#i had a nice bedroom but i got put in the cell because i kept trying to escape

[hazelchooseme]

This happened and then this and I fell in love | Hazel Callahan

Note: I hope you like it.

English is not my first language.

Song recommendation: Imperfect Love by Seventeen

Enjoy ❣️🫶

You left the computer aside and stretched your arms above your head, cracking some bones, you yawned and got up to go pick up your cell phone from the bed. That had been a difficult quiz.

You pressed the button making the screen glow, there were 10 minutes left until 11 pm, you looked at the bed next to you and wondered where Hazel was, the bedrooms closed at midnight.

You decided to shake off the worry, you and Hazel had been sharing a room for about a month and a half, but to say that you had shared more than 5 words would be generous. She was someone more reserved and serious, very nice, but she was not the friendly type, that didn't bother you much, she was clean and never created problems, that worked for you.

You settled under the covers determined to sleep but the absence of breathing in the other bed didn't let you rest, you rolled over in bed and then rolled over again, this was stupid, you weren't even friends, why did you care so much? Scolding yourself you settled down for the last time and forced yourself to sleep, you were being ridiculous.

The door handle woke you up a little, someone coming in and bumping into the small ledge that was near the frame made you wide awake. You tried to strain your hearing, someone shuffled through the small hallway, there was silence for a second and then a body fell on top of you, an elbow landed on one of your ribs, taking your breath away for a second, and a knee hit your thigh, with a scream you pushed the person who fell to the ground with a hollow sound.

You pushed aside the blankets and looked at the floor, the person seemed to have already given up and settled on the icy boards, your breathing calmed because you would know that mop of hair anywhere.

"Hazel? Is that you?" You asked quietly.

There was a long silence that was interrupted by a hiccup on her part. "No." And then she let out a giggle.

Your feet touched the cold floor making your skin crawl, you knelt in front of her, her breathing was soft and her eyes were closed clearly showing the mascara smeared on her eyelids and lowered eyelashes.

"Comfortable?" You asked, almost in a whisper.

"Well, it's a little cold."

"Come." You helped her up, you put your hand on her waist to steady herself and guided her to the bed, without letting her go, you knelt in front of her while you sat her down. She had a lost look and her breath stank of alcohol. "You were drinking."

"Only a little." Her voice was a little louder than yours but still kept a soft tone.

"It doesn't seem like a little, if you mix up the beds."

Her brow furrowed and she scratched one eye. "Maybe I wasn't wrong."

You smiled a little. "How could you not be wrong, this is your bed, not the other one."

"I know the other one is yours, I just wanted to sleep with you." Even though she slurred her words you could still hear her clearly. Your breath caught in your throat and you looked away. "Ah, I wasn't supposed to say that, don't tell Josie." She laughed a little and rested her right hand on your shoulder.

You exhaled, deciding to ignore what she had said, she was drunk that was all. "Okay, let's go to sleep, you will thank me in the morning, come on."

"It's not that late, look." She took her phone out of her pocket, her face lit up when the screen turned on, her cheeks were very red and her bangs were sticking to her forehead from sweat. "See? Two in the afternoon, we're fine."

"Two in the morning Hazel, it says two in the morning."

Her mouth opened in a perfect circle and she hiccupped again, you clenched your nose as the smell of alcohol hit your face.

"Come on, lie down." You tried to get up but her hands on your head stopped you in place, her fingers slipped through your hair and you held back a shiver.

"Your hair is soft and," she pushed your head towards her and buried her nose in your hair, she inhaled loudly causing you to tickle a little. "It smells very good."

Your mind went blank, were you moving?, were you moving away? Did you want to get away? You leaned back a little, her hands still in your hair. It was the first time you were so close together, in the dark her eyes looked bright blue, her waves fell messily over her face and her fingers had begun to move against your scalp, giving you a shiver.

"You," Her finger rested on a part of your cheek, your entire face felt asleep under her hand. "You have a mole here." Her thumb caressed that spot gently, almost as if she didn't touch it.

"Hazel."

Her thumb slid up to your lips and her nail scratched your corner a little, when she licked her lips you knew her intentions and decided this was enough, she was drunk, she didn't know what she was doing. But it was too late, when you realized her face was already getting closer to yours and your only solution was to headbutt her. Your forehead burned with pain and Hazel whined.

"But what the hell?" You looked up as she was also rubbing her forehead and had her eyes squeezed shut.

"Sorry but you're drunk, you can't kiss me."

"But that's the only way I can." She said with a tearful voice.

You were too tired to look for the second meaning of her words so you simply stood up and rested your hands on her shoulders, speaking to her slowly. "We'll talk about it tomorrow, okay?"

She opened her mouth to respond but a regurgitant sound came out instead, your feet were covered in a warm and slightly sticky liquid, you closed your eyes tightly as your knuckles squeezed Hazel's shoulders.

"You're fucking with me." You whispered slowly, annoyance and disgust boiling in the pit of your stomach. Hazel looked at you through her lashes, her eyes were watery and her breathing was rapid.

"Sorry." It was the last thing she could say before she pushed you away and ran to the bathroom.

With a sigh you walked to the bathroom ignoring your wet feet, on the way you turned on both lights, when you arrived she was kneeling in front of the toilet bowl and you hurried to brush her hair out of her face, when she finished she leaned back. You noticed his chin was stained so you wiped it with the tip of your shirt.

"Are you still dizzy?" She just nodded so you stayed silent waiting for her to feel better. While you were waiting you couldn't help but laugh a little, this morning you didn't even greet each other and now you were on the bathroom floor, almost holding her after she vomited, life was an unpredictable thing.

After a few minutes she told you that she was feeling better so you supported her on the sink and helped her brush her teeth, luckily, her shirt had not gotten dirty and the hairs that were somewhat vomited you cleaned them with a little water, putting an arm around your shoulders, you guided her to the bed and finally you were able to lay her down. She took care of kicking her shoes off and you finished tucking her in.

"Sorry." She said yawning. "For all."

"It's okay" Smiling, you adjusted some hair that was falling on her face, behind her ear. Surprised by what you did, you quickly walked away and headed to the bathroom.

After having washed your feet and put the dirty clothes in the basket, you got ready to sleep for the second time

"Good night." A low snore answered you back and you closed your eyes.

You walked with your headphones on humming a song, your room keys dangling from your finger as you turned them to the beat of the music, you opened the door and leaned against the wall to take off your shoes, when you looked up, Hazel was standing in front of you scaring you a little, a paper bag hung from her hand, her lips moved but the music didn't let you hear it.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you." You took out both headphones and left them hanging around your neck, you headed to the bed to leave your backpack. "What were you saying?"

"Emm, it's just that you always arrive before me and now you arrived, you arrived later."

"Aaah, yeah, that's it, I was finishing up some work at the library." You started looking for a thick vest in your suitcase. "I came quickly, I have to run to the cafeteria or I won't be able to eat anything." Having passed your head through the collar of the hoodie, you turned to smile at her while fixing your hat, she just looked at you in silence. Her gaze that seemed to make holes in your face made you uncomfortable so you pointed at the door and then put your hands in your pockets. "So, I'll go, we'll talk later." You approached the door but her voice stopped you (and scared you, again. Just a little.)

"Wait!" You turned to see her again. "Here, I bought you food." She held out the paper bag she had in her hands and you took it.

"Why?" You asked surprised with a frown, her cheeks colored and you suddenly felt very nervous.

"Amm, because of last night." She put her hands in her pants pockets and cleared her throat. "It was to say sorry and-and thank you, I was, I was inconsiderate and, although I don't remember much, quite annoying."

You felt stupid because such a small gesture made you feel so happy and affection spread through your chest.

"Hazel, it wasn't necessary, really." You couldn't contain your smile and she gave you a small one in return.

"Well, I already bought it so eat it." Her sincerity made you laugh and you checked the bag, you could see 2 hamburgers with their portion of fries each.

"I noticed you like those, so."

She didn't finish the sentence so you couldn't contain the question. "Do you want to eat with me?"

Her eyes widened and she started moving her hands in front of you. "Nono, don't worry, those are for you, don't worry, I can go down to eat something, seriously, you eat them, only you, don't bother, seriously."

"Hazel."

"Okay."

1 month and 23 days later.

"By the way." Hazel said swallowing a piece of pizza. "I'm not going home this weekend."

"Oh really?!" You said almost choking on your drink. It had become routine to say goodbye to her every Friday since you always stayed, not doing so this weekend filled you with happiness.

"Yep, family reunion, mom called me to warn me."

"Ah, not a good relationship, I assume."

Your relationship with Hazel improved a lot, you had started talking and sharing stories about family and friends, although never really so personal, that's why the fact that she mentioned it so calmly touched you a little (that she trusts you, not family problems).

"Not at all, since I came out they were never very accepting."

Your hand stopped in the air as did your jaw, closing your mouth you cleared your throat. "Ah, you are." You didn't finish on purpose.

"Lesbian, any problem?" You weren't going to lie, her deep voice scared you a little. It was also very hot but mostly scary.

"Nonono, amm, me too, I'm part of the community too, it's just that we've never mentioned it, just that."

"Ah."

"Ah."

Since that day your relationship changed a lot as well.

19 days later.

"I hate university." Hazel said as she lay down on your bed, you turned to look at her from the chair where you were sitting.

"Hard life?" She said something but you didn't understand her because she had her face pressed against the pillow.

You walked towards her and moved her legs out of the way so you could sit down. "What can this simple commoner do to make you feel better?"

There was a very long silence where you considered she had fallen asleep, but then she broke it with a whisper. "A hug."

You wanted to ask if you had heard correctly, you wanted to ask if something was wrong but you decided to just accept, then you would have time for questions, apparently she needed you now.

"Come here." She straightened up and ended up sitting next to you, her head was lowered and she stretched out an arm but you stopped it, she looked at you and you slapped your thighs, indicating that she's going to sit there.

"Are you sure?" The tips of her ears turned red and you could only nod, feeling your cheeks blush.

Each knee was next to your waist and her head fell directly into your neck as your arms grabbed her from behind, her hands moved behind your neck and you placed a small kiss on the top of her head. Her weight on you made you feel and imagine things you definitely shouldn't, especially not in this situation. Her breath tickled your neck and when she thanked you, her lips crashed against your skin, you could feel her heart beating rapidly against yours, you simply closed your eyes and thanked and cursed at the same time.

2 months later.

You still didn't know where you had gotten the strength to not devour her mouth, time was simply playing with your patience. You liked Hazel, you couldn't help it, you loved her and needed her in ways you couldn't ever admit out loud. Her small smiles and laughs that seemed only yours, her soft touches on your wrists or thighs, her breath that hit your ear when she whispered something to you, her red cheeks when you paid her a compliment or her sarcastic tone when she wanted to annoy you, her round, full lips that seemed to always be shining, always calling you to try them. And Hazel maybe felt the same way as you, maybe she liked you too and thought of you in the same way that you thought of her, all that was left was to wait, you weren't brave enough to risk it.

3 days later.

You were sitting on the floor with your back against your bed, Hazel was laughing and you couldn't help but love the little lines that formed around her eyes.

"I like it when you laugh." You said just because, because her blushing cheeks in the sunlight were perfect, because her light eyes seemed to shine a little more every time you said something nice to her, because you wanted her to know how much you loved her.

"Thank you." Nervousness spread in your chest when her eyes collided with yours, your compliments continued to turn her red but she seemed to become more and more confident in accepting them.

You cleared your throat now your ears feeling red and looked away. "What movie did you watch with your mom over the weekend?" You decided to change the topic, because you were still a coward after all.

"One about someone doing something and something else, which ends with solving some problem." She said after a few seconds.

"Aaah, sounds just like my kind of movie." You spat sarcastically.

"I know, I was thinking about you the whole time I saw it."

It was a joke, she didn't mean it, it was an exaggeration to make you smile, why was it so difficult for your heart to understand?

Her hand played with a hair that fell on your face and then tucked it behind your ear, the tips of her fingers caressing your skin. The heat of the room began to increase as did your heartbeat.

"Hey." You turned to see her and she greeted you with a big, beautiful smile, with a love in her eyes that had made the air heavy around you. "We are going to eat something?"

Your brain just processed the 'spending more time with her' part and you nodded.

24 days later.

"A horse Hazel, it's obviously a horse!"

"Since when do horses have two butts?!"

"That's his tail, disrespectful!"

You left the notebook and markers on the floor in a defeated manner. "I suck at drawing."

"It's good that you study humanities." She said mockingly, grabbing a can of drink.

"It's gid thit yi stidy himinities." You scolded her under your breath.

"Don't be angry, your chimpanzee turned out cute." She pointed out a drawing on the floor.

"That was a sitting kitten."

"God, it does seem like you draw with your ass."

"Hazel!" Her laugh made it hard to get mad at her.

2 days later.

"Hey." A whisper followed by a shake on your shoulder woke you up, the figure of a person looming in front of you scared you a little. "Are you awake?"

"I am now, Hazel what the fuck?"

"I had a nightmare, let me sleep with you."

You didn't have time to respond when she snuck under the covers, your back hit the icy wall and her legs tangled around yours, a shiver ran through your body when her cold feet made contact with your skin.

"Hello." Her hands rested together under her head and you were face to face, making her breath hit your nose.

Time playing with your patience, timeplayingwithyourpatience, your head repeated non-stop.

"Hello." You responded stupidly.

With a smile she wished you good night but you didn't know how you were going to fall asleep now, you were very stiff with your arms glued to your side. It could be tiredness or the fact that your brain still wasn't processing what was happening, but you decided to throw one of your arms over her hip and press your head to her chest, a surprised sound escaping her lips. With her heartbeat in your ear and one of her arms around your neck, (and your head using her tits as a pillow) you were able to sleep, and if in the morning you feigned dementia and curled up on her more, no one would know.

3 weeks later.

"Hello." Hazel greeted you happily as she closed the door and took off her shoes.

"Hello." Respond seriously and without taking your eyes off the computer.

There was a small silence before Hazel walked over and crouched down next to your chair. "All good?"

No, it wasn't fucking good. What you had seen that afternoon still burned in your retina, a beautiful and smiling Hazel being beautiful and smiling in front of a woman who was not you, in front of another beautiful and smiling woman who was surely much funnier and more witty than you, another woman that Hazel surely loved (or appreciated a little) since she seemed to quite enjoy how the other girl smiled at her and touched her waist. You remember the pain in your chest and how tears began to sting. God, you were very drama queen.

You felt stupid for this jealousy, you and Hazel, although you hated to admit it, were nothing, she could go and kiss, flirt, sleep with anyone she wanted and you should be okay with it, you should care as much as the papers you threw in the trash the night before, but god no, you cared too much, so much that it burned your soul and your insides and your lungs and your throat and your heart.

"Yes, everything perfect."

"Okay." She gave your knee a little touch and stood up. "We are going to eat something?"

"I'm not hungry."

It had been almost 6 months since you had spoken to her and started to get to know each other, 6 months in which you had created small routines that you never broke because they were routines that made you happy, it was the first time that any of you had canceled just because, not because of pending work or a test that you had to dedicate all night to. No, it was because you simply didn't want to.

Hazel's footsteps stopped and her eyes burned into your head as you typed something without paying attention. "Is something the matter?" You opened your mouth to answer another lie. "And I want the truth."

You sighed and forced yourself to look relaxed. "Nothing, just a little tired, nothing more." You hated how your tone of voice screamed 'lie' in that entire sentence.

"Why you are lying to me?" The pain in her voice made you feel more ridiculous.

"Hazel. Don't push."

"This isn't about your family or college, you never have a problem talking to me about it, this is something else." She approached you again but you kept your gaze glued to the screen. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you're okay, otherwise I'll start to worry."

You exhaled and decided that going for the truth was the easiest. "I just don't want to see you."

The reaction was instantaneous, taking the back of the chair, she turned you around, making your knees collide with hers, her hands resting on the arm pads.

"Did I say something? Did I do something? Tell me what so I can fix it." Her desperate tone only made you think that to an outsider this would look like a couples argument, but it wasn't and probably never would be. "Please."

You stood up from the chair, pushing it back gently, you approached your bed with your brow furrowed. "I didn't think my company would be useful to you now, just that."

"What? Why would you think that? You know you're so important to me, I could never use you."

Your heart skipped a beat and you scolded yourself for being so easy. "You shouldn't tell me that, your girlfriend might get upset."

"Girlfriend? Which girlfriend?" Her frown was so cute and god you had to stop noticing those little details.

"The one who was almost fucking you in the hallway this afternoon." Any intention of hiding your jealousy went down the drain. "Thank you very much for letting me know, by the way, we have strong confidence in each other."

"Ah," Realization hit her face and she paled a little. "You saw us."

"Yes Hazel, I saw you."

"It's not what it seems, I swear."

"It doesn't matter what it seems like, Hazel, you're single and you can do whatever you want."

"Then why does it bother you so much?" Her gaze had darkened a little, her fists were clenched as were her lips.

Offended, you crossed your arms over your chest. "Puff, I'm not upset."

"Obviously, you don't show it." She spat sarcastically.

"Why should I be upset then, Hazel? Would you mind explaining?"

She took a step closer, a rather slow and challenging one. "You know perfectly well why."

"No, not a clue."

"Don't be a coward."

"You want to talk about cowardice, Callahan? 'cause I wasn't the one hiding things."

Another one came closer and his voice dropped a deeper tone. "I'm not hiding anything from you."

"What I saw this afternoon says otherwise."

"I already told you that what happened this afternoon is not what you think."

"Really? So what was it? Just a beautiful girl touching you, sorry I was wrong."

"Drop the sarcasm."

"Make me."

She licked her lips and you couldn't help but see them. God, so red and shiny. "I'm not the one who's being irrational."

You took a step untangling your arms. "Did you just call me irrational?"

"Are you going to admit to me that you're dying of jealousy?" Her raised eyebrow only made her look more attractive.

"Never."

"So yes, I called you irrational."

"Take it back."

"Make me."

Her sideways smile was the last time time played with your patience. Her mouth collided with yours as well as her teeth and nose, you desperately grabbed her neck at the same time her hands squeezed your waist, her lips tasted sweet and were softer than yours, you moved your head to the side and her teeth grazed your bottom lip, one of your hands went down to her lower back and you pressed her against you, her chest bouncing against yours, her hands went down to your butt squeezing them, making you moan a little, her throat made a sound that opened her mouth and you took the opportunity to put your tongue in, when it collided with the other, you sucked it and felt a shiver of pleasure run through your body. Hazel began to walk, making you retreat, your legs collided with the edge of the bed, making you fall sitting up, and she settled on top of you, you hands slipped under her shirt and she pulled your hair while she ran wet kisses to your neck, you moved your head back giving her more access, her lips bit and sucked everything they could, when her teeth caught your earlobe you ran your hands to her butt and thighs, caressing and squeezing everything along the way.

"Don't stop, please." You begged rather pathetically as she bit a sensitive spot on your throat.

Her mouth came up to collide with yours again and her hands slipped under your vest, her fingers ran over your back, scratching it, her hands went up to your bra and you felt relief when she unbuttoned it but didn't touch anything. She pushed you back causing your head to hit the wall, creating a searing pain.

"Shit, sorry, are you okay?" Her hands ran to cradle your head and she gently pulled you forward.

"Better than ever." You were able to say without any lies in your tone voice.

"Sorry, I got carried away."

"Well, thank heavens for that."

