#i put this in the future when they get together/are reunited

[clemencetaught]

and we'll find some version of okay, one day ( ft. myungdae & hyuk || verse two )

a/n: did someone say hyurick? today is alex ( @jeoseungsaja )'s birthday SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRIENDO :DDDD thank you so much for the all the wonderful stories, muses, smiles, and laughs u've given me ( and all ur friends and ppl on dash ) over the years; i hope this trip around the sun will be a happy one for you!! care you lots <3 &lt;3 <3

Being in a relationship with Hyuk is surprisingly easy.

No, easy, isn’t the right word. ‘Easy’ implies a lack of effort to make what is between them now. ‘Easy’ implies what they have is intuitive when it is anything but. Hindsight is 20/20- it becomes more apparent to Myungdae that perhaps the last five years didn’t have to be as painful.

( He could have told Hyuk what was happening from the beginning. He could have revealed himself to Hyuk when he arrived in Seoul. He could have taken a moment and realized that perhaps keeping this undertaking to himself was only going to cause more grief for all parties involved. Maybe then, Hyuk wouldn’t have gotten fatally stabbed. Maybe Hyuk wouldn’t dissociate, wouldn’t be considered invalid in the eyes of the public, having ‘lost the plot’. The should-haves and could-haves echo in Myungdae’s ears like his ghosts and if Myungdae thinks too hard about it, they’ll start piling the guilt one on top of another, like the stack of essays he still hasn’t graded. And when that happens, the stacks will climb higher and higher like Icarus until it inevitably burns and falls- )

So being in a relationship with Hyuk is not easy.

But it is simple.

Their relationship reminds Myungdae of a heist, except not as nearly meticulously calculated. But the principle is ultimately the same- watch your back and watch your partner’s back. If your partner needs help, even if you can’t do anything, be there for them. Or in Myungdae’s case, in the aftermath.  Wounds are like cats- easy to see, harder to catch in the moment.

Of course, simply being there is a plan too vague for the Black Knight’s standards. It’s a concept with one too many external factors and one too many uncertainties to consider.

And yet somehow, their relationship works.. Actually, it might be even more painless than any heist. Sure, the obstacles come unexpectedly, but the solutions don’t require nearly as much finesse. As a matter of fact, the most effective solutions to their obstacles are much…simpler. Less thinking, more doing in the moment.

For example, Myungdae needs to bolt? Well he can do it, but Hyuk’s going to have to follow him or at the very least find his hiding spot once the smoke bomb has cleared up. Hyuk needs space after an episode of derealization? Catch Myungdae lingering just around the corner, waiting to be let in. Myungdae doesn’t mind the wait either.

He’s always been good at abiding for time- most times.

There’s still more to figure out about each other though. It’s not like they can go back five years. And no single conversation is going to give Myungdae everything he needs to know about his dear…friend? Partner?

( Myungdae decides he’s not going to think about that right now- he’s also not going to say anything about it to anyone. Nell and Alfred already have their suspicions, and god forbid if Quinn and Taiyang found out. Myungdae already wants to stab the latter two whenever they cross paths. And he doesn’t need one more tempting reason. Not that he thinks Hyuk would mind too much- okay, maybe Hyuk would. A quirk of being part of law enforcement, but no one’s perfect. )

Besides, Hyuk reveals himself in layers- like a book, one page at a time. It’s an incorrect metaphor, the open book one, Myungdae can’t help but think. An open book implies all the facts and details laid out, plain and easy to interpret. That’s no book. Or at least not a novel- to read a novel and understand it in its entirety takes more than one read-thru. It takes turning one page at a time, studying every scene and word to comprehend how it contributes to the whole, making careful annotations in the margins, and recalling the most vivid of phrases and moments to truly know a book.

And isn’t that what Myungdae and Hyuk have been doing all this time?

Granted, once more, that isn’t to say it’s been easy. Old habits are, well, the cliché could not be more accurate- old habits die hard. Like how Hyuk still zones out for hours on end without saying a word to anyone and how he’s given up on art in favor of reading and rereading files with yellowed papers on cases that have lost relevance years ago. Or how Myungdae refuses to show skin in front of anyone and how he barely reads and  reads only for necessity.

Or how they both still have nightmares. 

Sharpened teeth need to sink in somewhere. If not someone else, then themselves. Maybe those habits will never die. Maybe even if they have each other, they’ll never be okay, never be whole once more.

Nevertheless-

“Your hair’s getting long,” Myungdae murmurs, hand carding through Hyuk’s hair. It’s a Sunday at an hour too early to be awake and of course, they’re in Hyuk’s office. Myungdae didn’t sleep well the previous night and he suspects it’s the same for Hyuk, from the way he couldn’t stop moving. Or the way Myungdae heard him gasp in the middle of the night, only to curl a little tighter against him on the sofa bed.

( Of the new couch- the old one, that two seater with deflated green cushions and scratchy fabric that must have been repurposed from a potato sack, Hyuk had replaced not too long ago. Myungdae won’t admit that he likes the new one- a three seater with chenille fabric that can fold out into a bed- more now that he’s had time to get accustomed. )

Hyuk grumbles, head in Myungdae’s lap. “It already is.” His arm loosely draped around Myungdae’s waist, Hyuk peeks up at him. Myungdae can see the lines under sleep deprived eyes.  “Do you like actually being a pigeon? It’s too early, Dae-yah.” A warm hand finds purchase on Myungdae’s hip as Hyuk groans, groggy. “Lie down.” 

Next to me, Myungdae can hear from the breeze blowing in. The lilies of the valley on the window sill jingle, tinkling and singing.

“You should get it trimmed.” Myungdae says instead, fingers tangling themselves between the strands of hair. They’re smooth. Fresh-smelling too like his shampoo. “It’ll get in your way.”

Hyuk flips to his back and looks up at Myungdae. “Don’t need to.”

“It falls over your eyes when you’re reading.” An observation, on Myungdae’s part. Hyuk grumbles.

“Doesn’t matter.” Which is translation for ‘I’m fine’. But Myungdae knows this is Hyuk’s way of saying, ‘I don’t want to.’

‘I can’t.’ 

Myungdae tilts his head, thinking as his fingers knead down to the scalp. What would make Hyuk steer away from hairdressers? How does this connect to the full picture of his dear friend now?

There are still so many things he has to learn about Lee Hyuk.

“...What If I did it?”

Hyuk raises a brow and suddenly, the window where the lilies of the valley sit looks very tempting to jump through.  It would take him, say, eleven seconds to through the window if he doesn’t grab his jacket with the smoke bombs along the way. 

“Do you even know how to cut hair?” Hyuk asks. It’s not a ‘yes’ but it’s not a ‘no’ either. 

It’s a silly overreaction, Myungdae realizes he just had. Myungdae could ask Hyuk a question and Hyuk would give him the truth. This is the way it’s always been- they don’t, or rather they can’t lie to each other. Sooner or later, the truth comes out and that’s a lesson Myungdae has been learning the hard way. 

They probably need to have a conversation about that sooner or later.

But once again, it is a Sunday at an hour way too early to be awake. This time, they can take the detour. Hyuk might think there’s no time like the present these days, but Myungdae is more than content to take the roundabout way.

“If I can use a sword, a pair of scissors can’t be any worse.” Myungdae says. It’s a half-lie. Hyuk still looks at him skeptically. “I’ll cut straight- you won’t lose more than a few inches.”

Hyuk huffs, a loose strand still landing in front of his eyes. Myungdae tucks it behind his ear. “...I’ll think about it. But on one condition-” Myungdae yelps. Rolling off of his lap, Hyuk half-coaxes, half-wrestles him into the spot next to him. Alarm rolls in, only to recede once Hyuk’s hand presses against his back and Myungdae is once more face-to-face with his dear friend.

“We rest for longer.” Hyuk finally finishes, triumphant.

“We’ll have to get up soon.” Myungdae points out. “Nell is no good in the kitchen. Hiro’s going to complain.”

Hyuk huffs. “They can wait a few hours. Who gets up at six on a Sunday morning, huh? Huh?”

Myungdae snorts, a hand carding through Hyuk’s hair, his fingertips padding against his scalp. Hyuk leans into it and sighs in approval. “Okay. Just a few more hours then. We can get up later.” 

Yes, between the two of them, they still have a lot of problems and no actual solutions: ANACHRON is still at large, Hyuk’s caseload never dies down, and the Black Knight still has heists to execute. 

Hyuk still zones out and Myungdae still doesn’t relax for any occasion. But at the same time, Hyuk doodles more now and his derealization episodes come around less often. And Myungdae sometimes wears short-sleeved shirts and will even pick up a short story to read for leisure.

It’s not quite perfect, but it’s progress.

The lilies of the valley tinkle in the sunlight. Myungdae presses closer to Hyuk- maybe they’ll never go back to the way they were before, maybe they’ll never have something easy, but if they have each other, they can be something like okay, one day.

.

.

.

fin.

[thebestsetter]

He was born to be by your side. It was his greatest desire, what he was meant to do. It's like being next to you came naturally to him, and he can't even remember how his life was before he met you. But what he can remember are the days you both spent together. Ridiculous conversations that, somehow, made so much sense to the both of you. So random, but yet holding so much meaning.

You were both laughing so hard. Walking by the shore, hand in hand. The sunset painting the sky with red and orange. Beautiful. So, so beautiful.

"When we grow up, we'll have a house by the beach" you said, swinging your arms together

"Says who?"

"Says me!"

He grabs your sun hat and puts it on his head, earning a small "Hey!" from you.

"And then we'll buy a cotton candy machine and make lots of cotton candies." He completes your thought while taking the final bite of his popsickle. You clean the side of his mouth (which was all smudged from the cold treat) and smile.

"Yeah, we can do that too."

You used to talk about your future a lot. More than the average couple, actually. Sometimes, you both reunited at your favorite cafeteria just to talk about life. How it was gonna be. How was gonna be your life together.

"A caramello cappucino with apple pie and a mint and chocolate milkshake, please" you said, and just hearing his typical order coming out of your mouth made him smile. Somehow, knowing you memorized his order made him happier than he could put into words.

After he paid (of course, he can't let you pay for your snacks. What kind of man would he be?) you both went to sit on a table right beside a window (you always loved looking out a window while talking, and he knew that. He knew you like the back of his hand). And like you couldn't handle the sound of silence, you started talking (and he'd never complain about it: he loved hearing you talk)

"We can have 3 kids, how about that?"

"I don't like odd numbers. Why not 4?"

"4 is too much" you said, sticking your tongue out and frowning your eyebrows (you looked so cute) "We can have 2, if the problem is odd numbers"

"2 is too little" he argued, and then sighed jokingly "Okay, fine, we can have 3"

You smiled, taking a sip from your milkshake

"Maybe after the third one, we can consider having a fourth, if you'd like"

And you knew he wanted to. Of course he did. He wanted to form a big, happy family with you. He wanted his future to be by your side. He couldn't picture a future without you. Which is why it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all.

"What's your favorite color? Mines yellow"

It hurts. He hates this. He hates this shit so freaking much. His heart feels like it's breaking, and his lungs are gasping for air. He can't look at his date without feelong absolutely sick, like he could literally throw up at the very moment. He can't help but think of you. How you were already talking about how many kids you'd like, and now he's back on the "knowing each other stage". It was so strange not seeing you.

"I'm sorry, please excuse me"

He can't spend a single minute here anymore. He's on the verge of dying, he's sure. And as if his body already knows exactly what makes him feel better, his feet take him to your house without him realizing.

His hand hovers upon the door, ready to knock on it. Life without you is meaningless. He needs you. He loves you. He loves you so fucking much.

"HHAHAHA Stop it!! Love, I swear, tickle me one more time and I will... HAHAHAHA"

He lowers his hand and walks away.

He loves you, that's why he's letting you go. He needs to let you go for your own good. You need to get over him (even though he's sure he'll never get over you)

He can't do this to you. Not when your new boyfriend treats you so well. Not when he fucked everything up. Not when he was the reason why you two broke up. He doesn't deserve you. He always knew you were too good for him. But now, he's doing you this favour to repay you for all the times you helped him. He's not going to disturb you.

Well, back to the talking stage, it seems.

GOJO SATORU, MEGUMI FUSHIGURO, CHOSO KAMO, Nanami Kento, Geto Suguru, TSUKISHIMA KEI, Kageyama Tobio, Oikawa Tooru, KUROO TETSURO, TODOROKI SHOTO, Bakugou Katsuki, Aizawa Shota (kinda???), SHINSOU HITOSHI, RIN ITOSHI, SAE ITOSHI, BACHIRA MEGURU, Chigiri Hyoma, KUNIGAMI RENSUKE, REO MIKAGE + any character you think fits this!!

~ A/N: not proofread!!

[traveler-at-heart]

Come running back to me

Request by @esposadejoyhuerta - babe, I tried, but angst evades me.

Summary: Wanda cheats on you and Natasha is there to help you heal.

Wanda Maximoff x F!R, Natasha Romanoff x F!R

A/N: Reader has Magneto like powers.

There’s something in the air that makes you restless as you walk down the streets. It’s too calm for an autumn afternoon in London.

“Blonde suits you” you say as you stop at a corner. There’s a chuckle behind you.

“Though I’d fool you” Natasha says, coming out of the shadows and standing next to you.

