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wedreamedlove · 5 years

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[FIC] baby, you taste like you’re made out of FINE

Rating: M Characters: Li Zeyan/Reader Word Count: 2014

A/N: Fingers crossed I can write something for everyone's birthday this year. Happy Birthday to our CEO!! He's 31 this year if we count from when the game was released in China :).

Tags: Li Zeyan POV. Fluff. UST. Drunk!Reader. Established Relationship.

Summary: Li Zeyan and you attend a party to celebrate his birthday a day early but you get drunk there. Li Zeyan takes you back to his place and is reminded all over again on how he should never let you get drunk.

"Honestly... How is it that you're drunk when I was the guest of honor?"

Li Zeyan muttered this under his breath. Not that it mattered though, since the woman teetering in his arms was intoxicated to the point where she probably couldn't hear what he was saying.

As he shifted to hold her with one hand and unlocked his front door with the other, she continued to chatter to him about all the things that happened tonight. They had just arrived back home from a combined party between their companies to celebrate his birthday a day early. It had been another one of his woman's ridiculous ideas.

It was ridiculous and yet he still attended.

"And then---then I told them that---"

"Mn."

Li Zeyan shuffled her into the foyer, making noises at the appropriate times to show that he was listening, and knelt down to undo the straps of her heels and take them off. Fortunately, she was still aware enough to hold onto his shoulders for balance.

Then he moved her to the couch in the living room and sat her down.

"I'm going to get you a glass of water."

He turned around to head to the kitchen but felt a tug on his sleeve that stopped him. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw her pout at him.

"No! I want to keep drinking!"

He gave an exasperated sigh. "You're drunk enough already."

"I'm not drunk!" She denied immediately. But the way she swayed while being seated on the couch gave her words little credence.

"Be good, drink some water, and then go to sleep. I don't want to hear you complain about a hangover tomorrow."

She was already shaking her head before he even finished speaking. "I can't go to sleep yet!"

"Why?" He asked, facing her properly and crossing his arms when he realized this conversation was going to take longer than he thought.

"Because..." She hemmed and hawed and then suddenly gave a large silly smile. "It's a secret!"

"......"

Even though she was drunk it seemed like she was sensitive enough to pick up on his diminishing patience because she turned serious. "I can't sleep yet. I'm waiting on something important!"

"What are you waiting for?"

"If I tell you then it's not a secret!"

Li Zeyan had just flattened his lips into a displeased line when he saw her reach out and gingerly pinch his shirt, right above his belt. She stuck out her lower lip more, if that was possible, and stared up at him with eyes misty from the alcohol. There was a faint flush across her cheeks.

For a second he was reminded of something else. Hair spread out on a pillow below him. Cheeks rosy from exertion. Lips parted in a silent need for air. And those damp eyes looking up at him...

Li Zeyan swallowed and averted his eyes. "How long do you need to wait?"

"Umm... just a few more minutes! Like after one more glass of wine!"

He looked back at her, narrowing his eyes. "This isn't just because you want to drink more, is it? Who knew you were such a drunkard."

"Nooo! I promise! It'll be time after one more glass!"

She shook her head vehemently and would have tipped over if he hadn't quickly reached out to steady her. Li Zeyan found himself sighing again, barely able to believe he was going to give into her, but he recognized that stubborn set of her jaw and, to be honest, he was curious about what she was waiting on too.

"Just one more glass," he said sternly.

He made sure she was stable on the couch and then turned on his heel to head to his wine rack in the kitchen while undoing the first two buttons of his shirt for comfort. It didn't take long for him to choose a wine and he pulled out a Marchese dell'Elsa Moscato d'Asti and two glasses before returning to the living room.

Li Zeyan deftly poured the wine into the two glasses and passed one over to the foolish woman who just watched him with those eyes.

"Don't spill it on the couch." He couldn't help but warn her.

"Jeez, I'm really not that drunk," she complained as she received the glass. But he saw how she tightened her grip on it.

Li Zeyan took a seat beside her as she tried the wine and made an appreciative noise. Copying her, he sipped at the wine and rolled it around in his mouth, feeling the taste of peaches tempered by a faint flavor of citrus spread across his tongue. It was a bit too sweet for his liking, but its soft nature made it perfect for a casual evening after a meal. Like he expected, she also seemed to enjoy it. A lot actually, if her drinking pace was anything to go by.

"If you finish before it's time, I'm not pouring you another glass," he stated.

Just as she turned to him to stick out her tongue, he heard her phone alarm go off.

"Ah!" She sat up straight. "It's time!"

Before Li Zeyan could finally ask what she was waiting for she suddenly threw herself over to him and climbed on top of him. The leftover wine in her glass tossed dangerously close to its mouth.

He automatically supported her with a hand even as he stiffened and asked tersely, "What are you thinking of doing?"

A smile bloomed across her face, carrying the scent of peaches. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Time for an idiot girl to go to sleep?"

"Bzzt!" She imitated the sound of a buzzer and then leaned forward, hair falling down past her ears and sliding across his cheeks. This feeling was echoed inside him as if she had trailed a sleeve of silk over his heart. It was a tantalizing sensation.

His vision narrowed down to her curved pink lips and her eyes which glittered in the low light of the living room. It was like the rest of the world was blocked out by her and she was about to share a secret with him and only him.

She came even closer and he felt her breath on his lips.

"Happy Birthday."

Li Zeyan felt her brush her lips against his in the barest of caresses before she pulled back, beaming at him with a smile large enough to show the top and bottom rows of her teeth. It was easy to see her pure happiness and innocent joy at being the first to say this to him.

"This is why you couldn't go to sleep? Stupid." But his words were infinitely soft.

He brought the hand up that had been supporting her to cup the back of her head and pull her down into a longer kiss.

Li Zeyan could taste the lingering notes of the wine in her mouth, but he wasn't sure if the pleasurable haze settling over his mind was from the sweetness of the drink or from her. Wanting an answer to this question, he tilted his head for a deeper angle and as his tongue stroked hers---

A cool and wet sensation splashed on his chest.

He flinched back in his seat, inhaling sharply at the surprise, and scowled when he saw what had doused the mood. She had spilled her glass of wine on him.

"What did I say earlier?" He set his own glass aside on a nearby side table and looked at her with a dark face.

She blinked slowly, coming out of a daze (and he would be lying if he said he didn't feel a curl of satisfaction at that), and looked down to exclaim in surprise. "Sorry! Wait, wait, don't move or it'll drip down."

He could already feel it trickling down his chest though and, as she continued to look around for something to clean him with, he settled his hands on her waist to lift her off so he could get up.

"I'll take care of it myself." "I've got it!"

Both of them spoke at the same time and then, before Li Zeyan could react, she bent down and licked the strip of skin exposed between the two undone buttons of his shirt.

His hands spasmed around her waist. "What are you---"

Li Zeyan swallowed back his words along with the groan that rose up at the feeling of her tongue on him.

"This way's faster and it doesn't waste the wine," she said and looked at him.

The sight of her gazing up at him beneath her eyelashes and that sensually red tongue flicking out to lap at his chest was enough to send a rush of molten heat down to a certain part of him.

Li Zeyan dropped his head on the back of the couch and wrestled with two desires: should he push her away? Or let her do what she wanted?

As she unbuttoned his shirt further and licked down his chest, following the trail the wine took, his breaths quickened and his hands flexed against her waist. She was drunk, Li Zeyan told himself sternly, but every stroke of her tongue eroded his will.

The scent of peaches was thick in the air but underneath he could faintly smell the fragrance of the shampoo he always gifted her and also something that was just uniquely her. It was a heady combination that made his reason crumble like a sandcastle under an ocean wave. Maybe he was drunk too. No, maybe he had always been intoxicated by her.

Unbeknownst to the both of them, a hush fell over the room. The ripples in Li Zeyan's wine glass froze. The background hum of the heater disappeared. Most notably, the hand of the clock in the living room stopped.

His complete attention was on the burning path her tongue left on his skin as she chased the wine along the ridges of his abdominal muscles and went down and down and down. Anticipation curled tight in his gut when he felt her get closer to the belt of his pants. He was already hard underneath her. Painfully so.

But she stopped just a few centimeters from his belt.

He looked down to see her stare at his chest and nod with satisfaction. "Done! No more wine."

... Hah?

She sat back, brushing against his hardness, and Li Zeyan dropped his head again, slamming his eyes shut to strangle the instinctive urge to move his hips. She was drunk, he reminded himself. She was drunk and he wasn't going to take advantage of that.

But hadn't he already? He didn't stop her from coming this far.

Li Zeyan could only feel the flames of desire burning beneath his skin when he opened his eyes. He stared up at the ceiling as he swallowed past a dry mouth and spoke in a hoarse voice. "There's more wine if you want."

There was no response.

Furrowing his brows, he looked down only to see that the woman had rested her head on his chest at some point and was now breathing peacefully in sleep.

"......"

Li Zeyan brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose and exhaled a hot breath. He wasn't sure whether he should feel relieved or disappointed or frustrated. Willing the tight pressure in his pants down, he moved her off him and onto the couch before grabbing a throw blanket to cover her.

At the same time, everything resumed its flow of time. The hum of the heater jumped back into existence. The wine in the bottle and Li Zeyan's glass swayed from his footsteps. And the clock hand began to move again.

"See if I don't make you pay for this tomorrow morning," he growled lowly but, in contrast to his words, his actions were gentle when he brushed a kiss on her forehead.

Li Zeyan straightened up, adjusting his pants with a grimace, and made his way to the bathroom. He needed a cold shower.

#mlqc #mlqc fanfic #mlqc victor #mlqc li zeyan #mr love queen's choice #love and producer

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bakugouscentedcaramel · 4 years

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Fuck yeah let's do it

Time to get personal

1) What song makes you feel better?

Honestly a number of songs make me feel either happy or pumped but Goldfish Crackers by Gold Revere and Sunday Best by Surfaces are the sure-fire way to kickstart the serotonin production

2) What's your favorite feel-good movie?

Honestly probably any Disney movie. They just remind me of simpler times

3) What's your favorite candle scent?

Anything that smells like flowers or nature! I especially love scents that remind me of water for some reason. My favorite perfume smells exactly like a lake and I ritually soak myself in it

4) What flower would you like to be given?

It's guaranteed that I will cry if anyone gives me any flower, but my favorites would have to be orchids or lilies

5) Who do you feel most you around?

Honestly my dad, we're pretty much carbon copies of each other and share the same humor so I feel 100% comfortable with him. I even recently came out to him that I was Bi and he was so supportive about it that I cried about it later that night. We're even planning on getting matching back pieces eventually

6) Say three nice things about yourself (three physical and three non-physical)

Oh geez, my self worth is non existent so this took me a while

- my eyes

- my hair (when it's not overgrown like it is now)

- my calves weirdly enough

- my work ethic

- my humor

- my attention to detail

7) What color brings you peace?

Honestly blues and purples make me relax for some odd reason, bonus points if they're iridescent

8) Tag someone or multiple people who make you feel good

Oof obviously @thebo0knerd, @honestcactus, @prussianengel, @americanbeautea, and all of y'all

9) What calms you down?

Just being alone listening to music tends to calm me down, but the binging of Tik Tok and ironically creepypasta/scary story asmr helps too

10) What is something you're excited about?

My laptop! I'm almost able to buy it! It'll probably take a couple more paychecks but here's to an upgrade!

11) What is your ideal date?

Honestly just a trip to the mall followed by binging an anime, I'm a simple girl

12) How are you?

Honestly I've been in the dumps for the past month and a half. I've been working a lot with the public so that's always a fluctuating factor. I think I just need to move somewhere out of this godforsaken town and start somewhere fresh. Without the past constantly bringing me down

13) What's your comfort food?

Mozzarella sticks! In particular Denny's mozzarella sticks. My father would take me to Denny's as a treat whenever he got me for the weekends. He knew how bad it was when I was living with my mother and there's just a lot of comfort in those little artery cloggers

14) Favorite feel-good show?

Honestly a few animes! Right now its Haikyuu, Fire Force, and now Avatar. They're all just so inspiring and funny; they're all a great mood lifter

15) For every emoji you get, tag someone and describe them in one word

🥺 @1a-imagines Direct Ray of Sunshine

🥺 @honestcactus Mood of 2020

💕 @americanbeautea Deity Goals

💕 @awkward-tension Angst Lord

💕 @desperatelittledemon CEO of "Shut Up Val"

16) Compliment the person who sent you this number

All of y'all mean the world to me and I'm always here to listen if y'all want to talk 🥺💖

17) Fairy lights or LEDs?

Why not both? I feel like LEDs are nice but nothing can beat fairy lights above your bed on a stormy day

18) Do you still love stuffed animals?

Of course! I still have most of my childhood stuffed animals and I still mourn my favorite one my mom threw away when I was 9

19) Most important thing in your life?

Oh jeez, I'm not trying to sound edgy or anything but I don't think I have anything important in my life. Obviously I value my sister friends but depression makes shit hard

20) What do you want to do most in the world right now?

Launch all the boomers and Karens into orbit

But honestly I want to start living for myself.

Like I feel like I've only been doing what people tell me to do and going wherever they go and I'm tired of it.

It's time I forge my own path

21) If you could tell your past self one thing, what would it be?

"Blood doesn't bind you, friendship does"

22) What would you say to your future self?

"Ayo bitch good luck"

Just kidding

"It's okay to give yourself permission, no one is holding you down anymore, it's okay"

23) Favorite piece of clothing?

Honestly nothing yet, all of my clothes are either hand me downs or plain clothes. I'm planning on doing a complete wardrobe change so I can dress how I want

24) What's something you do to de-stress?

I'm an avid gamer so I'm always playing some game, anywhere from PS4 to switch, to phone games. They just help get my mind off of things

25) What's the best personal gift a person could give you? (Playlist, homemade card, etc.)

Honestly anything! I've never really gotten anything that was handmade, Book made me a couple paintings and I treasure them

26) What movie would you like to live in?

Avatar tbh (AND YES IT UNFORTUNATELY COUNTS) just the idea of a simple life with a bit of elemental powers is just appealing to me, I feel like I'd be a water bender

27) Which character would you like to be?

Oof all of the dead ones

I mean

Ms. Kobayashi

A normalish life with dragon waifus? Sign me up!

28) Hugs or hand holding?

Hugs, honestly I'm so touch starved I'd probably cry if I got a genuine hug

29) Mornings, Afternoons, or Nights?

Late nights and early mornings, basically times where everyone else is asleep are just especially peaceful to me

30) What reminds you of home? (Things that remind you of the feeling of home)

I've got a very fucked up idea of home. I was raised in a military household so home was never a location, neither was having long-term friends. Not to mention after I lived with my ex for a year I've got an even more corrupt understanding of home.