She laughed and kissed you again but this time more delicately, you sighed against her lips and pressed her closer to you. You raised your arms allowing her to take off your vest and shirt, you crawled towards the head of the bed and she settled on top of you, her icy hands removed the now loose bra and her lips attacked your neck again, you simply stayed still enjoying her mouth on your body while it was difficult for you to breathe. Her mouth began to leave wet kisses all over your chest, when she reached one breast she bit it, making you cry with pain and pleasure, her kisses went down to your stomach where the breath from her nose tickled your skin, she moved back up and attacked your lips, your hands moving down to her thighs where you held her still in place. Her hair fell on your face causing some to get into your mouth but you couldn't care less, one of her hands began to caress your crotch and you felt the need to squeeze so that nothing came out. You began to sit up slowly and when you were upright you lowered your lips to her neck, under every bite or suck Hazel shivered and pulled your hair harder, moaning and whispering your name in a way that got under your skin, your hands touched her bare waist and you could feel the jump that her heart took, you kissed her lips for the last time and fell back with an exhale, seconds later she fell on top of you, her feet slipping between yours.

"I am cold." You said with a laugh after a while, Hazel stretched her arms further so that her oversized vest covered you more and kissed your shoulder.

"I like you." She confessed blushing.

"Hazel you ate my nipple, how does saying that make you nervous?"

"Ugh, how romantic."

You smiled and kissed her head. "Yes, I was boiling with jealousy." You confessed this time feeling the nerves lodge in your lower stomach. "Thinking about another person touching you made me want to tear my hair out. I like you Hazel, more than pictures of dogs and more than two hamburgers together, I sacrificed anything to see you smile, to make you smile at me."

"Wow." Her voice was still somewhat deep but the emotion managed to sneak in. "You made my confession look like shit."

"It was." You said jokingly.

Her hand went down to your crotch again where she rubbed it hard and fast.

You bit your lip and moaned slowly. "Holy shit, forget it, mine was disgusting, don't stop."

With a laugh she came up to kiss you again.

God, what an educational year.

[eyeslikewatercoolers]

You Belong with Me (Venora)

Next installment for the Swiftie Writing Project! I've never written Venora before this, so hopefully it's good. This is more based on the iconic music video than the song itself lol

read on ao3

You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset She's going off about something that you said 'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do

Aurora had the same routine when she got home from school. She went up to her bedroom, practiced her oboe for band, and then had dinner with her family downstairs. After dinner, she studied for her AP classes and homework, before heading to bed for the night.

Tonight, she was studying for her AP World History test that she had first thing the next morning. She was trying to memorize the dates of all the battles from the Spanish-American War when she heard a voice from the next-door neighbor.

It may have been a nice, warm evening, but keeping the window open may have been more of a distraction.

“Listen, baby, I wasn’t talking about-” “I was trying to say that-” …Okay, I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight, love you.”

Aurora looked over to see her neighbor, Venus, pacing the floor as she stared at her phone screen. The other girl eventually tossed it to her bed with a sigh.

Aurora left her desk and walked over to the window. She opened it the rest of the way and waved to get Venus’s attention.

Venus’s caught her out of the corner of her eye, and her eyes brightened. The other girl opened her window and held her head in her hand with a dramatic sigh.

“You good?” Aurora asked, calling out her window.

Venus rolled her eyes, “Don’t you hate it when your girlfriend brings up something you said in middle school?”

“Can’t say I’ve had that happen to me yet,” Aurora said with a mock-thoughtful look.

Venus laughed, seeming more visibly relaxed. “It sucks, I wouldn’t want to wish it on anyone.”

Before Aurora could continue the conversation, the two were interrupted by a cell phone ringing from Venus’s bedroom. Venus sighed, and moved closer into the room, “Have a good night, Aurora.” she said before closing the window.

Aurora watched Venus continue pacing while talking on the phone until she closed the blinds. Once Aurora couldn’t see her neighbor anymore, she closed her window and returned to studying.

“Good night, Venus,” Aurora said as she put in a pair of earbuds to distract herself from her distracting neighbor.

And you've got a smile That can light up this whole town I haven't seen it in a while Since she brought you down You say you're fine, I know you better than that Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?

Aurora was sitting in the bleachers with the rest of the school's band on the next Friday evening. They were the pep band for the varsity volleyball team’s game, as it was a great school event for the band.

She would much rather be at home watching old Chinese dramas with her family on a Friday night. But at least she got to see Venus play, that was the only positive.

The team was all over the home side of the gym as they warmed up, some stretching or doing drills. Venus was stretching on the gym floor with her long legs in front of her, reaching for her toes.

As Venus raised back up, Aurora tried to avoid eye contact by pretending to get her oboe in tune, but Venus was already climbing the bleachers to greet her.

Aurora’s eyes darted to see if the cheerleaders were nearby, but they were not in the gym yet. She looked at Venus, who was smiling next to her.

“Finally coming to see our team in action?” she said with a cocky grin.

Aurora playfully rolled her eyes, “Only because my band director said I had to,” She joked as she gestured to her cheap, polyester uniform.

“We’re a lot more fun than the football games, trust me,” Venus said as she kept her eyes on Aurora. Despite all the other people in the gymnasium, Aurora felt like they were the only two in there.

“I think anything is better than our school’s football team if you ask me,” Aurora pointed out.

Venus laughed along with Aurora’s joke before changing the subject, “Hey, there’s an after-party if you-”

She was interrupted by a loud unanimous roar coming inside the gym, as the cheerleaders were clapping and calling out the school’s mascot. Aurora noticed that Venus’s smile faltered slightly, but tried to keep her composure.

“V? What are you doing up there?” they both saw a cheerleader with long, bleach-blonde hair at the bottom of the bleachers.

“I gotta go, enjoy the game,” Venus said before leaving Aurora’s side. She watched her speed down the steps and greeted her girlfriend with a kiss.

“Were you flirting with a player?” A voice asked behind her. Aurora knew who it was by the trombone they played and the sharpie-colored trans flag on their shoe.

“Shut up and play, the game is about to start.” Aurora reached to elbow Denim’s side, both teenagers trying not to laugh as the band started playing their first song.

Standing by and waiting at your backdoor All this time how could you not know, baby? You belong with me You belong with me

“I can’t believe you forced me to go to this,” Aurora said to the school bathroom mirror. She adjusted the straps of the dress she borrowed from Nearah’s closet.

“Because you can’t be inside your house every single Friday night. It’s Homecoming, I’m not letting you be a nerdy hermit.” Nearah explained as she released the piece of Aurora’s hair from the curling iron.

“What if I needed to study?” Aurora pointed out.

Nearah rolled her eyes, “You always study, one night off isn’t going to kill you. “ she took the hairspray from her bag on the floor, “Now hold still.” before engulfing Aurora in a cloud of cheap hairspray.

Nearah stayed by Aurora’s side for about ten minutes, before getting distracted by wanting to talk to someone from their Calculus class. “I’ll be right back, just give me, like two songs,” she said before disappearing into the crowd.

After at least ten more songs played through, Aurora grew tired of waiting on the sidelines of the gym. She hadn’t seen Nearah since she left her side, so Aurora was officially ditched by her friend.

Taking a deep breath, Aurora walked closer to the crowd of dancers. Some of her classmates gave her a doubletake as she walked through. Some girls gave her compliments with sincere smiles.

As she was about to make another loop around the gym floor, Aurora felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.

She turned around and saw Venus in front of her, smiling brightly. She stood alone, her girlfriend nowhere in sight. Just as she recognized Venus, a slow song started playing.

“You look like you need a dance partner,” Venus said with an offered open hand.

“What about your girlfriend?” Aurora asked as she darted her eyes around before she looked at Venus again.

“Don’t worry, we broke up a couple of days after the game,” Venus explained. She didn’t seem sad or upset, so maybe it wasn’t a bad breakup. “Can I have this dance?” Venus asked with her offered hand.

Aurora smiled and nodded, “Yes, take the lead,” she said as she looped her arms around Venus’s neck. Slender arms snuck around her waist as they gently swayed together to the music.

The song soon ended, but Aurora couldn’t wait for her next slow dance with Venus.

[edward-evans-blog]

Edward Evans Blog, [Entry #1]

“The Flatmate…”

Hello, I am Edward Evans, The writer of this Blog. For my final assignment in one of my Courses In college I was given the task to document all the exciting things that happen to me over the course of three months. Sadly I’ve already wasted about three days trying to decide what exactly people might find exciting, I mean as far as exciting goes I’m really not sure my life fits the quota.. I’m a 19 year old English man who’s only friend is a bird who pop’s by my flat to eat from the bird feeder I installed outside my apartment window, so yeah.. not too exciting as you can see. well. At Least it wasn’t exciting until around breakfast time yesterday.

I was Just doing my regular every day routine. I got up at 5:36 and made myself a tea with avocado toast on the side and Refilled the bird feeder outside my flat and watched the birds eat while I ate, then at 6:47 I went outside and did a quick jog around the block once I came back to my flat around 7:40 I got a nice cold shower.. and after I got out and dressed that's when it happened. The thing that might just change my life forever…

I was sitting at my writing desk in my living room when suddenly I heard the strangest noise coming from my bedroom… I got up to investigate, holding a broom in my hands ready to hit anyone or anything that tried to jump out at me.. and that's when I quickly opened my room door just in time to see a strange looking man climb in through my window holding some sort of.. sack?? Well of course I wasted no time as I ran over and put my intruder into a choke hold, I guess those self defence classes I took over the summer did end up paying off… either way the intruder didn't seem to put up much of a fight.. He just kind of flailed around but I held my ground and kept a firm hold on him. At this point the man had dropped the sack he was carrying, this is around the time I started asking questions. I had asked him who he was and why he was breaking into my house though I didn’t get a very straight answer all he said was “get the bag” and “run” I started to get a bit confused by this so I dropped him from the choke hold and instead picked up the bag, but right as I was about to look into it I heard sirens and before I knew it the strange intruder had grabbed my hand and told me to follow him as he lead me out of the window in my living room!! (Fyi I live on the second story of a building.) we got lucky(?) however and landed in a dumpster full of soft discarded fabrics as I live right next to a fabric shop. The intruder still hadn’t let me go and now I was being dragged throughout the streets by some sort of crazy man?? Well not to my surprise the police soon caught up with us right as the intruder hailed a cab over and as the police were arresting him he yelled at me to “put the bagels in the back and run!” Still confused I opened the back of the cab door and opened the sack as I slowly realised the bag I had been carrying was filled with… Bangles..? 72 Bagels to be exact. I looked back at my intruder with confusion plastered to my face as he tried to fight off the cops. Yet he still yelled at me to put them in the cab and for some reason.. I did. Well.. after an hour or so we did get arrested. Apparently the stranger had robbed a bakery of 72 bagel’s .. not because he was poor and needed to… just because he was hungry and thought the price for a bagel was obscene.

I was arrested… over bagels… I didn’t even steal myself. “God this guy is inase.” Is all I could think as I sat in the holding cell. But then the most unexpected, unpredictable, surprising thing happened.. John Watson and Sherlock Holmes walked in! In the flesh!! I thought perhaps they were here to question someone for a case but instead they walked over to me and my intruders cell..

“Percy. What did you do?” Is the first thing I heard Sherlock say. I was confused and glanced over at the stranger in the cell with me.

“So your name's Percy?” I asked him, though he didn’t answer.

“Uncle Sherlock..John. Good to see you as well..” The stranger nodded up to the two celebrities nonchalantly.

“Percy, your father sent you here so you’d stay out of trouble not to get yourself and this poor boy arrested.”

John said, sounding more angry then I would imagine my first time meeting my idol would sound.. the bickering between them continued for a few minutes until suddenly Mr. Holmes had asked Percy, who I'm assuming is the man in the cell with me. “You can’t just run away Percy, where on earth would you go?”

And this was the moment that made me completely stunned.

Percy crossed his arms and looked up at Mr.Holmes.

“I could go to lots of places. In fact I might just move in with-“ he turned to look at me. “What's your name, tiny man?”

I looked at him confused and for the first time spoke with him. “Oh- uh- .. Edward? Edward Evans.”

I Answered the strange man a bit hesitant.

“Right. Well I might just move in with Eddie!”

He yelled, crossing his arms again.

“Oh- actually its Edward-“

I cut myself off quickly

“Wait- move in???? I don't even know you!!”

At this point John Watson, my Idol! Might I remind you, smiled

“Well. Fine. Move in with Eddie.”

I was shocked. Why on earth did they think That I would just let some random guy who broke into my house, made me a partner to his crime and got me arrested!!! Live! With! Me-

John spoke again. “It might be good for you. That’s actually how I met Sherlock. Moved in with him the second day I met him.”

…

It has now been a day since this happened and now I have a flatmate.

I've gotten to learn more about him thankfully. He is 19, just like me, but he’s not in school as he thinks he's too smart for it or something.. he likes bagels and solving crimes. And his uncle is the famous Sherlock Holmes.

He and I have come up with an agreement. He will help me with this assignment by letting me tag along with him on his cases and blog about them. And in return I let him live with me for a few months until his father “Mycroft” lets him move back in with him.

So.. This is the start of my blog.

The amazing adventures of Percy Holmes and Edward Evans.

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more updates on our wonderfully unbelievable stories.

-Edward Evans.

[ninjago-fa-story]

Ninjago FA Prequel: Restart Chapter 4: Home

~~~Acronix's PoV~~~

The day that I was released came just as quickly as prophezised, just three weeks after I woke up from coma. Even the doctors were surprised about how quickly I had healed up, but that probably has something to do with my Elemntal Powers. And just maybe, the pendant Aniela gifted me worked its magic too. After weeks in this quite uncomfortable hospital Gown, it felt nice to be back in somewhat normal clothes. Sure, It was just my Battle Suit minus the armor, but it should be enough until I got new stuff. Aniela was kind enough to slightly alter it to look better, she did not want to leave me in rags, after all. There was some other stuff that I have gradually forgotten about, though I was pretty surprised about my BorgWatch and Phone still working. Sure, there was no cell-service, but all the offline features still worked just fine. I still remember Aniela's reaction when she first saw them. "No way! Phones don't look like that! How does it even work?!"  To be honest, I don't think I can answer that quetion. 

Her home was pretty nice, it was small but had everything you need. A kitchen, living room, full bath and two bedrooms, despite her living alone. I guess she uses the other one for guests or some extra storage. I was immediately amazed by the way the rooms were styled. Despite the old-looking wooden furniture, she combined it with decorations a way it looked pretty modern. It reminded me a little of my childhood home, a style that my sister suggested to combine future and past, to symbolize the power my family holds. 

I took a quick glimpse onto my phone as it started to vibrate ever so slightly, signalizing a low battery. I was lucky to find a power outlet that matched my charger, they have been standartized for ages. Aniela was quick to ask questions once again, though just like before, I had no answer to them. Technology is just as foreign to me as it is for her, just because I am from the future does not mean I know everything about it. it might as well be magic. I put my Watch and MP3-Player aside and went to shower. The lady in pink was kind enough to let me move in with her, it's not like I have places to go.

The shower was more than needed, sometimes all it takes to clear your mind is cold water raining down on you, though I did turn it a little warmer to wash myself. Once I finished after about half and hour I noticed an unfamiliar smell in the air. As soon as I saw the neatly covered table, I knew what that scent was. "Since you can still only consume light food, I decided to cook a traditional dish passed down in my family. It's a simple soup with spices and chicken." "Oh, this looks tasty! Though I did forget to mention that I am a vegetarian... No worries, you spent all this time to prepare it for me, I will eat it anways. Pure respect towards everyone, even if they are from cultures other than my own." That sentence has pleased my roommate entirely. 

There was this one thought that kept plaguing me for a while, I know I can trust Aniela and I really need someone to talk to, after all, I am free to do whatever I want. "Aniela, can I tell you something?" She just nodded quietly. "I was not a good guy where I am from. I was... well... evil, a bad guy. It was not really my choice, but I still feel bad for what I have done. The guilt is what keeps me up at night. I really wish to have the ability to go back in time far enough to change my mistakes, but I know I cannot." "You are here now, with me. I see that you are not really a bad guy. You have told me your story and I can tell it was really not easy for you to do. Out of all the bad guys out there, you deserve a second chance the most. You decided to break free for a reason." "There is one thing that I haven't told anyone ever before. Back then, after our family was murdered... My brother an I set our house on fire to burn the evidence. He was old enough to sit for it and we did not want to be seperated. We have always done everything together. We burned our house down and never even dared to look back, yet the memory remains. I have commited many crimes in the other timeline and I regret every single one of them. Honestly, I was pretty surprised I was not spoken guilty once I came here."

Aniela stayed quiet the entire time, I guess she was to stunned to speak anything at that moment. Though she noticed how close to tears I have been getting talking about my past, it has always been a touchy subject, especially in reference to my parents. She calmly put an arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer until my head was resting on her collarbone. My body became limp and sank in entirely, her heartbeat calming my troubled mind. My mom used to do this to me whenever I felt any sort of negative emotion and I can tell exactly why. I guess it is the part of me that's Tawali that feels this bond to her as if it was physical. It can be compared to the umbilical cord, exept that it's not really there, but always present. Like a mental link. When she died, I felt it in my chest, as if someting was torn apart inside of me, I can't really explain why, but it's something that's subconciously there. Aniela wasn't one of us, but what I feel this very moment, is very similar to that.

Just by the time I calmed down, someone was ringing the doorbell. It was a woman about Aniela's age, her hair a flaming red. It is not someone I recognize, but she was defenitely known around this house, a few pictures hung on the walls made it fairly obvious. "Hi! I am Bethany, Bethany Barnes! You must be Adonis, Aniela's new friend." My mind was a little bit overwhelmed, but I still managed to snap out and agree.

Adonis... A name that was always my own, but also a name that doesn't really fit me. No matter how many times I have been thinking about it, it never really felt right to me. Sure, I was known as Acronix by a lot more people, but even that was just derrivative. Without any obvious explaination, that name made me feel uncomfortable in my skin. There is a lot of things I don't like about myself, but the exact problem can not be found. I just don't know what it was. Maybe it was just all those years I used the face paint and my costume. It covered up pretty much my entire body, so I was not used to seeing myself it without it on. Everything that shows the 'real me' doesn't feel so much like the 'real me' after all. Well, sometimes at least. Today is one of those days, yesterday was different. 

My mind trailed off once again, but I didn't notice until Bethany tried talking to me without success. I saw her lips move, her eyes were clearly directed at me, but I heard no sound. Stuff like that keeps happening sometimes, so I know it will go away enventually. Technically, this is the part where a vision appears, I know that from my sister, but instead of a vivid picture in front of my eyes, my normal vision remains. My body is probably not used to the full element yet, with some time given everything should work the way it was intended. For now, I will just sit down and drink a hot tea. There is nothing else I can do at the moment. 

Bethany was a very kind-hearted woman, something that I never expected to experience, especially directed towards me. We quickly became friends as well. The three of us enjoyed spending evenings with each other, usually watching movies or playing board games. Despite me missing the technological advancements of the future, it felt nice to be back to older times, it just made me realize how much I actually missed out on. An maybe I would be able to see it develop now, instead of bursting in right in the middle of its existance.