“I’m not easily fooled. It’s nice to see you”

“Likewise” the woman nods.

It’s been almost two years since part of the Avengers have been on the run. Your abilities have made you an especially important target, so you spend most of the time hiding on your own. Divide and conquer.

“And how are things?” you say. It’s been a month since you spoke with Wanda, and you don’t know if Natasha knows.

“Great. They’re about to get even better” she sighs. “If you don’t mind, we need to borrow Wanda. Could use your help as well”

“Wait, what? Wanda is not with me” you look at Natasha, alarmed.

“She left two days ago… the same she always does when she meets you”

“Did she say where…?” Natasha shakes her head no and you feel like throwing up. You can’t lose her, not now.

“Steve” the woman calls through her burner, but is interrupted. “Understood, we’re on our way” Natasha turns to you. “Come on, we have a lead”

—

The joy of reuniting with Steve is short lived, because your mind is reeling with the possibilities of what could have happened to Wanda.

Was she captured by the US? Did HYDRA find her? You’re not sure which one of those is worse.

You also think back to your last conversation. How you offered her to stay together, have your own place away from everything… a future in the middle of uncertainty.

Guilt invaded your mind. What if she was overwhelmed by your proposal and left to think things through?

“We have an alien aircraft and four subjects” Sam informs. The four of you descend from the Quinjet, Natasha holding on to you. You set her down gently, and you both jump right in to fight the aliens.

Wanda looks at you with relief, and then a flash of panic crosses her features.

As you spot a cut in her forehead, your patience runs out, and you use the alien’s own blade to cut its head off. The weapon floats in the air as you manipulate it with your powers, sending it across the train station to knock down another alien that Natasha was fighting.

There’s an exchange between your friends and the creatures, but you’re too busy walking to Wanda.

She’s not alone. Vision is holding on to her hand, looking up at her as if…

No, that can’t be.

“Y/N” Wanda pleads when everything clicks for you.

Wanda and Vision, together. For how long, who knows, but long enough for her to leave you behind without a word. She risked getting caught just to see him, all the while you were the one putting your neck on the line to make sure she was safe.

“Please” she sighs when you step back.

“Don’t” you shake your head, going around the corner to hide yourself from the team. Leaning against a wall, you pinch the bridge of your nose, holding back tears. The feeling of betrayal burns your throat as a sob escapes from your mouth. You try to stiffle it, breathing to calm yourself down.

A hand rests on your shoulder, and you don’t need to open your eyes to know who it is.

“I’m sorry” Natasha says, wiping away another tear that rolls down your face. “I’m really sorry, Y/N”

“I can find my way back from here” you say after a beat of silence. You won’t spend another moment with Wanda.

“Well, that’s not gonna work” Steve says, joining you. There’s compassion in his eyes, but also a sense of urgency. “New York has been targeted as well. Time to assemble”

—

The trip to Wakanda will take at least 6 hours. This aircraft is smaller and slower than the Avengers’ Quinjet. You understand they’ve had to lay low and make the best of the resources they can find.

This also means you’re left with fewer places to hide from Wanda.

You go to the back of the jet, sitting on the floor. It’s cold and uncomfortable, but you don’t care. The silence is defeaning, Steve coordinating with Natasha in a low voice, Wanda reassuring Vision while you refuse to look her way.

“We’re almost there” Natasha says after a few hours.

“I can tell” you nod, stretching.

“How?”

“The vibranium. I feel it. It’s a little overwhelming”

“How so?”

“I’m used to sensing different materials that can be manipulated by my powers. They’re everywhere. But vibranium is so rare so it’s not part of my… filter. I’m just not used to its presence”

“Is it uncomfortable?” Natasha says with a frown and you shake your head. She nods, placing her hand on your shoulder.

As you watch her walk back to the copilot seat, your eyes meet Wanda’s. You look away, swallowing to keep the tears at bay.

Once you arrive, the team meets, reaching out to everyone that can join the impending battle. You barely register the conversation, looking out the window. It’s a nice view.

There’s talk about how to destroy the Mind Stone while keeping Vision alive.

“You should destroy it while we still can” he asks Wanda.

“But you’ll die”

Good.

There’s a gasp and you turn around, looking at Wanda. Natasha stares too, confused, which confirms that You didn’t say it out loud, only thought about it.

“That’s too much, even for you” Wanda says.

“Get the fuck out of my head, then. If you want warm and fuzzy thoughts, maybe don’t cheat on me, Wanda”

The silence hangs in the room, and you leave, knowing your presence is only making it worse for everyone. Steve asked you to come and fight, not put on a show.

You stand at the first line of defense, next to Natasha, Steve and Bucky. As soon as the alien aircrafts show up, you bring them down, or make them crash against each other.

Once Thor joins the fight and takes over, you direct your attention to hand to hand combat. Using their own weapons against them, you keep the aliens at bay, clearing the path for Natasha and Steve.

“I’ve had enough of you” one of the aliens you saw in Edinburgh jumps, and they’re too quick, punching you and throwing you across the field, leaving you out of breath. That and the exhaustion from using your powers for such an intense fight make you dizzy, and you’re not sure you’ll be able to stand up in time.

Red wisps of magic throw the alien against a machine, killing them instantly.

“Are you ok?” Wanda runs to your side. Up until now, she had stayed next to Vision.

“I’m fine” you lie. She’s about to argue with you when everything goes quiet.

Thanos, you hear someone whisper, and you immediately turn around. A chill runs down your spine as a gigantic figure shows up in the middle of the battlefield.

“I’m too tired to fly all the way there. Throw me and then get back to the stone”

“You’re too weak” she protests.

“Just do it”

Wanda listens and you join Thor, Steve close behind. You close your hands in fists, so Thano’s armour closes around his own body, crushing him. As Thor wields his axe, you pull away the gauntlet, throwing it to T’Challa. He carries it, putting distance between it and Thanos.

The creature let’s out a groan, throwing you against a tree while Thor pushes the axe against his neck. His arms shake with the force he is exerting, but it’s not enough.

Reaching forward, you use your powers to push down, moving the weapon further down his neck. You begin to see black spots, exhausted from the physical exhertion.

Thankfully, Steve shows up, delivering a final blow that separates Thanos’ head from his body.

You’re too tense to let go, fearing he’ll be able to grow a second head. It’s only until Natasha runs to your side that you drop the headless body.

Out of breath, you fall to your knees, trying to stop shaking.

“Are you ok?” Natasha asks, inspecting every inch of your body.

“Fine” you mutter. Then, you bend over and throw up blood. “Ok, maybe not”

—

Shuri is next to your bed, checking your vitals. She’s been making her rounds between Vision and you. It seems like she’ll be able to separate the stone from the droid.

“How is she?” Natasha asks, looking at you. It’s been 12 hours since you passed out.

“She’s stable. Her body needs to recover. It was overexhertion from exceptional use of her power, there are no other injuries. But I am told she can heal faster than a regular person, so…”

“Yeah” Natasha nods, sighing. “She’s strong. I’m just worried”

“It will be fine, agent. The price of saving the universe”

You wake up the next night, in a dark room lit only by the monitor that keeps your vitals visible. You feel weak and thirsty, but you also know you have the get out of here.

Leaving the room behind, you walk out of the building when a voice stops you.

“You’re up” Wanda says and goes after you when you keep walking. “Wait, what are you doing? You can’t leave”

“I can’t stay here. I’m an outlaw”

“I’m sure that will change now that you’ve saved the universe. Come on. You need your rest” Wanda takes your arm and you yank it away, as if her touch burns.

“Don’t act like you’re concerned for me. You don’t care about me at all, Wanda”

“That’s not true…”

“How long?” you finally turn to her, and hold her stare as a tear rolls down her cheek.

“Six months”

You nod, feeling like you might throw up again for a very different reason.

“Hope you’re very happy with him. Goodbye”

“No, wait! I didn’t mean for it to happen… I didn’t want to hurt you”

“And yet here we are” you mumble, wiping away the tears that run down your face. “Go be with him. We’re done here”

You use the little strenght you have to turn invisible, hoping that will be enough to stop her from following you.

Still, Wanda stays glued to her spot, sobbing quietly.

“Is Y/N ok?” Natasha rushes to your room. “Where is she?”

“She’s gone”

“Why did you let her leave? She’s too weak to do anything”

“I couldn’t stop her”

“I wonder why that is” Natasha bites back and Wanda glares at her.

“Don’t talk to me like that, Natasha, you have no idea…”

“I do, actually. She risked her life to keep the government away from us. She was alone for two years while we protected you, Wanda. You’re the one that screwed up here and it’s on you if something happens to her” Natasha says in an even tone, as if she’s bored with Wanda’s childish complaints. “Your precious robot is ready. Go be with him. The rest of us will clean after your mess”

It’s been a month.

You’re in Norway, in the middle of nowhere. No internet, radio or phone. You’re clueless about what happened after the Battle of Wakanda and honestly, couldn’t care less. 

All you do is go around the forest, think about Wanda and hate her.

You miss her terribly, but it’s not like the other times, when you were apart, knowing you’d see her again. There’s no reunion or anticipation to hold her in your arms again. To hear her laugh and feel her lips on yours.

That part of your life is done for good. There’s nothing left.

The rain starts in the middle of your run, so you create a force field to shield you from the drops. As you approach the trailer, you notice the door is ajar.

Alerted, you go inside, ready to attack.

Natasha is fast asleep in your bed.

“Hey” you nudge her with your foot and she grumbles.

“You took forever” 

“Well, there’s nothing else to do around here so I’m usually gone for hours” you explain. “Wanna go for a swim?”

“The water is freezing, are you insane? Oh, never mind, you are!” she punches your arm and you laugh.

“What are you on about, Romanoff?”

“You left Wakanda half dead. And for a moment I thought you were, it took me forever to find you” 

“How did you find me?” you wonder, taking off your wet sneakers, leaning against the wall while Natasha sits up, crossing her legs. 

“McDonald’s security camera”

“I do love me some fries” you sigh. “So, what are you doing here?”

“Just checking to see if you’re ok”

“I’m alive” you shrug your shoulders. “That’s about it”

Natasha stares for a little too long, and you fidget under the intensity of her green eyes. You know what she means, but you refuse to mention Wanda or your break up.

“Come home with me” she pleads, her voice soft. You’re surprised at her vulnerability. 

“I can’t stand to watch her with that toaster every single day”

“They’re not in New York” 

“Where are they, then?”

“Does it matter?” she challenges you. Of course, it doesn’t. It’s not your business. Not anymore. You sit next to her, bringing your knees to your chest.

“I was barely an Avenger, and the Compound… I don’t know, Nat. I don’t feel like I belong anywhere anymore. Especially in places where we were together”

“Who said anything about the Compound? I’m in my thirties, I figured having a bunch of roommates was too much. I’m living in my own place now. And looking for someone to split the rent with, since I have very good taste and it’s in an expensive area” 

“I thought roommates were too much for you” you say with a smile.

“Multiple, yes. One, I can handle” 

You sigh, looking around you. You’ve been miserable and bored out of your mind. At some point, you’ll have to live again. And if you’re gonna hate life, might as well do it in a city where you can get decent food.

“Ok” you nod, smiling when she extends her hand to seal the deal.

“You better not leave wet towels in the bathroom floor” she warns you.

—

“You lied to me” you grumble, giving the wall a second coat of paint. Natasha ignores you and you glare. “You just wanted someone who’d help you paint the place for free”

“Absolutely not!” Natasha shakes her head no. 

Except, maybe she left out how the apartment needed some work and there was nothing on it except the walls. You’re being annoying, but you actually don’t mind. This is the first time in your life where you get to decide how to live. It also helps to get your mind of everything that happened in the last month. When you’re assembling furniture and arguing over color palettes, heartbreak is not at the forefront of your mind.

You have not settled on a couch, so you’re still using the one you got from the Compound. Natasha insists that it doesn’t have to be anything too expensive, but you keep saying a good living room is the soul of any great apartment.

“It’s not like we’re having a lot of people coming over, we’re both loners”

“All the more reason to get a nice couch. We watch movies every night in the living room” 

“I’m picking the movie tonight, by the way”

“You already had your chance” you mumble. “Those privileges have been revoked for the rest of the week”

You had to sleep with the lights on after a marathon of all those Insidious movies she likes so much.

But still, you let her choose the movie because it’s nice and there’s no point in fighting with the one person who’s going out of her way to keep you company in your misery. After the movie’s done, she stands up, stretching her arms. 

“I’m calling it a night”

“Ok” you smile, taking over the entire couch and covering yourself with the blanket. Natasha stares. “What?”

“You’ve been sleeping in the living room. Don’t say it’s because of the movie, it’s been happening since you got here, Y/N”

“I… uh” you scratch the back of your neck nervously. “My room feels… lonely. Here I can listen to the sounds of the street. And sometimes when you go to the kitchen I hear your footsteps and feel less… horrible. It’s stupid”

“It’s not” she shakes her head. “We’ll get a new couch tomorrow” 

“Alright”

“Good night, Y/N”

“Night, Nat”

—

People walk past you and you ignore them as you sit, Natasha to your right. 