But if I had to summarize it just anywhere I feel the safest, which generally means my bed

#valvent #ask val #ask game #yeehaw feelings #man i feel nakey now #like emotionally nakey

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mattygraygubler · 5 years

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our campus: chapter 4 (tom holland fanfic)

summary: frat!tom and reader go to the same college and y/n is tasked with being his tutor, they don’t really get along at first (because i love reader and tom hating each other trope)

warnings: none ?????

word count: 2.1k

a/n: so many texts and so much dialogue fuckin kill me also texts are bold

for a list of characters click here

to be added to the tag list send me an ask !

masterlist

✰✰✰✰✰

“I don’t know what you did to get her to give you a second chance, but I need to warn you.” Ally said. Tom turned to look at her, they had only ever spoken when necessary for theater stuff.

“Warn me?” He asked.

“Y/N can make your life either very, very good or very, very bad. She has most of the professors in this school wrapped around her pinky. And she doesn’t make it obvious, but she’s the smartest person I’ve ever met. She can really help you if you let her.”

“Well, thanks.” He said awkwardly and turned back to his stuff.

“One more thing.” Ally said. Tom turned again and raised his eyebrows. “Don’t you dare catch feelings.” “Seriously? No need to worry about that.” Ally scoffed.

“I’m serious, Tom. Don’t. She doesn’t need that right now.”

“Yeah, fine, I get it.” He said.

“Alright guys let’s get started.” Gigi said, signaling rehearsal was about to start.

* * *

It was finally Friday, and your phone was blowing up as you walked to the library. Class had gotten out late, so you were walking as fast as possible so you wouldn’t be late to your meeting with Tom.

if Y/N is ok with it its fine with me

i still dont know how i feel about this

pretty pretty please guys i really like this guy and he really wants me to go

You

what are we talking about i was in class

harrison invited em and all of us to the delt party tonight

and i said we shouldnt go bc of what happened

plus isnt tom a delt? wouldnt that be a bit awk?

You

honestly i couldnt care less. after the week ive had im gonna too blacked to even realize where we are

lets take it to a vote

aye

nay

You

im abstaining

the ayes have it! delt BABEEEYYYY

ill have harrison put us all on the list

You

glad we got that sorted ill see u guys at mine at 8

You walked into the library, checking your watch and seeing it was 4:02. You bit your lip. Hopefully he didn’t give you any crap for being late.

You walked quickly into hlab, and you knew you looked like a crazy person. Your bag was falling off your shoulder, you had a coffee in your hand and your water bottle tucked under your arm, and your phone in your other hand.

You scanned the room and saw Tom sitting across from Max, both of them had books out.

“Hi,” you said breathlessly. Max slid over a seat so you could sit across from Tom. “So sorry I’m late, crazy day.”

“No worries dar-” You heard him start to say darling, but stopped himself. “No worries. It’s only 2 minutes after.”

“How long have you been waiting?” You asked.

“Max and I have been hanging out for a while, not a big deal.”

“Speaking of, I’m on alc duty for tonight so I better go.” Max said, did his stupid handshake with Tom, and walked out.

Hlab was almost empty except for some freshman. Most people don’t like studying on a Friday, who could blame them?

“So I got a copy of your lectures from this week. What do you want to start with?”

“I don’t care.”

“Ok, what is currently confusing you the most?” He thought for a second before saying “Astronomy.” You nodded.

“Great, grab your notes and your textbook.” He pulled out a notebook and his laptop, opening the online textbook. You pulled out your laptop and a pen and highlighter.

“May I?” You asked and pulled his notebook to your side. You went through his notes, circling certain things with the pen and highlighting others.

“These are really good, Tom. I like how you put question marks next to things that confused you.” He laughed.

“Do I get a gold star?” He joked. You rolled your eyes.

“So phases of the moon.” You started.

“Wait a second,” he said after you had been talking for a while. “You’re telling me that the moon doesn’t actually, like, change?”

“It’s all shadows.” You replied. He nodded and seemed to finally be getting it.

“The phases will most definitely be on your next lab, which isn’t open note, so make sure you memorize them.” You said. “Let’s move onto stats.” He groaned. “What?” You asked.

“Statistics is so stupid. Letters and numbers shouldn’t go together.” You rolled your eyes.

“Stats is easy, I promise you. This is the first unit, all we’re doing is descriptive statistics and graphing. Let’s start with some vocab.” You said, highlighting certain words in his notes.

Once you could see his brain was about to explode, you moved onto writing.

“There’s not much to talk about, just email me your most recent paper so I can go through it and look for themes we need to discuss.”

‘“Themes?” He asked.

“You know, on going issues that need to be addressed.” He nodded and emailed you his paper, which you would read tomorrow. You heard your phone buzz and took a quick glance.

al dont be upset

then dont give me a reason to get upset

what is it

……….. It’s themed

are you kidding? were not freshmen, i dont wanna go to a stupid themed frat party

its blackout !!!! itll be fun i promise

You turned your phone back down and didn’t realize you had an upset look on your face.

“Everything ok?” He asked.

“Just arguing in the group chat.”

“Do you need to go?” He asked.

“No, no, just arguing about tonight.”

“What’s tonight?”

“Tonight is not related to political conflict, which is what we should be talking about.” He laughed.

“Do you ever have fun?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m serious, do you ever have fun, or do you just go to sleep surrounded by planners and textbooks.”

“That’s not funny. There’s a lot more about me that you don’t know.”

“Clearly.”

“So we’re starting off with socioeconomic issues over time and the class strugle. Did you read the Marx chapters?”

“Yup. Didn’t understand a word of it.”

“Ok, let’s get into it.” You said and began rambling about the bourgeoisie and the communist manifesto. Politics was your favorite subject, you could talk about it for hours.

You were having a really good discussion with Tom. It was global political conflict, and he was able to connect the themes to both America and England, which made you really pleased.

You were pulled out of your discussion when your phone vibrated.

pickin up panera anyone want anything

“Jeez it’s already past 6:30, I gotta go.” You said.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” He said.

“No it’s not your fault, I get so into politics I lose track of time.” “I can tell.” He said as you both packed up your stuff.

“Wanna grab some food?” He asked.

“Sorry, can’t,” you said.

“Why, got a hot date?” He joked.

“Maybe,” you said.

“At least let me walk you to wherever you’re going.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Well where are you going?”

“Congression Hall?” You replied.

“Wait, you live there?”

“Uhm, yes? Me along with practically every other junior.”

“What floor?”

“8.” You said.

“Should’ve guessed.” He replied as you started walking across the quad.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Honors 8. I forgot you were in hc.” He was referring to the eighth and top floor of Congression Hall, which was reserved for the honors college juniors.

“Yeah.” You said simply.

“I’m on six, by the way.” He said. “That’s why I was curious. I’ve never seen you around there.”

“I’m not usually, I only really use it for sleep.”

“Of course,” he replied.

“I assumed you lived in a frat house.” You commented.

“Nah, next year.” He said with a wink. “Speaking of frat houses, there’s kind of this party going on at Delt tonight-”

“I’m aware.” You said, cutting him off.

“Ah, well, if you want I can get you on the list.” You smiled to yourself.

“No need, I’m already on the list.” You said.

“Oh?” He said, clearly embarrassed. “Because of delta nu?”

“Nope.” You said, not offering any other information.

“Well maybe I’ll see you there then.”

“Even if you do see me there, I will be pretending I don’t know you.”

“Why?” He asked, clearly offended. “I run that house.” He joked, trying to play off the embarrassment.

“No offense, but your reputation would not be good for mine.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well I have a certain reputation in the greek community, and if people see me with you they’ll get the wrong idea.”

“The wrong idea?” He asked as you walked in the lobby of your building.

“Well, see, the thing is,” you said, stepping into the elevator. He pressed the button for six and eight. “I have certain standards. If people see me with you, they’ll think I’ve…”

“Wow, you are really uptight, aren’t you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Certain standards? Jesus christ, you’re not the queen, Y/N. And I don’t have a bad reputation. But god forbid I don’t live up to your ‘standards.’” He said, storming off the elevator without another word, clearly upset. You sighed. Good job, Y/N.

Tom got to his room and threw his stuff on the floor, collapsing on his bed. His head hurt from all the tutoring, and trying to focus on not staring at your lips.

delt juniors

Tom

aight important question guys

Cal

whats up tommy

Tom

do you guys know a girl called Y/N Y/L/N? shes a delta nu

Joey

dan knows her ;)

Cal

fuck, Y/N? what are you doing with her?

Tom

shes tutoring me stop buggin

Max

i know her which u know shes in hc with me

Liam

oh danny DEFINITLY knows her

Will

who doesnt know Y/N? shes a hot commodity

Tom

what do you mean?

Cal

shes like the perfect girl next door, totally hot and so smart which just makes her hotter

Will

doesnt help that shes a huge fuckin flirt AND can hold her alc

Joey

dan is being suspiciously quiet……..

Dan

shut up joe

Liam

care to share with tommy your story with Y/N, daniel?

Dan

i hate u all

fine

i was like in love with her freshman year

and i thought she was into me too

and we made out a couple of times but nothing else

the second she found out i was in delt she stopped talking to me

like complete radio silence

Tom

wtf? Why?

Cal

she doesnt fuck with delts

thats like common greek knowledge

Will

maybe its because shes gonna be dchi sweetheart?

Joey

nah theres gotta be something else

Harrison

well i just put her on the list for tonite

Tom

wait YOU put her on the list?!

Harrison

yeah i invited her friend Emily Gold and she doesnt go anywhere without Y/N and these two other girls

Cal

Ally Park and Isabelle Miller

Harrison

yeah howd u know?

Cal

theyre like those cool girls from high school everyones obsessed with that are just out of everyones league

Tom

wow american high schools are so weird

Dan

tom if u wanna get with her i wont be pissed

Tom

nah like you said she hates delts, and after three tutoring sessions with me i guarentee i am her least favorite delt ever

Liam

theres no fuckin way she shows up tonight

she wouldnt be caught dead at a delt party

Noah

wait you said Y/N Y/L/N may come tonight????

DIBS

DIBS DIBS DIBS

I CALL DIBS

Cal

noah u seriously show up just to call dibs?

Noah

yeah bro have u seen her? if she comes tonight and any of you try to cockblock me i stg ill deck you

Dan

pretty sure tommy has rightful dibs to this one

Tom

nah fam she hates me so fuckin much

let noah try his luck

i doubt she’ll even show

Max

she’ll show.

Tom

what makes u say that?

Liam

max does know her best

Max

she and ally and emily and isabelle are ride or die. they circulate who picks what party they go to and if its emilys turn and harrison somehow conviced her to go, Y/N wont miss it

Dan

she hasnt set foot in a delt house since freshman year, you seriously think she’ll show?

Max

five bucks says she does

Dan

youre on

Noah

i just wanna make it clear

that if she does show

D I B S

#tom holland #tom holland imagine #tom holland fanfic #tom holland fanfiction #frat!tom

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wheremytwinwatches · 4 years

Text

[Where My Twin Watches]: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 44

Last time: Doctor Marcoh broke the Hippocratic Oath, Envy chose the worst possible host, and a Central Officer showed Armstrong the Great his collection of action figures. Onwards!

Episode 44 - “Revving at Full Throttle” Oh heck yeah, we’re starting at the family reunion in Liore! Camera shows the radio fixed by the Elric Brothers way back when. [Beard]: “It’s been a long time, huh Al?” [Al]: “Yeah.” *awkwardness intensifies* [Beard]: “So, uh… I saw Pinako recently.” *Rose is standing off to the side, probably wondering about this ‘Pinako’ character her new boyfriend is talking about* [Beard]: “She told me about your body.” *awkwardness intensifies* *awkwardness intensifies* *awkwardness intensifies* [Villagers]: “Hey Mister Ho, could you-” [Beard]: “Oh sweet Leto yes get me out of this family drama. Absentee Anime Father, away!” Wow, really? Al are you just gonna let him walk away from this conversation? You haven’t seen him for a large portion, if not most of your life! Demand some friggin answers! Well at least the cook is trying to cheer Al up, thanking him for fixing up the radio. Al apologizes for the riot being caused by them exposing Cornello, but Cookie insists on looking at the good stuff that happened.

Sure people reacted “badly” at first, but now everyone’s all happily working together to rebuild from the ashes of their home! Can’t fault the man’s optimism. Inspired!Al goes running off to help build, seeing their General getting his hands dirty Toad and Boar (still wearing their winter clothes?) tag along, dragging a protesting Yoki with them. The Villagers are realizing Oh Crap We Interrupted Family Reunion, but Beard’s brushing it off. He left when Al was super young, he probably doesn’t even think of Beard as his father anymore. And have you seen the guy try to smalltalk? He doesn’t know what to say- [Al, clanking towards the group]: “Hey pops! Imma help with the building, cool? Cool. Hey NPCs, gimme that heavy stuff to cart around.” Aw, Beard gets to see that Al being trapped in a cold, unfeeling suit of armor hasn’t kept him from being a decent person. Whoa okay bath time for Winry, apologies for interrupting. Winry’s happy to finally get a good bath after traveling for so long. Rose is chatting with her while laying out clothes, admiring Winry for being a independent Automail Engineer at her age. And she was the one who literally got Ed back on his feet, which would mean later he would help Rose get back on hers. *Goes back to Ep 3 Recap*. That’s right, he told her to Keep Moving Forward, that she needed to use her two good legs to make her own path. Rose tells Winry about her misplaced belief in Cornello, when Winry gripes about Ed’s Tough Love routine Rose says that’s just his way of being nice. [Rose]: “But you already know that, don’t you?” [Winry]: *Stammers, blushes, and tries to hide her face in her tea.* So yeah, Ed exposed the truth behind Cornello’s miracles, and now Liore is learning to stand on its own. “All thanks to Ed and Al.”... yeah, calling it now. We’ll come back to this place in a decade or two, and the old Church of Leto will have been replaced with one to The Armor and the Alchemist. Hey, it’s Lizard dude! Bido, according to Bag of Magic Food. He’s going through a tunnel, griping that it was a bad idea to follow those MPs aw crap he’s wandering into Uncle’s sanctum, isn’t he? Turn around dude! But he’s still looking for Mister Greed, squeezes through some pipes to crap it’s the Golem Room. And are the Officer and Armstrong the Great still there? Quick, pull an Igor!