~~~

"Hello, are you alright? It must be exhausting to work on this machine 24/7. I got you some leftover food, it's all I could get without being suspicious. Don't worry, it wasn't touched by my hands or my mouth, you can safely eat it." "I didn't doubt that, and I am just a little exhausted, that's all. Thanks for taking care about me." "I try my best, at least. Want a pillow, I am pretty sure you need some rest. I heard that it's not good to stay without sleep for too long." "If you can get one, otherwise I can just use my arms as such." Acronix stood up in exitement, coming back just a few minutes later. "Here, I got a small one to not be noticed, but it should be good enough for now. I can try to get somthing bigger next time!" "It's alright, thanks. It should even fit in this drawer so that I can hide it once your brother arrives. Also, can I ask you a question?" "Of course, ask ahead. I don't bite." The inventor laughed at that. "Why are you so nice to me? There is no need for you to do all this. Unless it's part of your plan to gain my trust just to backstab me..." "No no no! That's not the reason why. I just want to help! i never wanted to be evil, but I am stuck with it. There is no escape now. Just because my brother hates you doesn't mean I have to. I know it's risky, but he doesn't have to know, right? Besides, I truly hate the way he treats you, I could have never imagine what cruelty and inhumanity he's capable of. I genuinely hate Krux, he doesn't even see how much all this hurts me. I just wish that one day, he would understand that this is the wrong path, but the more I try to stir him in the right direction, the more I realise that it is already too late. My acting skills are decent enough to keep this façade up for a while longer, but I feel like I am going crazy with all this! I just want a brother, but not someone like him, someone who actually cares about me. All this time only has been about his stupid plan, defeating the Ninja and winning a battle 40 years in the past. What about the 6-minute-rule! He didn't reverse our family's death because of it, and now he wants to go back 40 entire decades! What the hell is wrong with him!" "People can chance, even though some of them never do, but he is definetely part of the first group. No matter how innocent of a child he has once been, that Cruz is gone. You told me your story, he died alongside his parents, we both know that. He's gone. But you are not alone. Right now, I can understand this feeling more than ever, just know, you are not alone. I will believe in you. I will be there whenever you need me, all you need to do is ask." "I don't want my brother to win this. I want his plan to fail, maybe then he will realize that what he's doing is wrong, how much this pains me. Can you maybe do something for it?" "There is one thing that I could possibly do with this strict surveillance... But for now, please let me sleep." "Alright. I will go watch the door in case my brother comes."

~~~

"My night was relatively good. At least I know who I can trust and who to leave behind. I may be an only-child, but at least I have no manipulative siblings surrounding me. At least, for the first time in forever, I was able to experience what freedom feels like. I genuinely hate you and I wish you weren't my brother and once the time comes, I will let go of the pain you caused, but that time isn't now. Until then, goodbye. I won't miss you. Ace, out..."

[my-thoughts-and-junk]

I'd like to be a character in a science fiction adventure show but not like as the main character that shit's too stressful. I'd be like the human version of a trucker cat

[shemarmooresfedora]

Home

Series Summary: After being arrested, Spencer Reid desperately tries to get back home to his daughter, Camellia, who was placed into foster care in your home.

Pairing: Single!Dad!Spencer x Foster!Mom!Reader

Word Count: 1.7k

Content/Warnings: mentions of Diana’s Alzheimer’s and Schizophrenia, prison, separation of father and daughter, swearing

A/N: i hope you guys enjoy my new fic! this may be about 8 chapters or so! i’m not sure yet, going to see how interested people are in the plot :) (also quick disclaimer: i have never been in the foster care system so please excuse any inaccuracies)

Masterlist

Chapter 1

Spencer never wanted his daughter to see him like this, being brought into the BAU bullpen in handcuffs. He was supposed to be the good guy.

Right now, he couldn’t tell if he still was. He had good intentions going down to Mexico to get non-FDA approved medicine for his mom but he may have killed someone in the process. If only he could just remember.

Camellia ran into his arms to hug him, a hug he so desperately wanted to return if it wasn’t for these stupid cuffs around his wrists.

“They can’t just take you away, Dad,” she cried.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I’m going to get back to you as soon as possible,” he promised, kissing the top of her head.

Spencer felt absolutely crushed as the guards had to drag his crying 11-year-old off of him so he could be taken to his holding cell.

-

You had just gotten off of work when your phone rang. Eileen, the head foster care coordinator, was calling.

“Hello,” you answered.

“Hey Y/N,” she greeted you, “I know you haven’t had a foster kid in a few months but I kind of have an urgent case. 11-year-old sixth grade girl. Mom has been out of the picture for a while, Dad recently imprisoned and on trial for murder. There are a bunch of family friends willing to take her but no direct family,” she explained.

“I can take her for as long as she needs,” you told Eileen.

“Great! I’ll text you the address, it’s the FBI headquarters.”

-

When you walked into the BAU, still in your dino scrubs and white lab coat, Eileen was surrounded by a frantic group of people.

“As I said before, I don’t doubt any of your credentials but this is the law. We can only give away a child to direct family at this point in time. If you are not direct family, you will need a lawyer to fight for custody as well as permission from her father but that process could take months,” Eileen stated.

“Spencer hasn’t spoken to his father in years and his mother is in a facility for her schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s,” a dark-haired woman spoke.

“Exactly so she must be turned over to the foster care system. I apologize to you all but this is how it works. We can’t bend the rules,” Eileen said.

“I don’t want Callie fending for herself in a house with 20 other kids,” a blonde-haired woman argued, “I’m her godmother. She stays with me all the time. She was staying with me while Spencer was in Mexico.”

“Sorry, my answer is still no. But, hopefully this will squash your concerns, Y/N!” she called you over, “This is Y/N. Jo will be placed with her. She is a pediatric doctor and currently has no other foster kids at the moment but all of her past kids have absolutely adored her. She always passes her surprise safety and wellness checks with flying colors.

“Hi,” you waved, intimidated by this huge group of frustrated people with guns on their hips.

“A doctor? So she isn’t even going to be home most of the time,” a curly-haired man scoffed.

“Actually, I own my own practice. I don’t work at a hospital so I usually have a regular 8-4 shift unless one of my patients needs urgent attention,” you clarified.

“JJ, don’t make me go,” a girl, who you could only assume was Callie, sobbed.

They were all staring at you like you were the worst person on Earth. You wanted to shrivel up and die. When you went through the process of becoming a foster parent, you thought this was a very admirable thing to do. You just wanted to provide a good home to kids in need.

“Do any of you have a key to Dr. Reid’s residence so Camellia can pack a bag?” you asked politely.

The woman closest to Callie that must be JJ pulled a key off of her chain and handed it to you.

“I’ll-um-leave my phone number and address here so you guys can contact me at any time or stop by. I understand your concerns but please know I try my absolute hardest to make sure all kids feel welcome and safe in my house,” you scribbled your information down on a scrap piece of paper.

“Are you ready to go, Camellia?” you asked softly.

She went around hugging everyone in the circle before solemnly nodding to you.

God, you felt like such an asshole.

-

After Callie finished packing her things from her bedroom in relative silence, you returned to the car.

“I don’t know what you like to eat but we can stop at the grocery store so we can get stuff you like and any other things you need,” you said.

You were met with silence from the backseat. You offered for her to sit in the passenger seat but she declined.

“Listen, I’m really not trying to be the bad guy here. Please don’t make me out to be one. I know you are having a tough time with your Dad’s situation right now but shutting everyone else out won’t help,” you spoke softly, “Trust me, I know.”

You sighed when the silence continued. You pulled out of the Reid’s driveway and headed to the grocery store.

-

You let Callie lead when you entered the grocery store, opting to follow behind her with the cart. She went immediately to the frozen meal section and started throwing them in.

“Camellia, that’s fine if those are what you want but just so you know, I love to cook so I can make you anything you want,” you offered.

“This is what I’m used to,” she spoke sharply, “My dad is not a bad dad, he just usually doesn’t have much time.”

“I never claimed he was,” you defended yourself.

After that, you kept your mouth shut. Clearly, she was a very independent girl and she had her own routine she liked to stick to.

-

You hauled all the grocery bags inside the house and unloaded them as Callie brought in her suitcases.

“So Camellia, I put all the food you picked out in these two cabinets. I mean obviously, you are welcome to anything in the kitchen but I just wanted you to know where the things you picked out were. I always have a grocery list on the fridge that you can add to,” you began to give her a tour of the house, “Bathroom is in there. There’s another upstairs. Here’s the living room with a TV,” you headed up the stairs, “Here’s my room.”

On your bed was an adorable toyger kitten cuddled up on your pillow.

“Oh! This is Winnie like Winnie the Pooh. I just got her a few weeks ago from a shelter. She is super friendly and loves snuggles so she will probably try to sneak into your bed unless you keep your door closed.”

“I don’t mind,” Callie spoke softly as she petted Winnie.

You smiled softly. These were the first words you got out of her that weren’t a rejection.

You continued the tour, “There’s a bathroom between our rooms but I tend to use the downstairs one so feel free to make it your own. And here’s your room,” you opened the door to a white room with a queen bed in the center, a small bookshelf, a few plants, and paintings.

“I hope this is good enough for now. We can go out this weekend to a home goods store if you want to redecorate. I’d even be open to repainting it if you want,” you offered.

Callie just set her bags down and nodded.

“Alright, I’ll leave you be. I’ll probably be downstairs for a while watching TV if you want to join. Let me know if you want me to make you anything,” you began to shut the door but Winnie slipped in first.

“Good night, you guys,” you smiled softly.

-

“Do you want me to wait out here or come in with you?” you asked softly.

Spencer had been denied bail, meaning he was transferred to a federal prison and Callie was going to be staying with you for a while. She had taken the news rather hard as expected when the team came over to your house to tell her. You still weren’t really accepted by the group so you mostly stood in the corner of the kitchen while they were all in your living room.

You had spoken to Eileen several times about Callie’s current situation. She gave you permission to do whatever you saw fit. This means you could opt her out of school one or two days a week if she wasn’t feeling up to it as long as she emailed her teachers and got her missed work in on time. You were researching different therapists for her to talk to because she didn’t seem to want to open up to you. You were also given a schedule of visiting times for her to visit her dad in prison.

“I’ll just go in alone,” she walked in the door to the visiting room, leaving you in the waiting room.

-

“Dad,” Callie tried to hug Spencer but the guard pointed to the ‘No Touching’ sign posted on the wall.

They both sat down defeatedly at opposite ends of the table.

“How are you?” Callie inquired, wiping her tears away from seeing her father locked up.

“I don’t want to talk about me, sweetheart. How are you? Emily and my lawyer visited yesterday and told me you had to be placed into foster care,” Spencer asked, concerned.

“It’s okay. Not the best,” she sighed.

“What’s happening? Are they hurting you? Are they not giving you enough to eat? Callie, I’ll have my lawyer on the phone and you out of there so quick,” Spencer frantically stated.

“No, Dad. Y/N is fine…nice, even. But she’s not you,” Callie cried.

Spencer’s face softened, “I’m so sorry, Callie. You don’t deserve to be dealing with any of this.”

“Just please come home,” she sniffled.

“I’m trying, sweetheart, I’m really trying,” he replied earnestly with tears in his eyes.

A/N: i will also be starting a series taglist if you don’t want to be added to my main taglist so just clarify which one you want to join! also i recommend listening to the song Home by Phillip Phillips because it is kind of like the theme song for this story

main taglist (just ask to be added/removed!): @samuel-de-champagne-problems @g0lden-cth @spencerreid9 @averyhotchner @coldlilheart @k-k0129 @ickleronniekinsemotionalrange @harrystylesandthegoobs @cmily @jswessie187 @rem-ariiana @hoodpankow @mochionly @spencerreid-187 @babymetaldoll @fics4arainyday @ssavanessa22 @all-tings-diego

series taglist: @ilovespencerreidmarryme

[yandere-sins]

omg i’m such a dumbass i can’t believe i missed your prompts😭 if it’s not too late can we get some window with suna? he’s just so perfect for it. hope you’re doing well!💓

Awa, you didn’t miss them at all! Thanks for requesting, I hope you’re doing well too ♥ I decided to make a continuation of the Kitsune!AU I did with Suna before here so I could work on his character more.

Window - “…How fucking dense are you?” 

»»———————— ♡ ————————««     

You started buying groceries for two.

It was utterly idiotic that you tolerated that... person’s demands. Especially when you could barely afford to feed another person. More than once, you found yourself holding your phone, dialing the police. But when you looked up, seeing him merely laying on your couch watching TV, you completely forgot what you wanted to say. He didn’t look menacing. He didn’t even try to scare you like a robber would. And how would you even start to explain the fox ears and tail to anyone?

A hunter might have been a better option. But were they and their guns effective against mythical creatures as well? You tried to research it, google for every information you could find, but aside from stories and myths, there were no hints on the internet that this man should actually exist. If you believed the old tellings, they weren’t as uncommon to see back then, but their population seemed to have decreased with the humans taking over most parts of the world.

Thinking logically, that was still no reason for you specifically to endure him. Especially if it were the humans having the upper hand, he should be afraid of you, rather than the other way around! So what if you were nice enough to feed him?

You still couldn’t understand why he was sticking around you.

His ears folding back, Suna finally turned to you, glaring at you in annoyance. “Why are you staring?” he asked, and you flinched, noticing how you had peeked around the corner for too long. It was hard to avoid him, considering he took up a lot of your living space, but you were still reluctant to interact with him. “Just come over here if you want to watch the show.”

Truth be told, he never looked as if he was enjoying what he was watching, but you had seen him put on the same kind of program again and again over time, so surely, he must have taken a liking to it either way. “Is that... your favorite show?” you asked timidly, approaching the couch with a reasonable distance. Even if he was annoyed from your staring, he did invite you over, and it was as good of a time to ask him to leave as any.

“It’s alright,” he replied, and his tail gave a slow wag, making you think he did like it. “Cool, cool...” you mumbled, shooting the TV a short glance, the flashing of bright colors and the loud voices of the moderation appalling you. Suna’s attention returned to you, his eyes giving you a slow, appraising look up and down before he patted the free space next to him on the couch. “Sit,” he kept inviting you as if your presence standing next to the amenity was dissatisfactory for him.

Making this step was harder for you than you thought at first. Hesitantly, you slid on the cushion furthest away from Suna, pressing up to the armrest on your side while he was leaning on the other one, watching you from the corners of his eyes.

Why you even followed his instructions was puzzling, but you hoped he’d take what you were about to say better when you made him comfortable. Clearing your throat, you announced, “So, when do you plan on leaving...?” avoiding to look at him even after you finished speaking.

“Leave what?” A yawn escaped him before his attention shifted back to the program on TV. “My home... this house. Here?” was your lousy explanation, and fiddling with your fingers, you noticed that you were growing nervous with every silent second between you two.

“I don’t know--”

“I’m not going to feed you anymore.”

These words left you the second you heard his dismissive tone of voice and without much consideration. Simply, you were too scared to listen to his rejection. You wanted him out and rather yesterday than tomorrow at that. “I... I can’t keep feeding you. It’s too expensive; I’ll run out of money,” you tried to explain, hoping this was enough to persuade you.

“Huh...” he grumbled, his fingers tapping against the leather on the couch. “I don’t want to leave,” he eventually mustered to say, taking a deep breath before sitting up straight. “But you can’t stay...” you disappointingly replied.

“Can’t I?”

“No,” you said firmly, standing your ground.

Inching closer to you, his presence was suddenly unnerving. You wondered what the point was in closing in the distance, not sure what he would do. “I can’t feed you anymore a-and, uh, you are over... over-staying your welcome!”

It sure didn’t help that he was leaning towards you, slender features and pure skin soon covering all you could see. Black hair as you looked towards the ceiling, an unpredictable expression when your gaze graced his face.

“... How fucking dense are you?” he asked you suddenly, using harsher words than you had ever heard him do before.

Next thing you knew, he had your hands restraint, pushing your upper body back to bend over the armrest. The burning you felt of the strain in your back was your smallest concern at that moment; instead, you immediately focus on thin lips brushing down your neck and to your collarbones. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying.”

“B-But I-” you stuttered, trying to convince him and find a peaceful solution. Twisting and turning your wrists only revealed Suna’s strength, something he hadn’t used on you before, so you never had a chance to find out about it until now. “You won’t get rid of me just because you don’t feed me, you know.”

“What?” you squeaked, so sure of yourself that all your research had shown that animals who lost a source of food would move on. You had bet your entire confidence on this fact. “I don’t even need food,” he explained, seemingly reading your mind.

“Then why... Why did you stay?”

What followed was a long pause. So much so, you noticed your back pain again, twisting your torso to appease it and also moved your head around to free yourself of hair blocking your view. There was a vase on the coffee table. If only you could reach it, you’d have a chance of breaking free. But being able to see again, you noticed something moving rather excitedly behind Suna’s body, his tail wagging putting every dog to shame.

No second later, you felt the sharp pain of fangs in the soft flesh between your neck and shoulder, and you flinched hard at it, only worsen the feeling. “Ah-!” you wanted to cry out, but the sound got stuck in your throat as he loosened his jaw, moving slightly more to the right to bite down again.

This time, you felt the tears shoot into your eyes, shock, pain, and fear covering your senses. “Who knows~” he chuckled, seemingly amused about your reaction. Pulling away from you, you could see the bloodstains around his mouth, almost making you faint as you could ultimately realize that he did, in fact, bit you twice just now.

“Maybe I stayed for you? I couldn’t wait to get a bite for sure. Want me to eat you up?”

He leaned down again, and this time, as weak as you felt, you could see your life flashing before your eyes, especially when you felt his tongue drag over the wounds he had just induced. In what must have been a survival instinct, you managed to shove your hands into his shoulders, his grip having weakened as he didn’t expect you to resist. The next moment you were free, falling off the couch and to your feet, gone in the blink of an eye. You only stopped when the door to your bedroom closed behind you, and you locked it, sinking to the ground.

You had nothing on you; no phone or cell, nothing to make yourself known to the outside world. If you climbed out the window or exit through the door, you were almost sure you were a feast for the fox. There was barely anything you could do to calm your racing heart or stop hyperventilating as your mind desperately thought of alternatives. If this was just one of his jokes, you were taking it way too seriously, but how could you know?

How could you know what was true and false about the grinning fox spirit standing in front of your bedroom door, licking his lips in delight?

[i-need-air]

Hey, you can ignore this if you want. But, just a thought, hybrid Izuku? Like maybe he has a kinda bad past too, just because I live for the angst beginning to fluffy end.

Sorry it took me a couple of days to answer! I wanted to switch it up and I mainly had to think a way to make Izu work as a hybrid, so I decided to make him be a bunny hybrid [ blame his cute hero costume, srsly ] I ended up writing the small amount of 3.7k words somehow— [ listen, i get emotionally involved, ok??? 😭 ] I genuinely hope you like it! 💕

[ Masterlist ]

Hybrid!AU Bunny!Midoriya Izuku

× you looked at the man sitting in the corner of the cell, both petrified staring at each other

× his bunny ears were lowered, his green eyes widened in your direction

× all you could do was to stand still, shocked and without being able to even mask it

× he looked awful to say at least

× meanwhile the reception guy that accompanied you for a tour of the shelter whispered in your direction; "This one is in really bad shape. Very traumatized, poor soul..." he clicked his tongue before continuing "He's been sent here from another shelter cities away, I don't know much about him and he won't talk."

× you could not look away even if you tried

× the reason why you decided to pass by the shelter was because you offered to help voluntarily in the weekends as you had some free time

× you did read and hear horror stories about the shelters and the hybrids thrown in them, how underfunded they were, how bad the conditions there were and how little help they had but—

× even if you came prepared for the worst you got surprised with the state some of the hybrids were in