“Pass the popcorn” you say and she pretends to grab something from the air, handing it over to you. “I’m not feeling it” 

“It’s a nice couch” Natasha protests, trying to be patient. She has a feeling the couch is a metaphor for your love life, but you’re being impossible in your shopping trip.

“It’s not the couch” you insist, pulling her up and walking around the shop. You mumble a number of things as you inspect different furniture. The color isn’t right, it’s itchy, it’s too small.

“We’re getting close, I can feel it” you promise, walking backwards to look at Nat.

“Watch where you’re going…”

Too late, as you trip over and fall on your back. You yelp, landing on a cream colored sofa that feels perfect.

“Are you ok?” Natasha hurries over and you laugh, pulling her towards you by the hand. It’s big enough to fit the both of you when you lie down on your side. “Wow, this is great” 

“Right?” you snuggle next to her, sighing. “We found it, Nat” 

“Yeah, we did” she smiles. “Let’s take it home” 

You celebrate, hugging her until a store clerk comes by and ask if you need help. Natasha blushes as she breaks apart, confirming you’re buying it. Her hand never leaves your back as she speaks to the clerk. 

“We should celebrate” you say as you leave the store, not dwelling too much on why buying furniture makes you so damn happy.

“I’d love to, but I have a mission” Natasha sighs.

“Oh. I understand” 

The universe might have been in danger, but the world -and the bad guys- certainly didn’t stop. The Avengers were still operating, albeit with more freedom than before.

“We’ll do something when I’m back” she promises and you nod. 

You can handle a day alone, right?

The apartment feels empty without her and you can’t help but think about the past few months. You isolated yourself, then Natasha brought you back to the city, where you focused on fixing your apartment. 

Sooner or later, you’d have to face the reality of your situation. 

Wanda wasn’t part of your life or future anymore. Sitting around doing nothing was not an option in the long run.

Which is why you show up at the Compound first thing in the morning, knocking on Steve’s door. 

“Natasha won’t be back until later today” he says as you sit in front of him. 

“I know. I wanted to talk to you about… coming back to the team” 

“We’d love to have you, Y/N. Your skills are incredibly helpful on the field, and we’ve all seen that you’re very loyal. I know how much you risked to protect us as we were on the run” 

“I feel a but coming” you say and Steve laughs.

“I just want to make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Because you want to, not because you feel like there’s no other place to go to”

“I think I can be useful, in a way only few people can. I mean, what am I going to do with magnetism manipulation? Work as a barista?”

“Fair enough” he nods, leaning forward. “Welcome back” 

You have the presence of mind to ask him to hold off on telling Natasha, because you want to let her know yourself. It may be silly, but you make dinner and get her favorite wine as you wait for her to be back from the mission.

“What smells so good?” she greets, closing the door behind her. She’s out of her work clothes, wearing jeans, a simple white tee and leather jacket.

“I made chicken alfredo” you say, moving the pasta around as you turn off the stove.

“Smells delicious” she looks over your shoulder, placing her hand on your lower back as she reaches for two plates and wine glasses.

During dinner, you listen to Natasha talk about the mission and how Sam and Bucky can’t get along even after everything they’ve been through. 

“I’m telling Steve to keep his boyfriends under control”

“Speaking of… Steve” you put your fork down, nervous all of the sudden. “I’m rejoining the Avengers”

Natasha chews for a moment, sips from her glass and wipes the corner of her mouth. Once she’s done, she sighs, looking up.

“I’m gonna kill him”

“What? Who?”

“Steve! This is low, even for him. This is why I didn’t want to leave for a mission just yet. I suspected he’d find a way to guilt you into thinking you owe the world something”

“Wait, no. That’s not what happened. Nat, listen to me” you plead, reaching for her hand and forcing her to sit down. “I went to see him this morning. Maybe I’m just… done with moping around and doing nothing. I can’t go like this forever. Plus, we’d get to go on missions together, right? Or maybe not, you’ll get sick of me, we already share an apartment”

Natasha calls for you, the way she says your name full of care and gentleness.

“Is this what you want?”

“Yes” you say, still holding her hand.

“Then I’m happy” she nods, smiling as she raises her glass.

—

Life is gentle, if only because you let yourself be. A routine develops, with training, missions, dinner and movies. Sometimes you go out, sometimes you cook for Natasha. 

The constant is each other’s presence. And whenever she has to be away on a solo mission, you find comfort in the things she leaves behind, like her clothes. She doesn’t question anything the first time she comes back home and finds you napping in the couch, wearing one of her hoodies.

Natasha has also accepted every bouquet, commenting that it will look beautiful in the kitchen table. She’s right, but that’s not why you buy them; it’s because you’re enamored by her smile as she inspects each flower. 

Home takes on a different meaning. It’s not just the apartment you share, it’s the mornings when Natasha comes back from her run with your favorite muffins; the days you find your favorite cookies in a grocery bag and those times when Nat insists on cleaning after eating whatever it is you prepared and she listens to you talk about your day as she washes dishes.

One day, as Natasha comes back from training new recruits, you greet her at the door. Her smile is gentle, but distant. 

“I was wondering if… you’d like to go out tonight?” you ask, sensing this isn’t the best time but you also know you’ll chicken out if you don’t do it now. 

“I’m kinda tired. I’ll probably take a shower and call it a night”

“Oh, yeah” you nod, fidgeting with your hands.

“I’m sorry. It’s been a weird day. My mind’s a mess” Natasha steps forward, reaching for your hand.

“It doesn’t have to be today. What I meant was… would you like to go on a date with me?” you finally look up, trying to decipher her expression.

Natasha smiles and you sigh with relief.

“How about tomorrow?”

“Sounds perfect”

That’s exactly how the evening goes. You’ve shared so many nights together, but there’s something different in the air. It’s electric and it makes your head spin, craving more each time her hand touches yours.

“Next one is on me” she promises when you insist on paying for dinner. You lean against her, until her arm goes around your shoulders.

“So, there’s gonna be a next one?” 

“I’d like that, yes” Natasha nod and you blush, practically hiding in her arms. She laughs, kissing your temple. The walk home is quiet, but not in an uncomfortable way.

Inevitably, your mind goes to your previous relationship. Truth be told, most of the time you spent with Wanda was brief and under difficult circumstances. There were never dates or any semblance of a normal life. There’s no way of knowing if you’d had worked out together. But, for the first time in six months, it doesn’t hurt to think about what you lost.

You can’t imagine your life without Natasha.

“One episode, that’s all” you argue playfully as you go up the stairs, hoping Natasha wants to watch the show you were binging the other day.

“We have an early morning tomorrow” 

“I’ll make it worth your time…” you say, laughing.

“Y/N” a different voice calls from the end of the hallway. You look back, your eyes meeting Wanda’s. Natasha doesn’t seem as surprised.

“Wanda, what are you doing here?”

“I came back a few days ago…” the girl turns to Natasha, upset. “You didn’t tell her I was here”

“I was hoping you’d leave her alone” Natasha admits, avoiding your eyes.

“Is that really the only reason?” Wanda looks intently at the way you’re holding Natasha’s hand.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Natasha steps forward, but you pull her back.

“It’s not worth it, Nat”

“Y/N, I just need five minutes. Alone” Wanda asks, focusing entirely on you. You can tell that Natasha feels defeated as you nod, but still goes inside without another word, the door closing behind her.

“Five minutes” you say, crossing your arms. You miss Natasha’s warmth as soon as she leaves.

“I came back to say I’m sorry. To say that I think I made a mistake”

“You hurt me. I think that was a mistake, yes. Is that all?”

“These past few months I… I have tried to convince myself that what I did was not so bad, or that it was meant to be between Vision and me. But lately, I’ve wondered if it wasn’t only the stone. The connection was so strong between us, but now that the Mind stone is gone…”

“Now you’re bored and coming back to me” 

“It’s not like that” 

“Whatever it is, I’m not interested, Wanda. I’ve moved on, worked on myself. Found someone who makes me happier than I’ve ever been. I’m sorry, truly, that things didn’t turn out the way you wanted. But coming back to me is not an option. That door is closed for good” 

“Of course” she sighs, a tear rolling down her cheek. “I’m sorry for interrupting your date, I’ll leave now”

“Wanda” you call as she walks down the hall. “I really hope you can find happiness again”

With that, you walk into your apartment. 

“Can we talk?” you say, approaching Nat. She smiles sadly.

“Look, I understand. Wanda’s the one. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you she was here… I guess I just wanted to be a little selfish and have one date with you”

You sigh, sitting down next to her.

“She’s gone now. I’m not… whatever it is I felt for her, it’s over now, Nat. I’m sorry if I made you feel insecure” you place your finger under her chin, making her look up. “I like that you sing while you wash the dishes. I know your favorite flowers are tulips. I’d watch twenty horror movies just to see you smile” she chuckles at that, reaching for your hand. “I’d do anything to give you a fraction of the happiness you’ve given me, Natasha”

“It’s hard to believe, that’s all. I’ve never been easy to love” 

“And yet, it’s the only thing that’s kept me going for this long. Your love. Will you let me pay it back?”

“Yes” she nods, her nose rubbing against yours as you lean forward, kissing her gently at first, and then pushing her until she’s laying on the couch. She pulls you closer, eager for more. 

“I did say I’d make it worth your time” 

You laugh against Natasha’s lips, feeling how she’s smiling into the kiss.

“Lucky for us, we have the best couch in all of New York City, and all the time in the world”

“Yes, we do” you confirm, kissing her until you’re both out of breath. “And we have each other”

“That too” Natasha nods, her hand on your cheek.

And you’d have each other, in the home you built.

[saltnsugarbear]

take time and erase you

summary: after being betrayed by Carmy four years ago, you reunite with him at The Beef after Mikey's death.

title from: "Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar

word count: 2.2k

content warnings: LOTS of swearing, mentions of Mikey's death, allusions to depression, reader is close friends with Richie

part two!

You knew Carmen Berzatto from your shared time with Chef Daniel Boulud. You two worked better together than any of the chefs in that kitchen, able to work around and with each other without having to talk. Moving around each other organically and clearly. You worked so well together you could stop each others future mistakes or work out a quick solution with just looks.

That was until the week Carmen started acting prickly. When he started to shoulder you out of the way and moved in ways that were so alien to your usual system.

And then he made a mistake.

And then he blamed it on you.

And then Chef Daniel gave you an ultimatum that you could leave yourself or be fired.

You "chose" to quit. You told Chef Daniel that when he gave you the ultimatum, put your stupid chefs hat on the counter and left without a glance at Carmy.

You sat in the alleyway going through half your pack of cigarettes, a habit you picked up from Carmen, when he found you. His whites were disheveled and he had lost his hat along the way.

He stopped when he saw you, sat up against the wall with your arms hanging over your knees and cigarette in hand.

"I'm sorry-"

"Fuck you." You spit out at the same time as him. The face he makes has you scoffing before you know it. "I dished up a plate with a known allergy and forgot to sub? Fucking really Carm?"

"I didn't, I didn't mean for you to get- for you to quit. I didn't think-"

"You're right, you didn't think. All you thought about was saving your own ass, Carmen." Using his full name has him flinching before he knows it. It's always been Carmy or Carm or Bear. Never Carmen, unless you were stressed or pissed.

And you were pissed.

You put out your cigarette beside you and then stand up, putting yourself in Carmen's space.

"I didn't- I'm sorry, I don't-" He looks at a complete loss, his own eyes searching yours.

"You can't fix this, Carmen. You made your bed, fucking lie in it." And with that, you push past him to walk out of the alley and into the New York night.

You hadn't seen Carmen Berzatto in the last four years and barely thought about him after two.

You moved back to Chicago and got a job in another kitchen. Despite it being dysfunctional beyond belief you loved your staff. They were loud and bustling and disjointed but they had so much life in them you hadn't seen in so long.

Coincidentally, the restaurant was spear-headed by Carmen's brother, Michael. Despite your differences with Carmen you found yourself getting on with Mikey. The difference between the brothers was astounding and you found yourself enjoying working with Mikey more than you had when you worked with Carmen.

You weren't even really in the kitchen, Michael had hired you to work register and front of house with Richie and Gary. It was a nice change of pace from being elbow deep in a dish.

You got to spend most of your day bantering with Richie and roping in the customers to your bit.

The two of you formed a bit of a front of house trio with Mikey. Before February, anyways.

Michael's death shook everyone at The Beef. No one had seen it coming, despite Mikey's recent spiraling.

His death hit Richie the hardest, after being childhood best friends and the closest you could get to brothers without blood.

You spent the following weeks afterwards going by Richie's place and making sure he got out of bed. You would take him home from work, sometimes spend the night and then make him breakfast in the morning.

You could have moved in with how often you were there with him. You helped him be presentable for Eva and got him through some of the more monotonous tasks.

Both of you going through that loss allowed the both of you to build a stronger relationship that really shown in front of house.

Until Carmen came home in June.

The moment you saw Carmen in the back office you turned yourself around and walked towards front of house, "Richie! What the fuck is in this office!?"

Richie pushes the door between front and back of house open and pops his head into the kitchen, "What's in the office, sweetheart?"

The rest of Richie's body followed as you point in the direction of the office, brows furrowed and mouth set in a frown.

"Oh shit," Was what came out of Richie's mouth and you turn to see Carmen in the office doorway with his hands on his hips.