Ok, so it looks like he got there just before the Officer did his “Look at my cool toys” reveal, he’s hiding behind the pipes again. Officer’s explaining that the Golems are empty dummies that they can bond souls to. Oh, so they’re like Advanced Soul Armors, then? Tell me, have you gotten around the problem that Al’s having of the body rejecting the soul? Anyways, the Golems are immortal and apparently any bonded souls will be completely obedient. Alright Armstrong the Great, here’s the kicker; where do the souls to activate the Golems come from? Officer says that they’ll come from rival nations, “through the course of war”. Hoo boy. This was what I was afraid of way back when the concept of Philosopher Stones was introduced to Armstrong the Great. She is fiercely loyal to her troops and those she chooses to protect, it was the threat against her own forces and the reveal that the Goths were going to harvest the entire country that allied her with our main characters. But an army fueled by the conquest of Others? A chance to not just defeat her hated Drachman enemies, but fully convert them to her cause? Weapons that only grow stronger the more she uses them? I mean, with all the pushing around by Central and bullying of her troops I’m giving her 80% odds to still reject the Golems. But that remaining 20… We don’t get to hear any more as Bido freaks the fuck out and bolts back down the tunnels, screaming his head off. [Bido]: “This place is evil! Pure evil! Why did I ever come here?! Mister Greed would never be in an awful place like this-” Oh hey, it’s Ling! How’s Greed going to react to seeing an old “possession”: happy to see something of old that he gets to claim again, or annoyed that one of his old crew fled rather than try to help him? We’ll get back to that, we’re back in Liore where Al is warning Beard about the giant tunnel running under Liore. Beard tells him to stop talking about the Super Secret Goth Plot To Harvest A Country in the middle of the town square, waits until they’re in the ruins of the Church to discuss the story. He’s letting Al explain everything, does he want to keep his own involvement secret for- well never mind, Al’s brought up his Identical Brother chilling in Central. Beard turns away still acting all Mysterious wait what [Menacing!Beard]: “Did it ever cross your mind that I might be on their side?” But you’re not, unless… NOW HOLD UP. If you’re telling me that we’re looking at a Triplet situation, that Uncle made another copy to Oh ok I get it now. Beard is just emphasizing how trusting Al is, at least with him. But seriously dude, now that I’m thinking about it spilling your entire plan to a guy because you think he’s your father is a terrible idea. Maybe ask him to repeat a childhood memory, or somesuch? So after Al gets his non-corporeal heart to calm down from that scare, Beard says that he wants to tell his Backstory to both brothers in order to save time. Right, about that… Back up in the land of snow, at… “Bank’s Bank”? Really? That’s like a restaurant owned by Mister Burger or a law office run by Johnny Litigator. Whatever. Registers are ringing and checks are being cashed when huh. Sorry, just distracted by the banker’s appearance, she’s a lady with blonde hair but brown eyes and Ishvalan skin. What’s her story, is she an Amestrian/Ishvalan child like Sideburns? Moving on, a giant of a man is making a withdrawal oh hey it’s Monkey, he’s drawing from Ed’s account. Uh, are you that badly strapped for cash? You know that a withdrawal from the Protagonist’s account, by an unknown party no less, is going to raise all kinds of flags in Central. Yup, Monkey got the cash from Ed’s research account, but another banker’s already making a call. Ah, so it was for the medical bill. How much was this doctor charging? Oh jeez, the guy’s chuckling and saying he could charge them even more, Monkey complains that he’s already ripping them off but the doc’s likewise squinty-eyed wife says it’s only “reasonable” considering the risks involved.

Well, as long as they keep their mouths shut well never mind, looks like the cops are already on to them. I don’t suppose they can get a refund? The cops show up and push past the doctor, Lion’s getting bandaged by Mrs. Doctor. Oh great way to sell out the resting patient, our guys had better get a refund if he’s going to cave this quickly. No wait it’s just Monkey scowling from under some covers wait is he trying to hide Ed under the sheets? The cop asks if Monkey was at the bank earlier, and pulls a gun… Outside a guard hears someone walking, another white coat? Doctor #2? Cop #1 is ordering for Monkey to put his hands up oh hey the white coat outside is Ed with some groceries! Outfit change? I suppose his red coat was pretty distinctive. While Monkey’s at gunpoint Lion readies his own pistol and Monkey starts drawing his own gun, things might get loud pretty soon. Wait, is Ed’s hair loose? What happened to the ponytail?

Ok yeah, that was pretty distinctive like his coat. Outside guard is listing off the red coat, blond hair worn in a braid… uh oh. Here it comes. [Guard]: “... and short.” [Ed]: *bites through wooden skewer in annoyance* Nice knowing you, guard. The cops in the apartment hear a thud, and #1 tells another to check out the noise. Outside Guard is out cold, Cop #2 tries waking him up before there’s another thud, #1’s left yelling at the other two for answers when

Wait hold on, is Ed grabbing this guy around the neck? Is he standing on a box or something? Unless… no. No! Is it finally happening? Is my little boy finally getting a growth spurt?! … Wait, but if he’s growing taller, but has an artificial leg whoops better find Winry quick to upgrade, fighting might be a bit difficult if you’re all lopsided. Monkey snarks that Ed just had to take out three MPs on his own, when he hasn’t fully recovered yet. [Ed]: “Don’t treat me like an invalid. My injuries are fully healed, and I’m revving at full throttle!” Title drop! And damn but Ed’s rocking the new look. White coat, loose hair, and a growth spurt? Leg imbalance aside, I am totally down for this. Wait, is this because he “used his own life force” to patch himself up earlier? His body aged up from the energy expenditure? Cool! Mid-ep pictures of Bath!Winry and Older!Ed. So is carrying a wooden skewer in your mouth just a thing now, Ed? The doc’s telling Ed and the Chimeras to shove off, doesn’t look like that refund’s coming after all. Ed snags the Guard’s note in passing, thinking about how they’re just looking for the red coat and braid (pointedly ignoring the “short” comment), guess the outfit change is staying around for a while. Whoops! Took too long, some other MPs have shown up and are demanding they freeze. Wait, “move it kid”? Oh yeah, they’re just telling the guys with visible weapons to stand down, they think that the kid chowing down on bread is a bystander. Who just got grabbed by Monkey and threatened with a weapon! Monkey uses the MPs shock at the hostage-taking to tuck Ed under his arm and run for it, outside some more MPs spot them but Lion shoots some snow down on them. Run for it! One hotwired car later, Ed tells ‘Gorilla’ (“Don’t call me that!”) to step on it, but their stolen car isn’t fast enough to outrun vehicles from Northern Command. Dodge a truck so the MPs crash into it? That they… can’t do, actually. The MPs are catching up when Ed says to turn a corner and park. Plan? Transmutation sounds as they round the corner, the MPs follow but… it’s gone? Wait there’s another car in the road, but… … Ow. Ow ow ow. OW! Sweet Leto, but that hurts the eyes. Really, Ed? I can only assume that the MPs brains have shut off from the sheer garishness of that thing, they drive past the parked car looking for something a little more sensible. The Chimeras immediately ask for the car to be turned back to normal. [Ed]: “And why’s that? I think this car looks cool as hell!” [Monkey]: “Just change it back. Please, we’re begging you!” [Ed]: “You guys got a problem with my sense of style?!” [Monkey/Lion]: “You don’t have any!” Outside of town, Monkey’s answering the call of nature while they all discuss being drifters again. Ed’s wait buddy you’ve got your hair back in a ponytail, it’s not a full-on braid but it’s still close enough that any guards are going to give you a second look. Go back to the loose hair disguise! Ed’s thinking about how he let his guard down around Kimblee, and hoping that Al’s ok. For now, the Chimeras are asking their new boss where to go, Ed says that they need to find Al who’s probably with Marcoh now. [Lion]: “You do know how to find them, right?” [Ed]: “Right, about that…” In Liore, Al’s trying to wrap his head around Beard’s Backstory. Beard understands if Al doesn’t believe him, it’s a pretty crazy story. Then we remember that Beard’s talking to a soul bound to a suit of armor, so the idea that Beard is a Philosopher’s Stone isn’t that far fetched. They chat about being immortal, and thankfully Beard acknowledges the advantages of his form before settling on the fact that seeing everyone he knows and loves wither and perish sucks. Hey yeah, if you have a Philosopher's Stone body, did that affect Ed and Al’s development? Apparently not, Beard says he still has a human body. Unlike Uncle, who’s likened to “a leather bag”. He built a human body around himself and his gathered souls, so if they can destroy the body… Speaking of, the Nationwide TC! Beard looks over the TC and reverse-TC while Al says they can destroy the tunnel below Liore, but Beard shuts down the idea. Pride’s watching over the tunnel. But can they still try before nope we know the tunnel’s finished, and Beard is rather relaxed about the idea it’s complete. “Because it’s not yet time”? How do you know? [Beard]: “Look up, son. You’re too busy looking down when you need to look up.” Oh! I get it, it’s a constellation thing! That explains why the Xerxes King was talking about carving all the Crests before it was too late, the Nationwide TC needs the right positioning of the stars. Can’t do it until then.

Yes please follow along Al, look up to the sky, to… LETO! Bwahaha, Al thinks that Beard’s talking about Sun-God Leto. There we go, turns out Beard has converted to Letoism and plans on praying the Goths away. Or the Man in Central could indeed be waiting for the right star positions, that works too I guess. Oh hey, back to Bido in the pipes. Running? Oh shoot, looks like it was “Annoyed his possession abandoned him” Greed after all. Greed laughs about the chance to kill his boredom, Bido’s shocked to see the Ultimate Shield and hear the voice, yells at Greed for imitating Mister Greed. Wait, does Greed not recognize Bido? Greed boasts about wanting everything, Bido finishes his spiel about demanding the finer things in life. Greed asks who Bido is wait static? Ok, so Greed really doesn’t remember his past iteration? He lost his memories when Uncle reconsumed him? Bido’s struggling to reconcile the Mister Greed he knew with this new guy, while Greed demands Bido answer his questions. [Bido]: “It’s me! I’m your friend, Bido! You haven’t been gone from Dublith long enough to forget!” [Greed]: “Oh, you’re from Dublith! Ooohoho, now it makes sense!” [Bido]: “You remember m SHIT Greed just stabbed Bido! [Greed]: “Afraid not. You must have been buddies with the previous Greed.” Well this sucks, Bido’s trembling in pain and grief while Greed says they’ve never even met wait the static’s back and his arm is trembling and the static is becoming visions of Greed’s old crew. Is his memory returning? Hoo boy Ling’s calling Greed out for killing his old friend. Greed protests that Bido wasn’t his friend, that those memories belonged to the previous Greed. [Ling]: “Then why are you in so much pain?!” Ling’s threatening that if Greed doesn’t pull himself together that he’ll take control of the body again. Greeds gritting out that his old memories were purged by Uncle, that they aren’t part of him anymore- [Ling]: “No, you’re wrong Greed! It’s not that easy! They’ll always be a part of you! You can’t just erase them from your soul! They were the only part of you that you chose! Look at them! Can you not hear their souls crying out? You abandoned them, your real family! You threw them away like trash! Fool, you turned your back on something you wanted. You don’t deserve to call yourself Greed!” Clutching the still form of Bido, Greed screams. End Credits. Post-credit scene in Central at the Bradley Manor, Mama Bradley is suggesting a book to Selim. About an adventurer who travels the world- Bradley’s looked up and Mama Bradley grabbed Selim at the sound of rustling and footsteps. It’s Greed. And he’s not happy.

#wmtw #where my twin #full metal alchemist #full metal alchemist brotherhood #fmab #fmab 44

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okayto · 5 years

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As a fellow adhd librarian, I can't help but ask....how do you deal with the lull times when you have maaaaaybe 4 patrons an hour, you have finished all your projects and there are NO at desk tasks to be done, but SOMEONE just blew it for everyone by being caught doing her homework and ignoring the ONE patron who wanted help, and now you have desk hours and have nothing to do and all computers and books are banned. *twitch* I might have a bit of an issue with boredom right now.

First, that sucks, completely. Curse that ~*~someone~*~ who ruined everything for the rest of you.

Second…can you not use your own computer, or is there not a computer at the desk? If there’s nothing at the desk at all, I am out of ideas and the only thing I can think of is having a chat with whoever makes the rules and being like, “Hey, we agree I’m a good worker, and I get my stuff done, but that means that sometimes I’m at this desk for literal hours with no projects and nothing to do.” Get them to agree that you should be able to do something, even if it’s “only reading magazines/books from the library collection” or something. ‘Cause otherwise, jeez that’s cruel.

If there is a computer at the desk, I have some go-to websites I can browse–nothing objectionable, makes me look busy if someone comes up (because I’m obviously working on the computer!), etc.

If I have a project (however tenuous it is), I can justify searching for resources for it. My projects include:

Bulletin board creation. I can trawl Pinterest and the internet for inspiration anywhere.And once I have inspiration, I need info on the topic…which could be poetry, or cooking, or gardening, or chickens, or whatever.

Helping with collection management for our young adult and graphic novel collections. I haven’t done much but hey, I should probably read these blogs about YA book reviews, right?

Posting to social media, so I look up articles on how to do that engagingly, and I look at other accounts for inspiration/things to share/hashtags to join/tweets to retweet

If using a desk computer is something feasible for you, some ideas for non-project fun things, moving from “okay probably anywhere that lets you on the computer” to “use your best judgement about whether this would fly in your workplace”:

Start with more academic resources (this looks better if someone sees the screen). At my library, I’ll browse our digitized archival collections because I think reading 40+-year-old student newspapers/yearbooks is interesting (and I can get ideas for #ThrowbackThursday posts).

Other university/library/museum digitized collections are also fair game. I have some links in my blog (tagged “link”) and I just save a bunch of stuff when I see something interesting. Places like the Smithsonian’s digitized stuff, or links I find on Twitter by scientists and archaeologists, etc.

Local/national newspapers. If you can get it approved, you could try reading physical copies at the desk, but at my library we also have a digital subscription of the local paper included. And through some library databases, I can read things like the New York Times (or specific articles) without using my “10 free articles a month” thing.

Also, NPR, BBC and other reputable news sites that will have stuff like book reviews, features, etc. On my to-read list is NPR’s “Reading the Game” occasional feature, which looks at video games from a literary perspective.

The Awful Library Books blog is fun and interesting

Mental Floss is also informative and fun

Ask a Manager is great, and directly related to work (in fact, I used it to help me figure out a firing last year), with all the intrigue and gawking you get with an advice column.

Other blogs that are safe for work. So, not The Bloggess because language and stuff that people wouldn’t like in my workplace, but Cake Wrecks and Epbot and Book Riot (maybe not technically a blog, but whatevs) are OK for me.

(IDK about anyone else, but once I’ve read enough recent stuff to know I like a blog, I then try to go back and read things in chronological order. I’ll skip/skim boring stuff, but otherwise, this is a good way to make blog-reading last a while.)

Ebooks! In your library, or Project Gutenberg’s online HTML pages, or through the Internet Archive, etc.