× specially this one; his name was on a plaque by his prison like cell— Midoriya Izuku

× he had bruises, cuts, his hands looked specially beaten up and scarred, his behavior was erratic, nervous, just a disaster...

× something deep inside told you to smile and show him you're no threat, so you did

× you introduced yourself and nodded your head, really trying to keep a calm composture but your heart hurt seeing him like that

× much to your surprise, he nodded back, still uncertain but didn't move from his place, far back in the cell

× you've been gently pushed away to continue the tour and to establish your tasks, all while being thanked for your kindness; you didn't know why you felt like throwing up at the indifference in the man's voice...

× there weren't many hybrids in the shelter anyway, yet you've gotten your scheduled hours in which you'd help clean and cook and as you left for the day after some introduction to those tasks; your mind still lingered on Midoriya Izuku even through the night, as his terrified eyes stole the sleep from you that same night

× the following two days you began your volunteering hours and always kept an eye for the hybrid; he was skittish and asocial even at lunch and dinner times, did not talk to any other hybrid and specially not to any worker there

× he caught your eyes multiple times whenever you'd be in his general proximity, yet you'd see him scurrying away instantly, which made you feel unease; you weren't any threat, really, so maybe with time...

× it's when you brought your own cleaning supplies [ because there were little to none ] and decided to help clean their "rooms", so called by the staff, when you firstly got to talk to him

× you reached his cell and he was reading an old book, probably borrowed from the small library they had; he snapped his eyes up when he heard you approach

× "Hello, Midoriya" you'd say gently, heart in your throat, really scared you'd frighten him

× he just nodded and looked away, not before giving your cleaning supplies a long look, knowing what's to come

× with his permission, he let you go inside as you started preparing everything to swipe the floors, putting the broom in a corner as you leaned down to pick some other stuff; what you didn't notice was how the broom was gently falling, almost about to hit you on the head

× the green-haired hybrid was on your side instantly, catching it; it would've been a small tap on your head and most out of the situation would've been you looking ridiculous but you chuckled at the scene and thanked him wholeheartedly

× smol bean blushed so hard you almost dropped everything in your hands at the sight; "N-no problem—" he stuttered, his voice sweet and shy 🥺

× he stood there fidgeting with the book in his hands watching you move around until you heard an unsure "Can I help you?" 🥺🥺

× you told him sure, if he'd like to, mainly worried he really didn't want you in his "territory" but the man took it as an invitation and—

× it didn't stop at his cell? he helped you all day???? you cleaned around together but not without an awkward air around both; which ngl it's funny bc he's staring whenever you talk to everyone, clean, help, so on; big round eyes are always on you;;; IF YOU LOOK THO, oops— "what an interesting wall right there!" - Midoriya, probably.

× it's from then that you notice a switch; whenever you're at the canteen, he's there offering to help, looking just as skittish as always but a small blush always on his face

× whenever you'd be playing with the younger hybrids he'd watch in awe bc you treat them so well

× exactly when he actually starts talking to you more too! he's in the impromptu playground with you and the few little ones when he suddently drops your name in a stutter and says you're kind-hearted

× you almost drop dead in the spot bc his look, man; you haven't seen him so sure of something until now and it did something to you

× it's been a month and hybrids came and got adopted, yet your new friend wasn't really getting any attention; he really acted terrified and you of course questioned his behavior; you knew nothing of his past but seeing the way he acted it could've been just awful

× as you started to slowly engage in larger conversations with Izuku, it's at the canteen that this time you've been caught staring; at his hands in particular

× he was helping you cook, which he really didn't know how to do but tried nonetheless just because he really enjoyed being around you [ or so you assumed, hopeful ]

× when he realizes where you're looking at, you almost dreaded him retracting from the situation like he used to do but he just looks down at them too and sighs

× "I was at a fighting ring—" he said, pursing his lips "—but I'm a rabbit hybrid... a prey... they used me as a punching bag."

× your heart rips in two as you're speechless; even if you tried to be careful with your movements not to spook the man, you could not help yourself by putting your hand on his

× and that's how Midoriya Izuku died, end of HCs 💀

× just kidding; he almost fainted, face fully red as his ears perked up, staring at you with big eyes yet did not move an inch

× and even if his face would've been adorable in any other situation, his words remained imprinted in your mind as you squeezed his hand in yours

× "I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Izuku" you whispered back at him; he just nodded and blabbered something before continuing with the task clumsily

× boy is broken for the rest of the day, that's what I'm implying

× bad news got to you when you found out you couldn't go to the shelter anymore to help; your hours got increased at work and your shift was all over the place and even if you really did talk with your boss, it was decided that for now you had to adapt

× dread filled your gut when you realized you couldn't see Izuku anymore and with that you noticed how fond you grew of him, that's why you loathed the next visit there

× but— you really wanted to see him more; getting to spend time with him and helping around was what got you through the week...

× you told him slowly that same Saturday and it visibly broke him

× he tears up and tries to mask it as best as he can, yet he nods understanding

× "Will— Will I ever see you again?" the soft tremble in his voice shook you to the core

× "Of course. Every day, if you'd like." you blurted;;;;; he blinks at you, tears stopping just to have his head tilted to the side, ears flopping with the movement. "Would you like to come home with me?" you say, idea just popping in your head and balling it;

× he cries harder then he nods

× everything about your volunteering ceasing for the time was already filled in, you guys just needed to fill some paperwork for him, grab his little to no belongings and get the hell out

× small gym-bag in hand, i sweat to god, this man is overwhelmed with being outside

× stays glued to your side all the time, specially on busy streets towards your home

× once you feel him grab on your shirt just for precaution and you melt?? but let him have it

× once you arrived, you see tension leave his body as he smells his surroundings; mf drops a "It smells like you here" through a smile before realizing what he said and getting all flustered 💀

× sooo you move past that as you can and show him around, a spare bedroom not long ago used by your old roommate offered to him

× you only see his surprisingly muscled back as he enters the room and drops the gym-bag on the floor

× he slowly turns around to look at your face and fat ass tears run down his cheeks, not being able to say a word even if he tried

× hands-down the scene almost gives you a panic attack; he then asks if it's all for him and you assure him that indeed it is when he cries harder...

× ok, that again shreds your heart but it wouldn't be the last time

× like for example the moment of utter disbelief he threw at you when you asked him what he wanted to eat that night and he didn't know how to respond because nobody, ever, asked him; you got that as a response after asking if you said something wrong

× or the following Monday, when you suggested you went to do some shopping for him in the morning, since there wouldn't be many people and it would be calmer

× the look of awe in his face, istg...

× from then on he opens up pretty nicely too; it's such a refreshing sight to see him tell you about how he learned to use the computer, TV, phone— the sparks in his eyes whenever he talks of something new he learned? imagine it and now you've gained 20 more years of lifespan, you're very welcome

× such a soft cutie, i swear 🥺 always asks things about you and gives you the same sparkly eyes when he learns more about you

× it does take him some time to come out if his shell though

× you fastly realize he's a nerd; oops, but it's true, and definitely isn't a bad thing! he just really likes to learn about everything and anything and I feel he genuinely likes to tell you about those new facts

× i hope you like them bc when he learned new cool stuff he made a note to tell you about them bc he thought you'd find them cool too and—

× is very tidy and helps around the house, but when it comes to being social he just freezes

× you ask him if he'd like to go for walks and you see him itching to go out for some fresh air, although the thought of other people...

× with time and small walks around the neighborhood, he overcomes the fear as long as you're by his side

× will definitely want to go back to the shelter to volunteer even if you can't, but the fear of walking there just overtakes him again since he'd have to do it alone

× mentions it though

× his expression is so uneasy bc he feels like a burden

× maybe you could work around your schedule to take him there and pick him up? he genuinely loved giving a hand at the shelter so if you do, Izu would be so thankful

× in a few weeks he'd gain the confidence to walk alone

× one 💕adorable💕 thing he does without even thinking is jumping around you, or just in place

× "Today little Miya got adopted!" he'd say, hopping slightly in place "I could tell they were good people too! They had good intentions... just like when I saw you for the first tim—"

× so he mumbles without thinking;; and sometimes blurts out cute stuff like that but when he realizes what he's saying he gets very shy 🤭

× he has this fluff smol tail but we don't talk about it;;; no, no, it's too much for us, I promise you it's the cutest fucking thing you've seen in your whole existence and it moves a little bit and we all die here???? he hides it though, pft

× so fluffy we gonna dieeeee

× he steals your blankets

× hear me out, omg! he does!! if you have small blankets you just throw over yourself to stay on the couch or anything, sometimes they'd dissappear only to be found in his room; he's very sneaky about it but cracks under [the zero] pressure you put on him, leading him to say "It's because whenever you're not around, I like to have something close to me that smells like yOu! it makes me feel sAfe—" his voice cracks "BUT IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO, I'LL STOP, I JUST—" he'd placate his hands instantly, apologizing

× tell him it's okay and now your hoodies are gone too lmfao

× he's a muscular guy too so consider buying really big ones just for him to wear;;; after you wore them;;;;;;

× says sorry a lot and that's a thing you have to work with a lot

× if he messes up something, he will apologize instantly; if you tell him to stop bc you don't mind he forgot to put the washing machine as he promised he will act like he's the worst

× as if he feared you'd get angry...

× i know it's a recurring topic but give him time

× whenever you both have free time and hang around the house, he'll be on the couch reading near you

× eyes you constantly and he's so obvious about it it's ridiculous; you can see him from the corner of your vision when he turns his head to check on you so through a smile you have to ask him if he needs anything

× what's fantastic is that he's getting over the point of being scared to speak out around you YET he stutters, blushing

× "N-no, nothing!" but he's observing your comfortable form with much interest

× "Wanna... cuddle with me?" [ 's not like you read about bunny hybrids and how they need skin contact which definitely didn't make you uwu and die in the spot bc that's so 🤧💕😭💘🥺 but you waited for him to show any signs that he'd want that; we're respectful like that, mhm ]

× his fluffy ear twitches

× shock, disbelief, blush

× it twitches again

× blushes harder then nods

× sksjdkdjd he's by your side instantly though with no idea of what to do

× good lord, he's so stiff; why don't you grab a blanket to throw it over both of you, hmm?

× he'd bury himself into it then into your arms and soon he'll find out being there is his favorite place in the galaxy

× since his mind drifted to galaxies, Izu then starts talking about constellations bc he's nervous

× so when you rub his back he melts into you with a happy sigh yet when your hand reaches his hair, almost about to touch the top of his head mindlessly as you hum at his words

× he flinches— then you stop to look down at him, catching him wide eyed staring into nothing

× you don't even know why you apologize; maybe his horrified face?

× but before you can form a full sentence he interrupts you

× "Don't apologize. It's not your fault—" he'd glue his eyes on you "I— I used to get bullied a lot back then... they'd pull my ears..."

× without any other explanation you take your hand away, placing it on his shoulders, mainly feeling out of place again; every time he speaks of his past, it just gets worse...

× "But! But I trust you, [Y/N]. I really do." and he leads your hand back to his head

× 🥺💕💕💕💕💕

× then, with convinced features, he drops his head on your chest and snuggles for some good seconds before it clicked to him

× now he's apologizing

× until you ruffle his hair and he just experiences bliss in real life

× massage his scalp and say goodbye to ever leaving his side, you're now in his firm grip until the end of time but who's complaining

× like he has no shame anymore, it feels that good

× he can hear your heartbeat, as fast as it is, and he snuggles further into you; it's his lullaby

× now let's get to business

× look: he's adorable, sweet, doting, cares about you and about hybrids, he's actively trying to get out of his shell, he's built but tender, couldn't hurt a fly;

× don't lie to yourself, you've got a big fat crush

× little did you know this guy right here liked you from the moment you introduced yourself to him, months prior

× the issue is Izuku is really insecure; after hearing his whole life that he's inferior to both humans and some hybrids, he started believing it

× and comments whenever you're outside with him do not help

× he has a spectacular hearing

× doesn't miss how people whisper about you two, even if you mind your own business doing whatever

× it's mostly older people, judgemental and disgusted with hybrids that call you a freak for having one, that call him an abomination

× he tries so hard to ignore them but his behavior changes back to his silent old self, yet this time he doesn't cower anymore although grips his pants until his scarred hands are white, not answering back to you if you talk

× you have to assume he's again uncomfortable outside so you suggest leaving, not sure how to behave

× he kinda snaps on your way back home when there's nobody around

× stops in the middle of the road, looking down, brow furrowed and trembling lips

× "Am I never going to be good enough for you?" he'd clench his teeth

× "Izu—, what...?"

× the determined glare he sends you stops you in your tracks

× "Because I want to be. I want to be better for you."

× 😳

× basically confesses in a dramatic way as he's overtaken with emotions then screeches bc oh no what if you don't feel the same so "I-It's okay if you don't feel the same! If you're uncomfortable I can move back to the shelter!! I'm so sorr—"

× smooch him pls????

× and share your feelings just to give him a stroke lmfao

× he'll take the initiative to grab your hand and walk home like that, the other on his face covering it

× peck his lips and he malfunctions every time

× but loves it

× be sure of this: after that night, he's so soft for you and won't hide it

× he's a creature of contact, meaning his fingers will linger on your form, he will seek your form, he will want to snuggle his face in your neck, he definitely will stare at your lips for too long bc he's still shy and embarrassed by his confession to make a move; smooch him pt. 2

× he's so— adorable; he finds himself in front of your bedroom door with your blanket in his arms and has an existential crisis

× you see his shadow at the small creak under the door and akfjaksj

× open the door and let him sleep with you ffs I'm having a stroke for him

× can he be the little spoon? or can you two hug face to face? it's just that 🥺 he feels safe with you like that, a feeling he's been always missing

× any time you're in his arms or vice-versa he breathes out as tension leaves his body; best place in the whole universe, no hesitation.

× he's a petty lil shit, let me tell you that, ok??

× someone flirts with you? lol k he's behind looking not intimidating at all but he's frowning, his ears are twitching and chest puffed

× takes your hand just to prove a point

× talking about his hands

× kiss them, caress them, anything

× he just... yes, pls, do that

× whenever you're not looking he's giving you the gentlest smile and even if you notice, his lips will curl even more before he throws a compliment at you

× pretty much likes your reactions bc he's always the one that's flustered the most between the two [ genuinely doesn't matter if you get flustered or not, he just tops that energy 100x more ]

× likes to know he has the same effect you have on him on a daily basis

× will try to find a job at something he's interested in and i definitely see him finding one at a library or something like that

× he enjoys the silence, completely different from his old loud and over the place life, and also loves books

× unrelated hc but i just imagined Izu whispering the words out loud whenever he reads without noticing it; his green eyes focused in the book, face concentrated and ears low to not get in his field of vision; want to make him happy? listen to him and when he finally notices you, tell him to go on~

× he's the embodiment of akfwpdkslfjjwj 💕

× honestly your life with him is peaceful

× the way he loves is gentle, really sweet and it all revolves about peace in your household

× he adores you to no end and thanks you for helping him improve himself

× and getting him out of a life without a goal or purpose

× gets out of his way to help you, always you and wants to prove he's good enough

× he already is and you better tell him

× give this baby all the love he deserves and you'll get just as much in return

× I'm soft for him oml 💘

[redrobin-detective]

exile

Maddie Fenton woke up on the worst day of her life with a headache. That wasn’t at all unusual, Jack’s snoring could be grating even when asleep. Combined with too many late nights in the lab, too much coffee and just general stress about her work and her kids... it seemed Maddie woke up with a headache more often then not. Jack was the early riser of the two of them so he was already awake and likely starting work in the lab. He’d knock on the kids’ doors to get them up but Danny always needed a special touch, or an aggressive shove, to get up. 

Maddie got up and dressed and made her way downstairs, Jazz’s room was cracked and she heard her daughter bustling inside. Danny’s was still shut tight. She knocked forcefully on the door. “Danny honey, it’s 6:30, you need to start getting ready for school.” She got no answer but she didn’t always get one. She had a feeling it was going to be one of those mornings. Setting downstairs, she’d just started the coffee machine when the phone rang.

“Now who is calling at this hour?” Maddie asked herself, picking up the phone. “FentonWorks, this is Maddie Fen-”

“You tell my daughter to come home right this instant!” Pam Manson’s shrill voice came over the phone. Maddie winced and pulled the phone back from her ear. “And you tell her she can kiss that horrible death metal whatever concert she was going to on Saturday goodbye! I will not have my young, impressionable daughter thinking she can tramp around god knows where-”

“Pam, slow down,” Maddie interrupted, irate as always when dealing with the woman. “Sam isn’t here, I didn’t see her at all yesterday or today.” Or Danny, Maddie thought privately with a frown. Pamela’s fury and frustration was understandable in a way. Maddie also had no idea what her own child was up to most days. 

“She’s not there?” Pam said quietly after a few moments of silence. “Are you sure?” She added a bit more frantically. “Because she’s not in her bedroom and her bed looks like she never slept in it. She’s not answering her phone but she sometimes doesn’t when she’s sees it’s-” Pam took a deep steadying breath. “Can you check and make certain she’s not there? I’m going to call Angela.” Pam hung up suddenly and Maddie pulled back and looked at the phone, biting her lip with nerves. The coffee maker screeching to life behind her startled her so much that she jumped.

“Goodness,” She said, setting the phone down and thinking. She was certain she hadn’t seen Sam. The last time she’d seen her son’s friend was the day before last when she and Tucker had dragged a very exhausted, bruised up Danny home. Took a fall down the stairs, they’d said, not explaining why their clothes were worn and hands scratched up. Frowning, she wandered to the top of the lab steps. “Jack, you haven’t seen Sam around, have you? Danny’s friend?”

“Sam?” She heard Jack shout back, he poked his head around the corner. “No, did she stay the night? By the way, did you move some of the weapons. I can’t seem to find a few of them...” 

“Jack that’s not important right now, Pamela doesn’t know where she is,” Maddie said sharply. She felt a little bad watching as Jack’s face become pensive but she was too anxious herself to apologize. She turned and walked towards the upstairs steps. “I’m going to ask Danny.” 

She can’t deny that a subtle little thrill went through her when she got onto the second floor landing and saw Danny’s door open. The sink was running in the bathroom and she knocked heartily on the door. “Daniel Fenton, Mrs. Manson can’t find her daughter and if I find you had her over without telling anyone you are going to be in so much-” 

The door opened revealing Jazz with her eyes wide and a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. “Waz goin on?” she asked around the brush. She took out the brush and spit out into the sink. “I poked my head into Danny’s room to wake him up but he wasn’t in there.” Her eyebrows furrowed, “they can’t find Sam?”

Feeling lightheaded, Maddie walked down the hall to Danny’s room to find no one there. She can’t put her finger on why but it didn’t just feel empty but vacant. Danny’s clothes weren’t on the floor, his desk was practically clear for the first time since they bought it. His bed was made just as she’d done it the morning before when she’d rousted her son. Distantly, she heard the phone ringing again but Maddie couldn’t bring herself to leave the deserted room. 

Danny had several photos on his wall and desk, she couldn’t help but notice that two were missing. A framed photo of the entire Fenton family they’d taken last year for New Years and a particularly nice shot of Danny with his friends Jazz had snapped. They say in a crime scene, something is always taken and left behind. But why... The sound of footsteps approached her rapidly from behind.