"What the fuck is up, Cousin?" Richie walks past you to clap a hand on Carmen's shoulder and put an arm around him.

You cross your arms as you glare at Carmen, making your displeasure as obvious as possible.

Richie turns to you and gestures towards Carmen, "Sweetheart, this is-"

"I know who he is, Richie. What is he doing here?"

Carmen decides to pipe up then, "Y'know I can fuckin' hea-"

"Shut the fuck up, Carmen." You turn your glare on him and he closes his mouth.

"Oh, shit," Richie giggles and jostles Carmen by his shoulder. "Cousin, the fuck did you do to piss 'em off? I didn't even know you two knew each other."

You turn back to Richie, your glare weakening, "Of course you knew, Richie. I just never talked about him because he was a backstabbing asshole."

Carmen decides to open his mouth again and say, "You know that's not-"

You turn back on the man beside Richie, "Not what, Carmen? Not what happened? How would you explain what happened? Because I would love to hear how you would describe it."

Richie whistles before Carmen can answer and pats him on the shoulder again before letting him go. "You must've really fucked up, Cousin. Never seen 'em this upset before."

Richie walked past you to front of house and you followed him, putting as much distance between you, the office and Carmen.

"Is that gonna be a problem?" Richie leveled with you when he reached the counter.

"If he stays in the kitchen, no, it won't be." you respond.

And Richie leaves it at that.

And it wasn't an issue for the first two weeks.

Sure money had been tighter but it had been since before Mikey passed. Richie just wanted to blame the money issues on Carmen, instead of tainting the memory he still had of Mikey.

When the third week of Carmen returning to The Beef came around, tensions were high. Tina and Ebra weren't used to the change in pace and system, finding it hard to work with the emotional whiplash of mourning Michael and wanting to strangle Carmen.

The third week brought Sydney Adamu, who looked at Carmen with stars in her eyes. you had heard her talking about his accomplishments and you could see the idol pedestal she had put him on.

You walked in with Richie, after picking him up from Eva's recital. You let him beeline his way to Tina and Ebra to recount the event as you put your coat in your locker and exchange it for your apron.

You spot Sydney floating around the kitchen, collecting ingredients from the walk-in and pantry. She moved with a grace you hadn't felt in so long and had a concentration many would envy.

She was perfect, to be truthful.

"Chef," you turn your gaze on Carmen, face blank. "You're late."

You roll your eyes and tie your apron around your waist. "Well, Chef, I'm not kitchen staff. And we don't have service for another two hours."

"It doesn't matter when we open. We need to capitalize-"

"Capitalize on my fucking dick, Carmen." The look of shock on his face makes you want to laugh. "I'm front of house, you don't need me for your prep. Two hours is more than enough time to get the restaurant ready for service, when I don't have a child whining in my ear about my supposed tardiness."

Carmen puts his hands on his hips, making his stance wider.

"Now, if you could move, I have shit I need to go do. Chef."

Carmen looks at you for a moment, his brow furrowed. "Okay, go, chef."

You roll your eyes at him and slide past him to the door between the front and back.

"Chef, can you stay for a minute?" When Carmen stands in the doorway of the office while you're grabbing your bag, you want to throw one of the lockers at him. You make a show of sighing and then take a deep breath.

"Richie!" You see Carmen flinch in your periphery from the raised volume in your voice.

"Sweetheart!" Richie calls back from front of house.

"Carmen's keeping me hostage! Go have a cigarette or something!" You pause and wait to hear his response, tilting your head towards the door.

"Yes, chef!" You wait to hear the front door open and close before you motion for Carmen to go into the office.

"How long are you going to stay pissed off at me?" Carmen is settled against the edged of the desk, his arms crossed.

You sigh. "Well, Carmen, I lost my job because of you. Which thoroughly fucked up my whole life. So, I'd say it's valid to be pissed off for the rest of your lifetime."

"I apologized. I- I don't know what else you want?" Carmen gestures with one hand, waving it before moving to rub at his top lip. A nervous habit he's still kept.

"An apology doesn't fix what you did, Carmen. You used me as a scapegoat-" You adjust your stance and cross your arms over your chest.

"I don't know what you want me to do. Or- or say."

"Nothing, Carmen!" You gesture expansively and straighten up, "There is nothing you can do or say that will change the fact you massively screwed me over to save yourself."

Carmen's eyes are wide and searching your own.

"So, own your shit, Carmen. Quit acting like you didn't know what you were doing. And quit digging up old bones and expecting me to feel bad for you. You're not a child, quit throwing the blame off yourself." Your voice had gotten quieter and more neutral as you spoke. You've pictured this argument before and it's much exhausting then you thought it would be.

You put your hands on your hips, thinking that's the end of it before Carmen speaks up again.

"I need you to respect me, then. I- I can't have you mouthing off to me, or- or fucking showing up late. Because how am I supposed to- t'get the respect of the rest of my staff when I have someone treating me like I'm- I'm a fucking joke." He's placed the hand he gestured with on the desk and you can see him resting some of his weight on it.

"Then earn my respect, Carmen. Work for it."

Carmen furrows his brow and stands up straighter, no longer leaning on the desk. "What? What- what does that even mean?"

"It means," you punctuate this by getting in his personal space. In a few steps you'd be chest to chest with him. "Work for it. You don't get my respect just because you took over. You earn that shit, you know that."

Carmen is silent as he studies your face, eyes searching yours.

"And don't try making this like those other kitchens. It's not going to work, you'll break them or they'll break you. My money's on them." You watch his face before adjusting the strap of your bag on your shoulder. "Now, if we're done here, I need to get Richie home. It's past his curfew."

Carmen rolls his eyes at that and you can see the slight tug at his lips that he is fighting. "Go home, chef."

"Yeah, go fuck yourself." You reply as you turn around and walk out of the office. On your way through the front of house and outside, you fish out your pack of cigarettes. Once you're out the door you're lighting a stick before jamming the pack in your pocket and turning to corner down the street.

Richie is standing by the boot of your car, one hand stuffed in his pocket and the other scrolling through his phone. When he spots you he slides his phone into his front pocket.

"What did he want?" He holds his hand out for you cigarette and you pass it to him to fish out your keys.

"Planning the menu for dinner with your mom." You reply, pushing the button to unlock your car.

"Oh hardy-har-har. Very funny." Richie stubs the stick out on the sole of his boot and hands you the dead stick.

"Get your ass in the car or you're walking home, Germ." You look at him as you open the driver's door and get in behind the wheel.

"You wouldn't do that to me, sweetheart." Richie scoffs as he gets in the passenger side.

"Maybe I would." You look at him as you turn the key in the ignition. Richie huffs again and looks out the window, leaving the two of you to drive with only the music making noise.

[venerawrites]

reader and vi reunite after the bridge fight in caitlyn's room, and while caitlyn is out talking to her parents, reader and vi end up making out on caitlyn's bed...!!! (WITH INCREDIBLE HESITATION ON VI'S END BECAUSE VI DOES LIKE CAITLYN AT THIS POINT BUT IS ALSO SO GLAD TO SEE THAT READER IS SAFE. READER ALSO HAS A VENDETTA AGAINST CAITLYN AT THIS POINT SO READER GETS LOWKEY LIVID AT HAVING FOUND VI IN THE ENFORCER'S ROOM)

author's note: I may have screamed a little when I saw this request because this idea is just *chef's kiss*! Thank you so much for requesting and I hope you like it!

warnings: nothing explicit, but it does get a bit heated toward the end, so just in case ... 18+ implied, MINORS DNI!!

Red.

That's all you could see, as you peeked through the window of Caitlyn Kiramman's bedroom. Blinding, raging red, which threatened to consume you whole and make the last thread of self-control in your body snap. Your fingers involuntarily twitched next to you, grazing the handle of your gun. A shot from here would be pretty clean, it would take that enforcer girl out straight away. One less problem for you to worry about...

Suddenly Caitlyn stood up from her bed, shaking her head while saying something to Vi. You couldn't hear her words, but a few moments later she started heading toward the door before quietly exiting the room. The pink-haired woman buried her face in her hands, running her palms up and down the bruised skin.

A few moments passed and you held your breath, trying to make out the voices coming from the open window downstairs. You leaned your head to the side, squinting your eyes as if that would help you hear better. And it must've worked, as the loud screeching of both Caitlyn and her mother arguing reached your ears.

"This whole family is a bunch of morons", you thought, rolling your eyes. Taking out the knife from your waist you pushed it between the window frame and the sill, wiggling the blade till you heard a soft click. Your fingers froze and your eyes flew immediately to Vi, checking for any reaction. She, however, seemed to be so deep into her own thoughts that she paid no mind to the soft sound that came from you breaking the lock.

Slowly you lifted the lower sash only as far as to give you enough space to squeeze into the room and with one swift move, you lifted your body with your arms, quietly dragging it inside. Scanning the room with your eyes, your whole face twisted in distaste.

Every single object in the room was worth more than all of your belongings put together, and probably more than what the majority of the people in Zaun owned. But, of course, what else could you expect from the daughter of a Councillor?

"Huh... Didn't know the rich spoiled girls were your type", you hummed, tilting your head to the side while still observing your surroundings. The sudden words startled Vi and she immediately jumped from the bed, assuming a fighting position, which relaxed as soon as she saw you.

"You...", her brows furrowed, while her eyes drank your form sitting at the window still. Once upon a time, you were everything for her - her safety, her heaven, her muse, her future... She often thought that no matter what happened, you were going to be a constant in her life. Something that she knew was hers and would always be hers.

But things and people change, and, damn, Vi should know that better than anyone else. Nothing in the Undercity was the same as it was before she was thrown in prison, and that included you. What was once the person she could confine all her secrets in was now a stranger, a mere ghost of her best friend and first crush.

"What are you doing here?"

You finally acknowledged her, your purple gaze boring into her face. "High on shimmer", noted Vi in her mind, and her fists clenched by her sides. Just like Powder, you have fallen a victim to Silco's manipulations and twisted games. He took both of you in after the explosion that night and has raised you both as his daughters, molding you into the perfect weapons of destruction. He gave you a second chance and the opportunity to start all over - something you both craved, needed even. But while Powder Jinx found comfort in her guns and trinkets, you found the same feeling in Shimmer.

"I am here for you, silly", your tone was dry and mocking, almost as if the purpose of your visit should be obvious. You swung your legs over, lowering them to the ground, before taking a few steps toward the pink-haired woman.

"I am here to take you home."

Home. The word caused a shiver to run down Vi's spine and while her brain screamed for her to step back, to create a bigger distance between you two, she stood frozen in her spot. Once she was within your reach, you lifted your hand gently placing it on her cheek and rubbing your thumb against it. Even now, when you were all grown up, she was still towering over you, and you had to look up, searching her eyes with your own.

"You are going to come home, right? To Jinx? To me?", you pressed, leaning closer.

Vi gulped, fighting the urge to lean her face against your hand. You used to do that a lot when you were younger and she was feeling stressed. Always treating her with such gentleness and love, making her feel way more beautiful and deserving of you than she actually was.

Now it was... different.

Your hands were rougher and there was no affection in these purple eyes of yours. Quite the opposite - there was something dark, something sinister, which was making her scared. Perhaps Ekko was right - you did not belong to her anymore, you belonged to Silco. The irony of you calling her sister Jinx also did not escape her - she remembered the days, when you would hug the child and scold Mylo, whispering sweet words into her hair and promising her it's not her fault that your little raid ended like this and that she would never "jinx" anything.

"You need to go."

What was supposed to be a command came out like a broken plead. The small smile that you had on your face quickly dropped and you furrowed your brows, the movement of your thumb against her cheek stopping.

"But I just got here", you let out a dry chuckle, before stepping around Vi and plopping yourself on the large bed behind her. The feeling of the satin sheets felt so smooth, that you could not fight the urge to lean back and sink in their comfort. Closing your eyes, you stretched your arms above your head and sighed in satisfaction. So this is how the rich bastards from Piltover lived, huh?

"Caitlyn will come back any second-"

Vi was interrupted by the angry huff that left your lips when you heard the enforcer's name. Your body suddenly raised in a seated position, a newfound spark of anger and frustration written all over your face.

"Why did you not look for me?"

The woman raised her brows confused.

"What?"

Your position shifted once again so you were now on your knees, leaning forward while glaring at her with a mix of hurt and fury.

"You claim you came for Jinx, but that is not true, is it? You came with a damn enforcer to look for that weird crystal!", your voice became louder and louder with each word, "And not even for one second you thought about me! You didn't even care if I was dead or aliv-"

A large hand pressed against your lips silencing you. Vi, which so far looked somewhat composed, was now having her lips twisted in a snarl.

"Don't you dare!", she growled, her voice low and bitter, "I turned the whole city upside down to try and find YOU and Powder! Every single day, every damn minute I thought of you and prayed for you to be alive! So don't you dare saying I didn't care!"

Her fingers trembled against your mouth and her grip loosened. You watched her head fall down while she took deep breaths, trying to calm the storm of emotions that was swirling inside of her chest. On one hand, she knew she should not entertain your little games. You were not the sweet and kind-hearted girl you were years ago, and the way you fought Ekko was proof of that. On the other hand, however, the memories of her love for you kept flooding her mind, making it hard to distinguish what were her real feelings and what was just fragments of her imagination.