Fanfiction, but probably only if you’ve checked its tags/warnings/visual ahead of time. Like, save a direct link to a fic that’s the equivalent of PG. Start curating a SFW list. When in doubt, don’t browse or search for new fics at the desk. You’d hate for someone to come up behind you just as you scroll past something that’s warned for fisting.

Webcomics–most are colorful so this is really only if it’s completely okay for you to be obviously (to someone who can see the screen) not Doing Work-Work. There are ones like Hark! A Vagrant and XKCD (along with Explain XKCD, and the What If? blog) that are black and white, but most have color. You’d have to decide about contents and propriety. FWIW, I enjoyed reading Hyperbole and a Half (blog/comic combo, inactive), Adventures of Superhero Girl (complete), Girl Genius, and Gunnerkrigg Court (ongoing).

I hope you’re allowed to do something, Anon! Does anyone else have any suggestions?

#I have no idea what I'd do if I wasn't allowed to be on the computer--which I have to use when I have work--but probably I would die or just #links #working in a library #tumblarians #link #good information #website #webcomic #ask

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emma-nation · 6 years

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Without You - Bloodbound AU (Chapter 6) *For You Sequel*

Summary: Gaius is back. While coming up with a plan to take him down, the gang must deal with some new life-changing events.

Genre: Angst/Adventure/Romance

Rating: T - Warning for violence and language

Tag List: @begging-for-kamilah, @lulu-the-cat, @ilovekamilahsayeed, @zoe6111, @kennaxval

Notes:

- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.

- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.

- My apologies for taking so long to update. Between family problems and my computer dying, I had no internet access for almost a month.

Amy

The sunlight reflecting on her face made Amy wake up from her sleep. Drowsy, she realized she had fallen asleep at the Hamptons’ house doorstep. Still no signs of Kamilah, but Lysimachus replied her text.

After giving him the directions, her brother-in-law arrived some time later.

“Well, it seems like we’ll have to do it the wrong way,” he started picking the door lock. “If the house really belongs to Kamilah I’m sure she’ll eventually forgive me,” he shrugged.

"Whoa,” Amy opened her mouth in astonishment as she followed him inside. The modern-styled house was huge and incredibly beautiful. It had a large swimming pool and a spaceful backyard with direct access to the beach.

“Hey, she brought some clothes,” Lysimachus announced, emerging from one of the bedrooms. “This is definitely where she spent the last few days.”

At the kitchen, they found two empty glasses, suggesting Kamilah also had a visitor recently.

“We’ll never find out who it was,” Amy complained.

“Don’t be that pessimistic,” Lysimachus quickly grabbed his phone. “Most of these fancy houses have surveillance cameras.”

They sat on the couch and he hacked through the security system, searching for footage from the last couple of days.

“Found it. It was Kaira, a member of Kamilah’s Clan. I’ve met her once.”

“How long did she stay?”

“Quick visit, less than one hour. Only time enough for a drink. I’ll get her number and try to obtain some information.”

After many attempts, Kaira was unreachable. She had been declared missing, like three other members of Clan Sayeed.

“It has Gaius’ name written all over it,” Lysimachus angered, slamming his fist on the coffee table.

Amy felt a strange pain in her stomach. If Gaius had really gotten Kamilah, at this time she could be dead. Walking away from her brother-in-law, she went to one of the bedrooms, where she grabbed one of Kamilah’s shirts and held it tightly to her chest. It still had her fragrance on it.

“Please, be okay. I need you to be okay.”

Inside the drawer, she found a binder with plans for their wedding.

Not only Kamilah had bought that house for the party, but she also picked the most beautiful flowers for the decoration and a sophisticated buffet menu. The cake was Amy’s favorite flavor and she didn’t forget to include the chocolate fountain Amy begged for, even if she mocked it in the beginning.

“Amy, are you getting married or throwing a birthday party? Chocolate fountain?! Please.”

Amy gave a small smile, followed by a tear that streamed down across her cheek.

“Amy, let’s…” Lysimachus entered the room, noticing she was crying. “What is that?”

He took the wedding plans from her hands and read it.

“She planned us the most perfect wedding party and I threw everything away! Because of a psycho bitch that manipulated every inch of my stupid brain!”

Her brother-in-law involved her in a warm and assuring hug.

“We’ll find her alive and safe. You are having this party, are you listening? I promise you. I’m Kamilah’s best man after all.”

“Oh,” Amy let out a small laugh, “I thought there was a dispute between you and Adrian?”

“Yeah… she has two best men. And it’s their duty to assure she’ll make to this wedding.”

Amy smiled and hugged him back.

“Now let’s go. We need to find your runaway bride.”

———-

Kamilah

Taking a deep sigh, Kamilah looked to both sides before deciding to leave the car. Her mind still wasn’t working properly. Driving without a specific direction, she stopped at her penthouse’s edifice. Her clothes were covered in blood. Human blood. She couldn’t allow herself to be seen or caught. Using her vampire abilities, she streaked up using the emergency staircase, until she got home.

Throwing herself at the couch, she was unsure of what to do. It was only the beginning. That was only the first proof she had to give Gaius of her loyalty. There was more to come, she knew. Things she would no longer accept to be submitted to. And there was Amy… Amy was her biggest weakness at the moment. He surely knew that. It was a matter of time until she had the same fate as many of her past lovers.

“I need to end this,” she clenched her jaw.

After making sure Lysimachus wasn’t home, she used the extra key she had to explore his apartment. He had a secret weapon against Gaius. An old ritual he hadn’t told anyone about. She just needed to find it and perform it. All by herself. She wasn’t going to risk anybody else’s life.

Between short and shallow breaths, she opened every drawer, checked every shelf, before noticing the ancient book was lying open on his desk. Using her cell phone’s camera she took pictures of the pages she needed.

A click coming from the front door made her freeze in place. She needed to leave or hide immediately, but before she could even act, Priya was standing in front of her.

“Kamilah?!” Somehow she looked surprised. “What are you doing here? Jeez, you look terrible! Is that blood…”

“Priya!” She frowned, censoring the younger vampire with her furious glare. That sadistic imbecile had probably been sleeping with her brother again. “Where is Lysimachus?”

“He left a few hours ago. He went to meet…”

“Good,” Kamilah interrupted, giving her no more time to speak. Knowing her brother was alive was enough. She passed by the fashion designer and left the apartment, returning to her penthouse.

Under the shower, she frantically rubbed her arms and hands while tears kept streaming down her face. It didn’t matter how much she had already washed herself, it seemed like the blood of all those mortals was still impregnated in every layer of her skin. As well as the feeling of Gaius’ lips being pressed on hers.

She looked herself at the mirror and all she could see was a monster. His Queen again.

When she left the bedroom to get dressed, she heard a noise. The penthouses’ door opened. It could only be Gaius, she thought. He knew she hadn’t been hypnotized. Like he always managed to find out everything. Holding both of her daggers firmly, she walked in stealthy steps. When the figure passed through the door she was ready to strike.

“Amy?!” Her eyes went wide in shock. Her fiancée was the last person she expected to see in that moment.

———-

Lysimachus

It was around lunch time, but Lysimachus was sitting at a bar, staring at the bottom of an empty glass. The third he had so far. Alcohol never fails to dull the pain, Kamilah would always say.

Aside from his sister’s possible kidnap by Gaius Augustine, something else was puzzling his mind. Priya.

After hours of intense sexual intercourse he was exhausted, but not enough to make him fall asleep. Lying on his chest, he watched her. She looked almost… innocent. There was so much about her he didn’t know. He wondered what was her story. What could be hidden behind vicious and cold personality?

“I’m sorry, Hunter,” she murmured before falling asleep. “I mean it.”

Yet, when she woke up she was back to her usual self. While having breakfast, she was focused on an app, that she paid to be created for herself. ’Bleeder’ it was called. Using it, she browsed for mortals that were willing to satiate her blood thirsty, as if she was picking a date.

“Ha! That’s a match!” She celebrated, staring at the picture of a middle-aged man on her screen. “Gotta go.”

“What’s in your head?” A female voice coming from behind brought him back to reality.

“Hey you,” he turned around to see the young witch who helped him to obtain the daylight rings. “Thanks for meeting me.”

She ordered herself a meal. Chicken nuggets. He only observed, as she teased and mocked him, knowing it was a common distaste among vampires.

“So… you’re not having any of these,” she playfully took a bite.

“Not today, no.”

“You’re not in a good mood, I can see.”

“I had a difficult night. I couldn’t get any sleep.”

“Oh.”

He gulped, wondering what was giving it away. Were there any bruises on his neck that hadn’t healed yet?

“This is not what I meant,” he felt he was blushing a little. “I can’t stop worrying about Kamilah.”

“So… let’s change the subject, why did you want to see me?”

He grabbed copies of the pages from the ancient book. Though she had examined it before, she had been studying Wright’s books, to see if she could offer any help.

“This symbol,” he pointed. “I can’t find its meaning anywhere.”

“Hmmm,” she was pensive. “Neither did I but…” she ran a finger through the page. Lysimachus knew she was trying to obtain a vision, a connection with her witch ancestors.

“This symbol was created to protect something… a great source of power…” suddenly her eyes went wide in shock. “S-Sorry, I can’t say anything else.”

“Come on, you’re the only person that can help me to rescue my sister!”

“I-I… The ancient witch power is blocking me. I’m sorry.”

He sighed in frustration. After she left, he called Lily. Apparently she had news for him, about the remaining parts of the ritual. When he entered the car, a message appeared on his screen.

Hunter. Come home ASAP.

I can’t. I have important matters to take care of.

It’s a f****** EMERGENCY!

Rolling his eyes, he wondered what trouble Priya had caused this time. As he promised himself, it was the last time. Depending of the damage she caused, he’d kick her out of his apartment and take the case to The Council. She had no right to jeopardize the most important mission of their lives. The one that was supposed to decide their fate and the fate of humanity.

“Forget it,” he turned off his cellphone, “I’m meeting Lily first.”

However, when he returned home, Priya was impatiently waiting for him, with a surprised look and a grin on her face.

“Why did you took so long? I did something that will make you forgive me… I found Kamilah.”

———-

Amy

In a fancy restaurant, Amy studied Kamilah’s behavior. That wasn’t the Kamilah she was used to. She looked extremely anxious, uncomfortable and avoiding her gaze the entire time, as if she was trying to hide all her distress. When Amy entered the penthouse, the first she noticed was her fearful expression and the daggers, being held firmly in her hands.

After dodging all her questions with technical answers about the legal procedure that was being moved against her company and the solutions her lawyers were working on, Amy finally concluded that behavior had nothing to do with Ahmanet Financial. It was deeper than that.

“So… uhhh…” Amy tried to break the silence, “have you canceled our wedding party? I mean, if you want… we’re still in time.”

“We’d have to rush a lot of things,” Kamilah coldly replied, her eyes never leaving a glass of wine. “The dresses aren’t finished. I told you Priya should not be trusted.”

“That was my fault, she went to London to make the final adjustments but I missed the sessions. I was too focused on…” remembering Wright made her twitch in anger.

“I forgot to cancel. Actually, we can solve that tomorrow.”

“Now I’m back, there aren’t any reasons why we should cancel. Priya can make the final adjustments, after all she has been living with your brother.”

“She has been… what?!” After almost chocking with her wine, Kamilah shook her head in a mix of disappointment and shock.

Another silence settled between them. She didn’t answer what Amy wanted to hear.

“Are there, Kamilah?” She insisted. “Any reasons why we should cancel our wedding?”

“I-I…” she bit her lower lip. “You should return to London.”

“I’m not returning. The course is over and I’m no longer part of the… fair.”

“You didn’t tell me about it, what happened?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

When Amy noticed she was raising her voice, she concluded it was time to call it a night and go home. The first thing she did once they got home, was to confront Kamilah again.

“You’re hiding things from me again. It’s Gaius, isn’t it? He came after you!”

Kamilah looked down at the floor. Amy noticed she had stopped breathing.

A realization suddenly came. The things Kamilah told her about her past with him. The things he forced her to do. The manipulation, the punishments, the trauma.

“Oh my god! W-What did he do to you?” At this point, Amy was trying to not cry. “H-He didn’t…”

“Amy…” Kamilah finally shouted, firm and demanding. “If you have any love for your life, I suggest you to leave through this door right now and forget you’ve ever met me. My brother can debrief you, if you want.”

Amy stared at her in silence for a brief moment before involving her in the tightest of the hugs. She could sense Kamilah’s insecurity, her fear, her vulnerability and that, broke her heart more than anything. She couldn’t hold back her tears anymore.

“No,” she shook her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks, “I don’t fear Gaius. I’m not going anywhere or leaving you. We will fight together.”

———-

Lysimachus

"Don’t joke about it. Okay, Priya? Not about my sister!”

“Gosh, you won’t ever trust me, will you?!” She frowned. “She was right here, in your office! With a maniac look on her face and clothes covered in blood. Human blood. I sniffed it.”

“What?”

After leaving the restaurant, Lysimachus decided to ignore Priya’s supposed emergency and meet Lily at the Shadow Den. That was his priority. She had news for him about the ritual.

“This symbols,” she pointed, explaining, “are telling you need to trap him inside a magical seal.”

“Easy,” he sighed. “I’ve learned how to create a magical seal.”

“Then, you need another spell. To weaken him. I’m figuring out the ingredients we’ll need.”

“Good. And the two remaining items? Could you figure them out?”

“Not yet, but… we’re getting close.”

He didn’t believe Priya at first, but after going to the penthouse to check on Amy, he found her sitting on the couch. Paralyzed and frightened. Kamilah had indeed returned. She told him everything. The few details she was able to make Kamilah spill.

“So, he lured her into a trap and attempted to hypnotize her?”

“Yes, somehow she managed to break the spell, but Gaius doesn’t know it. He thinks she’s under his influence, after making her prove her loyalty.”

“What kind of proof?” He narrowed his eyes in pure rage, imagining what that son of a bitch could’ve possibly submitted his sister to.

“He uh… made her slaughter and feed from a group of mortals.”

While Kamilah was no longer very sympathetic of mortals, Lysimachus knew that at this time she should be feeling somehow guilty. After Amy, her views about the mortal world had softened a little.

“Where is she now, Amy?”

“Sleeping. I discreetly gave her some tranquilizers, she was in too much distress.”

Lysimachus went to the mastersuite where he stroke his sister smooth hair and kissed her forehead. He was relieved she was safe, and he’d do anything to protect her. Even if that meant he’d have to sacrifice his own life.

Later, he was sitting at his home office with a smirk on his face when Priya arrived.

“Where were you so late?”

“Worried much, Hunter?”

He rolled his eyes in response.

“I was at my house, with some members of my Clan.”

“Hmpft,” he took a sip of his drink. “I can image doing what.”