“Mom,” Jazz with a small fearful little tone. She was holding the house phone in one hand and her cell in the other, Danny’s contact information open on her screen. It was just ringing through. “It’s Mrs. Manson, not only is Sam not at Tucker’s but... the Foleys can’t find him either. I... I told them we don’t know where Danny is at the moment. I’m trying to call but its just ringing and ringing...”

“Jasmine, calm down,” Maddie said, taking the phone away from her. “Keep trying his cell and go get your father. Pam, are you still there?” Maddie said speaking into the phone. She was met with tears on the other end.

“Where are they? How could this happen? Sammy... she has a sizable trust and could be a target for ransom but your boy and Tucker? It doesn’t make sense.” Pamela paused to take a few loud, sobbing breaths that pounded at Maddie’s headache like a jackhammer. “Unless they ran away but why? Samantha’s always been spirited but nothing like this... God, I need to call the police, we’ll be in touch.” She clicked off without another word.

“-swer your phone, please little brother. Please, I know. Know-know, I was waiting for you to come to me but now we can’t find you, Sam or Tucker and everyone’s freaking out and we just need to know that you’re all okay.” She heard Jazz speak quickly into her cell, curling in on it like she used to do with her old stuffed animals. Jack’s hands gripping her shoulders from behind, taking in the abandoned room just like she’d been.

“Mads,” Jack whispered, “where’d he go?”

Maddie would ask herself that same question in the coming days, weeks, months and years that would pass. Over the course of front page headlines and tv spots begging for information. When they found a large amount had been transferred out of Sam’s trust, when Tucker’s phone and computer was found broken in two near the dump by the interstate, when their weapons catalogue came up short. As more time passed, it became increasingly obviously the kids not only had left of their own volition but it had been a calculated, planned affair. 

Maddie would lie awake late into the night and wonder where it all went wrong? What had she, or any of the grieving parents, done to warrant their children to up and leave in the middle of the night. Something had happened, something that had been under their noses, something they’d missed. And they were now paying for it.

Back in the present moment, with her husband’s warm hands on her shoulders, her daughter’s increasingly more frantic voice talking into Danny’s phone that just kept ringing and her headache pounding worse than ever, all she could do was moan. “I don’t know, they’re just gone.”

The worst day of her life was just getting started and was going to continue for a long, long while.

[zintranslations]

Kaleidoscope of Death, Ch. 124

Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zixu Link to Chinese / Novel Updates

Chapter 124: Long Sword

Once the insect swarm dispersed, Lin Qiushi's group left the dining room. The moment they stepped outside, however, they found that the flying insects had appeared in the hallway, batting their wings to form a faint black line in midair that led off to some unknown room.

This was likely what the string signified. Lin Qiushi had thought it would be more complicated than this, but somehow, Ruan Nanzhu's messing around had yielded them the correct answer. He glanced at Ruan Nanzhu and asked, "do we follow and see where it goes?"

"Sure." Ruan Nanzhu looked at the time and confirmed it was still early. "Let's go."

Then they headed off in the direction the insects were guiding them in, toward where all the rooms were.

Every five minutes, the positions of the rooms changed, and when that happened, the direction the insects pointed to also changed. Hovering in mid-air, they were all connected together in a single-file line. The three of them kept following the path of insects, but very quickly, they discovered something off—at one point, the insects broke off into two swarms. One pointed left, and one pointed right, in different directions.

"Why's this happening?" Gu Longming was utterly confounded when he saw the split insects. He grabbed a bug off-hand and trapped it in his palm. When he released it, it swiftly returned to its original position. "Why have these mosquitoes split up? Unless…"

He understood something. With a pained expression he peered at Lin Qiushi.

"Unless there are two monsters?"

That seemed to be the only answer, but Lin Qiushi didn't think the matter would be so simple. He asked, "we'll split up and see?"

Ruan Nanzhu thought for a bit.

"Okay, Gu Longming goes left with you, and I go right."

Lin Qiushi nodded, not arguing. He only reminded Ruan Nanzhu that if Ruan Nanzhu did find something strange, he shouldn't force anything; the objective this time was to gather information.

Hearing Lin Qiushi's earnest suggestion, Ruan Nanzhu couldn't help but smile.

"I knew it, our Linlin's all grown up. He worries about me now, how heartwarming."

Lin Qiushi: "…I'm very serious."

"Yes, I know you're serious." He came over and gave the corner of Lin Qiushi's mouth a casual peck. "I'll be careful. See you later."

Lin Qiushi waved a hand at him.

"See you later."

As they were conversing, the space around them changed again, and the directions they were heading altered once more. This time, the insects seemed to be guiding them toward the lowest-level deck.

Lin Qiushi and Gu Longming wasted no more time, jogging the rest of the way ahead, hoping to find the room the insects were guiding them to before everything changed again.

The two were quick, finding the room indicated by the insects in half the time. At this room, those bugs flew through the air and attached themselves in a dense layer all over the door. As soon as he was near, Lin Qiushi got a whiff of a strong, rotted fish stench.

It was truly too pungent—about as bad as how the room from last time smelled. It was too easy to anticipate that inside this room, they would find that giant fishman monster shut away.

At the room, Lin Qiushi didn't rush and try to enter. Instead he put his ear to the door and listened for any sounds inside. The room was quiet enough to seem like it held nothing alive, but Lin Qiushi still heard something odd: a faint breathing sound coming from the door…The breaths came from somewhere close to him, as if there was only the single door between him and whatever was inside.

Gu Longming, on the other hand, was looking through the window. He seemed to have spotted something in the inky black, face going slightly pale as he took a couple of steps back. He gestured toward the inside of the room at Lin Qiushi, nodding emphatically to say that there was something inside.

So Lin Qiushi got up and looked through the window too.

Through a crack in the curtains, he saw a pair of yellow eyes hidden in the dark. They were fish eyes, with perfectly circular pupils and the whites of the eyes giving off a bright golden glow. They were currently staring out the door with a none-too-friendly expression.

Those eyes slowly moved, like the thing had sensed there were people standing outside. Lin Qiushi saw it slowly open its mouth, filled densely with white teeth and a tongue softly glowing blue.

Hang on…yellow eyes? Lin Qiushi’s breathing froze. He felt that he'd caught onto something, swiftly pulling out his cell phone, turning on the flashlight, and tossing the beam of light in through the curtains.

As the light entered the room, Lin Qiushi could finally see the thing clearly. It was a creature difficult to describe—at least, Lin Qiushi had never seen its like.

It had a gigantic head of a fish and a fragile human body. Because the head was so big and heavy, the creature couldn't even stand straight; both the head and the thin, mismatched body could only sprawl on the floor. Most eye-catching was the long, sharp horn at the top of its head—it looked both piercing and deadly…and the first thing Lin Qiushi thought of was the long sword that killed the Minotaur from the myth.

The fishman's attention was caught by the light Lin Qiushi brought and a strange roar came out of its mouth. Gu Longming saw its strange appearance and couldn't help but rub at his arms, forcing a grin.

"The heck is that thing?"

"What we saw in the first room seems to be this fish-person," Lin Qiushi said. "Remember the yellow eyes from that room?"

Gu Longming nodded that he remembered.

At the mention of the yellow eyes, he finally realized. The eyes of the human-eating fish-monster were not yellow, but a discomforting shock of white. This kind of detail, however, easily blurred in shocking situations, and it was only due to Lin Qiushi's reminder that he could now faintly remember.

"So there are two monsters?" Gu Longming swallowed. "And so the purpose of this monster, could it be…"

His gaze fell on the needle-sharp horn at the top of that monster's head, and said the words Lin Qiushi was thinking.

"The long sword?"

Lin Qiushi: "We can suppose so."

At least so far, they had yet to find another appropriate, weapon-like item on the ship. The truth was, the moment he'd gotten a clear look at this fishman's apperance, Lin Qiushi had had the similar thought. Gu Longming had clearly drawn the same conclusions that he did.

The sound of the two talking seemed to have stimulated the monster inside. It began to crawl about a little violently, twisting about in a grotesque and scary manner.

Seeing its agitation, Lin Qiushi got a bad feeling. So he grabbed Gu Longming and backed up a few steps.

The moment they backed up, a long sharp spike appeared through the solid wood wall in front of them. The thing in the room had used the horn on its head to stab straight through the wall—two, three times, leaving a number of holes behind. Had they not backed away just now—and had gotten unfortunately stabbed—it was easy to see how painful it would've been.

But after Lin Qiushi confirmed the identity of the thing inside the room, time was up for another switch. The room before them disappeared, replaced with just another normal bedroom. The path of the insects changed as well, and the location of that fish swapped to the upper deck.

Gu Longming was disgusted by even the thought of this fish. He'd actually enjoyed eating fish before this door, but after marinading in fish stench for the past few days, he’d become reflexively nauseated at the thought of that taste. The unfortunate likelihood was that even after leaving this door, it would be a while still before he stopped being grossed out by fish.

Lin Qiushi: "Come on, let's go see where Zhu Meng is."

Gu Longming nodded.

The two left the bottom-level deck and headed up. They found Ruan Nanzhu standing on the top deck with his head poked out over the black seawater.

He turned around at the sound of their foot steps.

"What did you find?"

Lin Qiushi said, "I think we found the long sword."

Ruan Nanzhu's eyes gleamed: "You found it?"

Lin Qiushi nodded and gave him a quick rundown of the thing the saw. He emphasized the long horn they'd seen on that fishman monster's head and how it’d looked both sturdy and sharp, like it would make for a great offensive weapon.

As for Ruan Nanzhu, he said that in the room he found, he saw the giant fishman who'd eaten a person the night before.

"But how are we supposed to kill that fishman?" Gu Longming asked, squatting on the planks and dejectedly eating the candy that Lin Qiushi gave him. "I don't think that thing's any easier to deal with than the fish monster we saw before."

What they were most concerned about was not the width, but the depth of the wounding; once a wound got deep, it had a hard time healing, particularly on a ship that lacked medical supplies like this. It was obvious that once stabbed by that horn, even if you didn't die the day of, complications like tetanus, etc.  would kill you in the next few days.

Ruan Nanzhu listened to Gu Longming's worries and comforted him—by saying don't worry, if it really does come to that, we'll finish you off nice and clean.

Gu Longming: "…how about no. Thank you."

Lin Qiushi thought this was something of a paradox. They had to first kill the yellow-eyed fishman before they could kill the monster symbolized by the Minotaur, but that was where the problem lied—how were they supposed to kill the yellow-eyed fishman? Did they really have to just take their dinner knives and go head-to-head with that thing?

As the three were discussing what to do, they heard a sudden ruckus from the dining room, interspersed with shocked shouts and agonized screaming.

At this sound they knew instantly that something else had happened. Lin Qiushi traded a glance with Ruan Nanzhu and turned for the dining room. Before he even went inside, he could smell the thick scent of blood—Lin Qiushi looked down and found a pool of it on the floor planks. A wounded man was lying on the ground inside, covering a wound in his abdomen with his hands. The wound seemed very deep, lumping up and spilling forth bright red blood.

Gu Longming took a few steps forward.

"What happened? How did he get hurt?" He took off his jacket and, using it as bandaging, began treating the victim's wounds in well-trained motions. He was trying to stop the man's bleeding.

Seeing his actions however, Lin Qiushi formulated a guess about Gu Longming's job outside the doors.

"He discovered outside that the insects seemed to be leading in a certain direction, so we followed it." The person speaking was the man's companion—he'd been a bystander and witness to the entire process of how his friend got hurt. He continued shakily: "But when we got there, this long spike came out of the room and stabbed him right in the body."

Gu Longming frowned.

"It doesn't look good, the kidney looks like it's been perforated." There weren't any useful medical supplies at hand either, and considering the blood flow, this person was likely…

A girl nearby said: "I brought a hemostatic spray, can you use that?"

"Give it here," Gu Longming said. "I can only try—treat a dead horse like a live one, right?"[1]

He did his best to tourniquet the person's body to reduce the output of blood. Then, after using up a good half of the hemostatic spray, he managed to stop the ever-flowing bleeding.

"What was the thing that stabbed your friend?" Seeing the person stabilize, someone turned their attention onto the person who was still alive.

"It looked like a fish," the survivor answered. "I'm not sure…I only caught a glimpse before this happened."

"We'll go have a look too." The crowd was clearly interested in this fish, and so dispersed from the dining room.

Moments later, there were only a handful of people left inside.

"How does it look? Will my friend survive?" that person asked Gu Longming plaintively.

Gu Longming sighed, saying, "if he gets out early he might be saved, but…" This wasn't a place they could come to and go from at will.

So everybody quieted down. Gu Longming looked at the blood on his hands and said, "I'm gonna go wash my hands real quick." He got up and went to the bathroom.

The victim's breathing grew weaker and weaker, and even though Gu Longming did all he could, a few hours later, the man still died.

The entire dining room was filled with the thick stench of blood. It was also, coincidentally, time for supper; the Dead Fish Dinner Sets just happened to be placed on the tables, and the stench of the fish plus the smell of blood meant everyone had even less appetite. Nobody even wanted to go through the motions before taking off from the dining room.

Ruan Nanzhu, however, stayed where he was. Lin Qiushi didn't rush him either, because he knew that if Ruan Nanzhu was staying, then Ruan Nanzhu must have his reasons.

Due to the death of the person that afternoon, Gu Longming was a bit down. He poked at the noodles on the plate in front of him without much energy or appetite.

After most people left the dining room, Ruan Nanzhu pulled a few plastic bags out of his clothes.

"What are you planning to do?" Lin Qiushi startled.

Ruan Nanzhu: "I don't think the door would have us go head-to-head with that thing. There's too much of a difference in power."

Lin Qiushi: "So you want…" He watched as Ruan Nanzhu took all the dead fish from the dining table and stuffed his own pockets until they were bulging. "You want to feed the fish to that thing?"

"It was the aperitif that got the Minotaur drunk in the myth," Ruan Nanzhu said. "We pretty much know what the aperitif refers to now."

The eaten fish was fermented inside the belly, to be tasted once the stomach was split open; it was truly a kind of appetizer liquor.

So Ruan Nanzhu wanted to use the dead fish to lure the Minotaur to the yellow-eyed fish monster. They didn't know if it would work, but they had to give it a try.

This method, after all, was a lot more reliable than bringing a dining knife to a fish fight.

Ruan Nanzhu packed up all the dead fish and took them to go, following the path of the insects to once again find the room where the yellow-eyed fish monster resided.

There were already many more holes in the room; it had clearly used the sharp weapon on its head to make them.

Ruan Nanzhu gestured for Lin Qiushi and Gu Longming to stand further away as he tossed, with a single throw, the fish in his hand through a gap in the window.

The dead fish splattered all over the ground. That yellow-eyed fish monster pounced on them in excitement. It picked them up with its hands and began an aggressive gnawing; it ate quickly, and finished in short time the entire bag of fish that Ruan Nanzhu tossed in. It was a good thing they were prepared, quickly throwing in the other few bags of fish as well.

As it ate, Ruan Nanzhu stood watching from the side. Lin Qiushi was a big worried about him getting hurt though, since the blood from the last victim was still dripping in display on the window.

The yellow-eyed fishman finished all the fish, not leaving behind any heads, even. When it was full, it looked on, contented, before going to sleep on the ground just like that.

"Let's go," Ruan Nanzhu said to Lin Qiushi.

It was already a bit dark outside, and even though he really wanted to see what would happen here tonight, staying out was not a smart move.

So the three went and found another room they could rest in, and got in bed waiting for evening to arrive.

The last beam of light disappeared with the sun descending beneath the horizon. It was a moonless evening, with only the howling sea winds and the storm clouds like a piece of fabric hung up in the sky.

Lin Qiushi couldn't really sleep, staring idly out the window.

Ruan Nanzhu had first been in a different bed, but mid-sleep he'd somehow scooted over beside Lin Qiushi. So the two were now squeezed together.

They didn't speak, nor did they even look at each other. The way they simply knew each other was as if they'd already experienced hundreds and thousands of the exact scenario before them now.

They were both waiting—waiting on the answer to their experiment.

Around three in the morning, their waiting finally yielded results.

Lin Qiushi's ears caught something like the roar of a wild beast—and then the sounds of a violent battle. They were quite far from those sounds, and couldn't really make out what was happening, but the battle lasted for a very long time. It wasn't until the sun was almost up again that it gradually faded away.

"Who do you think won?" Ruan Nanzhu asked quietly.

"I don't know," Lin Qiushi said. "There's no difference either way."

Though things were mostly going as planned, something still happened that exceeded their expectations—not long after the sound of fighting stopped, there came the sound of human crying and screaming on the ship. When he heard this, Lin Qiushi jumped, crawling out of bed and going to the window. He wanted to see exactly what was happening outside, but the evening was too dark and he couldn't make out anything at all.

Luckily, Ruan Nanzhu's vision came into use at a key moment. He saw the fishman drag a struggling human onto the upper deck.

"How could this be?!" When Lin Qiushi heard Ruan Nanzhu's description, he couldn't believe it. "Nobody ate any fish inside the dining room today—"

Ruan Nanzhu's brow puckered. "You…remember the guy that Jian Qianyuan injured yesterday?"

Lin Qiushi: "…" He nodded.

Ruan Nanzhu: "I don't think he came to the dining room at all today."

Lin Qiushi's attention had been on the two monsters all day, and he hadn't noticed: "But isn't it a good thing that he didn't come to the dining room?"

Not coming to the dining room meant that he didn't eat the fish, so why would the monster target him?

Ruan Nanzhu only grimaced.

"It's not only the dining room that has fish."

Lin Qiushi: "…" He immediately remembered that filthy kitchen.

"There's plenty of fish to be had in the kitchen," Ruan Nanzhu said. "There's got to be a sacrifice."

Lin Qiushi sighed. He'd thought that there wouldn't need to be a sacrifice tonight, but now that he thought about it, he’d been naive. It wasn't kind inside the doors at all. The longer they stayed here, the worse the casualties would be.

That person's screams gradually faded, leaving behind only the silence of a long evening.

Before morning came, Lin Qiushi managed to get some sleep. But he didn't know whether it was due to a nightmare or if he didn't actually manage to sleep—he kept feeling that for the rest of the evening, that thing had kept circling the room they were in. He'd even smelled that nauseating stench of fish.

On day three, none of the three were in good spirits. They hadn't slept well for the past few nights, disturbed as they'd been with a number of things.

Conducting several days of christening meant the group was already numb to another body appearing on deck. They got rid of the body in well-trained motions and scrubbed the deck clean, returning to the day like nothing had happened at all.

Lin Qiushi's attention was not on the deck. He went off to the dining room early, hoping to find trace of the bugs. But disappointingly, the insects that had formed the string yesterday had disappeared.

"There's no rush." Ruan Nanzhu glanced at his watch. "It's still early."

"Mh," Lin Qiushi said in understanding.

Without the string, they couldn't find the two monsters, so they could only keep waiting.

At around eleven or so, the scenario that Lin Qiushi had been waiting on finally appeared—the NPC that became the insects yesterday showed up once more in the dining room. He wore the same clothes, had the same expression, and looked just like an NPC who kept resetting in a game.

They didn't need Ruan Nanzhu this time for someone to approach this NPC and pat him hard on the shoulder.

So the same thing that happened yesterday happened again. The insects swarmed then dispersed, disappearing from inside the dining room, and at the same time, two lines of insects formed outside, leading off in unknown directions.

Lin Qiushi, Ruan Nanzhu, and Gu Longming began following a string to find the place they were looking for. A few minutes later, they came upon the exterior of a room. Compared to yesterday, it looked very different, because it was readily apparent from the outside that last night, this room had been the site of a vicious battle. The wooden window slats were completely crushed, and the lock that hung on the door had also been torn violently off.

It seemed like the two monsters did have a fierce battle between them. Judging by the final incident from the night before, however, it seemed that the giant fishman had gotten the advantage.

[Ch. 123] | [Ch. 125]

[sky-berrie]

Goodnight - Damian

Summary: Damian pays you a visit at night ft. the one bed trope.

It was a typical eerie night in Gotham and as usual, you spent it alone in your room. You were completely engrossed in the murder documentary streaming on your laptop, the game of Tetris on your cell phone, and the barbeque potato chips you were shoving into your mouth. You were so unaware of your surroundings that you jumped right out of your seat and yelped when you felt a hand on your shoulder.