Pulling her hand away, she kneeled on the ground next to the bed, pressing her forehead against your leg.

"The only reason why I survived all these years in prison was because of you. I thought...", she got quiet for a few seconds, trying to choose the right words. She had so much to say, so much to share, but were you actually willing to listen?

"I thought that if I ever had the chance to see you again, it would be just like it was years ago. That we would pack our stuff and leave this cursed place forever. I imagined us in a small house next to a coast somewhere, waking up late every morning, because none of us could let go of each other's warmth. Our house would have a small garden, full with all the flowers and vegetables you told me you wanted to grow."

As you listened to her, your expression gradually softened and your hand found its way to the top of her head. You gently stroked her short locks, the image of what could've been slowly coming together in your mind.

"We would also have a dog... and two cats, because you love cats. You would make me a blueberry pie for my birthdays and I would start a local job, so we can save money to go and visit one of these tourist islands you kept reading in the newspaper about", Vi stared at the blank wall ahead, mind lost in this imaginary life. She had dreamed about it so many times, sometimes it felt almost real.

Your fingers stopped massaging her scalp and instead slid from her hair to her jaw, lifting her face, so she could look at you. And then, just for a moment, you were the same girl Vi remembered and fell in love with. There was the same gentle smile on your face, the same loving touch, the same mischievous spark in your now strange eyes.

"Who said we can't still have that?", you whispered, grazing her lips with your thumb, before leaning toward her, "All you have to do is come home, Vi... Come with me and I will be yours. Only yours."

The lie fell so smoothly from your lips and while she knew you were not sincere, she pushed her doubt and mistrust aside, instead choosing to cling to your promise and allow herself to believe there was still hope.

Pushing herself from the floor, she grasped your face in her hands before pressing her lips against yours. The kiss was nothing like the few sweet pecks you had shared before - now it was messy, harsh, and rough, a battle for dominance between you and her. She slowly climbed on top of you, while pushing you back against the mountain of pillows on the bed, not breaking the contact even for a second. Her hands gripped your own, slamming them above your head, while she continued to suck and bite your bottom lip. Filled with a new dose of adrenaline, you let her take control, while arching your back and trying to get as close as possible to her.

Suddenly, the image of Caitlyn flashed in front of her eyes and she pulled away, panting heavily. She shouldn't be doing this, especially not with you and especially not here... Before she can let go of you completely, however, you wrapped your legs around her waist, bringing her back to you.

"Vi...", the name sounded like a sinful prayer falling from your red and swollen lips, "I missed you so much!"

Against her better judgment, she closed her eyes, pressing her lips against yours once again, this time licking them with her tongue as a request for her to finally be able to taste you. And once you granted your permission, she didn't waste even a second, exploring your mouth and satisfying her craving. You whined and moaned below her, moving your body under hers in a way to try and get as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. She stilled her tongue for a few seconds and you immediately grabbed the opportunity to suck on it, while rolling your eyes in pleasure.

Her hands released yours and instead, they grabbed your hips, trying to control your movements. Her mouth started pressing open-mouthed kisses against your jaw, slowly sliding down your neck and you could do nothing else, other than turn your head to the side and give her more space.

Somewhere deep inside, Vi knew this was wrong. You were not hers anymore and no matter what sweet promises you made, you were never going to turn against Silco. Zaun was a place where you thrived, why would you ever escape from there? And while she was trying to hold onto your past memories together, she couldn't lie to herself anymore by saying her heart still belonged to you. Because it didn't. There was a good and kind girl, who liked her and accepted her for who she is.

And what did Vi do? Make-out with her ex-crush on her bed.

You, on the other hand, did not have any internal struggles or questions about how morally right or wrong was your current situation. As you stared at the door, which was slightly open, your eyes locked with those of Caitlyn and you couldn't help but grin at her, burying your hands in Vi's hair while she still marked your neck.

She was yours. Only yours.

cc artwork: JunNing Chen

[sage-nebula]

She still doesn't get it. She just doesn't get it!

Vi. Sweetheart. Bruiser with a head as thick as her fists. Your sister is not "gone." Your sister grew up. And, as all people do when they grow up, she changed. This is something she told you when you first reunited with her:

"Things changed when you left. I changed."

Of course, you dismissed her, saying she just did what she had to in order to survive. Which, yes, but also no. Six years passed between when you were taken from her and when you saw her next, and those were her formative years. Formative, meaning forming who she is as a person, a growing and grown person, because time moves ever forward and no one stays a little girl forever.

Now, does this mean you have to like the person your sister changed into? No. Certainly, your sister doesn't like you putting on an enforcer uniform to help oppress the people of Zaun so you can live a cushy life in Piltover with your new girlfriend. But she still IS your sister. Yes, she changed her name to one that lets her reclaim something traumatic from her past. Yes, she's decided to fully move on and look toward the future now. But her past is still part of her. She doesn't have dissociative identity disorder. "Powder" and "Jinx" were never two separate people. She's the same person, and always has been. She was only ever torn between trying to go back to her past life with you, or accepting her present and future — and she has chosen the latter.

But she is still, and always will be, your sister. Something she knows ("Finally got the name right, sister"), even if you, for some reason, have a very hard time understanding this very simple concept.

Get it together.

[fairuzfan]

hello!! I don't know if this is appropriate (pls do not feel obligated to answer) but i was wondering what were ur thoughts on the israeli grass-roots movement Standing Together. I first found out abt them through a tumblr post that shared this substack article (https://theconnector.substack.com/p/if-its-not-helping-then-shut-the). the article immediately put an extremely bad taste in my mouth towards the movement and its founders, but i dont know if i'm being overly-critical of them.

Hey thanks for sending this in. No worries, it's totally ok. I was actually debating whether or not to publish this, mostly because I was afraid this would distract from Gaza, but I decided that it's imperative to stop normalizers from squeezing their way into the movement. Remember, the demands of the Palestinian people begin and end with liberation. Everything else is irrelevant and pointless to the cause.

So first off — I don't think you're being overly-critical of them at all. The first red flag of both this article and the group themselves is that they often exchange "Palestinian" with "Arab" and "Israeli" with "Jewish." That right off the bat shows me they have no respect for Palestinians and see Jewish people and Palestinians as mutually exclusive categories. I've spoken on this blog before about how racist it is to assume no Palestinian is Jewish and vice versa and this group really illustrates the forced division they imagine within their own goals and wording.

The article itself is quite anti-Palestinian in its erasure — it talks about avoiding words like "genocide," and "apartheid," and "ethnic cleansing" because "they are serious people trying to actually get something done." I really don't understand why not using those words makes you a serious person. If anything, it erases a description of how to define what it happening to Palestinians.

The whole redefinition of "peace" in this article and group is just calmness. These people are not advocating for peace in which families are reunited and land is given back — they are advocating for a muted version of the status quo of the current political system, just with less obviously fanatical governments. Peace cannot be attained when the people directly affected cannot have a say in defining it. They won't even say the word "apartheid." It's not some scholarly word with no meaning — it has actual consequences and effects on people (click). Palestinians are tried in military court. Their movement is monitored and restricted. It means that there are different legal systems for different people (click)! If you reject that this exists, then you're not interested in making the lives of Palestinians better — you're only interested in making your own life more comfortable.

As soon as you remove our ability to say words like "genocide" and "apartheid", you remove our ability to determine what happens specifically to Palestinians based on racism. By only saying "Palestinians are getting killed" an Israeli can come in and say "well so am I, by Hamas! Let's work together to end the killing" when it ignores that this is a systematic effort to completely wipe out all trace of Palestinians from the world.

It's like saying, "Don't say you have arthritis, say your joints hurt. And well, that happens to everyone, so let's just find a way to stop all our joints from hurting!" Then you work with people who fundamentally don't understand your pain and symptoms, oversimplifying your situation to the point of malicious universality. Sure, everyone's joints hurt, but my joints are hurting because my immune system is attacking them, not because of old age. You can't help my arthritis the same way you can wear a heat/cold patch to sooth your joints — there are other problems you're ignoring that all work together to cause me systematic pain and might cause bigger problems in the future if left untreated properly.

Similar symptoms don't mean similar causes and ignoring that is fundamentally ignoring the root issue and attempting to trivialize Palestinian's suffering. As soon as you take away the words to describe our situation, it doesn't sound so bad, does it?

Now, basically, the... weirdest part of the article is this excerpt:

People like him in Israel are very aware of how the left here is talking about them, and it’s not helping. “You can call me a colonizer or a settler,” he declared, “but I’m not going anywhere. And neither are the Palestinians.” When people chant, “Palestine will be free,” he said, “we Israelis hear, ‘without you.’ In the same way that a lot of Palestinians hear the ministers in Bibi’s government speak and think they want to do the same thing to them.” The problem as they both see it is that we are caught between two polar opposites. “Hamas believes in Greater Palestine,” Green said. “And on the other side we have people who believe in the idea of Greater Israel.” Indeed, that concept is in the charter of Netanyahu’s Likud Party. “Both sides have very problematic governing bodies,” he added. And the status quo of maintaining the occupation and managing the conflict has been exploded now.

Well, first off, Hamas is not the only one who believes in "Greater Palestine." Palestinians around the globe have been fighting for that since 1948. Second off, it's quite odd that you would center yourself in the wake of the ongoing slaughter of 10,000 people, with no end in sight. Right now, I would assume you'd be advocating for an end to the mass killings first and foremost, but you seem to be more worried about your right to stolen land.

Third, this completely erases the violence done to Palestinians the past 75+ years in favor for a "peace" that will only allow citizens of Israel comfort in their lives. Sure Palestinian citizens of Israel might have more comfortable lives, maybe (although I doubt it). But what about Gaza, which has been ravaged by Israel? What about the people in the Occupied Territories, whose economy depends on Israel, which controls it? What about the millions of refugees around the world who can't so much as see the place where they grew up because they've been exiled? The colonization of Palestine by Israel is not so old — there are people STILL ALIVE who participated in the massacres of Palestinians in 1948 and 1967 and walk around without facing any real consequences for that. My great-grandmother had seen both and she only passed away a couple of years ago. Where is the "peace" for her? Where is the "peace" for millions like her who still dream of going back to their childhood home?

This group AND the article tries to cloud your view into illustrating two opposing groups with equal power. They aren't. Palestinians, unfortunately, endure systematic oppression both within Gaza and throughout Palestine. Each and every time they try to resist peacefully, they've been shot, abducted, or imprisoned. The Great March of Return is one such example. BDS is also an example, yet that has constantly been outlawed by American governments. There have been a plethora of Palestinian artists, writers, and filmmakers who have been silenced or killed for advocating for a Free Palestine. Most recently, this included Heba Abu-Nada who was an award winning poet and writer who was martyred on October 20th after getting shelled by an Israeli missile. Ghassan Kanafani also was assassinated last century. The list goes on. Palestinians have no hope of "changing the system from within" because that internal change will always depend on the mercy of the Israelis that pretend to ally themselves with the Palestinians. Someone in Gaza cannot leave their refugee camp and go back to their ancestral home because no one in this group is advocating for that — and remember, the right of return is an essential part of the demands of the Palestinian people and we cannot ignore that for a forced "peace" that favors calmness over actual justice.

Now as we examine the group themselves, here is their mission statement/goal:

Standing Together is a progressive grassroots movement mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel against the occupation and for peace, equality, and social justice. We know that the majority have far more in common than that which sets us apart and only a tiny minority benefits from the status quo. The future that we want-peace and independence for Israelis and Palestinians, full equality for everyone in this land, and true social, economic, and environmental justice — is possible. To achieve this future, we must stand together as a united front: Jewish and Palestinian, secular and religious, Mizrahi and Ashkenazi, rural and urban, and people of all genders and sexual orientations. As the largest Jewish-Arab grassroots movement in Israel, we are committed to creating an alternative to our existing reality and building the political strength to make this transformation possible.

Yet again, they are separating "Palestinian" and "Jewish," reinforcing this dichotomy that's so harmful. AND they're interchanging "Palestinian" and "Arab," which erases the diversity within Palestinian society. A group that makes the distinction between "Palestinian" and "Jewish" shows that they are not interested in the restitution of Palestinians but rather solidifying their own position within society by emphasizing a false dichotomy between "Palestinians" and "Jews" with no potential for overlap.

They mention "true justice" but "true justice" doesn't exist if there are no reparations towards the people who have been exiled and displaced, murdered, and tortured the past 75+ years. Justice is not an abstract concept — it is adhering to the demands of the people most impacted by systematic oppression, which is the Palestinians.

Looking at their leadership, there are only a couple of Palestinians with the vast majority of them being non-Palestinian. Sorry, but I'm wholly uninterested in "peace" and "equality" movements that are not made up of majority Palestinians. It's only common sense that you would expect such a movement to be led by Palestinians themselves — but this group seems to use Sally Abed as a token Palestinian who furthers their narrative of wanting "peace" in Israeli society. And even looking at their action items, you can see they make a point about emphasizing safety for the *Israeli* citizens above all else, stating that their far right government does nothing to serve the citizens of Israel. They claim it will also bring safety for Gazans, but how? You can advocate for a change in the government, yes, but if the people in Gaza are subject to getting their rights taken away based on the whims of whoever happens to be in power then no amount of "internal" activism in Israeli society will help them. They will always be at the mercy of the people who have a vested interest in erasing the people of Gaza and the West Bank so that they may take over their land.