“Training,” she placed herself in front of him, facing him closely. “After all, I’m supposed to kick Gaius old ass, right?”

“Hmmm, growing responsibilities…” he mocked. “I like it.”

“What about you? What’s with that smirk?”

Lysimachus served her a glass of his whiskey.

“Know why we get along, Priya?”

“We’re both good in bed?”

“Other than that. We know how to play games.”

“What do you mean?”

He told her his latest plans. He was one step ahead of Gaius, like the old times. Lysimachus knew his location, but he wasn’t aware of that.

His next move was to forge a document, where Kamilah supposedly gave him entire control over her Clan. The word spread to the hypnotized members was that they were sent to different parts of the country, searching for Gaius. In truth, they were all safely hiding in a small town in Indiana. Gaius would have to find new manners to recruit servants.

“Smart move, Hunter,” she extended her arm, clicking her glass on his. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

———-

Kamilah

“Morning, sleepyhead,” waking up to Amy’s voice sounded almost unreal, considering how long she had been away.

“I missed waking up like this,” Kamilah forced a smile. Although she was glad to have her fiancée back, she knew her life was in danger.

Amy placed a tray of food in front of her, containing the black, strong coffee she liked, a small vase of flowers and the usual pancakes, with a smiley face with fangs.

“Don’t give me this look. You’re already starting to think about that stuff again.”

“That stuff is a threat to your life.”

“We’ll solve it. Lysimachus is already working on it.”

“Is he?” Kamilah took a sip of the coffee.

Amy informed her about some books and articles they retrieved from the University she was attending. Kamilah could tell she was omitting parts of the story, details she knew that could possibly cause her more stress.

Whenever she started spacing out again, remember she was under Gaius sight, Amy would find a way to distract her, whether was singing or complaining about how Kamilah’s hair looked perfect even when she had just woken up. She decided to embrace it. She didn’t know what the future held for them or how much time they’d have left, so every moment from now, was precious.

“So,” she teased, “you’re finally proving you can actually cook. Those pancakes were the best I’ve had in a while. In decades, perhaps.”

“See? I told you the day I almost set the penthouse on fire was an accident.”

Pushing the tray aside, Kamilah was suddenly on top of her, planting soft kisses on her neck, while her hands cherished the softness of Amy’s skin.

“Whoa,” the girl grinned, “you still need your real breakfast, right?”

“Actually,” Kamilah remembered the last time she fed, “thinking of this kind of breakfast makes me feel sick right now.”

“I’m sorry,” Amy noticed her expression changed, “I forgot…”

“But there’s something I really want right now.”

“What is it?”

“To show you a small surprise I bought you.”

She smiled, planning to finally take Amy to the house in the Hamptons.

#playchoices #choices stories you play #bloodbound #kamilah sayeed #kamilah x mc #bloodbound fanfiction

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snake-noodles · 6 years

Text

Flowers of Flesh and Blood

Characters - Deceit, Virgil, Roman, Logan, Patton Pairings - Loceit, but it’s kinda not really healthy

Word count - 8880 Warnings - Unhealthy relationships, stalker-like behaviors, yandere logan, Deceit i guess but hes chill, non consensual touching/kissing, cursing, violence, descriptions of wounds, gore, touch starvation, touch deprivation, kidnapping, minor nsfw- but nothing really sexual happens, major character death, lacerations. Please ask to tag if I forgot anything.

AU - Inventor Au, made by @whos-she-never-heard-of-her !

Notes - Deceit’s name will be Ethan.

I absolutely loved the AU idea- and I got so many writing ideas for this. It turned out kind of long, but I do hope its ok! I just.... love the concept so much?? 10/10 onto the story

This took MONTHS to complete and I know it got kind of long but i jsut?? My motivation was turning on and off like a lightswitch so im sorry it's so delayed and out of nowhere kfbdnfndnf

---

A STEM assistant, huh? The vitiligo boy stood there, staring at the ad printed. He had just gotten out of college, and he considered himself to be somewhat skilled. He was also in need of a job for the summer. He blinks. This would be a gold mine, huh? He looks though the other jobs- just in case there could be anything else to look over. Maid service, janitor needed, dog keeper. Low pay for all of them, too.

It seems this would be his best bet, though he wasn’t sure how well he could keep up. If this job fails, he could always be a maid, he snickers at his own joke, shaking his head. He’d rather die.

But, in actuality, he was quite excited for this job opening, though he wasn’t sure if he’d be accepted for some… specific reasons. Most people we him as a discolored freak, but this is an inside job, right? He huffs, finally deciding and dialing the number set on the ad.

He wasn’t sure when he was supposed to get a call back, or if he’d ever even get one- but he almost forgot about it until he heard his phone ringing. He quirks an eyebrow, taking a swig from the tea he had just made and swipes up his phone to see who had called.

He blinks, suddenly remembering, and he nearly spits out his tea. Why is he nervous? Oh jeez, this could go in so many different ways.

But, he steadies his breathing, and answers the call.

"Hello?" He answers in the most formal way he can muster. The other line is quiet for a moment, and he nearly hangs up, thinking he had gotten the wrong number, before he hears the voice speak.

"Yes, hello, sir." He states, his voice crisp and clear, even though the slight static of the phone. It sent a chill down the boy’s spine, but he stays silent, waiting for what the other has to say.

"Let's see… Ethan Greene, yes?"

"That’s me." He resists the urge to lie, that might make this a million times worse.

"I’m calling to let you know that you will be my assistant starting tomorrow at 7 am If you do not make it on time, you will be fired. Good day, and I suppose I look forward to working with you." And then the phone clicked, signaling that the inventor had hung up.

His brain was still trying to process what the hell was just said to him. Well, he got the job but holy Shit with a capital ‘s', this dude was hella strict. 7 am? And he’ll get fired without question if he’s late? Holy fuck.

He stood in his kitchen for an awkwardly long amount of time. He should set an alarm. Maybe.... 6 am.

How the hell did he sleep past his alarm. It was already 6:30, and he was awoken by his neighbor mowing. At first, he was annoyed for being woken up so early. Then he remembered.

"How the hell did I sleep past my alarm?!" He shouts, jumping out of his bed and already getting dressed.

He’s usually a perfectionist, but he doesn’t really have the time to straighten every single strand of his hair or take a shower.

In the end, he just ended up wearing a button up shirt and some worn jeans cause he had no idea what the dress code was for this fucking job.

He nearly cringed at himself looking in the mirror. Jesus, he looks like a curly haired mess. What if he just… Adds a necktie. Then he’ll be 20% more serious looking.

Looking over at the clock, he yelps, and rushes out the door after he makes sure he has everything. He’s only got 15 minutes. But thank whatever god is out there for speeding.

But, he arrives at the address given to him, and he pauses, checking to make sure it’s the right place. Once he confirms with himself, he walks up and knocks on the hard oak door.

He felt somewhat nervous standing here, but he tried not to let it show as he waits at the door.

Logan was already awake at 5 am, busy with upgrading his AIs, and making sure it was all perfect.

To be honest, he wasn’t too excited to have a partner, but he did need the extra hands now that he’s working on Virgil. Oh well, hopefully they won’t get in the way. Not that he really even cares- he could just fire them. In fact, working with another person in these conditions could be dreadful. He doesn’t usually depend on others, and now that he’s meeting someone for the first time in ages, he isn’t exactly sure what to expect.

But, he hears a firm knock on his door, and he glances over at the wall clock, humming in amusement. 2 minutes early, hm? He was almost positive they wouldn’t make it. He hums, standing up from his desk and making his way to the front door. He waits for a second, thinking of what he should say before opening the door slowly.

“Ethan, yes?” He greets, staring down at the shorter male.

On the other hand, Ethan was trying not to panic over how tall this guy was. Holy shit. He knows that he’s already kind of short, but damn this guy is a giraffe.

He was tall, and slim with an extremely pale complexion. He must not go outside too often. His eyes are dark, and slightly sunken in, and glasses rest on the bridge of his nose. He wore a lab coat too, that gave away that he’s Serious about this job. Ethan gulps nervously.

“Yeah, that’s me, I’m here for the job.” He explains, and Logan stares adjusting his glasses. It was a bit uncomfortable, and he didn’t know how he should feel, but after a few seconds, he stands aside, letting the vitiligo boy through.

Walking in he blinks. This place is… dark. And dusty. He looks around, before looking over at the scientist.

“So what is it that you need me to do, mister… uh…” He pauses, realizing that he doesn’t know this guys name. A+ socializing skills. “Logan. Logan Sanders. All I need you to do is clean up my workspace and make sure my creations are in proper working condition. If not, perform the required maintenance on them.” He hums. “There’s other things that I will require your help with, but we can wait for those. As of now, please perform your duties I have written out for you while I work on my latest project. And, do not interrupt my work.” He states, handing the other some papers. Ethan blinks, nodding slowly. When he signed up for this job, he didn’t think he’d have to be doing chores for this guy.

But, it was a good pay, and it wasn’t the most difficult of work, so he couldn’t really complain. Before he could ask any questions, Logan disappeared into his work space. Letting out a sigh, he gets to work.

Sort things out, keep things clean, blah blah blah. He didn’t really care all that much, but, he was intrigued in whatever these “creations” were.

The paper said they’d be in his work space, he just has to make sure he doesn’t bother Logan. He lets out a sigh, rolling up his sleeves. He had a feeling that it’d be a long day.

Logan sat in his office, adjusting his glasses as he took notes on Virgil’s current behavior. He was still a work in progress, so he was nothing but an endoskeleton. His programming was a bit messy, so that’d have to be fixed. He taps his pen to his lip, thinking as he watches the robot. It didn’t have any free will yet, so it just moved in patterns that he had programmed. This one might take longer than the others.

He picks up his tools, but is quickly interrupted when the door opens, and Ethan walks in. Well, he half stepped in, and then started staring at his creations, a look of shock and awe on his face.

Logan stares at the boy, saying nothing. It’s been a long while since he’s been with another human. It was quite strange. Seeing the rising and falling of the chest, the natural hair, the emotion in the eyes. It was hard to capture such a thing in his creations. They may look realistic, but they’re still metal. Perhaps one day he could create a perfect copy of a human. Though, it would take a very long time.

But, he couldn’t help but stare at the other as he checked up on the creations. He was quite different from most people he’s seen. His skin was quite beautiful, he wonders what caused such a discoloration. Logan hums, tilting his head slightly. Intriguing. Perhaps he could write some notes.

He turns back to Virgil, scribbling down some quick notes on a stray piece of paper while Ethan was still trying to figure out how the hell he was supposed to open up this thing.

He huffs, blowing some hair out of his face as he pokes and prods at the human-like robot. The robot was… tall, though a tad bit shorter than Logan. It also looked like a suburban white christian dad, but who was he to judge. He just hoped these things weren’t sex bots. That’d be kinda gross.

But after 10 minutes of attempting to figure this robot out, he looks over at Logan. He thinks a bit, before tapping his shoulder from behind.

"I totally understand what I’m doing right now. And I totally don't need help." He huffs, before quirking an eyebrow, noticing how Logan had gone stiff.

Logan blinks as he feels something tap his shoulder. His robots should be off, how come-. Then he heard Ethan’s voice, remembering that he’s there. He didn’t really know how to feel- being touched by another human… It made him feel strange, and conflicted. The only other contact he’s had is from artificial skin. It takes him a moment to process, but he lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and turns his head to Ethan.

"If you do not need my help, why bother me?" He asks, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. The other stares, confused for a second.

"Oh. Yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you." He laughs a bit. "I’m a bit of a compulsive liar. It just kinda… slips out, y'know? But, anyway, I dunno what you want me to do. You want me to check the robot’s insides, right? I’m a bit confused on how to open him… her… it.”

Logan sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. He really had to hire someone like this? A liar, of all people? Well, at least he wasn’t lying about his degree, so he knows what he’s doing. No one else accepted the offer, either.

But, he stands slowly, walking over to Patton, and opening up his stomach effortlessly, Ethan watching close behind.

"See this box here? Be careful with it, you could get shocked if you touch it the wrong way. All I need you to do is to make sure everything is in the right place." He says this, and without another word, goes back to his desk.

He hums, looking at his paper before pushing his hair out of his face and checking over the robot. It was.. Extremely detailed, and he was honestly super impressed. It was so realistic, and extremely advanced from what he can see. He wonders what it’d be like if it were on. Hopefully it wouldn’t kill him, that’d be a little disappointing.

But, he leans in carefully, checking between the paper and the insides of the robot. He wasn’t used to working with something so advanced. Of course, he could handle it, but it might take him longer than it usually does. He hopes Logan doesn’t mind that, he seems kind of… strange, to put it in the nicest way possible.

Thought he can’t help but wonder if this guy is even trustworthy. He’s some creepy giant who stays in this dark house with hyper realistic robots. It was a little weird the more he thought about it. I mean, he seemed… Okay? He hasn’t really hurt him, and did help him, but he couldn’t be certain just yet.

But, on another note, he finishes up with the two robots he was told to check up on. In all honesty, he was a bit exhausted. He never really got up early, and he wasn’t the most active person in the world. Hopefully that wouldn’t bother Logan- despite all of the red flags, he does need the money to, y’know, actually survive for the summer.

But since he was finished, he comes up behind Logan, watching him work.

“What’re you working on, Logan?” He asks, looking the endoskeleton up and down. Logan pauses, leaning forward to avoid the physical contact that would inevitably happen. He wasn’t used to it, but he knows he’ll have to. He sighs quietly, pausing his writing.

“What does it look like I’m doing? You should get back to work.” He huffs, narrowing his eyes at Ethan.

“Oh, I’m totally not done, Doc.” He says in a sarcastic tone, rolling his eyes. “So, like, is there anything else you need me to do or can I leave?”

Logan pauses, thinking if there’s anything else the boy could do for him.

"Not that I can think of… But don’t think your job will always be this easy, you’ll have more tasks tomorrow." He states this, closing his eyes.

"Oh joy, I absolutely cannot wait to work for you." He mutters, rolling his eyes.

"You could always quit if you don’t want to work for me." Logan looks over, the slightest hint of a smirk on his face. Ethan couldn’t tell if he liked this slick bastard or not.

"Ugh, you’re annoying." He growls. "Fine, I’ll keep working. I need the money anyway… Speaking of, when do I get paid?"

"End of the week. Hopefully you’ll last long enough to get your pay." He hums, clicking his pen.

Ethan stares. That statement could mean so many different things and all of them sound bad. He liked this guy. Hopefully he doesn’t die on the job, though. That’d be inconvenient.

Logan, on the other hand, can’t help but stare as the other leaves. He doesn’t exactly know how he should feel, but his hand goes to his shoulder, and he tries to imitate the small amount of warmth he felt when Ethan had touched him, but it didn’t work. It didn’t have the same… spark to it.