“Relax, Y/N,” said Damian, casually. “It is only me.” He was dressed in his Robin uniform. It was clean which meant that he was probably unharmed.

You scowled at him as your felt your heart beat wildly against your ribcage. Your eyes traveled to the open window. You were certain that you had secured the latch, added the anti-lift bar and activated the alarm not twenty minutes ago. Your newfound interest in murder mysteries kept you awake a night, so you amped up your security to give yourself some peace of mind. It should have been impossible for anyone to break in, but here Damian was, standing inside your apartment bedroom.

“Stop abusing your power like that,” you scolded.

“Stop leaving yourself vulnerable,” he countered, without missing a beat.

“I didn’t! Did you not see the steel bar and alarm?” you said with indignation. You had to wonder how he managed to slip in. In another life, he could be a magician, you thought.

“Indeed, I did notice,” he said. “It is quite the cute little system you have.” His smirk was as condescending as ever.

You rolled your eyes and huffed. You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of getting a big reaction out of you.

Damian’s expression softened. “I am glad that you installed that, though. Now I do not have to worry so much about you when I am away.”

You had no idea how to formulate a response to a comment that was not an insult or sarcasm. You awkwardly changed the subject instead, “So… you need something or…?”

Damian looked at you expectantly as if he was waiting for you to continue. “Do not end your sentence with a conjunction,” he chastised you. “Proper grammar is imperative for effective communication.” You rolled your eyes again. Sometimes he was insufferable.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said. And sometimes he was almost sweet.

His gloved finger gently tipped your face upwards so he could inspect it thoroughly. You found his concern rather considerate until he opened his mouth again. Damian’s face contorted into an expression of disgust before he said, “You are beginning to look like Drake.” Although Tim was very attractive, you knew how Damian felt about his adoptive brother. His statement was not to be mistaken as a compliment.

You pulled away and rolled your eyes again. “Got it. You came here to annoy me. Mission accomplished. You ready to leave now?” You pointed to the window.

“I am being serious, Y/N, you look unwell…” He looked around your desk space with a horrified expression. “And I can see why. When was the last time you slept?”

“Uh,” you blew a raspberry as you thought about it. “Yester…today?” you said, but it came out as a question. Damian looked unimpressed. “No, today. Definitely today,” you stated with more confidence.

You could tell Damian didn’t buy it. “What day is it today?” he challenged.

Your eyes roamed around the room in search of clues. The date and time weren’t visible on your electronics. You took a stab in the dark. “Saturday.”

Damian crossed his arms over his chest. “It is Sunday night.”

“Oh…” you pursed your lips sheepishly. Sometimes the days blurred together.

“That is it,” he said with finality. He closed your laptop. “You are banned from watching murder mysteries videos at night.” He went for your phone next. He raised it up for you to see your game of Tetris disappearing as he powered it off. “I am confiscating your phone every evening from now on.”

“What?” you whined, lunging out for your phone. Damian tucked it away and out of reach in the inner pocket of his uniform.

“You are getting time limits. Blue light disrupts your circadian rhythm - no laptop or phone after 10 pm.” He grabbed the crinkly chip bag. “And these, well, you really should not eat these ever. Do you know how much sodium is in this bag? Your arteries will know.” He tossed the half-empty bag into the trash can beside your desk.

“No!” You protested. He had no right to order you around.

“Yes,” he asserted. You watched him fluff up your pillows, tuck the sheets firmly under the mattress, and smooth out the bed spread. “You are going to bed now. Get in.” He lifted the covers for you.

“Yeah, no thanks,” you chuckled humourlessly. You just wanted to finish watching the unsolved mystery of the Gruesome Gotham Murders of 1902 and be so terrified that you can’t sleep for the next three days.

“Y/N,” he said sternly, indicating that he wasn’t in the mood for an argument.

“Fine,” you grumbled. You knew Damian was stubborn and wouldn’t take no for an answer. You figured that you would get in bed to appease him and get rid of him, then you could resume watching your video.

You stomped extra loudly across your room to make a point. You huffed loudly as you crawled into bed. He pulled the covers up to your chin and tucked you in as if you were a little kid.

“Good night,” said Damian.

“Yeah, bye,” you replied impatiently.

Your eyes following Damian as he flicked off your lamp. Once your eyes adjusted to the darkness, you realized that Damian was taking off his Robin uniform. He stripped down to his undershirt and hung the tunic over the back of your chair before sitting down. “What are you doing?” you asked, raising yourself up on your forearms.

“I am going to stay,” he said, like it was the most normal sentence in the entire world.

“Um, come again?”

“I know you are afraid to go to sleep, so I will stay and make sure you feel safe… even though it is self inflicted fear and I ought to leave you so you learn your lesson. I do not know why you insist on watching murder mysteries knowing that you are going to be frightened.”

“While that’s a very nice offer, it’s also super unnecessary. I’m okay,” you lied. You couldn’t let him stay overnight in your chair just because you had an overactive imagination.

Damian raised a hand to silence your argument. “It is not up for debate. I will stay right here and you will get some sleep.”

“But you need to sleep, too,” you reasoned.

Damian shrugged. “I will make do here.”

Your throat was suddenly dry as you prepared to make a compromise. “You could… sleep… here… in my bed?” You prayed that he wasn’t repulsed by your invitation to share your bed. You and Damian were just friends but somewhere along the way your feelings changed. You caught yourself noticing things about him that you found attractive… like the way his eyes were so expressive and always told you what he was thinking… or how he carried himself with strength and confidence, even if it could be annoying sometimes.

You held your breath in anticipation. The last thing you wanted was to scare him off. “Okay,” he casually accepted. While you were relieved that he wasn’t mortified by the thought of sharing your bed, you were a nervous wreck now.

You shuffled over to the very edge of your twin sized bed to make room for Damian. As he lay down, the side of his warm arm brushed against yours. You skittishly scooted away but tumbled out of bed.

Damian peered over the edge of the bed and his brows knit together in confusion. “What on earth are you doing?” he asked.

“Nothing,” you said, too quickly to sound normal. You tittered nervously as you climbed back under the covers. This time you lay on your side and faced away from him to put some distance between you two and to hide your embarrassment.

“Come closer, Y/N. I do not want you to fall off again.”

You shifted infinitesimally closer.

“Closer,” instructed Damian.

You inched towards him but left a good distance separating you two.

“There’s plenty of space here,” he encouraged.

You quickly came up with an excuse. “I toss and turn in my sleep. I don’t want to hurt you by accident.”

Damian let out a hearty laugh.

“What?” you asked with indignance. You rolled over onto your back so you could see him.

“Nothing,” he denied, stifling his mirth.

“Tell me,” you demanded.

“The thought of you, in your footie pajamas, thinking that you could injure a highly skilled assassin, is quite comical. Don’t flatter yourself. Now, come here and go to sleep.” Damian patted the empty space beside him.

This time you listened and moved towards the centre of the bed. You were so close to Damian that you could feel the heat radiating off his skin. The warmth was drawing you even closer to him but you reprimanded yourself and forced yourself to remain eerily still to avoid another accidental contact. Damian turned his head and you felt his eyes on you. “Are you all right?” he asked.

“Y-yeah,” you squeaked. You bit you lip anxiously. Your hand played with a loose thread on the blanket.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes,” you said, this time more confidently although you weren’t fooling him.

“You need not be afraid of the dark, Y/N, especially when I am here.”

You knew that already. You always felt safe when you were with Damian, even before you knew he was Robin. There was something comforting about his self-assurance that made situations less scary. But that’s not what was making you jittery.

“Why do you bother watching murder mysteries? They always overlook clues and never investigate thoroughly. Besides, you have a real detective right here,” Damian said, with a tone of umbrage.

You shrugged and tilted your head. “They’re fun,” was your simple answer.

Damian cocked an eyebrow. “Being so petrified that you cannot sleep alone is fun?”

“I don’t know. I guess I admire you for being Robin.” You don’t know why you said that. You really shouldn’t be feeding his ego. It’s big enough as it is. You kept talking, against your better judgement. “Watching you solve mysteries and fight for justice got me interested in true crime.”

Damian only hummed in response. He was quiet for a while and you thought that maybe he had drifted to off to sleep. Finally, he said, “Would you like to know who committed the Gruesome Gotham Murders of 1902?”

You gasped and turned on your side to face him. You were only a few inches away from him now, but you didn’t even register his proximity. Your anxiety was long forgotten and replaced by curiosity. “You know who did it?”

“Of course,” he confirmed.

“How?” you breathed with skepticism. The case had been undertaken by several of the most high-profile detectives and private investigators over the decades and none were able to solve it. In fact, no new leads had been uncovered in the last eighty years.

Damian rolled his eyes. “Batman and Robin are, without a doubt, the best detective duo in history. Not to mention, that case was child’s play.”

You scoffed. “I don’t believe you. Show me some proof,” you said, calling his bluff.

“Very well, then. I will show you the file the next time you visit the manor.”

“If you’ve solved it, why don’t you tell the authorities then?”

“We have. It is connected to several active cases so the GCPD is not able to release any information to the public yet.”

You scrutinized his face, looking for any signs of a fib. He didn’t waver under your intense stare, but then again, he was accustomed to the batglare so your measly glare was probably ineffective. You decided to trust him. “Who did it?”

Damian turned on his side as well and propped up his head with his arm so that he could look down at you. He pretended to think about it, building up the suspense. “If you go to sleep now, I’ll tell you tomorrow morning,” he said, almost playfully.

“What?” you exclaimed.

“Better get to sleep right away,” he warned.

You couldn’t believe he would tease you like this. There was no way you’d be able to sleep knowing that the answer to the city’s most enigmatic mystery was lying right beside you. You huffed angrily and flopped back down onto your mattress.

Damian let out a deep laugh in response. You grabbed a spare pillow and tried to whack him, but he anticipated your attack and caught it. “Damian Wayne, you are the absolute worst.”

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

[twdeadfanfic]

Vows Pt.4

Daryl Dixon x Reader

Series Summary:

The last battle with Negan doesn’t go as it should, with Negan coming on top, and so reader, Daryl’s girlfriend, offers herself as a wife to Negan if he doesn’t kill Daryl or anyone else. Negan accepts, he won’t kill anyone but will take reader as a wife, and he’ll take Daryl and some of the others to the Sanctuary as prisoners, promising not to hurt anyone if reader is one of his wives and the communities work for him.

This has both flashbacks to reader and Daryl’s story since meeting to now, and the present with reader living at the Sanctuary as a wife, trying to keep Daryl and their people safe, and she and the other wives dealing with Negan, plotting… (This is not a Negan x reader fic!)

This chapter has Negan in it but also a bit flashback to when Daryl and reader met.

The next day was strange, to be there in a room at the Sanctuary, but you had to remind yourself that it could be worse. All you did was stay in the room with the other women, getting to know them more, sharing stories about your life, reminding you of your first days back at the quarry, when you met new people, so long ago. It still felt surreal, to be in a luxurious room, with food, books, magazines, booze, even DVDs, and in the apocalypse.

Yes, you knew it could be worse…you could be in a cell, like Daryl and the others, you could be starved and tortured as people had been at the Sanctuary…but yet, you hated that feeling of being trapped, and the feeling of dread only got worse when late that day, the door of the room opened and Negan walked in, already with that shit-eating grin

“Hi, ladies.”

“Hi, Negan,” the others greeted, but the words didn’t make it past your lips.

He walked around the room, sometimes approaching any of the wives, who’d smile mechanically at him, and he kissed Abby when he walked past her but didn’t stop, instead going to the sofa where Amber was drinking, silent tears falling down her cheeks.

Negan shook his head, letting out a sigh, and he sat down next to her. “Amber, darling,” he placed his hand on her cheek and made her look at him. “We talked about it, I don’t want you here if you’re going to be sad. As you all know, nobody is here against their will.” Negan glanced at you at that before looking at Amber again and you tried not to scoff. “So, if you want to stop being married to me and go back to whatever work you had to earn points for your parents, you know you can.”

“No, Negan, I want to be here, I love you,” Amber said, sounding like a robot that had rehearsed it. You wondered if Negan would expect you to say those words too, but you were sure you’re insides would burn if you ever said that.

“Good...then maybe you should stop being drunk and crying all the time, right, sweetheart?” Negan let go of Amber’s face when she nodded. “I’d tell you to come to the bedroom, have some fun, see if you feel better…but I had other plans.” Negan got up from the sofa. “Y/N, bedroom.”

You blinked, taken aback. You hadn’t thought that Negan would call for you, you had been with him last night. “Me?”

“Is there any other Y/N?” Negan gave you that shit-eating grin that you wanted to kick. “Yes, you, come on.”

“I haven’t even put on lotion today, I don’t smell like cake,” your mouth said before your brain could stop it, but Negan’s grin went to bigger, and so did the mischief in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, darling, I have some in my bedroom, I’ll lather you with it myself, get you smelling all nice for me, my little dessert,” he taunted you with that damn grin, and you bit your tongue. “Come on.”

Negan began walking to his bedroom and you looked at the other women. “Didn’t he have a wife for each day of the week?” You whispered and Tanya snorted.

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“Y/N!” Came Negan’s voice from the corridor, and so you took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and followed him.

*

You were sat down on the bed, tugging at the sheet to wrap it around you, looking everywhere but at Negan. “Can I leave?”

“No,” Negan answered and you frowned, you had expected him to say yes, maybe send someone else. You looked at him and he was smiling as if he were again trying to annoy you.

You rolled your eyes. “What do you want me to do, then?”

“Talk.” Negan grinned and if he was trying to annoy you he was succeeding.

“Seriously? You want to talk to me?” You said, but then, you had always thought that Negan loved to hear himself speak, so maybe it wasn’t that strange, but probably he’d better talk to any of the other wives that were better at pretending to listen.

“Yes, doll, I feel like I should be honest with you,” Negan began, reaching to place a hand on your thigh, under the sheet, and once again you had to fight the instinct of slapping it. “I wouldn’t have killed Daryl, you know, if you hadn’t married me.”

“Yeah, sure.” You scoffed.

“I wouldn’t…Rick? Sure, I would have killed him there, in front of all of you, right that moment, I can’t let go of what he did, people need an example,” Negan kept going. “Dwight…I’d have killed that fucking rat too.”

You were about to say that you didn’t give a shit about what happened to Dwight and that he was not part of the deal, but Negan kept speaking.

“Eugine…I don’t know…” Negan hummed. “He crossed me, I want to kill him, but that awesome brain of his, I want to use it. I want to take his brain out of his head and put it in someone else’s.”

“Don’t we all,” you muttered, and Negan chuckled.

“You’re fun, Y/N…could be fun, if you weren’t so focused on hating me,” he said and you scoffed.

“Yes, because you gave me no reasons.”

Negan just chuckled again and he stretched on the bed. “I just think, if you weren’t so focused on hating me? You could see how life here is not bad at all.”

You decided not to comment on that. “So, you’d have killed Rick, Dwight, and Eugine, but nobody else,” you said, instead. “You’d have let Daryl live.”

Negan hummed and nodded. “I’d have brought him here to his cell, start right where we left it, let him see what happens when you ran away from me and go against me, so…yeah, I guess he’d have eventually died.” He shrugged and you scoffed.

“Jeez, great, that’s so much better than having killed him right there.” At least you hoped that you were keeping Daryl safe dealing with all this Negan bullshit.

“I like you, Y/N,” Negan said, throwing you off. “You get annoyed easily and when you’re annoyed you’re funny and cute.” Well…funny and cute was not what you went for when you were annoyed, but you didn’t care what Negan thought, it wasn’t like you could show him how you were when you were annoyed. “So…don’t try to find out what happens to someone when they try to run from me and go against me. It’d be a pity.”

“I wasn’t planning on,” you scoffed. “Being this charming, small wonder that you need to blackmail women so they marry you.” If Negan wanted to see you annoyed, he was going to get it.

“Oh, wow, doll.”  Negan gave you that dangerous smile. “Someone has ever told you that you’re pretty charming yourself?” You just shrugged. “Look at you…you kept doggy Daryl on his toes, uh? Yeah, you wore the pants, don’t you, doll? Fuck him in the ass too?”

“If that’s what you wanted from me, you could have just say it,” you said, shrugging, trying not to let Negan get to you, and he chuckled.

“So tell me doll…doggy Daryl and you, was it love at first sight, uh?” Negan smiled, it was obvious that he was enjoying bugging you, you didn’t want to talk about Daryl. “Let me guess…he was fucking prince charming coming to the rescue and you fell right into his arms while your panties dropped to the ground.”

You really didn’t want to talk about Daryl, but you couldn’t help your snort, as you remembered…

“You crazy bitch!”

“Yeah…yeah, he was fucking prince charming when we met,” you said. “The first time I saw him, he called me a crazy bitch and almost run me over with his bike, how could my panties not drop at that.”

Then…

You were running at fast as you could, panting, but those monsters were everywhere. A couple of days ago, someone in your town had started to show those symptoms that the TV was talking about, and now, it seemed as if the whole town had turned into monsters.

You didn’t know what to do, monsters all around, when you heard what you thought was the engine of a bike. The road that crossed your town was a secondary one, barely anyone used it anymore, yet a bike seemed to be approaching.

You didn’t know what else to do, and so you ran towards the noise. It was indeed a man on a bike, who had turned out to be Daryl, but you didn’t care who he was, he was a human, someone alive, and you all but jumped in front of the bike so he wouldn’t just keep riding.

Daryl slammed the breaks in time to not run you over, turning the bike, which skidded across the pavement and ended up falling to the ground, and you stared at it in horror. Great, maybe you had killed the only alive person around.

Daryl was okay, though, and he recovered quick.“What the fuck!” He yelled as he kicked the bike off him and got up, lifting the bike again and glaring at you. “What the hell are you doin’, you crazy bitch?! Want to get killed and make me kill myself in the process?!”

“Please, help me, please,” you had been too scared to react to his words. “Please, please, they’re everywhere.”

A few walkers were already making their way to the road, attracted to the sound. Daryl grabbed a crossbow that was attached to the bike and began shooting at them, putting them down without a word to you, and then he went to retrieve his arrows while you stood there, unsure of what to do. There was a bigger group coming and you gasped at it. Daryl noticed too, making his way back to the bike, swinging his leg over it, and you wondered if he’d ride away and leave you there, what would you do.

“Come on, ain’t got all day!” he yelled at you and you nodded, rushing to get on the bike too.

No sooner had you wrapped your arms around him, tight, Daryl was already speeding up. He rode fast, faster than you had ever driven on a car, and it was a bit scary, you hadn’t been used to bikes back then, even if now it felt almost like second nature. You held to him even tighter and even buried your face on the back of that stranger to not see everything flying around you. Daryl had tensed, though you had barely noticed, busy as you were wondering if you were going to fell off the bike and die, but you hadn’t, and Daryl had kept riding for a long while, stopping only when you seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.

He shook you off him and got up from the bike, looking at you, and so you got up too, feeling very awkward now. “Thank you,” you said when Daryl still just looked at you in silence. “You saved my life.”

“Yeah, and you almost killed me,” Daryl said harshly, lifting the side of his shirt slightly to inspect his skin, and you felt guilty when you noticed some bruises and rashes. “Crazy bitch…” he muttered.

“I’m sorry, really, I am,” you apologized. “But those monsters were everywhere and I heard your bike, I was afraid you wouldn’t’ see me and wouldn’t stop…” Or maybe that he wouldn’t stop even if he saw you. “I thought that the monsters would tear me into pieces, the whole town is infected.”

“Mine too,” Daryl murmured and you guessed maybe that’s why he was on his own too.

“My…my family and friends…they…I saw some and they had become those things…and others were getting eaten…” You had been in shock and then you had been running for your life, you had barely had time to process all that, and now it all hit you so hard that breathing got hard. “Oh god…they’re…they’re dead…they’re dead.”

You shook as tears filled your eyes and you gasped for breath, falling onto the ground as your legs stopped supporting you, and you buried your face into your hands. When you looked up, Daryl was just standing there in front of you, silent and awkward, chewing on his thumbnail. You remembered that he had called you crazy bitch. You guessed that he still thought you were that. But he was alive while everyone else seemed to be dead, and that was a plus.