Please remember, the civil rights movement of the 60s and the BLM Movement of this century were led by and FOR Black people of the United States because they were the ones making the demands for a change in their circumstances. Because at the end of the day, the people who are the most oppressed deserve the right to decide how their future appears and should not be dictated by the oppressor in any way.

This group tries to make a separation between the "Israeli people" and the "Israeli government." Right away, I have to laugh. They act as if the colonization of Palestine is too old for anyone to remember its origins — no. I had family living in Palestine as recently as '67. Maybe *this* generation didn't choose to settle in Palestine, but the previous generation did. And the generations before that. Before 1948, Israel didn't even exist. Hell, before a couple hundred years ago, BORDERS didn't exist. Not to mention, mandatory conscription means that most civilians will have been directly part of the suppressing forces, making them liable for the material effects of colonization. Why are people so resistant to the idea of undoing colonialism and its effects? I cannot think of any other reason than because they have a vested interest in keeping those borders up, in emphasizing nationality because they're one of the groups of people that is benefited from the establishment of a "Jewish State."

So in that, unless you call for an end to the idea of the "Jewish State" in Palestine, then I cannot think of you as a sincere advocate for Palestinian rights — this group especially plays at normalization of a muted version of the status quo rather than actual justice and reparations. The "Israeli advocates" within this group will benefit first and foremost in their own activism — therefore it's hard for me to view them in a positive light.

All activism for Palestinians should center around giving Palestinians reparations, as well as giving reparations to all indigenous victims of colonization. I think this group only tries to muddy the waters to make people forget what they're fighting for. I honestly do not understand why liberation scares you, if it means that no nation-state will have complete and total power over you and your family.

"Free Palestine" is an anti-colonial movement. Such a thing is possible — but you have to try to make it possible. Those against the unending liberation of all people are one of those who have the most to benefit from the continuation of colonization.

Right now, your main concern should be the people of Gaza and the people of the West Bank, and ensuring their safety and longevity in the face on continued erasure. "Peace" is all well and good but who exactly gets to define that? Who gets to benefit most from it? Unless you can unequivocally answer "ALL Palestinians," then you're not an ally — you're only interested in helping yourselves.

Remember — the fact that we even had to fight for our rights is itself an injustice. At the very least, ask the people who are most affected what they want before you listen to Israelis who have a vested interest in keeping the state of Israel alive.

[cameronspecial]

heyyy i am so glad to see someone write for zach. if you like this maybe you could give it your take. so zach and reader are like exes and they reunite unexpectedly then zach gets hit by a car and gets a concussion then forgets about their break-up and still think that they are together.

The Amnesiac's Mistake

Pairing: Zach MacLaren x Reader

Warnings: N/A

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 0.6K

Masterlist

The sweet roars of the crowd fill her ears as Y/N points her camera at the soccer team. She’s been the soccer team’s social media content creator for the university since her sophomore year. After her breakup with Zach, it was a little awkward, but they left the relationship on amicable terms and she wouldn’t let a breakup keep her from her dream job. “And MacLaren has the ball. He’s running it up the fie- Oh, MacLaren is down. It looks like the medics are on the way,” the sports announcer’s scream emits from the booming speakers. Y/N removes the camera from her eyes, watching in worry while the medics take Zach off the field. If they had been dating, she would’ve been running after them but it’s no longer her right to be there for him. 

——

Zach blinks to readjust his eyes to the room's lights. The medic puts the flashlight back in her pocket, “You seem to have a concussion, Mr. MacLaren. I’m afraid you’ll be out of any games for the foreseeable future and any screens for the next forty-eight hours.” Zach nods, l looking around for his girlfriend. “Where’s Y/N?” he questions. Coach Grace’s eyebrows knit together, “She’s out on the field. Doing her job.” Her slow pace drives him crazy. “Why isn’t she here? I need her here,” he states with his lips slopping to a frown. The medic knows about the breakup as well and this causes her to question if she should add something to his diagnosis. 

“Mr. MacLaren, what is the last thing you remember?” she asks. Zach’s hand comes to his forehead, “Uh, we were playing the game against UNC.” Coach Grace’s face scrunches like a dried-up raisin. “That was two months ago,” she breaks the news to him. His eyebrows raise and his mouth drops, “How is that possible? Where is Y/N? She’s my girlfriend. She’s allowed to be here.”

——

Coach Grace runs to Y/N, who is talking to another player on the field. She spots the coach and worry flushes her because it must be serious if Zach was okay, it wouldn’t be taking this long for him to come back out. “Hey, Coach. Is everything alright?” Coach’s head shakes, “No, Zach needs you.” Even with the breakup, Y/N dashes toward the medical room, almost tripping over her feet. Her breath comes out like a panting dog as she stands in the middle of the room. Her hands are on her knees, searching for Zach. His eyes light up when he spots her. He hops off the medical table and rushes towards her, “Are you okay, Baby? Take a deep breath in and out.” She does as he suggests, letting her breath return to normal. Her body straightens up, so they are face to face. He gives her a charming smirk, bringing his hand up to her cheek. His lips find hers. For a moment, she lets them get swept up in the moment, kneading his lips with hers. 

She finally snaps back into reality, remembering what happened between them. Her lips leave his with a tiny shove to his chest to keep her away. “Zach, we broke up,” she whispers. The scrunch between his eyebrows smoothes out. Her words bring him back to the present. “Right, right. Sorry. I think I lost my memory for a second,” he reasons. She bites her lip, nodding her head with her eyes cast down, “It’s okay. I guess I’ll just go then.” He watches as she makes her exist. The kiss they shared showed him he made a mistake. They still had that spark and he let her get away. 

Taglist: @winterrrnight @loves0phelia

[inuyassa]

HELLO!!! Can i make a Luffy x F!reader (not dating YET but mutual pining) request where the reader gets injured during a fight but hides it from the crew because the victory party started, (and because after everything Luffy has been through recently the reader doesn't want him to worry) BUT she goes down half way through the party?

What is Luffy's reaction??

Angst to comfort ig?? does that make sense???

THANK.

OMG YOU KNOW I LOVE ME SOME ANGST!!!!!!! I hope this is what you were thinking/hoping!!

Luffy x F!Reader

Request

Angst/Comfort

Warnings: Mentions of Death, Blood, and Implied Injury. Some mature language.

Wake Up...

She gripped the edge of the bathroom sink as she placed another round of antiseptic on the wound.  It was a fresh laceration, bright red and still bleeding.  She had only received it a day ago while the crew was ashore and attacked by a local gang.  The fight was short lived, but she still took quite a few hits, and when one came at her with a knife…

It would be so simple to just go to Chopper and ask to be patched up, but by the time everyone made their way back to the ship, the party was underway.  Drinks and food and music, complements of Zoro, Sanji, and Brook respectively.  It was one of the first times since reuniting that the crew was able to celebrate a win together.  Luffy was overjoyed, his smile was back after so much pain…how could she ruin that by making him worry?

After another painful round of wound cleaner, she made her way back onto the deck.  Brook was jamming away on his violin while Sanji pined after Robin and Nami with plates of sweets and mugs of tea.  Zoro laughed through a half drunk bottle of sake while Luffy devoured a full serving of meat on the bone. The sounds of laughter once again filled the deck of the Thousand Sunny.  She smiled, her eyes growing heavy.  She braced herself against the nearby pillar and tried to stop the world from spinning. 

“Hey kiddo, you doing okay?” Franky walked up beside her, he had been making his way to the spread of food when he saw her loose balance.  She looked up at him, his smile faded when he saw how pale she looked, her skin glistening with a thin layer of sweat.  “Woah, buddy, you don’t look too good,” he said, putting a large, strong hand on your shoulder.  “You need me to get Chopper?”

She grinned, feeling the world swallow her up.  “Hey, Franky,” she began.  “Don’t let me hit my head okay?” Her legs buckled beneath her and she fell.  Franky lunged forward to catch her, easing her onto the ground.  “Kid? Kid! Hey, we need help over here!”

Franky’s voice cut through the jovial music, causing Brook to freeze and the rest of the crew to look towards him.  When Luffy saw her on the ground, he rushed over, leaving his half eaten meat behind.  Chopper followed closely behind, grabbing his bag from off the bench.  The rest of the crew shot over, hovering as she lay in Franky’s arms.  Her breath was short and shaky, her brow furrowed in pain.  Luffy looked her over with panic, that’s when he noticed the blood soaking into her shirt.  She was hurt.  He faltered backwards several steps before he fell to his knees, his heart beating loud and fast in his ears, his eyes full of fear.  Zoro noticed his Captain and knelt down in front of him.  “Luffy, you’ve got to stay with us okay?”

“Blood…” Luffy said, his voice hoarse and soft.  “She’s bleeding…”

Zoro grabbed his shoulders.  He might be the future Pirate King, but right now, he was that same little kid who just lost his brother.  “Look at me Luffy,” Zoro said, his voice stern but comforting.  “This is not like then, this is now.  She’s going to be fine.  You won’t lose her, understand?”  That’s when Zoro noticed the tears welling up in Luffy’s eyes.  He stared blankly ahead, his face locked.  “Blood…” he breathed.  “So much blood…”

“We need to get her inside,” Chopper said.  “She’s responsive but in a lot of pain.”  Franky nodded and stood up, slowly cradling her tense body in his arms.  She let out a pained yell as he did, and Luffy’s breath caught in his throat.  He stood up, shoving Zoro out of the way and running towards her.  He was tackled by Usopp who pinned the manic Luffy down.  “Calm down Luffy,” he yelled.  “You won’t be any help to her the way you are now.”

Luffy clawed at the ground, his fists filling with grass and dirt, he yelled for Usopp to get off him.  “I’m your captain,” he screamed, his voice raw.  “You do as I say and get the hell off me!”

A large, leather clad shoe pinned Luffy’s head to the ground.  Sanji stood above him, his eyes filled with rage and worry.  “You need to calm down Luffy,” he sneered.  “This isn’t helping anyone, especially not her!” 

Luffy fought against the pressure, but with his arms bound by Usopp, he wasn’t going anywhere.  His breath became fast and heavy, his body slowly losing the will to fight them off anymore.  Hot tears streamed from his eyes and he sobbed.  He let our months of repressed worry and fear.  Pain he thought he was over all came rushing back into him like a flood he couldn’t control…

***

“You gave us all quite a scare,” Chopper lectured her as he changed her bandages.  It had been two days since she collapsed at the party, and in that short amount of time, Chopper’s treatment had all but healed her.  “You’ll have a nasty scar, but other than that, your wound looks really good!”

She smiled, caressing the small doctor’s cheek.  “Looks like I owe you my life yet again Doctor.” Chopper began to blush, assuring her that her compliments could not fool him, and that she was a liar.  She laughed.  “Is Luffy around?  I haven’t seen him since I woke up.”

Chopper paused.  “He hasn’t really talked much to anyone on board.  He just sits at the helm and looks out at the sea…we’re all sort of worried about him.”

She sighed, looking out the small window at the ocean.  In an attempt to save Luffy the pain of seeing her hurt, she ended up making the situation much worse…

*** 

Luffy sat cross-legged, letting the sea breeze run its invisible fingers through his hair, his hat dangling around his neck.  The sun was getting ready to set, that would mean three days since he last saw her…

”Is this seat taken?”  Luffy’s head shot around to see her standing behind him, a small blanket wrapped around her.  His heart dropped to his stomach.  She looked so tired…

She must have taken his silence as a response and lowered herself down next to him.  His eyes never left her, afraid that if he so much as blinked she would disappear forever. “You don’t need to blame yourself, you know,” she began.  “I hid it from everyone.  I didn’t want to make you worry.  I guess that plan sort of backfired though huh?”

Luffy still only stared at her…”You were bleeding,” he began.  “And then you collapsed…just like he did.”

She looked at him.  “Luffy…”

“I thought you weren’t going to wake up too…”

Before he could say anything else she threw her arms around him, pulling him into her arms.  Luffy held onto her tight, burrowing his face in between her neck and shoulder.  She felt his body shake with silent sobs.  “I’m right here,” she whispered.  “I’m right here.  I’m not going anywhere I promise…”

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Heya! If you are doing requests then may I request Nagito x Junko's little sister reader? I think it'd be fun!

This sounds a lot like a series I started last month so I'll just continue with the same story line 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Third Enoshima | Yandere Nagito Komaeda

“What an honor! To be in the presence of such overwhelming hope!’

Before the killing game, you float around between the classes 

Considering most if not all of your education was condensed into a single-person course

Somehow organized by your guardians

One of the many students you got to know was Nagito

The wide-eyed oddly degrading friend who seemed to put everyone on a pedestal

Especially you

His behavior reminds you far too often of your sisters 

Only his obsession doesn’t even pretend to be platonic

“Oh my ultimate hope! Would you like to join me for lunch today? I happen to be graced with the perfect table for us to sit at!”

“This…just looks like a candle lit dinner.”

“My luck is is as unpredictable as ever.”

And always for his benefit

You don’t mind since your used to obsessive people your sisters

You do not condone the way he treats the honor students

Often scolding you when he interrupts you trying to hang out with them

“Not cool Nagito! You can’t just say that to people!”