Maybe tomorrow he’d get another chance. He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to feel that warmth again. Oh well, those urges would probably leave after he got whatever it was he desired.

But of course, that didn’t happen.

★☆★

The next morning, Ethan found himself waking up early. Maybe too early. At least he has time to look somewhat decent, last time he was in a hurry. But it was 5 am, and he sat in his kitchen, drinking warm coffee. He didn’t usually drink this stuff, but he wanted to not act like a corpse today.

He just hoped today wouldn’t be as long. That probably wouldn’t be the case, but god he wishes it was.

"Ugh." He lets out a groan, eyeing the clock with an annoyed gaze. He’s just gotten out of college and adult life is already so god damn tiring.

He slaps his cheeks, trying to wake himself up, and he goes to his room to get dressed.

The sun was… Extremely bright this morning, and stung his already tired eyes. It just made him dread the day even more as he changed into his yellow dress shirt.

He thought of wearing his jacket too, and even though it’d look good, he’d be a puddle the second he walked out of the door. He instead wore a black vest. Still stylish, so suave. A real lady killer.

Haha.

He would never touch a lady in his life.

He walks out the door around 6:30, adjusting his hat to block the sun out of his eyes. It was a beautiful day, despite the boy’s annoyance. The birds were singing, and the flowers were vibrant, too.

He made a mental note to himself to get some flowers for his house later.

But, he arrives at the somewhat menacing house, only ten minutes early.

He gives the old door a knock, tapping his foot as he waited for an answer. But, the one who answered the door wasn’t Logan.

"Oh, good morning, sir!" The robot greets, a friendly smile on its face. The robot was the same one from yesterday- the one that kind of looked like a dad.

"Morning… Is Logan here?"

"Master Logan is currently buying more supplies. He should be home shortly. He has left me and Roman in charge!"

The voice was cheerful and warm, but had a robotic undertone. It was actually quite calming, though creepy knowing it’s coming from something that isn’t human.

They were so realistic… The man had serious talent, and he didn’t know if he should be amazed or concerned.

"So who’re you then?" He finally asks.

"Oh! I totally forgot! I’m Patton, it’s a pleasure meeting you, mister Ethan!" He holds his hand out for a shake, in which Ethan reluctantly takes.

"So he’s out? Is there anything I should do, or should I wait for him to return?"

“You should be fine to wait, sir! He will only take a few minutes, after all.” The robot smiles in a way that made Ethan feel somewhat nervous. Jesus, how life-like can these things get? It felt as if he was talking to another person. The thought sent a chill down his spine.

Patton moves out of the way, allowing the boy entry. He walks in, putting down his bag and sitting down on the surprisingly comfortable couch.

The whole place- despite being dusty and dark- was quite nice. It was quite comfortable compared to where he was staying. He wondered how rich this Logan guy was. The place was quite big, and he had access to equipment and parts that could create extremely realistic humanoids. Did he have a job? Did he work at home? Sell his creations? Is he a criminal?!

He rolls his eyes at his own thought. How stupid- he may be a bit weird, but he doesn't seem like he'd hurt anyone. He looked quite… frail, too. Though, his skinny structure sort of added to his creepiness. Tall, pale, dark haired… Like a guy you'd see in a Tim Burton movie.

His thoughts were cut off as the front door slowly opens with a long creak. Logan walks in, not even sparing a glance to Ethan as he immediately goes into his office, holding various different things. It was surprising he could even hold all of that due to how skinny he was.

He simply blinks, raising an eyebrow. Did he not even notice that he was here? He sighs, his shoulders slumping. He doesn't get this guy at all…

Standing up slowly, he stretches his arms out and walks over to the office, giving a knock on the door.

“Hey, Lo, I'm here.” He announces, a hint of annoyance in his voice as he crosses his arms and waits outside the office.

Logan's mind was a bit more active than it usually was today. He was having a bit of trouble due to this, and was trying to do too much at once. He blinks, hearing a knock at his door. Pausing, he racks his brain for what he was supposed to make his assistant do today.

Oh, yes, he should probably let him in first. He sighs, adjusting his glasses and opening the door slowly, allowing the other boy entrance.

“Took you long enough..” He hears the other boy mumble, but he says nothing, instead staring.

What was this sudden rush he was feeling? He was already feeling out of it, but now that Ethan was here, he felt… strange. Lightheaded, almost. He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. It felt as if he was a robot losing power… This was nothing new.

So instead of fighting it, he lets his legs give out and he falls to the floor with a thud, falling asleep rather quickly, leaving Ethan to quickly rush to his side.

★☆★

When he woke up again, he felt hands on him. That part was normal. But, something felt strange… His eyes flutter open slowly. He looks over, seeing a pair of hands. Roman? No, Roman is more tan than dark.

…

Oh, yeah.

“So you're finally awake, asshat?” A voice huffs. He blinks slowly, sitting up as he feels the comforting warmth quickly leave him.

“... My apologies. That was unprofessional of me.” He mumbles, adjusting his tie.

“Patton explained it to me. So this is a normal thing or whatever?”

“I suppose you could say that.”

The two sit in a silence. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't very nice either. Logan stands up slowly, his hand instinctively going to his arm- where he had been touched. He really didn't understand, but his heart… His heart was pounding like a drum. What is wrong with him? Perhaps he could ask Roman or Patton later- he has no time for an actual doctor or therapist.

“So…” Ethan speaks up, thinking of what he should say. “Do you need me to leave? If you're not feeling good, I wouldn't want to bother you.”

Despite being a bit worried for the man, he was also desperately wanting to go home.

“... It's fine, just get to work.”

He figured that he'd get that answer. He sighs, standing slowly.

“Alright, okay. What’s today's work?”

Logan goes quiet, thinking. Ah, yes, he prepared another paper. He turns to his desk.

“Here…” He mumbles, grabbing some papers and handing them to the smaller boy, which he takes quietly, reading over the instructions.

“Yeah I think I got it. But, uh, what's this mean?” He asks, raising an eyebrow and pointing to ‘If Virgil is left unattended, do not bother him’. Sounds kind of dangerous.

"Exactly what it says. Do not touch him, he's dangerous as he is still just an endoskeleton.” He explains, turning away and sitting at a desk.

Ethan stares at the paper, and then to the endoskeleton in the corner of the room, having only half of a face and wires sticking out of it's back. It was quite scary to look at without context. Well, even context it was scary. He still wonders what Logan is trying to achieve with these robots.

He tries to shake the thought from his head, and he goes to his tasks.

Work went normally, for the most part. There were small occurrences, but nothing that signaled any red flags. Just normal. Ethan originally thought he'd hate the guy, but to his surprise, Logan was very nice despite his cold appearance. It's been maybe a month and he enjoys being with the other. They don't talk much, but it's fine. He doesn't like wasting his breath on small talk anyway.

Logan, on the other hand, was conflicted about his feelings. It's been a month and 3 days. He was acutely aware of that. He still had the urge to feel that warmth. As much as he tried to hold those urges down, he couldn't exactly control them. Even if it was simply brushing against each other, it made him go mad. But, not in a bad way. Everything would feel… tingly, and his heart would pound against his chest. He's never felt such feelings before.

He often finds himself thinking about Ethan. But, he never stops it. People normally do this, right? There's no reason to be concerned. He just wants to feel his skin. His hair looks soft too… his eyes so wet… He just wants to look at him.

He puts his hand to his heart, trying to calm his emotions as he stands in his office, his breathing shaky and his face tinted red. He grabs onto his desk for support as he lets out airy laughs.

He stood there alone with himself as his head ran wild. These feelings make no sense, but he loves it. He wonders if he could always feel like this… He's not certain, but if there was a way, he'd stick to it all of the time.

Maybe Ethan is just what he needs.

They're friends, right? Maybe he could try and get closer without warrenting any suspicion. He bites his lip, staring down at the papers on his desk. He couldn't help but think of the other.

He had never really had any family or friends to talk to. Is this what it's like? This rush of blood? The pounding of the heart? Stumbling, he slowly lowers himself into his seat, picking up his pen.

But going by those means, that would mean that Ethan is his first friend. He laughs a little, biting at the inside of his mouth. Apparently if friends get close enough, they can have a courtship.

A courtship? Why is he thinking of such unnecessary things? Though, the thought of hand holding and… hugs do sound quite lovely. But does he really feel that way? They’ve only known each other for a month and three days, after all! It's as if his mind is working against him to confuse his emotions. He shakes his head, scribbling on a blank sheet of picture.

Surely not. He’s just confused. Caught up in emotions of friendship.

It will go away soon enough, he's sure of it.

★☆★

The sun rises and Ethan's alarm sounds, waking him up with a groan. His back was sore from yesterday’s work. He hoped today wouldn't be as draining. He stretches out, and after getting ready, leaves his place.

And he once again found himself in front of the menacing house. Despite considering Logan a friend, he really wishes he had more breaks. But, he couldn't exactly complain. The pay was good and the work wasn't killing him. He sighs, wondering if he should turn and leave. But, no, that'd be shitty.

He shakes his head, deciding to commit as he knocks on the door. Once again, the door wasn’t opened by Logan. Though, that was normal for him at this point.

“Ah, good day dear Greene! How may I help you on this fine morning?” The robot greets, a dazzling smile on it's face. Ethan laughs nervously.

“Nothing, Roman, I'm just here for the usual.” He shrugs. “Can I come in?”

“Why, of course!”

Saying that, he moves out of the way and Ethan lets himself in quietly.

“Ah, Ethan! Master Logan instructed me to tell you to get to work right away!” Patton calls as he pokes his head into the room.

“Right. Will do.” He mumbles, setting his things down and walking into the office.

In there, his eyes landed on Virgil, the endoskeleton. But instead he was on the desk instead of at his usual corner. That didn't exactly sit right with him. He was told not to touch Virgil, but… He was a professional too, damn it. He can handle a work in progress.

Sighing, he walks up to the endoskeleton, looking for a way to switch it off. But, as soon as he touched the creation, he felt a stinging pain on his cheek and his eyes widen. The robot had sliced him. Probably with a loose piece of metal. He puts a hand to his cheek, flinching when he feels his own blood. He looks to the robot who was now sitting still. He wondered what had triggered such a reaction. He sighs, only to wince in pain. He should find something to stop the bleeding.

But at that moment, the door opens, and Logan stands there with an unreadable expression. It doesn't take him long to turn Virgil off and grab a small white box off of his bookshelf.

"What the hell were you thinking?” Logan scolds, rummaging through the kit.

"Hey, I'm not a kid, I can handle a robot. He wasn't in his usual spot so I was trying to help.” He hisses, shifting his eyes away, hand still on his cheek.

Logan says nothing, reaching his arm out, hesitating for a second, before grabbing Ethan's arm. It wasn't intended, but he pulled him a little harder than he meant to, making the other flinch.

But he follows the other's movements and sits down. Logan stares at him, realizing how close he is to the other.

No, now's not the time. He shakes his head, wiping up the blood. But despite this, he still adored the warmth. His skin was so soft. He just… wanted to keep touching it.

Even his blood was mesmerizing. That beautiful red against his dark skin. How beautiful.

He notices the other flinch, and he holds down the urge to smile. Sensitive, is he?

He wonders what the boy would look like covered in bruises.

It took awhile, but Logan finishes up, placing the bandaid carefully over the thin cut. It still stung, and he couldn't really smile or talk without feeling a stinging pain from it.

“Thanksssss…” He slurs that out, hissing out in pain once again. He rubs his cheek carefully, eyeing Logan.

He sure did take his time on that injury. It was a little awkward for him. It shouldn't have been that bad of a cut, right? A bit of suspicion rises in him, but he doesn't question it. What else could he have been doing anyway? He has no reason to feel this way.

He shakes his head. Whatever.

The day continued as normal after that point, but thoughts ate away at the back of Logan's mind. How dare his own creation hurt Ethan?! He didn't create Virgil for him to attack others. And Ethan, of all people.

He'll have to teach him a lesson after the other leaves.

“I'm off.” Ethan states, stretching his arms out above his head. He pauses for a second, as if wanting to say something, but stays quiet. He has an off day tomorrow, he doesn’t need to concern himself.

“Ah, I didn't notice you were finished.” Logan stares at him, a few conflicting thoughts in his heads. “I hope your injury heals up. I do apologize.”

“Eh…” He shrugs, looking away. “Yeah the injury was so fatal, I think I'm gonna die, doc.”

He gives a crooked smirk, before turning. “Anyway, see ya, Lo.” He gives a wave and leaves the building.

The house goes into silence the minute the door closes. Roman and Patton look at each other before looking back at Logan, who was already making his way to the office.

He knew the others were following him, but he didn't care.

He enters his office, going over to the endoskeleton and grabbing it with a concerning amount of force.

“Master Logan, what on Earth are you doing?!” Patton exclaims.

“What does it look like? I'm resetting his system. For an intelligent AI, I'd assume you'd at least know what the hell I'm doing.” He glares, before turning back to Virgil.

“I know he hurt Ethan, but you have no right to be doing this. He isn't even finished-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Logan slams his fist onto the desk, a glass knocking over and shattering on the cold ground.

“You have no right to tell me what to do. Do you want me to reset you, too?!” He shouts, snapping towards the two bots.

“Sir-!”

“No, shut up!” He growls, “I'm the only one who's allowed to hurt Ethan, got it?! Only I can touch him like that!”

The room goes silent after he says this, his breathing heavy and his eyebrows knitted.

“Patton, clean the glass up.” He orders, seemingly going back to normal as he turns to the endoskeleton. Patton silently nods, gathering up the broken glass.

No words were spoken for the rest of the night- and Virgil was temporarily turned off.

Logan was in his room, pacing. His hands go to his pockets, where he feels something inside. He blinks, coming to a stop as he pulls the paper out. Paper? Ah, there's blood on it.

He then remembers what had happened and he gets a rush of different emotions. Anger was one of them, but there was another he couldn't quite name.

The blood was dry now of course. But it was still so pretty. He traces his finger over the spots and streaks. Such a strange, yet fascinating feeling. He felt his heart starting to race.

His blood was so pretty. His insides must be just as beautiful. His skin is also so pretty. He just wants to touch him.

A few strangled laughs escape him as he hugs himself tightly. Ah, he shouldn't be thinking such things. But he couldn’t help but gush over how perfect his friend was. It's called a crush right?

Such a silly thing to say. His feelings were so complex, yet they felt so right. So good. Is this how everyone else feels?

Do they just want to open up their crush?

That must be it.

Logan smiles, still tightly clutching onto the bloodstained paper. He needs to explore these feelings more. The next time he sees Ethan, perhaps he'll test them out.