“Are you…are you going to one of those refugee and military camps that they talked about on the radio?” You asked, trying to stop crying, and Daryl shook his head. “Where’re you going then?” Maybe he had just been riding away from walkers with no destination, he’d said that his town was all infected too.

“I’m gonna find my brother.”

“Oh…okay.” You guessed that it made sense, but it sounded a bit crazy and impossible, with everything that was going on.

You didn’t know what to do yourself…you guessed you should try to go to one of those camps. You weren’t near any, though, and if everything was infested with monsters, you weren’t sure you could reach the place without being devoured, but you guessed that you couldn’t do anything but try. You got up and looked around in despair, wondering where you were, where to go, and how.

“What you gonna do?” Daryl asked harshly while you kept looking around, and you let out a hopeless sigh.

“Go to one of those camps…can you tell me where are we?” If he had a map to point it to you, it’d be so great.

“Alone?” Daryl asked and you shrugged and nodded, he could see that you were by yourself. “You got no weapons.” You shrugged again. You didn’t and you didn’t know how to use them anyway…and by the way, who was this guy who wielded a crossbow and killed monsters as if it were nothing.

“You..uh…just…get on the bike again, if you wanna,” Daryl muttered, barely audible, getting onto the bike and turning it on.

“Really?”You blinked at him.

“Yeah, I ain’t got all day, come on.”

You took a look at Daryl…he looked rough and harsh, you felt like he was trouble, he looked a bit dangerous too, in a way...he was big and strong, a bit intimidating if he might want to hurt you, but it hadn’t seemed like so, for now at least. And he was alive, such a basic thing, but now it seemed to mean everything for you. Before, you wouldn’t have gotten alone into a car with a stranger like him, but now…now you felt as if you didn’t want to be one meter away from that crossbow-wielding, rough-looking, harsh-spoken, alive stranger.

“Okay.” You nodded. “Okay, thank you.”

Daryl didn’t say anything else, just nodded courtly and awkwardly, you got situated behind him, feeling shy about holding to him now that you were not in panic.

“Where’s your brother?” You felt like this looking for his brother thing was a bit reckless and dangerous, wherever his brother was, probably it was all infected too, maybe he was dead…but sure you weren’t going to say that to Daryl and be left on your own. He was alive, while everyone else around you seemed to be dead, so right now, being with someone alive seemed to be the best thing you could get.

“He, uh…was sent to the county jail, was uh…arrested a couple of days ago …guess they never made it to the prison,” Daryl explained as the bike kicked into motion, and you held tightly to him. “But he can’t be far.”

Well…that really hadn’t sounded promising at all, and you wondered why exactly had his brother been sent to jail, but you hadn’t had much choice other than going with Daryl. Little did you know then the great decision you had made.

Now…

“He called you a bitch and almost run you over with his bike, and you got all wet? Who would have thought you were into that, darling,” Negan said and you rolled your eyes.

“In all fairness, I jumped in front of his bike.” You shrugged. “I don’t want to talk about Daryl.”

“No?” Negan smirked and you shook your head.

“Two nights with me and you already want to forget him…” Negan chuckled and you did your best not to roll your eyes. “Okay, whatever you wish, darling…then come here and put that sweet tongue to a better use.”

Abby had told you that this would feel like routine at some point, but you didn’t know when, and you couldn’t wait for it to feel like that, or in any way that it wasn’t how you felt then.

*

You had been at the Sanctuary for almost two weeks, and you had been called by Negan to sleep with him and listen to his bullshit more than a few times, but it still didn’t feel like routine and you were starting to think that it’d never do and Abby had just said that to make you feel better.

The one wife for each day of the week thing had been, indeed, bullshit. Negan would call for any of you no matter the day, though he didn’t usually had the same one in a row more than a couple of times, and most times he wasn’t content with having just one of you.

During those days, you had seen the other wives talk shit about Negan and laugh at him while you all were alone, and then, when he was there, they’d turn into the sweetest things, they’d talk to him, laugh at his jokes, boost his ego, flirt with him, anything…

You didn’t know how they did it, but it kept Negan in a good mood, and that was a good thing, an important thing, you knew it, even if you weren’t able to do that. Also, when they did their best to get Negan happy, sometimes they’d ask for things and he’d comply, whether it were stuff for them, like a book or something like that, or even stuff for the people that they had outside, a little bit more of food one day or a medical checkout without expending extra credits.

You knew you could take advantage of that too, if not for you, for your people, try to get something more for them out of this situation…but still, you couldn’t get yourself to do it. Whenever Negan called for you, you’d be annoyed and disgusted, and you didn’t bother hiding it much.

You were now watching how Noemi, sat down next to Negan in one of the sofas, was listening with rapture, or at least pretending to, to whatever Negan was telling her about his day. She laughed whenever he did one of those stupid crude jokes, throwing compliments here and there, stroking Negan’s arm or face as if he deserved the tenderness, leaned into his touches…you were honestly impressed, you still felt like punching Negan whenever he touched you. Soon, Negan was getting up, holding Noemi’s hand and taking her with him to the bedroom.

“You could do that too, you know? He’d be nicer with you and get you things.” Lila told you, and Abby too had already told you how your life would be easier and you could get more out of this if you played nice, but you hadn’t been able to get yourself to do it, so you just shrugged.

“You never told me why are you here, who are you protecting?” You asked instead.

“Nobody..well, myself.” Lila shrugged. “I have asthma, it can get pretty bad, I think I’d have suffocated by now if Negan didn’t find me my medication.”

“And in exchange, you only have to sleep with him, how nice of him.” You scoffed but Lila just shrugged.

“It’s better than suffocate.”

You rolled your eyes but didn’t say anything, instead, you poured yourself a glass of wine and busied yourself with one of the magazines that you had there. If you were trapped there, at least you planned on emptying all Negan expensive wine…petty, stupid revenge, but there wasn’t much that you could do.

Later, Noemi came back, and she made her way to Amber, who was on another sofa, drinking. “Sweetheart, Negan wants you to go now,” Noemi told her softly and Amber nodded but didn’t move. Noemi took the glass from her hand, leaving it on the table, and then tugged her up onto her feet. “Come on, go, and don’t cry again this time, okay?” Amber nodded in silence again, and made her way to Negan’s bedroom.

“He’s going to kick her out of here if she doesn’t get herself together,” Noemi said, flopping down on the sofa and taking Amber’s discarded glass of booze.

“Yeah, well, he killed his boyfriend, he should understand her crying when he makes her have sex with him,” you scoffed but Noemi just shrugged.

“He wouldn’t.”

“Yeah, no shit…”

*

So...yeah, that’s how reader and Daryl met, feral full of anger season 1 Daryl. This flashback will continue on the next chapter with their journey to find Merle.

If you enjoyed this, comments and reblogs are always more than welcome, thanks.

Also, as always, excuse my English, it’s not my first language.

IF YOUR TAG IS IN BOLD IT’S BECAUSE I CAN’T MAKE IT WORK (AS YOU KNOW i’M MAKING A NEW TAGLIST)

New taglist for Daryl, if you want to be (un)tagged please let me know.

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[nowandajenn]

Blue Christmas-Seven

 Pairing: Chris Evans/OC Kelly

Summary: After almost three years of marriage, everyone would tell you that Chris and his wife Kelly are the most stable, solid couple they know. But behind closed doors, things are tense as they keep trying for a baby, to no avail. When a secret threatens to shake their solid marriage to it’s core, will they be able to pick up the pieces?

Warnings: major angst, language

I do not consent to have my content, whether it be this story or anything else of my creation, posted by a third party on any other platform other than right here without my permission. This blog is 18+ and is not intended for minors. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Heed the warnings.

*this chapter has been completely rewritten.

Christmas Day

One day I’ll wake up and I won’t want to immediately feel like I’m going to die. Today is not that day, apparently. 

When I blink my eyes open, the very first thing I see is Dodger’s furry face. He’s laying on the bed next to be with his head on my chest, staring intently at me like he’s been waiting for me to wake up. He does this constantly to Chris and I, and we always find it hilarious. 

“Hi, baby.” I whisper, my voice hoarse from all the crying and the whiskey last night. I’m in our bed and to my immense relief, I’m dressed in a pair of soft sweats and a T shirt, which I have no memory of putting on. 

After we got back here last night, I went straight to the liquor cabinet and poured us both a drink and put on A Muppet Christmas Carol and cried and bitched and ranted about how much of a bitch my mom was, and Chris just kept quiet and let me vent. At some point I remember almost falling asleep on the couch and Chris nudging me awake, and then....nothing. 

I glance over at the nightstand and see that Chris plugged my cell phone in for me to charge overnight and there’s Advil and a gatorade sitting there. I don’t know how much good Advil is going to do since it feels like there’s an elephant sitting on my head, but what the hell. 

After peeing and brushing my teeth and hair to at least appear somewhat human, I make my way to the kitchen and stop in my tracks. Lisa is standing at the stove making what looks and smells like french toast and bacon, and there’s coffee brewing. Chris is sitting at the dining room table (after the debauchery that occurred on top of it a week ago, I’m sincerely hoping that Chris went at it with a ton of Lysol) looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. 

My fight or flight urge kicks in and I’m two paces into going back into the bedroom when I feel something soft but sturdy hit me in the back. 

In a flash, Dodger is at my feet, devouring the croissant that Lisa threw at me. 

“Not so fast. Get in here.” Lisa says. The look on her face and the tone of her voice leaves no room for argument. I turn back around and walk into the kitchen, leaning in to give Lisa a hug. 

“I’m sorry. I should have called.” I say softly. 

“Yeah, you should have. But that’s not why I’m here.”

The food finishes a a few minutes later and I help her plate it up and bring it to the table. Once we’re all seated, Lisa looks from me to Chris. 

“So, who wants to tell me what the hell has been going on the past few weeks?”

“Mom-” Chris starts. 

“No, save it. Something big is going on, and you’ve been lying to me about it. And I know you’re lying because you suck at it. And Scott knows what’s going on because every time I ask him about it, he looks like he’s about to puke. Now here’s what I know: you guys apparently had a fight. Kelly’s been staying with her brother in the city. I can’t get either one of you to tell me anything, which is a HUGE red flag, because neither of you have ever been shy about coming to me about anything. Now what is going on?”

I lace my fingers together and rest my fists under my chin. 

I know this is going to kill Chris. And it’s going to kill Lisa. And it’s going to kill me to have to fucking hear the words come out of his mouth again. And there’s a good possibility that Lisa will kill Chris, or at the very least beat the piss out of him.There’s a whole lot of killing that’s going to happen. 

Chris looks at me with such a profound sadness in his eyes that it nearly breaks my heart. 

“Just tell her. Get it over with.” I say sadly. 

“The reason Kelly hasn’t been here is because......” I watch as his eyes shine with tears and his adams apple bobs up and down in his throat. I close my eyes and try and brace myself for the words that brought my world down a few weeks ago. “I slept with someone. I cheated on her.” Lisa’s jaw drops and she looks to Chris, who’s barely keeping it together and then to me, my jaw clenched tight and my eyes closed. 

Seconds pass without a sound. Then a minute. Then two. 

“YOU DID WHAT?!”

Her gaze swings to me and I can see her eyes brimming with tears. She reaches across the table and grabs my hand, squeezing it tightly. 

“I didn’t want anyone to find out until after the holidays. I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s Christmas.” I say softly. 

I watch Chris swallow thickly. 

“Honey-”

“No. You don’t get to talk right now. You were raised better than this. I raised you to be better than this. I’ve been proud of you you’re entire life, but right now.....right now I’m so disappointed in you I can barely stand it.”

I take my coffee and my plate up to my office on the second floor, not wanting to be there or listen as Lisa lays into Chris. As it is, I can still hear her yelling without hearing what’s being said. 

I knew everything was going to come out sooner or later. I just really wished that it would happen after the holidays. Between the disaster with my family last night, I guess it’s only fair that Chris has his turn. 

There’s a knock on the door as I’m finishing my coffee, and Lisa opens the door a bit, and I can tell that she’s been crying. 

“I don’t even know what to say.” she tells me softly as she takes a seat in the comfy armchair in the room. 

“I don’t know if there’s really anything TO say.” I whisper. 

“Honey, why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you talk to me? You didn’t have to go through this all by yourself.” 

I pull my feet up on my chair and wrap my arms around my knees and look up at her. 

“I could barely begin to process any of it myself. When he told me, I kind of just went on autopilot. I didn’t want to be alone; part of me was afraid of what would happen if I was alone. I knew that if I went to you or Shanna or Carly or any of our friends, it would all come out, and I wasn’t ready for that. I couldn’t stay here with him. So I fled to Connor’s. I kind of trashed the studio, then just shut down. That’s why Scott knows. Connor called him because I physically couldn’t get out of bed for four days. He came to check on me and laid with me for a few hours. I was ashamed. I AM ashamed.”

“Kelly, the only person here who should be ashamed is my son. He didn’t tell me any of the details, and honestly, I don’t want to know. I don’t know what the hell was going on in his head. I am so, so sorry about everything. I just....I can’t believe any of this.”

A thought pops into my head and I turn to her. 

“How did you know I was here?” I ask. 

“I didn’t. I had Scott start on dinner for today, and I came over, determined to get the truth out of Chris once and for all, no matter what. He told me you were here sleeping. He gave me the Cliffs Notes version of what happened at your parents’ last night.” 

I scoff and roll my eyes. “Yeah, it was one for the books. I just couldn’t be around any of them last night. I just wanted to be here, at home.”

“What about now? Where do you want to be now?” Lisa asks. 

“I don’t know. I’m so sorry for all of this happening on Christmas. I hate feeling like the holiday is ruined. I hate that you and Chris are fighting. I hate that Scott and Chris are fighting. I just wish we could have a nice Christmas and just pretend that everything is normal.” I tell her. 

She takes my hands in hers and rubs them, warming them up. 

“If that’s what you want, that’s what we can do. God knows I could wring Chris’ neck right now, but it’s Christmas. If you think you can handle it, and handle everyone, we can do it. I’ll hold everyone off on the questions for today. But you know eventually.....you and Chris are going to have to sit down and talk.”

“I know.”

 The Usual Suspects: @averyrogers83 @wordywarriorwrites @imanuglywombat @joannaliceevans-fanficblog @hlkwrites @reminiscingrogers @mom—nicole @jtargaryen18 @alexakeyloveloki @kelbabyblue @sarahp879 @moonlessnight14 @mojean13 @mrskokitztelford @artisticrogers1972 @southerngracela @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan @mybesttobobcratchit @gracethegeek9902 @mdemontespan1667 @marvelfansworld @capslut2014 @dispatchvampire @jamielea81 @jamesbarnesappreciationsociety​ @nerdy-bookworm-1998​ @southerngracela​ @what-is-your-plan-today @letsdisneythings​ @theladybiers @lexeeehhh @sweater-daddiesdumbdork​ @autumnrose40 @donutloverxo​ @harrysthiccthighss​ @jessaywahh-blog​@smediumsmeatbae @before-we-get-started​ @lizette50 @littlegasps @rageshots @what-is-your-backupplan-today @clairebubbles @patzammit @sweet--catrastophe @pandaxnienke @redhairedfeistynerd @hails270105 @syms-things-5

Kinktober 2020: @saiyanprincessswanie​ @superquirky-blog

[narrators-journal]

A small alteration

So! This part is the...second or third to last part, so we’re getting to the end bois. After this, I’ll likely die, or at least not post daily like I have been, so if you guys want more content after this, remember to send in an ask for me to answer! Request stuff, ask me questions, joke around with me, whatever yall want. It’ll hold this blog over until I finish this second fic and can start posting/editting it here!

cw: lightly goes into detail on torture, hisoka, that’s about it I think!

Previous part: here

First part: here

Thankfully, Hisoka didn't stop by after his phone call, but Illumi still took no chances when he went onto jobs. Along with Milluki using the spy cameras Illumi had placed earlier, the long haired assassin made sure at least three butlers were keeping an eye on you whenever he couldn't.

That precaution kept you far away from the blood hungry magician for a week, much to Illumi's relief. Hisoka was a pest, a thorn in Illumi's side through and through, so the last thing the assassin wanted was for him to meet his future wife. Especially now, when you were just too desperate for human contact, and he couldn't risk you getting attacked or manipulated by Hisoka and forcing the assassin to kill such a useful nen user. Or worse, risk you meeting him and growing to love the magician instead of him, so he was dead set on never letting you two meet.

So, instead of risking it, he made sure to keep you as secret as possible, at most giving vague answers to keep the violent hunter at bay when he found him on jobs or something and asked, but confirming or denying little to nothing. Aside from that, Illumi also let the man help him on missions a bit more, both because the assassin could hide things better than his butlers when questioned, and because, though annoying, the vibrantly colored man offered some sort of entertainment on otherwise painfully boring jobs like assassinating businessmen, ex-lovers, or runaway spouses. Though, Hisoka simply popped up sometimes too, either being in the right place at the right time to join on kills, or somehow seeking Illumi out, like a risky, aggravating jack-in-the-box. That habit had gotten him a trip to the Zoldyck basement and torture rooms recently, though it was also a reason Illumi humored the magician when he got bored and asked for help more.

        "Please make this simple and tell me where you put the money taken from Mr. Mori." Illumi told his target, a rather pretty young woman he'd been tasked to interrogate, torture, and kill by her ex-sugar daddy.         "Is she under-aged, is that why you won't tell me about her?" Hisoka asked, sitting on the table of menacing torture tools in a dungeon of the Zoldyck estate, having talked the assassin into letting him out to help in this little chat. Illumi was beginning to regret his decision to humor the magician though. The tall assassin glared at the other man for his interruption, only getting an innocent smile in return,         "No, she is not under-aged." He said curtly, and his companion snickered,         "Well, when can I meet her? I'm dying to know what type of woman a Zoldyck lusts after~"         "Never." Hisoka pouted at his flat refusal, but the assassin simply returned to questioning his captive, only turning back to the pink-haired man to grab some pliers from the table,  "Now, I will ask this once more, if I don't get an answer I'll tear out your finger nails until I do. Where is your ex's money?" he warned the woman, who was sobbing and pleading to be freed from the cold, dark room. When she didn't answer his question though, he kept true to his word, gripping one of her nails with the pliers and pulling until it came away from the nail bed. The monotone assassin continued pulling out his target's crimson-painted fingernails while she tried to lie and say she had no idea where his client's money was. No matter, when he ran out of fingernails, he could always move to toenails or teeth.