“Forgive me for being so forward but would you put a deity on the level of maggots?”

When he’s finally effected by despair

It doesn’t get much better

On the command of Kamakura and Junko’s final message he’s one of your most adamant pursuers

“Oh (Y/n) the Seed of Despair! The silent flame of the fire that will bring despair to all! I will do right by Junko’s name and make sure you breed the Despair you were born to!”

It’s likely Munakata and the Hope Foundation uses you as bait to lure him

And he’s absolutely insane 

Losing his composure at the mere sight of you

Drooling

Scratching at the glass and metal crate

Smooching his face against the class

Humping the glass

Granted it’s just a hologram because according to Munakata–”Filth doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near diamonds even if for the fate of the world.”

After his treatment though, it’s believed that you because you’re now closely affiliated with the Hope Foundation will never see or hear from him again

You quickly proved wrong when a secret message and video file pops up on your private tablet

“I’m wishing you the best with your new life, (Y/n). I know those days we used to know each other are long since past and you are happily settled with the Future foundation. But as I’m learning to value myself more I’m also paying heed to what I want and what my friends want–”

You immediately try to record 

Pressing frantically as the button doesn’t seem to work

You go for your phone

“Don’t try to record this. It won’t actually compute the image on your screen. That being said I mean no harm, when I say we think you belong with us. We know how much pain we’ve brought the world. But I see no problem with preserving hope and if the Foundation can’t keep us away then they clearly aren’t the best fit for the job."

You get up, planning to run directly to Munakata

Only to find your tablet begin to overheat as the video message fizzles out

“My hope! My (Y/n)! We’ll be reunited soon. I can only count the minutes before we can spend our days together! Forever!”

[cupcakeslushie]

i love that you said each of the bois have unspoken themes to them, that makes characters so much more deeper and interesting.

if you wouldn’t mind can you say what unspoken themes Leo, Mikey, and Raph have?

some are more obvious than others, and while i have a decent idea of what they are, i want to hear them coming from you ✨

adore your work btw, your storytelling and style enraptures me

This might be a big post just so I have everyone all in one place im going to reiterate what I said for Donnie

@aduckmurder

Donnie: Identity/Depersonalization

When Donnie's first introduced Draxum doesn't even consider him a person, and hadn't even given him a name. And then, later Donnie's got too many names to choose from. That alone would cause someone to have an identity crisis. Personality wise, he enjoys making tech, but aside from that, Donnie is never sure of which emotions he should be feeling, or what his likes and dislikes are. A lot of the time he's mirroring how his brothers are emoting, or he's just smiling to cover up the fact that he doesn't know or trust his own feelings. Future Donnie will have a horrible time with depersonalization after merging with the Technodrome and the Kraang, which will cycle around to impact present timeline Donnie during the movie.

Mikey: Worth

While Donnie was treated like nothing, Mikey was treated like an object/accessory by Big Mama. When she threw him into the Nexus, Mikey imagined it was something he did or didn't do well enough to meet her high standards. After he's reunited with Splinter and Raph, Mikey finds the little roles that neither of them have filled very well, such as cooking, and cleaning, and makes sure he excels at them almost obsessively out of this fear that if he's not useful, then he will be discarded. Future Mikey works tirelessly as the only brother with his mystic powers still intact, to the point that his body is so overworked by the time of the movie, he looks like he's moments from shattering apart, only held together through his own force of will.

Leo: Doubt

Leo has lived his life being ordered around and having his memories and personality altered. Even once he is free, his emotions are almost as erratic without Kitsune's influence, than they were while he was under her control (at least until his own cleansing ritual). His instinctual gut reaction to use most violent tactic first, clearly makes his family uneasy. So when Raph tries to get Leo to act as co-leader, Leo is very hesitant. He doesn't think he should be trusted with such a responsibility, but learns he can trust if he goes too far, his brothers will stop him. Future Leo has a really hard time with raising Casey. After Raph's gone, Leo doesn't trust any of the decisions he's now having to make solo, and he certainly doesn't think he can be a guiding force for good for a young child. Casey needs a teacher who will shape him into a strong warrior. Leo learns as Casey grows, that being the boy's Sensei is not the same as being his Master.

Raph: Regret/Guilt

Raph blames himself for almost every horrible thing his brothers and father have gone through. He's recounted the night that Leo and Mikey were taken, and gone over it a thousand times in his head, trying to work out how it could've gone differently. All the amazing things he's done by bringing his family together--being the stable bedrock that they can grow into a true family under--none of that feels like it'll ever make up for the times in the past where he failed to protect them. Raph takes on the job of shield because he wants to make sure nothing else ever hurts his brothers again, and doesn't care if hurts him instead. Future Raph is constantly putting his brothers' lives before his own. Unfortunately, doing it one too many times results in a devastating loss for the Resistance, when their Leader sacrifices himself, and the chain of command practically falls apart for months before it can recover.

[thissupposedcrime]

Zolu in One Piece Video Games

I put 65+ hours into One Piece Odyssey, a game in which the Strawhats are robbed of their powers and must relive memories of key events/battles (Alabasta/Crocodile, Dressrosa/Doflamingo, etc.) to earn them back. Post timeskip/pre-WCI so no Jinbe on the crew.

Zolu are wild in it, so enjoy the highlights. 

Their general nonsense:

When they reunite early in the game, Luffy/Zoro greet each other first/only despite the whole crew being there

Shared brain cell of agreeing that “Charging through a marine outpost sounds like fun”

Don't communicate with words in battle and somehow both know what to do in Alabasta when their memories 'change'

During a fight with Aokiji in Water 7, Luffy is frozen solid, and only Sanji and Zoro can bring him back to the Merry. Zoro flawlessly navigates through the entire city and even points out what directions they must go in, much to Sanji’s surprise. 

AKA the only time Zoro knows directions is when Luffy needs him most

While Luffy is injured and a conflict with the marines starts, Zoro takes the lead because “my crew is frozen” 

Towards the end of the level, Zoro has a unique reaction (no one else does individually) when Luffy can’t beat Lucci and is the only strawhat to realize the Lucci in their memories is stronger

Once Luffy wins, Zoro’s unique dialogue is, again, “Seriously, you almost scared me back there.”

When going to Marineford memories, Zoro is the only one to comfort/check in with Luffy, asking if he’s alright/ready to do this. Luffy responds ‘yeah’ - and in that section, Zoro is the only person Luffy speaks to

Clicking on other crewmates just has them speaking, not Luffy responding to them

Similarly, post-Marineford, Zoro is the one to respond to Luffy’s “I’m glad everyone’s okay” with a ‘yeah’, because they don’t need to talk about it further.

In multiple situations, Luffy and Zoro are the only ones to realize an enemy is tracking them or ”not right” and will check with the other about it- “Did you notice?/Yup, they’re getting closer”

Since they’re usually placed together in cut scenes, Zoro is almost always the first crewmate ‘shown’ reacting to Luffy and often has minor, unique dialogue just for him

Zoro whines/demands to Luffy that he wants to fight in the coliseum in Dressrosa this time. 

“I don’t want to, but if Luffy says so.”

At the game's ending, Zoro places himself in front of an injured Luffy to protect him (and had done that through the game)

“We’re more about the future than the past now, right Luffy?” “Right!” (their final lines are together).

Their unique ‘battle’/gameplay conversations are a riot:

They talk about killing specific monsters because they’re hungry

Zoro spots a swordsman and wants to fight them/Luffy cheers him on

Are very happy to keep fighting when the other ‘pushes’ an opponent into their area of battle (Nami is not!)

Zoro claims Luffy shouldn’t have to fight certain weak enemies and that he’s already about to beat them, even though Luffy complains he wants to fight too!

When they finish a battle, Zoro will sometimes reference the Baratie vow and that he’ll become a master swordsman, concludig with “Got a problem with that King of the Pirates?” as Luffy laughs and says "Nope!"

"You're in MY captain's way. Time to move it or lose it!"

Odyssey is focused on the whole crew and the island mystery they’re solving, but there was so much heart between everyone (Sanji saves Usopp, Robin affectionately calls Nami their reliable navigator). It was very obvious how much these two rely on each other and that Zoro isn’t just the swordsman but the first mate

[rainydayathogwarts]

Hi there! I absolutely love the short write-up you did for Oliver Wood. <3

Would it be possible to request a short fic of Oliver Wood x Reader (other House) reuniting during the Battle of Hogwarts when they went back to fight, after having previously dated for a short time while they were schooling but broke up probably due to differences in priorities? Like they haven’t seen each other much since the break up and then graduating but seeing each other again made them want to give it another try. Thank you!!

So sorry I'm getting to this late, hope you like it!

Oliver Wood was a Hogwarts prodigy. Everyone knew his name alongside James Potter and Charlie Weasley's; they were the Quidditch Gods of the magical school. The names Regulus Black, Lily Evans and Y/N L/N were also quite famous, but for different reasons. The geniuses, students who soon after their time at Hogwarts became published witches and wizards for their incredible discoveries and talent.

That was one of the main reasons your relationship with Oliver Wood was so short-lived. You both had extreme talents, but they led you in opposite directions, only tugging you both further and further away from each other. Whilst you worked on magical discoveries that went beyond your education at Hogwarts, becoming known as one of the greatest witches of your time, Oliver worked relentlessly to fuel his passion for his sport which would build his career, his future. It only made the few months you spent together during your last year at Hogwarts unpleasant, the love you held for each other being over-powered by ambition, which led to the inevitable break up that shook all your friends, for they thought you would remain together forever, carrying out the legacy of being the one couple that would make it past their Hogwarts days.

Alas, that did not happen.

Instead, your magical discoveries were written and taught in the few years you had developed them and were the main source of protection for all the students who had decided not to fight the war, seeking shelter in the dungeons of the castle. Finally, what feels like days later, you're muttering the counter active spell, the hand holding your wand shaking with the trauma of the war you had just endured. When the protective force field finally breaks apart, you whisper the password to the Slytherin Common room. The portrait swings open and immediately the room falls silent. You announce that Voldemort's dead and spin around, heading into the direction you had just come from. You didn't want the reactions; The good, the bad or the dirty.

You wipe some blood from the side of your face, only to notice that the fabric of your long sleeved top doesn't soak up the liquid fast enough, and that you're bleeding quite heavily. Despite trying to stay calm, you begin to pant, tears blurring your vision, but you don't let them spill, not when you're so close to the Great Hall, where someone will have time to clean you up. Unfortunately, the way you immediately collapse onto a bench alerts more than just one person, and you suddenly have what feels like an audience crowding you. "Hey, hey, give her some space." The voice is familiar to you, but you just can't put your finger on who it is. "Y/N? Can you tell me your date of birth?"

The hand holding your face is gentle, and you can barely feel the tingle of the healing spell against the side of your face, which you take as a good sign. "You know my name." You recognise, slowly blinking. "Hey Y/N try keeping your eyes open for me, okay? Get me someone with skills here!" The demand goes to someone else, but it seems that those are the only words you're able to process. "So I take it I don't look so good?" Your words come out slurred and you feel your body slumping against something, or rather someone.

Oliver has resorted to being your own personal pillow. He didn't want you to look like one of the dead bodies, laying down still on the benches of the Great Hall, which has now become both a morgue and an infirmary. The spell he did on your wound worked, but he had one of the 7th Years going into healing fix you up and get some more blood into you to make up for what you lost. He felt your body sway against his and was immediately alert, even as you gathered balance to sit up on your own. He gave you time to process your surroundings, looking down at his feet instead. It was only when you cried "Oliver!" That he averted his gaze back to you.

"Y/N" He smiled, relieved that there was some colour in your face. You seemed confused yet surprised, putting together what had happened. "I haven't seen you in... A long time. How- are you hurt?" He laughed at your maternal instincts kicking in and shook his head at you. "No, Y/N, you got hurt. You were bleeding from your head and I just barely fixed you up." A look of realisation dawned on your face. "That was you? I... Well I feel bad now."

Oliver shook his head again, an awkward silence settling over the conversation. It was you to break the silence, stating "Well, I hear you're doing well now. I watched one of your games recently, you played nice." Oliver's eyes widened and he grinned, cocking his head to the side. "I can say the same about you, Ms. Published three books. And since when did you get into Quidditch?" It was your turn to act surprised now, retorting with "I've always liked Quidditch, I just didn't used to be into it. And you know, I wanted to see what was so special about Mr. Wood's Keeper skills here." Your eyes scanned the Hall around you, and the smile on your face slowly drops. As Oliver followed your eye-line, his did too.

"You didn't? You know, lose anyone important, did you?" You ask, now sounding a lot more empathetic. "Well I almost lost you for a second there." You glance over at Oliver and smile genuinely, matching the softness in his eyes. "Let me get you home safely. Everyone's already left." You nod at his words, using his arm as a support system for you to stand. You feel his muscles contract underneath you and look back up at him.

Despite the dirt and blood that freckles his face, he looks peaceful. He looks like someone you could find peace in.

[precedex-files]

I know many have said this before, but I’ll reiterate it anyway, “Existence” really would have made a perfect end to the original run of the X-Files. At the very least an end to the show with Mulder AND Scully. Even if they’d wanted to continue the show with just Doggett and Reyes, that would have been the right ending to Mulder and Scully’s story. They got their miraculous, perfectly normal* baby, and could finally admit to each other and themselves what they really mean to one another. And it is about the happiest ending that could ever come about in The X-Files, while remaining open ended enough for any future projects.

