and Louis’ grip.

“I throw, you catch. Now go!” Clementine practically shoved Louis towards the edge as he jumped to the other side where AJ waited helplessly as he watched everything go down.

Clementine grabbed Tennessee before he could run to his sister. The poor boy pulled and screamed as his sister was devoured before him.

“She’s gone, Tenn! We have to go!” Clementine struggled with him as more walkers crawled across the flatbed. They were out of time.

“Louis! Get ready!” Balancing on her good leg, Clementine kicked the back of Tenn’s knee effectively eliminating his balance as she dragged him to the edge. She built what momentum she could as she heaved him across the gap where Louis caught his arms, pulling him to safety.

“Clem look out!” AJ yelled as Clem found herself caught between a herd and a two-story drop.

Time seemed to slow. She could feel the fingers of the dead grazing her clothes as she stood so close to the edge. Her eyes were locked on Louis, whose face was twisted in fear with his mouth open wide as he screamed her name.

Clementine flung herself forward, pushing herself off the ledge.

Flying.

Then falling.

The two reached for each other, her fingers sliding down his forearm until finding grip on his wrist. Time caught up with her as she swung in his grasp, digging into the sleeves of his coat with both hands. She felt her grip beginning to weaken and her hands beginning to slip as Louis desperately tried to pull her up.

“I’ve got you, don't worry!” It wasn’t only Louis who had her. Tennessee and AJ appeared at his sides, offering their own strength to aid her.

The second Clementine was able to crawl back onto solid ground she threw her arms around all three of them. She couldn’t find words to express her gratitude. They made it out. All of them. She hugged her boys tight as walkers splashed into the river below, the rapids carrying them off into oblivion.

No hopeful moment seemed to last outside the walls. More walkers drawn by Minerva's gunshots began to fill the are.

Do these fuckers ever end?

Louis helped Clementine to her feet. Putting weight on her leg reminded her of the splitting pain. She shot a glance towards it, seeing a smear of blood on the ground where she had kneeled.

No time to wrap it now.

Clementine grabbed the axe that had caused her injury, opting to give the gun to AJ.

“We have to find an opening.” Clementine scanned the area. The paths were swarming but there was a stone ledge that wouldn’t be too difficult to climb if they could get there. Although Clem wasn't sure if she would be able to climb it in time.

“There!” Louis pointed to a chain link fence that offered a path along the cliff.

“I’ll climb over first, then help you down.”

“The kids, then me.” Clementine boosted Tenn up as Louis helped him down from the other side.

“Shit, Louis, behind you!” Clem gasped as walkers appeared from his side of the fence as well.

“Shit.” Louis mumbled, kicking the leg out from under a walker that lunged at him.

“Get Tenn back to the school. We’ll meet you there.” Clementine gripped the fence as the walkers closed in at all around.

“Clem, I can't leave you here!” Louis pleaded, not wanting to split up again.

“We’ll make it, I promise.” A promise she swore to keep as she ran -or rather limped quickly- to the rockface.

Clementine tossed the axe onto the ledge, lifting AJ up as they began to climb. Clem’s left leg begged for her to stop but she fought through the pain, trying to shift most of her weight to her right as she climbed.

“Grab my hand!” AJ said as he reached the top first just as the walkers on the ground closed in on them.

Their fingers just barely touched before Clementine was abruptly yanked backwards, nearly causing her to lose her grip.

The sharp edges of the rock cut into her hands as she tried desperately to free her screaming leg from the walker’s grip. She kicked wildly as she suddenly felt an immense pressure dig into her skin.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, please no.

Clementine’s next kick successfully connected with the skull of the walker, freeing her leg as she finally managed to pull herself onto the rock.

She fell onto her stomach, laying in the dirt for a second before flipping onto her back.

Please.

Please tell me it didn’t get me.

Not now goddammit.

“Clem… your leg…” AJ’s eyes reflected her own fear.

Her hands shook as she grabbed the edges of her torn boot. She didn’t want to look, too scared of what she might find. But her mind screamed for an answer. Clem pulled the bloody leather back, revealing the split flesh where Minerva had made an attempt on her life. Scraps of fabric from her pants stuck out of the gaping wound, doing nothing to stop the bleeding. She couldn’t tell through the blood how deep it went, but she wouldn't be surprised if the axe had grazed her bone. Clementine’s eyes followed the gash from below her knee to above her ankle where she found a second injury. One so small yet so more severe than the last.

The world came crashing down as suddenly, her newly formed wings had been clipped.

Oh my fucking god please no.

Why?

Why now? After all of this?

Several small cuts formed a crescent shape along her ankle and Clementine found herself uttering the words she hoped she wouldn’t need to for a long time.

“I got bit.”