Hisoka held a metal bowl that Illumi put the dislocated fingernails in, adding a soft clattering noise to the soundtrack of the woman's sobs, screams, and the lazy buzz of the one lantern that hung from the stone wall until he stood up in the partially lit cell to get another tool from the table.          "mmm, she seems quite fun to torture~" Hisoka observed, getting a twisted grin across his face as he looked down at the restrained woman,          "She's unbearably loud," Illumi sighed, looking around on the table of tools until he found a rather simple salt shaker, ignoring when Hisoka leaned a bit too close,          "Y'know, I bet I could get your girlfriend to be just as loud~" he hummed, and something inside of Illumi seemed to snap for a moment. His aloof air instantly changed to palpable malice and he whirled around on the magician, punching him in the face hard enough to send him sprawling across the cold stone floor. The assassin didn't even give him a chance to react once he landed though, in a flash he was on top of him, holding him down by his throat while his knee pressed down on his ribs,           "if you so much as look at my wife, Hisoka, I will fucking kill you before your heart gives another beat." he snarled, tightening his grip on the man's neck until he was gasping and wheezing for air. The pink-haired man gave a nod, a  smirk tugging at his lips still, but the feral murderer didn't let him breath until that coy look finally left and he saw panic replace Hisoka's usual mischievous glint in his gold eyes. When Illumi did finally let him up, the magician was gulping down air and glaring at him instead of his usual knowing, coy glance,           "Jesus Christ Illumi, learn to take a joke. You know my humor can be perverted, there was no need to nearly kill me!" he snapped, the magician's flirty act falling away, but Illumi didn't respond, he simply checked on the woman he'd been tasked to torture. Sadly though, she was now dead from the amount of malevolence  in his nen,          "Great, because of your 'joke' my job just got harder." Illumi said, his voice back to being cold,          "That wasn't my fault, you were the one who didn't just use one of your needles on her to begin with." he pointed out testily, getting glared at by the man,         "The client wanted me to specifically torture her, my needles would have been redundant and not what the client asked for. Of course, I didn't know you were going to be this annoying, or else I would've gotten the information from her at the start." he hummed, and while his voice stayed flat and his face stayed rather aloof, Illumi was boiling with wrath on the inside. Being a pest was one thing, but now Hisoka had actually crossed an important line. So, Illumi simply found the woman's phone in her purse and than called in some butlers. He gave one the cellphone, sending it to Milluki to make use of himself and scour through, than he turned to Hisoka, who was standing in a dark corner across the small cell glaring at them, mostly Illumi.  "Now, I will say this nicely only once," the man said, though his words held no kindness, "please return to your cell with the butlers without a fight, or else I will be forced to call my family and drag you back." The two men stood there for a moment in a heavy silence that seemed to bring down the temperature of the already cold cell further. Illumi wasn't very expressive, he purposely added inflections and overt body language to himself when speaking to you, but Hisoka didn't get that sort of kindness, he simply got stared down by bottomless eyes and a deadpan assassin he knew very well was competent enough to stand up to him. So, he simply grinned a predatory grin at the long haired murderer,        "Fine, I'll go back to my cell peacefully," he relented, putting his hands up with a mischievous smirk. One of these days Morrow, I'm going to finally kill you. Illumi thought as at least three butlers escorted the magician back to where he'd been held, but he didn't say or show the annoyance as they passed.       "Oh, and Illumi, dear? Do tell (y/n) hello for me~" Illumi's aura became malevolent again at that, but the butlers and flamboyant pain in the ass were able to avoid dying from it thanks to their training. Instead, all it did was let slip just how fart Hisoka was under Illumi's skin, making the hunter laugh as he was herded away down the dark hallway, leaving the assassin to simmer in his temper before stalking out of the basement. His first stop once upstairs was Milluki's bedroom.        "How did Hisoka find out anything about (y/n)?" he asked, his voice's flat, monotonous tone coming off as more menacing when paired with how he slammed his brother's face into his trash-littered desk,        "I don't know! Why are you asking me?" the pudgy man hissed out, barring his teeth at his older sibling when he tightened his grip on his hair,       "You are the only person on this mountain aside from Mother who knows about (y/n), and unlike mother, you are the type to tell that bastard about her for a cookie." he pointed out, and Milluki couldn't argue, he did have pretty flippant loyalties when it came to secrets like this.        "Alright, fine, but I promise I didn't. I haven't been in the basement since Hisoka got here." he explained, and after a moment of harsh scrutiny, Illumi let him go and left his nasty, anime-littered room. The tall man then went to his wing of the home, thinking of what to do now. Hisoka knowing (y/n)'s name is bad. If he can figure it out, more people could. He mused, a wave of possessive anxiety washing away his rage for the time being. I can't leave her alone anymore. He finally decided as he reached his rooms and turned around to instead find his mother.

[pillage-and-lute]

geraskier Internet friends(?) au

Hello Llama! Is it heavily influenced by watching Youtubers react to Corpse Husbands voice? Yes. Have I ever played Among Us? No. This one kinda got away from me, and it’s not really what you asked for, but I hope you like it. 

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It started with Yennefer. Everything in Jaskier’s life (usually the bad bits) seemed to start with Yennefer. He loved her, she was his best friend and the best verbal sparring partner he’d ever had, but after a night out, she always had the best ideas. In the sober light of morning, covered in glitter and (once) in a jail cell, her ideas were the worst.

This time it started with Yennefer asking if her friend could join the Among Us game. Jaskier didn’t have any objections.

“White is kinda sus,” Jaskier said a few minutes later.

“Shut up, Buttercup, you’re only saying that to distract from the fact that I caught you venting.” Yennefer was the black crewmate. She was also right.

“I’m just saying,” Jaskier said into his mic while popping open a soda. “He hasn’t said a single word all game. Anyway, what kind of a nickname is Wolf?”

“Hmmm.”

It was like the rumble of a god, the sort of god that gets carved out of marble.

“Holy fuck who was that?”

“Me,” said the wolf, in that same beautiful, gravelly voice. Jaskier almost spit out his soda. He leaned towards his computer, fluttering his eyelashes although no one could see.

“Well hellooooo wolfie,” he said.

“Hmmm. Yen’s right. Vote yellow.”

Jaskier watched his crewmate spiral into space.

Yennefer sent him Wolf- Geralt’s -number. He sent a quick text as he microwaved dinner. 

“So Wolfie, do they call you that because you growl?”

No reply as he ate the microwave dinner at his tiny, crappy table, in his tiny, crappy apartment. He was getting really tired of eating this shit, too. He went to check the mail.

Jaskier prided himself on looking his best. On workdays. Or going out. Going to get the mail? Not so much. Except there, in the elevator, was Jaskier’s stupid apartment building crush, His neighbor, who he shared a bedroom wall with, who was relentlessly sexy, who always seemed to be in the elevator at the same time. Shit.

Pure white hair at, what, probably twenty six? Twenty seven? He didn’t look old though, he looked kind of timeless. Like a demigod. If Hercules hadn’t been Greek he would have like that. The man gave Jaskier a beautiful, tiny smile, slightly lopsided, almost a smirk, really except it didn’t look mean. His canine, barely visible was slightly more pointed. 

~Fang~ Jaskier thought faintly. He blushed and nodded and wished he wasn’t in grey sweatpants. 

Oh shit. The grey sweatpants. Without underwear. Ohnononoonohnohnohono. He hoped his sexy neighbor didn’t think he was a creep. 

The man brought his arms up and put his hair into a man bun. Jaskier watched the way his arms flexed in his tight black t shirt. Maybe he was a creep. Then his sexy neighbor dragged the hair tie from his wrist with his teeth. 

Jaskier made a squeaking noise, sure his knees were about to buckle. A pale hazel, almost golden gaze was turned on him.

Just then the elevator, jittery at the best of times, made an ominous creaking noise and jolted to a stop. 

Jaskier and his neighbor locked eyes. Then the lights went out.

Jaskier leapt for the emergency button and the red emergency light came on. It was kind of sexy, in a red-LED-lights-in-a-dorm-room way. Jaskier would know, he’d graduated just last year. He was trying very hard not to think about the tiny space he was trapped in.

He hated small spaces.

His neighbor, who only looked better in the red light, was frantically texting someone. He seemed to send one text and then open another. He cocked his head.

Puppy. Jaskier thought. It was better than thinking about the death trap elevator. Sexy Neighbor sent a short text. Not a second later Jaskier’s phone vibrated. They locked eyes.

Jaskier looked at his phone. A response from Yennefer’s friend, Geralt. 

“No,” it read.

“Wolfie?” Jaskier said.

The sexy neighbor’s sexy eyebrows raised. 

“Geralt,” he said. The voice was spine tingling in person.

Jaskier surrupticiously swiped a sweaty palm across his sweatpants before sticking his hand out to shake. 

“Jaskier, its nice to meet you.” They shook hands. His grip could crack a boulder, but it was gentle somehow. “So,” Jaskier said, mouth dry. “Quite the coincidence. How do you know Yennefer?”

Geralt opened his mouth but the elevator rocked suddenly, the emergency light flickering. Jaskier sank down the wall and whimpered.

Geralt was there, crossing the elevator in a half step and kneeling by Jaskier. 

“Are, are you claustrophobic?”

Jaskier nodded, his breathing fast and uneven. Geralt smelled really good, part of him thought. The rest of him was focusing on the black spots forming in his vision as the panic took hold. 

Geralt sat and pulled Jaskier close, holding him back to chest in his lap.

“Take deep breaths with me, its okay. In,” a pause. “And out. In. And out.” His voice was so calming, he could do ASMR videos, Jaskier thought, lack of oxygen making his head fuzzy. It was a shame he couldn’t seem to do as Geralt said.

The elevator jolted again. Jaskier fainted.

He awoke dead, probably. Geralt was shirtless and staring down at him. No, still in the elevator but lying down now, with something soft under his head. Geralt’s t-shirt most likely.

Geralt brushed some of Jaskier’s hair from his eyes. 

“Oh good,” he rumbled. “You were only out for a moment.” Jaskier sat up slowly and Geralt pulled his shirt back on. Pity. 

“The light’s back on,” Geralt said, looking at him so caringly Jaskier could have wept. “I think that’s a good sign, but there’s no signal on my phone, not enough for a call.”

Jaskier nodded, trying to relax his breathing. He couldn’t talk. Being speechless was almost as bad as small spaces.

“You, um, asked how I know Yennefer,” Geralt said. There was something desperate in his voice, and Jaskier suspected he didn’t like talking this much but wanted to keep him calm.

“I met her when she was helping move her friend in.”

“What?” Jaskier found his voice. “When she helped me move in? Really?” He’d been complaining to Yennefer about the unfairly beautiful man next door for almost two months, and shed known?

��You’re Buttercup?” Geralt said, tilting his head in that baffled puppy look again. 

“Only when she’s annoyed at me.”

“I’ve been complaining about you for months,” Geralt said.

“You complain about me?” Jaskier didn’t think he was that bad a neighbor. To his surprise, Geralt blushed.

“Not exactly complain, more like...” Geralt sighed and slid his phone over. It was a sent text to Yen.

Yen you have to help me, he’s in the elevator and he’s gorgeous. He’s in these tight sweatpants, Yen. And his hair is all messy like he’s been running his hands through it. Like somebody’s been running their hands through it. Sweet Jesus Yen he isn’t wearing underwear and I would not be able to make eyecontact if he spoke to me Jesus I’m a creep. I’m trapped in the elevator with the prettiest man ever.

Jaskier looked up, grinning widely. The elevator shuddered to life and began it’s slow descent. “That was quite the panic text. But I’ve been sending her very similar voice messages about you.”

Geralt grinned sheepishly. “So you don’t think I’m a creep?” he said.

Jaskier shook his head.

Geralt winced. “Will you think I’m a creep if I tell you I’ve been going down to check my mail when I hear your door open? I kept wanting to ask you out but I was so nervous...”

He trailed off when Jaskier leaned in.

“Kiss me, please, wolfie?”

Jaskier got a kiss.

There were firefighters as they exited the elevator, as well as the building manager, looking pannicky, but they answered a couple questions and took the stairs back up to their apartments.

“So why are you called Wolf?”

Geralt grinned, somewhat salaciously and opened the door to his apartment. “Wanna see?” 

Jaskier took his hand as Geralt lead him back to his bedroom. His pulse kicked up. Geralt smiled back at him, that same grin, that same heart-stopping hint of fang and...

On the bed was the largest wolf plushy Jaskier had ever seen.

“My Goddaughter won it and gave it to me at a fair the day I met Yennefer.”

“He’s pretty cute, for a wolf,” Jaskier said. He wasn’t looking at the plushy.

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What did you think? It really ran away from me and I know it wasn’t really what you asked for so if you’d like me to give an internet friends AU another go let me know.

[lettheladylead]

Not Your Aunt

Chapter 5: Louie [ao3 link]

When she’d gotten the call a few weeks earlier, Goldie initially thought it was from Scrooge. She gave her cell phone number out to a very small number of people, after all, and Scrooge’s home line had its own customized ringtone so she always knew it was him.

Instead, it was one of his kids. Well, one of Della’s kids, she was pretty sure. He introduced himself as Louie and she did a quick search online to see what he looked like - the only run-in she’d had with the kids so far they’d all been dressed the same so even if she had been paying attention, she wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference.

Her first instinct had been to tell him no and to move on with her life. She was a busy woman and she had other things to do. But there was a little part of her that was mad at Scrooge for never calling her about the note she’d left in his hat. There was no way he hadn’t seen it and she left him a treasure she didn’t have to because she wanted to go on an adventure with him again. But no. He didn’t call and it’d been almost a year. So she said yes to mentoring because she knew it’d piss him off and there was no greater joy in her life.

Or she’d thought there was no greater joy. But the feeling of someone coming back for her - coming to save her life despite how she treated them - it was something else entirely. Scrooge had done it once or twice in the past, but not recently and not happily. She couldn’t even remember the last time someone had come back for her and her feelings about it were a bit overwhelming so she didn’t even give the kid another glance before bolting out the door.

It’d been a few days since that party and Goldie was enjoying being several hundred million dollars richer. It wasn’t like Sharpie needed the money - he had Scrooge’s inheritance to look forward to (though if Scrooge never planned to retire or die, maybe not? She didn’t like to think about it too much).

She was laying in bed in a familiar hotel in the outskirts of Seattle when she pulled out her wallet to stare at the photos again. The last few days, she’d spent a ridiculous amount of time just staring and thinking and not doing or saying anything. She felt pathetic.

But looking at the kid’s goofy little smile and thinking back to when he helped her effectively pull off their improvised scheme warmed her heart. She’d never felt this way about a member of Scrooge’s family before. Della and Donald had treated her like an aunt on occasion (usually just as a way to get on her nerves), but Goldie never saw either of them as a true schemer like herself. Donald didn’t have any interest in money or treasure and Della idolized her uncle too much to think for herself.

But Louie was different and Goldie could see that. Just the fact that he’d reached out to her after hearing the story of Gumption (which, from what he told her, had a lot of inaccuracies to it. Scrooge loved to exaggerate or conveniently forget details when he told stories of their past) made her want to see what he had to offer. 

Initially, her plan had been to rob the kid and take something small of Scrooge’s - small enough to carry without much effort, but big enough to piss him off - then Scrooge would angrily chase her down and they could argue and she’d tease him and it would’ve been a nice little time. Their Golden Lagoon adventure was nice but Glomgold had ruined a lot of the fun she’d planned so it’d have been nice to get back to basics.

Instead she got weird, mixed up feelings about this kid who reminded her of herself and Scrooge and Donald all combined into one tiny package. She did not want to get attached to anyone in Scrooge’s family. The only reason their relationship worked was because she kept him on edge and interested by keeping him at arm’s length. Getting close to his family was not arm’s length. It was too much. She’d have to push Sharpie away the same way she did with Donald and Della and that was that.

She glanced over at the photo she had of Scrooge in Dawson and felt her heart skip a beat. She loved this picture. She loved thinking about the time they spent together back then, even if he’d broken her heart by the end of it. It didn’t matter anymore. She’d give almost anything to be young with him again - maybe even get a fresh start.

Goldie let out a loud sigh and tossed the wallet across the room - she watched it soar and land gracefully on top of her bags. Her bags were stuffed with gold and jewels and treasures from that crazy little birthday party and she hadn’t had the chance to stop in Dawson and drop it all off at the closest thing she had to a home.

Peeking out of one of her bags was the idol she’d stolen from Sharpie’s room before their adventure began. She stared at it and wondered what kind of significance it held for him. She wasn’t going to give it back, of course, because he needed to be taught a lesson about trusting con artists. But also a little part of her thought about maybe giving it back depending on how important it was to him.

She rolled over and stared up at the ceiling. Kids made people soft. Scrooge was so different than he was just forty years earlier and sometimes she didn’t know what to make of it. If thirty-year-old Goldie knew he could be this way, maybe she would’ve approached their relationship differently. But he always spoke so harshly about children and family and she never could’ve imagined him changing his mind.

Her thoughts were cut off by a buzz and a ding! from her phone and Goldie huffed as she reached into her pocket to grab it. She hoped desperately that it wasn’t from someone work-related (though, really, who else could it be?). She wasn’t in the mood to think about hotel management. She’d rather drink wine and soak in the bathtub and think about nothing.

She glanced at her phone and saw a text message waiting for her. It was a short message from an unknown number that just said:

“Do you know how to text?”

Goldie blinked a few times at it and wondered briefly if this was a wrong number. Then she glanced at the area code and realized it was coming from Duckburg. She had a pretty good idea who it was and her heart skipped another beat.

There was an unspoken rule between her and Scrooge. He never reached out to her first (except for two very unique occasions). She was always the one to contact him. But Louie wasn’t Scrooge and Louie followed his own rules, apparently.

She took a moment to think before typing a short response. “Yes, I do.”

“Cool.”

She wondered if the conversation was over until she suddenly received an influx of emojis. Goldie raised an eyebrow at the group of ducks and dollar signs and bags of money and angry faces, not really sure what to make of it.

“What’s all this supposed to mean?”

She watched as her phone said he was typing and then not typing and then typing again.

“I’m still mad at you.”

Goldie let out a breathy laugh and rolled her eyes. He really was related to Scrooge.

“What’d you do with all the money? Put it in your very own Money Bin?”

She rolled onto her side and thought about whether or not to answer him. Though she couldn’t hide everything from Scrooge over the years, she did a good job of keeping most of her life hidden away from his wandering eyes. Though Louie was definitely great at keeping things from the adults in his life, he was still just a kid and she didn’t want anything slipping out accidentally.

“Not sure that’s any of your business.”

He started typing and then stopped again. Goldie stared at her phone for a full minute without getting a response before realizing she may have hurt his feelings a bit with that one. She groaned and dropped her phone back on the mattress. She didn’t want to care about something so trivial, but…

She sighed deeply and grabbed the phone again, quickly typing another message without giving it much thought.

“I have several places to put my earnings. A lot of different projects and business ventures. And the rest goes into savings.”

Goldie huffed at herself and put the phone down again. She’d managed to avoid this kind of thing easily with Donald or Della - keeping herself at a distance and never spending significant time with either of them without Scrooge. But just one afternoon alone with Sharpie and she felt an urge to protect his stupid little feelings and his stupid little face. There was something about seeing fear in those big ol’ eyes that made her heart beat faster.

Her phone beeped again and she hesitated for just a moment before grabbing it.

“What kind of business ventures? If you’re looking for investment opportunities, I could give you a pitch that even Scrooge McDuck hasn’t seen.”

She smiled and thought back to the posters on the wall of the boys’ bedroom; several of them were very juvenile business ideas that would never take off in the real world. But she could appreciate his sense of inventiveness.

“Even if you got Scrooge to sit for a meeting, I doubt he’d invest more than a dollar into anything.”

“You overestimate him! He wouldn’t give me more than a quarter.” Followed by several angry and sad and money bag emojis.

Goldie laughed and sat up in the hotel bed, feeling a little more like herself after having an opportunity to make fun of her...ex. Or whatever they were. It didn’t matter. She was having fun.

“Keep trying. I’m sure you’ll wear him down.”

He sent another group of emojis and Goldie decided that was the end of that. She put her phone back on the bed, screen side down, and turned to look over at the idol again. She definitely wouldn’t be giving it back.

--

Louie stared at his phone for a few minutes, wondering if he’d be getting another message. To be perfectly honest, he hadn’t expected any response at all, so the past ten minutes were giving him a lot of confusing, conflicting feelings.

He liked Goldie. She stole all his money and kind of broke his heart a little, but before that he’d started to think of her as family. It was hard to not think of her that way when she risked her life for his. But still...the money.

There was definitely no plan to contact her again when she left without even saying goodbye. Louie was frustrated and sad and annoyed and kept thinking about how he’d gotten too close. He knew when he first contacted her that this was a business decision - a con artist was not someone to befriend or trust or depend on. But in just a few short hours he felt a pull to her that he couldn’t really explain.

And he couldn’t stop thinking back to the way he’d felt when she suggested they work together again. He knew liars and thieves and knew she wasn’t an honest person, but he really felt like she meant it. And despite what happened afterwards and how angry he was for the next few days, Louie couldn’t help but wonder what that really meant for them.

She and Uncle Scrooge clearly weren’t getting back together anytime soon. And Goldie was a world traveler - always off on some new adventure somewhere far away. Even if they did work together again, it could be years away. Uncle Scrooge said sometimes he went years without hearing from her. 

Louie didn’t want to wait years. Goldie was the first person in a long time to appreciate his scheming mind without a hint of irony. It was refreshing and it made him feel better about the fact that she’d completely robbed him.

So he texted her. It was a long shot considering her age and the fact that she fumbled with her smartphone like someone who was still struggling to figure out how touch screens work, but Louie figured it was worth the attempt.

He looked at their messages again and smiled. Texting with a weird old thief lady was not exactly on his list of things he expected to be doing at the tender age of eleven, but it was kind of fun. She could tell him embarrassing stories about Uncle Scrooge or Uncle Donald or his mom. Maybe she knew other people in the family she could talk about.

With only a moment’s hesitation, Louie pressed his thumb down on her phone number and went to add a contact name. He stared at the screen for a few seconds before happily typing Aunt Goldie and hitting save.

He had to admit, it just kind of felt right.