Don’t get me wrong, there are certain things I really like about The Truth. After basically an entire season without Mulder, having him back was bittersweet icing on the series finale cake. I think that having Scully without Mulder during season 9 just made his absence all the more painfully obvious. Even though having a trial to bring back all the characters was a very late 90s/early 2000s way to end things (hello Seinfeld), it was nice to see the familiar faces crop up. As a shipper, seeing Mulder and Scully reunite was comforting. And I really like the ending where they tie everything back to the first case in Bellefleur, OR and the motel room. But it is a rather unsettling end. Colonization is on the horizon. Scully had to put William up for adoption. Mulder and Scully are on the lam. When it aired it felt like a lot for me to accept and process considering it didn’t seem likely anything X-Files would grace our screens again. I was relieved for Mulder and Scully, they were alive and together. But I was concerned for them. Versus in Existence where I was just happy for their little family unit.

Anyway, not that any of it mattered much in the end 😂

[everylastbird]

I've been thinking of a soulmates style au wherein hualian discover they are soulmates after XL saves HC as a child.

In this AU meeting your soulmate is incredibly rare and very auspicious, so even though HC is a commoner he is recognized as XL's future spouse and taken into the care of the royal family, but sequestered away from XL to maintain decorum. They see each other now and again, and interact during events and gatherings, but otherwise are kept separated. HC is delighted and pines and generally dreams of the day he gets to officially marry XL and be his wife.

(I like to personally use the term 'wife' in danmei specifically to mean 'the spouse that marries into the home of the other', so as he is marrying into XL's home, he would be the bride in this scenario.)

XL ascends, as in canon. Unlike in canon, when a soulmate ascends, so too does your soulmate, and HC ascends with XL.

XL also descends and falls from godhood, as in canon. Ever so magnanimous, JW ~kindly~ allows HC to stay in heaven upon XL's request, as HC didn't break any rules. HC is, however, bound to the heavens, unable to descend to seek out XL.

Centuries pass, and HC becomes known as a God of constancy, faithfulness, and marriage. He is regarded with both awe and pity. Poor HC, who remains loyal to a faithless god of misfortune. Isn't it incredible, how much he is willing and able to endure to uphold the sanctity of his marriage vows? He has a large faction of worshippers, mostly brides and wives in arranged, unhappy marriages, who pray to him for strength.

Few, if any, remember that Xianle fell before HC had the chance to marry XL. That all this time he has remained steadfast and true to his fiancé, rather than his husband. The gods that do look upon him with scorn and judgment. No one expects him to remain loyal to the likes of XL, so who does he think he is putting on this show for?

It doesn't matter what those gods, or even what his worshippers think of him, however. HC is loyal to XL out of love, and devotion. He is not suffering out of obligation. His only pain is that felt by his fiancé, and the pain of separation forced upon him.

And despite what the gods and his worshippers assume, he is not a long-suffering bride who sits and pines for his beloved. While he yearns for the day he can reunite with XL, HC spends his time playing the long-con. After all, is the keeping of house and home not one of the primary roles of any good wife? And the heavens are so steeped in filth. Certainly not worthy of his husband to be.

As for XL, he strives and toils to regain his godhood under the weight of his lost worshippers and the scorn of the gods who once praised him.

More than that, he worries, often, about HC, and his misplaced loyalty. Every now and then XL hears another tale of HC's endless, unshakeable loyalty, but with those tales also come stories of that devotion being nothing more than a shackle. Nothing is ever said of HC's love for his husband, or HC's happiness, only his impressive endurance in the face of obligation to a worthless husband. XL fears that HC is little more than a long suffering would-be bride, held back by XL's mistakes and the fate that bound them together without either of their say.

So XL does his best to regain his godhood, so that he may re-enter heaven and finally free HC from himself for good.

When, after 800 years, XL finally ascends once again, nothing is as he had expected it to be. There is a crowd, but no one is casting judgment or disparaging him. Instead, it seems as though he has ascended amidst the start of a lavish celebration.

As XL stands amidst a sea of joyful revelry, a procession slowly makes its way towards him, and at its end, a bridal sedan.

When the sedan stops before him and a hand moves aside its curtain, XL reaches out to grasp it without thinking. Gently, he leads the bride off of the sedan and onto solid ground.

XL looks up at a veil of opaque crimson silk. He cannot see the face behind it, does not even know, after all this time, what HC would even look like... But in this moment he knows, unquestionably, that this is not just any bride, but his bride.

Part of XL recalls that one of his main reasons to rise to godhood again was to let HC go, to finally allow him freedom from the weight of being tethered to someone like XL. And yet, any thoughts of breaking his vows to HC dry up in his mouth. He has thought of so many ways to say it, so many ways to cut HC loose of him without bringing HC any more pain, but he cannot bring himself to say any of them.

The hand in his grasp turns, and laces their fingers together. His bride's hand is strong, XL observes as though from a distance, unflinching and sure.

"Hello, gege," HC says. His voice is deeper than XL remembers, richer and more vibrant than anything he has experienced for decades, if not centuries. 

"Ah, San Lang, I'm sorry, " he manages to force out through his shock. His laugh is pitchy and uneven even to his own ears. "I'm afraid I'm not quite prepared...!"

"It's okay, gege." A thumb carasses his knuckles tenderly, and XL's throat tightens. "I already have everything ready for us."

[your-local-hoemie]

HELLO 🐢ANON BACK AGAIN WITH ZHONGLU BRAINROT THUS TIME YIPEE

Okayokay so imagine like immortal!reader who went into like a deep sleep/coma after the archon war to like recover and everything. So after zhongli retired (i forgot how many yrs after the archon war) reader finally wakes up and gets so confused coz their lover morax is dead?? But reader recognizes him (hes standing right infront of them) so theyre even more confused now and why is his name zhongli?? Either way reader jumps into his arms and hugs him and asks him what happened and everything so theyre reunited and happy now 🥰 and zhongli almost comung to tears coz hes so happy that readers alive 😞😞 all this time he thought they were dead T-T and they kinda live as retired gods in liyue enjoying their "mortal" life together ughhh so cute like an old married couple

OH MY GOD YES IM SCREAMING, CRYING, GIGGLING, KICKING AND ALL OF THE RESTVDHFJFJDJFJFKIFIG!!!!! 🙏🙏🙏

Watch me get too carried away with the angst because I love putting myself through pain.

Warnings: mild angst, fluff, Zhongli being a simp, gn!reader, not proof-read.

Characters: Zhongli.

It had been a long, grueling battle.

You had fought tirelessly next to your lover, Zhongli. Throughout the day, the entirety of the war.

He often spoke about his displeasure in you doing so but the thought of him possibly getting hurt, or worse, terrified you.

So after your complete disregard for your own safety. You finally struck down the last of the enemies as the war slowly came to an end, only to notice how badly injured you were.

Once Morax came across your broken and bloodied body, he swears it’s the closest he’s ever come to breaking.

Even after all the lives he’s had to take, the blood spilled in his name.

You were the one thing he couldn’t handle losing after this long, gruesome nightmare.

After he carried you back to the safety of your small, hidden cottage where you would both spend your time drinking tea and talking about your future together in Liyue before the war started, he tentatively cared for your wounds and watched over you every chance he could.

He obviously knew that you were immortal. he also knew that occasionally, if you were hurt or sick, you'd fall into a regenerative sleep.

So when you remained unconscious for a few weeks, he wasn't worried. After all, a few weeks in his eternity meant nothing. Though he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss you beyond words.

After weeks turned into months and months turned into years, his hope of ever seeing your soft gaze soon vanished as his time was becoming more and more occupied with rebuilding the land he once ruled over with you by his side.

When the last wall was built for the last house for the now growing population of Liyue, he had to make the decision to move on.

So with one last visit to the cottage, now hidden away even more by overgrown shrubbery, he placed what he thought would be his final kiss on your cheek along with soft begs of forgiveness and apologies, he finally mustered up the strength to walk out the worn down door one last time.

Now, many, many years later, hidden away in that same cottage now completely overgrown and reclaimed by the wilderness, you finally forced your eyelids to open and take in the almost blinding rays of sunlight streaming in from the cracks in the walls as vines hung down and gently caressed your skin.

Slowly sitting up, you took in the scene around you. This was definitely not how you remembered your home looking.

How long had you been asleep? Where was your beloved? What if he was still on the battlefield? All of these thoughts rushed through your mind as you forced your stiff bones to support your weight as you stood up faster than what you should of.

Now fully conscious, not to mention disorientated, you ran out of the small abode to scan the area for any signs of Morax only to find something that confused you even more.

Nothing. You found nothing of the chaos and bloodshed that you remembered so vividly, only the soft touch of grass beneath your feet and the cool summer breeze caressing your skin.

Turning around in a daze, you examine your once cozy and welcoming home only to find it now crumbling and overgrown with plants and wildlife

If this had been any other time you would have found the scene to be enchanting, but as the realization of how long you had been asleep slowly started to hit you, you couldn't help but feel your heart start to race with anxiety and questions.

Taking a deep breath, you gathered your thoughts as best as you could and decided to go to the closest village you remembered.

Needless to say, after walking for around 40 minutes, you were more than a little shocked to see the village now being a very large and very populated city.

"Excuse me, are you alright?"

Looking around with a confused expression you locked eye's with what appeared to be a guard of some sort.

"Y-yes um, would you mind telling me where I am?"

"Liyue harbor of course! Home of the great Geo Archon and Teyvats largest trading supply lines!"

Hearing the formal title of your seemingly lost lover you couldn't help but pry the poor soul from your confused questioning.

"Geo Archon? Morax? Would you know where I could find him? we know each other and-"

"I'm sorry, you must be new here. Morax was killed not too long ago…”

After hearing those words leave his mouth your mind suddenly went blank.

Not only had you been asleep for what seemed like centuries but now you’ve just found out that the love of your life, Your other half had not only died but was also murdered.

Not saying anything else, you took your leave and started walking aimlessly through the city streets that now felt even more foreign that what they did before.

You did your best to try and take in your new surroundings and find out just how long you had been unconscious for but the looming grief that wrecked your heart just seemed to get worse with every mention of Morax.

After spending a few hours aimlessly walking around the harbour you decided that all you needed right now was to process your thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, you say yourself down on a wall that overlooked what seemed to be the centre of a market place that was now silent of any busy citizens as the moon rose up above the horizon highlighting the buildings with a soft glow.

The only signs of life left now were a handful of fishermen packing up their boats for the night and a small tea house that overlooked the street leading ti the harbour that was occupied by two sails men that were selling fish at the dock earlier and-

You feel your heart stop in your chest as you lean forward to take in the silhouette of a tall man with posture matching that of a plank of wood and a very familiar looking rat tail.

There’s no way. It’s impossible. You just found out he died in front of all of Liyue harbour’s citizens just months earlier.

You were so convinced that it was just the grief making your mind go fuzzy that you got up and decided to walk and find a place when you heard him speak.

“Ah, yes. This tea is superb as always”

You swear you dug your heels so hard into the ground that it left a mark in the stone beneath you.

“Morax..?”

The man froze solid in place at hearing his old name come from such a familiar voice that he could of sworn it was just his ears playing tricks on him.

Hesitating for a moment, you took a step closer to him as his deep golden eyes widened at the sight of you now draped in the soft glow from the tea house.

“Y/N…? It can’t be”

Through your vision that’s now blurred with tears you could see him stand up before slowly walking down the steps towards your figure before speaking words that could barley be heard over the gentle breeze.

“It really is… Celestia it really is you!”

Without a second thought, you ran up to him and the your arms around his waist before sobbing into his chest (heh breakdown boobies)

Not saying another word he kneeled on the ground holding your shaking body in his strong arms, not even bothering to hold back the tears running down his cheeks.

“I.. I thought you were dead! Everyone told me you were killed and I-”

“As did I, my love. I thought I lost you many centuries ago and that I lost the blessing of seeing your smile once more”

You both stayed like that for a while longer as he held you close to his chest as physically possible, almost as if he feared that the second he let you go, you’d disappear again.

When you both recovered from the shock of finding each other after believing you’d lost the other one for eternity, “Morax” took you to a quiet place away from the city and explained everything that had happened since you fell asleep all those centuries ago and how he’s retired from being an archon to simply live as “Zhongli”

“I can’t believe you still remember me after all that time”

“How could I forget, love? Every second I spent without feeling your hand in mine was far worse than any tragedy I’ve bore in my lifetime”

“I suppose I’ll have to get used to calling you zhongli now, huh?”

You both let out a soft laugh while Zhongli wrapped you tightly in his embrace.

Times might be very different to what they were but you have all the time in the world to adjust, and you can rest assured that the love of your life won’t leave your side ever again for the rest of eternity.

“I love you, Morax”

“Forever and always, my dear~”

AAAAHAJDLEIDODODEDJDIR WHY DID I ALMOST CRY WRITING THIS HNGGGGGGGFGG IT’S SO BAD

My creative juices became a waterfall and then a whole ass tsunami. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t missed staying up until literally 5am to write about my boys T-T