Though, perhaps he should be discrete. He wouldn't want to show his feelings and surprise the other. That could scare him away! No, he'll take it slowly if he needs to.

There's only one thing that could possibly go wrong.

★☆★

Ethan was able to sleep in today, which he was happy with. Work was getting tiring, and after the event that had happened yesterday, he didn't really feel like working and destroying his arms and back. God, he sounds old.

He sighs, taking a long sip of his tea, his leg idly bouncing and his eyes tired. He realizes that he needs to go out today, but it didn't really sound the most ideal to him.

Get food, and other necessities to survive this test called life. He throws his head back, staring up at the ceiling. Maybe he'd stop by the park. He still wanted to get some flowers, too.

A punk asshole liking flowers. How ironic. But he liked them. Maybe he could take care of some succulents. Easy and pretty.

“God that sounds so gay.” He mumbles to himself, taking a sip of tea.

Deciding on that, he hums, getting ready for the day.

He didn't exactly focus on looking good, he was only gonna be out for an hour or two, but hey he might as well try and look nice.

Adjusting his hat, he leaves his house, the sun shining down on him. It was a nice day, and the weather was warm, yet he couldn't get this strange feeling out of his chest the second he stepped out the door.

It's just anxiety, right? He's got nothing to be worried about. He takes in a deep breath, trying to push that feeling back as he walks.

It didn't take him long to get everything he needed. He still had money left over for those flowers, too. He hums to himself, checking to make sure he got everything he needed, nodding to himself.

“Should be good…” He mumbles, walking forward, only to bump into someone.

He hisses, grumbling slightly, and regains his balance. He was ready to just walk away before he sees who exactly he ran into.

“What a coincidence.” Logan hums, staring down at the liar. “I didn't expect to see you here.”

“I could say the same for you, Lo, I thought you've never seen the sun or something.” He gives a half smirk, though he was slightly annoyed. He didn't like small talk- he just wanted to get some plants without judgement.

“Where are you going?” The scientist questions, staring at the boy with an unreadable expression. He hesitates and shrugs.

“Oh, I was gonna go to that flower shop. No reason, really.”

“How funny, I was just about to go there myself. Though, I've been having trouble finding it.”

With Logan saying that, Ethan raised an eyebrow, questions bubbling inside of him, but he decided not to ask- even if this situation was a bit strange. Running into your boss and going to a flower shop- this was something straight out of a cheesy romance novel.

“I can show you the way if you want.” He shrugs, pushing back all of the questions and red flags.

“That'd be appreciated.”

After saying that, Ethan, without hesitation, grabs Logan's hand and starts walking. He didn't seem to think anything of it, but…

It wasn’t like he had to look good, though, he just felt a little special. He hums, adjusting his hat on his head and leaving the house.

It wasn’t the most eventful, but he did feel as if something was wrong, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It’s just his anxiety, right? He has nothing he needs to worry about.

Logan's heart pounded in his chest as he held onto Ethan’s hand, his eyes lidded as he savours the warmth he was getting from this contact.

It wasn't much, but it was enough to make his heart go mad, and blood rush to his face. He could practically feel his ribcage shaking from the pounding of his heart. So, so warm… So soft…

A whisper escapes his lips as he follows the boy.

“I want to cut off your hand so that I can hold it forever…” He whispers, staring intently at their hands.

"Hm? You say something?” The boy questions.

“Nothing at all, just thinking aloud.” He excuses, his eyes trailing away from the other.

It wasn't weird for him to think out loud- he had done it at work all the time after all. But concern made it's way onto Ethan's face. But, he shakes his head.

It's probably just his anxiety. Maybe he needs to get back on medicine. Who knows? But there's nothing he should have to be worried about.

They arrived at the flower shop fairly quickly, and Ethan lets go of the other's hand, walking in with a hum.

Logan didn't seem to be too impressed with it all. He had only come because Ethan was going, after all. He didn’t care for these glorified plants and succulents. But Ethan seemed to like it.

He was chatting with the shopkeeper about this and that, and Logan was left to stare and wonder what he even liked about these.

But, he did seem happy.

Soon enough, he walked back over.

“Hey what'd you come here for? We could look together.” He gives his usual crooked smile that makes Logan's heart melt.

“Oh, nothing in particular. I simply wanted to study them.”

Ethan raises an eyebrow. Always research with this guy, huh?

“Cool, I guess.” He shrugs, looking over at the succulents. He was more fond of them than regular flowers- and in his opinion, they were prettier.

He picked up a pot containing an echeveria. Logan stares at it, before rolling his eyes. How gross.

“Oh, hey, they have fly traps.” Ethan points out, pointing to a small pot containing a small garden of surprisingly tiny venus fly traps.

“Check this out, Lo.” He smirks, putting his finger in out of the mouths, causing Logan to flinch- but Ethan seemed fine, pulling his finger out with ease.

“They're not as violent as the media makes them out to be. Unless you leave your finger in there- then it could, like, digest your finger.” He laughs, looking over at Logan.

“I'd take em, but they would probably freak Dee out.”

“Dee? Who's that?” Logan asks, his curiosity spiking at the name.

“Oh, she's my snake. Despite being quote unquote ‘dangerous’, she gets spooked quite easily.” He laughs.

Logan nearly sighs in relief. Just a snake- nothing he needs to worry about.

…

Worry?

He already knows that Ethan would never leave him, right? There's no way he could. And even if he tried, he would never let him. Ethan is his, and his alone. And he'll make sure of that.

“Well she sounds… lovely.” He wondered why he even cared for the reptile. Animals are just that- animals. They can't love or communicate. What's the point of them?

“You not a snake fan?” Ethan raises an eyebrow.

“It's not that. I'm not very fond of animals in general.” He explains. “Though I can admire them from a distance.”

“Hah, aren't you the edgelord?” He jokes, nudging Logan slightly with his elbow.

He would have scoffed if it weren't for the small contact just made. He says nothing in response. Ethan puts the pot back gently, and turns to Logan, eyebrows knitting together in thought.

“I'll probably come back some other time…” He muses aloud, walking out, the scientist following behind shortly after.

“I'm headed home- what about you?” He asks, looking at the taller man.

He goes quiet. He would just follow Ethan, but that wouldn't be an appropriate thing to say.

“I'll probably go home myself.” He mumbles, never taking his eyes away from Ethan's.

“Alright, cool. Guess I'll see you tomorrow!” He gives a lopsided smile and leaves, Logan staring at his back as he does so.

Logan could feel the familiar warmth growing in his chest. It was something he had gotten used to by now. He never wanted to stop looking at him.

Thoughts swarmed his head, and he grabs the wall for support as he legs practically go weak, his breathing ragged and face unnaturally red. He gets strange looks from the few customers and the single worker there. He shakes his head, leaving the store slowly, his hand to his chest.

He wants to touch him. Hold him. Hear his voice, smell his hair, see his smile, taste his blood and insides. A strained giggle escapes his mouth.

He'd like to see the boy squirm. He wonders what his skin would look like, bruised and bloodied. The thought in itself, made him feel short of breath.

This boy will be his. His. And only his. No one else can have him.

★☆★

His collection has been going swimmingly well.

Hidden in his closet were photos and belongings. All of it was Ethan. He had completely memorized Ethan's schedule and routine. It's been a month and 3 days. Logan's given up on his own necessities just to sneak into the smaller boy's house. He knows every nook and cranny. Even a little room that Ethan never goes in.

He noticed that his little toy had been getting nervous lately, and had even confided in him, telling him that he felt he was being watched. Of course he had no idea he was confessing this to the exact person stalking him.

He giggles at the thought. How cute. Maybe one day Ethan will become entirely dependant on him… How nice.

He heard that Ethan would be moving come August. He giggles to himself. That would never happen.

Truth be told, he had tried countless times to make a robotic replica of Ethan. But, in the end, it was never good enough. Never.

He wasn't warm. He couldn't breathe. He didn't have emotion. He couldn't bleed.

But he had a plan. A plan so that his beloved would never leave his grasp.

★☆★

The moment he had entered, Ethan felt a chill down his spine. Something felt off. Like something bad was going to happen. It was almost unnaturally quiet. He felt his fears crawl up his back as he takes a few steps inside the dark home.

Logan wasn't here.

That part was normal.

What wasn’t normal was the fact that not a single robot had greeted him. No Patton, no Roman, and hell, not even a sign of Virgil.

He bites his lips, fear turning to worry as he walks into the office. But nothing.

His fear only increases before a rush of pain goes through his head. Before he can even register what had happened, the world goes black, and he hits the cold ground.

When he woke up, he expected he'd be dead, or in someone's basement, ready to get killed.

But it took him a moment to process the sight in front of him.

“... L… Logan?” He murmurs, still shaky from whatever had hit him earlier. His eyes adjust slowly to the darkness of the room, as he watches Logan, who in turn was watching him back.

“I see you've awoken. I hope I didn't hit you too hard- but I just couldn’t help myself.” His eyes go lidded as he says this, and he stands, walking to the small cage that contained Ethan.

“Y-You… What?”

Logan hums, seemingly unhappy with his answer.

“You never cease to amaze me, my beloved.” He gives a breathy laugh, leaning against the cage. Ethan could see just how red the scientist’s face is. “I had always doubted the path I chose. My dreams… They felt all on hold. But… Then you came.”

He reaches into the cage, caressing Ethan’s cheek with a cold hand, making his shiver.

“My beloved… You surprised me with just how perfect you are… When I doubt, you're my belief… Whenever you're not with me, I feel as though I could die. Again and again, you… You never fail to remind me how perfect you are.”

Ethan wanted to vomit.

“Logan… What the fuck is this..!?” He hisses out, his body shaking, and his eyes wide. Logan laughs at this reaction.

“That look in your eyes… Perfect. I wish I could stare forever.” He hums, leaning against the cage more. “My body… It's burning whenever I'm around you, Ethan.”

His eyes go wide, before laughter escapes him.

“Oh, my beloved… I just want to eat you whole.”

Ethan could vomit right now. He has to be dreaming, he has to be. Logan had been so nice to him up til now- why was this happening? What the fuck happened?!

“Don't look like that, love.” Logan purrs, and the cage door opens.

He can't even register what's going on before, once again, the world goes black.

★☆★

He doesn’t know how many days have passed. Has it been months? Weeks? He's not even sure. His little room is completely deprived of outside light.

Scars littered his body. Slits that the scientist used as lips for him to kiss.

He shuddered, remembering the feeling of the tongue inside of his body, invading his insides, wiggling like a worm.

“Don't cry, don't worry… It's supposed to bleed the first time.”

He'd vomit if he had a full stomach.

Is this his life now? Is he some sort of slave to this fucked up… demon? The demon that had taken his humanity from him. His daily life, his friends and family, the outside world, his rights as a human. All of that was in the hands of the demon he had once seen as a friend.

Hot tears burn in his eyes. He felt utterly exhausted. He just wanted to die already.

Just… Die.

Die.

Everything seems to pause as that thought came into his head. Is he really just going to let that happen?

He hears footsteps.

Is he going to let this demon take everything from him?

The sound of keys clatter.

Is he going to let himself die here?

The door starts to open.

Is he going to let this man treat him like a slave? Or is he going to take back his rights to being a human?

“Ethan, my beloved…” The man's voice lingers in the air. Ethan felt sick. “I'm glad to see you're awake..”

“Yes…”

Logan pauses for a second, before smiling. “I'm glad you're finally submitting to me. Has my training been working?”

Ethan catches glance of the familiar scalpel in the scientists hands.

“Don't worry… I'll be sure to return the love you give me.”

Logan seemed pleased with that answer, opening the cage. But, he didn't expect what happened next.

Ethan jumps, using every ounce of whatever strength he had remaining, and tackles the scientist to the ground.

“Give you back the love, my ass!”” He shouts, taking the scalpel, cutting his hand in the process. He didn't care. He didn't care at all.

“I am NOT your slave, you bastard!” He screams, stabbing down into the scientist before he could even respond. “I'm a human! And you will not take that from me, you hear?”

He growls, punching into the wound, the man sputtering and choking under him. He didn't care he didn't care he didn't care.

He punches again, his fist digging into his stomach, reaching his wriggling insides. He could puke, but he never stopped.

He sees the man. He's crying, and for a moment he remembers that he's human. But, instead, he leans in to Logan's ear.

“Hey… Don't cry. Don't worry.” He punches into the wound again, a squishing, bloody noise sounding once he does so. “It's supposed to bleed the first time, right?”

Blood covered him at this point, the man's stomach practically torn open and his intestines in a tangled, scratched up mess. He knew he was probably dead by now. He doesn’t know how long it's been.

He looks down at the body, and at himself.

He was covered in blood. His pants, his shirt, his arms. Hell, probably his face too. He doesn't care. He stands up, body shaking as he looks down once more at the freshly dead man. He can't even feel pity.

He spits on the body, turning and leaving the room.

It took him awhile, but he found the bathroom and washed off the blood to the best of his ability. He felt gross.

Leaving the house, he notices that it's night time. He so badly wants to burn the house down. Set it aflame, run, and never look back.

But instead, he simply locks the door and walks away. He knows that Logan has no other friends or family.

No one will find him for a while. No one will miss him.

His mind felt blank as he stumbled through the streets. He almost didn't recognize where he was. He was so dazed. It took him a few hours to make it back home, having to take breaks and dry heave or catch his breath.

He stares at his door, looking at his hands that were previously covered in blood. He winces slightly. He knows that this will stay with him for the rest of his life. He wanted to sleep, but time only stood still as he opened his door.

What is he going to say to his family? What would they think? He feels gross. But…

He collapses onto his bed. The familiar comfort swallowing him whole.

And he cried.

It had been a while since he's cried like this. But it felt good to finally let it all out.

There's so much he should worry about. So, so much.

So much he went through, so much he has to explain. So many thoughts, so many emotions.

He feels his eyes close.

It was at that moment he realized how ungodly tired he was. Tomorrow.

He can worry about it tomorrow.

All of his worries, doubts, fears, nausea, anxiety…

He can deal with it tomorrow. He can see his family. He can see his friends.

But that's for tomorrow.

For tonight, he'll forget everything. Leave it for himself when he wakes up. He'll forget his emotions, his fears, and the events that had happened.

He forgets it all.

And, even if it's just for that moment. Just for that night. Just for that sleep.

Things are calm.

And everything, even if it doesn't last, feels normal.

Safe.

Those are his final thoughts before the most comfortable sleep he's had in weeks swallows him whole.

#thomas sanders #sanders sides #logan sanders #deceit sanders #loceit #sympathetic deceit #roman sanders #patton sanders #virgil sanders #snake.txt #my fics #My writing #tw #theres alot to tag so #ask to tag #sorry ive been so inactive haha #i feel like im forgetting to tag something #anyway hope you enjoy

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md3artjournal · 5 years

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Here i was feeling bad, and realizing that i was doing the thing with social media that everyone warns will give you depression: envy, feeling like crap by contrast, seeing how wonderful everyone else seems and making your own life seem more lacking. I just didn’t recognize i was doing it before, because the experts give this warning about following people who travel, have picture perfect families, and extravagant lifestyles. I’m not interested in any of that. I’m so disinterested in people-centric accounts that i didn’t understand others’ complaints about the deluge of selfies on Instagram, because i don’t follow any Instagrams that even take selfies. I follow mostly other artists. Artists who are so much better than me that a split second after enjoying how wonderfully full of awe their work is, i feel terrible about how I’ll never be that good. I don’t understand lighting, fabric draping, how hair flows, anatomy, 3D volume, perspective…and i never will because studying all those things is so excruciating for me that it just makes me hate art, learn nothing, and become horrible towards anyone nearby me in real life. ;_; Then i have to accept the fact that I only feel good about making illustration when i draw in my horribly lazy style. Therefore, it will never look good. ;__; Its like how a while ago i determined that maybe my illustrations would look better with thin lines and softer, color ink linework. But what happens? I just cant get myself to draw without a copic gasenfude. Brush pens are the only thing that feel good to draw in, for me (these days). And I’ve watched too many of my old pencil drawings fade with time, to feel un-anxious with anything besides the permanence of ink anymore (even though charcoal used to feel soooo good). I keep researching color inks and brushes or aqua brushes that i could use… or I tell myself to practice more with digital drawing on a graphics tablet… But I can’t help but recognize that im backed into a corner. I could get all the art supplies and mediums in the world, but my art will still be horrible because I don’t understand the fundamentals and I don’t want to do all that excruciating study. Because even when I did, it just went in 1 ear and out the other. There are digital illustrators I follow who have bemoaned times away from their tablets, unable to draw, but eventually give in and draw with paper, and it becomes clear that their drawings aren’t good because of their mediums. So what will it matter if I change mine? Especially when I can’t get myself to study AND retain the fundamentals? I’m just a lazy idiot who can only copy what I see and can’t draw without models and reference for everything. And even then, my interpretations are still lifeless or non aesthetically pleasing. ;_; I used to be happy with my drawing on the basic level that i was concretely expressing the stories and characters from in my head. But now, even when I work really hard on an illustration, doing more focus and linework inking that is easy, it’s still only good vs past me, but junk compared to everyone else. Now i know that comparisons vs my old skill levels should be good enough and is in fact a great measure of progress. I ate those philosophies up from martial arts anime. But I make my living in artist alley now, where competition counts. I tell myself that I don’t need to compare myself to illustrators because i’m a “sculptor”, a “jeweler”, but am I? The other day I was watching a vid of a working ceramics studio, and I remembered how little I know to do there. And can I call myself a jeweler when I haven’t touched a blowtorch. Or set a bezel in years? I’m just a crafter. Maybe i should relegate it to a hobby. But besides the thought of that making me miserable, there is 1 person I care about who desperately wants me to hang onto an art profession. I don’t want to disappoint them. Plus i remember how suicidal I was when my job wasn’t about art (or crafting). But I spend so many of my days unable to get myself to produce art/crafts and unable to deal with the stress of my own business. Maybe I’m not cut out for the art life. Which sounds dangerously close to my epiphany that im just not cut out for life. Jeez, no wonder I was suicidal in my non-art job.

But then I looked at the illustration tag on Instagram and realized that outside of the anime fanart community, standards are MUCH lower. I could fit in there. My drawings are still crap and i have no grasp on the fundamentals. But at least on this level, the fact that i’m better than past me, is enough. Wait. I was wrong. I forgot about the Realism illustrators. My drawings are still crap and doodles by anime fanartists are still incomprehensibly more amazing.

#venting #angst #quitting art

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notdoofusj19-theta-7 · 7 years

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Rickochet

Here is my Secret Santa gift/fic (sorry it’s a little late!!!!!!) for @01100111011011110110111001100101

-also bizarre is that it doesn’t seem to be properly tagging you! I copied and pasted the username so it’s exact.

Prompt: “Rickcest between Doofus Rick and C137 Rick. Doesn't have to be super NSFW They could just be in the same picture, story, etc. (no gore please)"

This is definitely safe for work and could preslash or just friends. Found doing something consenting which is what I wanted was really hard to create a premise for so I did.

As Morty enters the garage he is accosted by Rick dressed up as a skinny, blue-haired Santa. “Morty! It’s time for a Christmas adventure! Christmas Adventure, Morty! I’ve been planning this ALL year. Just you and me, Morty! Christmas Adventure!”

Morty looks down, unconsciously gripping his left arm, “Ah jeeze, Rick. I’m actually going - Jessica invited me to her home for Christmas. And, you know, since we’re dating now it would be rude to-to cancel. Sorry, Rick.”

Morty doesn’t wait for a response, he leaves the garage and house in a rush. He feels bad leaving Rick, but not bad enough to wait and be verbally abused by the old drunk. Besides it’s not like he’s leaving him completely alone.

*****

Rick sits at his desk not even pretending to work on anything. There’s no point. The one person he can never fool is himself. At least not when he’s this sober. He takes long pulls on his flask, dribbling it over the stupid Santa suit he hasn’t bothered taking off. Pissed off at his daughter for not only, taking Jerry back, but agreeing to some cheesy, pathetic “romantic” getaway in the Poconos of all places. Pissed at Summer for not even being available to come! He could have used all hands on deck for this adventure. And that’s not even to mention how pissed he feels at Morty!

“Et tu Morty.” He mutters to the empty room. That damn kid. Pulling a fucking Brutus on him. All because finally, somehow, his pathetic fumbling around Jessica paid off.

Rick had known this would happen eventually, but the keyword here is the “eventually”. But of course, his Morty would be as precocious in love as he’s turned out to be in every other endeavor.

Suddenly a portal opens next to him, Doofus Rick steps out. He’s dressed as Santa too, except he also holds a bulging red bag.

Rick doesn’t bother trying to make eye contact before belching, “EURRRRRP-Well, if isn't Doofus. Look your little pal, Jerry isn’t here. So just fuck-fuck right on off. Bah humbug or whatever.”

Instead of fucking right on off as commanded, Doofus just laughs merrily. “I’m not here for Jerry, Rick! I’m here to see you! Your Morty called mine and said that you-you could use some company, today!”

Rick stands slightly aslant and addresses the intruding Rick, “My Morty called your…… That motherfucker! Listen, Doofus. I don’t need a - need a pity fuck, okay? So my family ditches me on Christmas? I don’t give a f-fuck. So seriously fuck off! Don’t you have some shit you should be eating, anyway? Wouldn’t-wouldn’t want to keep you from something so important.”

Doofus still refuses to fuck off or even back down like normal. “Yeah, your Morty said you would react this way. But here’s the thing, one is I don’t eat poop, you-you know that and it’s offens-offensive you would say it. And two? I-I came prepared for a Christmas Adventure! You are planning to go to Santalandia, right? Planet of Santas?

Rick grunts in assent begrudgingly.

“You want to get one of their magic Santa sacks? The ones that can hold seemingly infinite amount of things. Like the-like the-“

“Like the TARDIS of bags! Okay, fine you know the mission. I guess Morty can read me better that I gave the little shit credit for.”

“No, Rick. You-your Morty didn’t need to tell mine that. I’m still a Rick, Rick. I know what you would do cause it’s what-what I would. Look! I dressed to come with you!” Doofus does a dainty twirl, smiling like a, well like a doofus.

Rick raises one side of his unibrow. “Huh, I suppose you won’t go away till we do this?”

Doofus’ smile widens showing all his crooked teeth. “Nope!”

“Fine! But I’m in charge.”

Rick opens a portal and the pair step through.

******

After waking a few minutes they come across what looks like a cliche Santa workshop except there are thousands of them. They can even see some Santas milling around outside.

Rick speaks,“Okay, ahead of us is the Santa Compound. Now, these fuckers aren’t gonna give up one of these bags without a fight. And they’re practically impossible to kill, but I found a way.” Rick pulls out a device from his suit. Showing it to Doofus who, he fails to notice, is inching towards the Santas.

Rick turns his attention to the square, pulsing device in his hand. “Now this won’t outright kill them, but it does take a lot of the fight out of them. And it also creates a shield exactly the size of one workshop. That way one no more of them can come in. Now, there are twenty Santas to a shop. I’ll take 15. Even you should be be able to take 5. Watch their teeth and beards. Those beards are like-like tentacles or something and will strangle you.” Rick continues on for some time not realizing that he isn’t taking to anyone anymore.

“So, you think you can-you got all that?” Rick looks around and sees Doofus running towards him away from one of the workshops.

“WHAT THE FUCK, DOOFUS!! You already got us spotted! Didn’t I tell you I was in charge?!?”

Doofus looks only slightly chagrin, before holding up his now mostly empty sack and and another empty one which is obviously one of the Santalandia Santa’s bags. Obviously, due to its plush velvet and exquisite craftsmanship.

Rick looks utterly befuddled. “How the-How the- what?!?”

“Well,” Doofus nervously scratches the back of his head, “I knew you would want to do something very violent. So I brought the one thing Santas can’t resist. The sack that I-I brought was full of cookies! Me and my Morty baked them ourselves! And made sure they were full of the best ingredient of all!”

“Weed?”

Doofus laughs. “No! Love! And then I asked them for one of their sacks.”

“Okay, I get the cookies. But still. They still just gave you one??”

“Of course! I mean I’ve been a good boy all year, so why wouldn’t they? Let’s head back I saved us some cookies!”

Doofus opens a portal and Rick numbly follows.

Back at Rick’s home, he ends up eating cookies and drinking spiked eggnog with Doofus.

“Thought you would be too ‘good’ to drink, Doo - uh - Zeta.”

Zeta shakes his head, “It’s a holiday, the mission was a success, and I-I made a new friend. All are good reasons to have a celebratory eggnog!”

Rick snorts, “so we’re friends now?”

Zeta nods and gives Rick a tight hug. Rick refuses to return it, but if he leans into it a little bit - well, he blames the eggnog.

#rick and morty secret santa #rick and morty fanfic #doofus rick #rick j19zeta7 #santa rick #rick sanchez #morty smith #xmas fic #happy rickmas

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nightttdreamers · 7 years

Text

You’re in the Band! (Klance fic)

Hi guys! Here’s the latest chapter for my fic, You’re in the Band. Hope you like it, feel free to show some love either here or on AO3

You’re in the Band! | 9,000+ words | 3/? Chapters

GUITARIST NEEDED! Join VOLTRON, an upcoming band who’s looking for YOU!

Lance McClain didn't know what to expect the day of auditions for the newest band member of Voltron. But he certainly wasn't expecting Keith Kogane, an enigmatic boy and his guitar, nor was he expecting to fall this hard for him.

“Hunk, Hunk, to the left!”

“I’m moving to the left!”

“Okay, wait, stay right there!” “I’m staying right here!”

“Wait, no, move forward!”

“Moving forward!”

“Aaaand…”

“We died.”

Lance groaned, tilting his head back.”We never survive level 36!” He whined, tossing his controller onto the couch.

Hunk looked up from his spot on the floor, folding his arms. “This game is stupid,” he mumbled.

“Yeah,” Lance agreed, pulling himself up from the couch. “Are there any pizza rolls left?” Bending over, he rummaged through the freezer.

“Don’t bother, you’re not gonna find any.”

Lance perked up, looking towards his friend. “But we got a new box yesterday, how could they all be gone?” The freezer was mostly filled with ice cream and whatever frozen treats were discounted at Target. However, the 2-for-1 pizza rolls Lance had scored yesterday were nowhere to be found.

“Maybe if someone hadn’t eaten my poke bowl…” The Samoan boy mumbled

Lance whipped his head around, cocking it to the side. “Really? You ate two boxes of pizza rolls because I ate a container filled with tuna and lettuce?”

“No!” Hunk exclaimed. “I only ate one! You ate the other yesterday.”

“Come on, man! I’ll buy you another one if it matters that much, jeez.”

“It was from that bowl place uptown! I was saving it!”

With a groan, Lance walked past Hunk, shaking his head. “And I was saving those pizza rolls, douchelamp. Now we’re both suffering. Happy?”

“Quite.”

After making a rather rude hand gesture towards Hunk, Lance grabbed his hoodie from the couch, slipping it on. “C’mon, let’s go meet up with Pidge and Keith.”

“And replenish the pizza roll supply.”

Lance chucks a pillow at the other. “Dick.”

“So, I got a question,” Lance said, looking over to Hunk, who was scrolling on his phone.

“Shoot,” the other replied, tucking the device away.

“Why didn’t you-” he was cut off by the sudden jarring of the subway train the two were in. Hunk stifled a laugh, grabbing a hold of Lance’s arm to keep him upright. “Thanks, man.” This is it, just ask him. “So, uh, why didn’t you tell me you had a date with Shay last week?”

Hunk pressed his lips together, taking his hand back. “I dunno, I just… Figured you’d freak out or something.”

“Freak out?” Lance repeated, quirking a brow.

“It’s stupid, I should’ve just told you.”

“But what do you mean, freak out?”

Hunk was never the best with words, and after years of knowing him, Lance could tell exactly when he was looking for the right ones to say. Hunk would clench a fist a little too tightly and look down, a telltale sign that he had no clue what to say. “I mean, you always get kind of jealous when you see other people in a relationship and you’re single so-”

“You thought I would get jealous?”

“Maybe,” but the forced smile across Hunk’s features said ‘definitely.’ “It was stupid, I should’ve just told you.”

“Yeah, but, it’s cool, man,” Lance said, which caused Hunk to ease, shoulders relaxing. “I get it. But, you can still tell me stuff. Even if you think I’ll get jealous or whatever.”

A smile spread across Hunk’s face as he nodded. “Yeah, totally. Sorry, dude.”

“It’s okay, we cool?” Lance asked, sticking out the universal sign for being cool, a fist. Hunked bumped his.

“Yeah, we cool.”

For once, the band didn’t meet inside the rehearsal space, opting for some hipster cafe instead. Perks of living in the city was that every street had a hipster cafe, most of them had free wifi, and there was always plenty of places to sit. Pidge’s favorite was Kerberos Brews, which was a good mix of 9-5 workers just trying to get along and millennials with too much time on their hands. That meant plenty of room and cool chairs, like bean-bags (Lance loved these that hung from the ceiling there). Plus, the coffee wasn’t too bad.

Lance walked in first, a smile spreading across his face as he inhaled the bitter smell of fresh coffee. Hunk followed behind him, with the same expression, except he spotted some freshly made donuts at the counter.

“I’ll grab you a drink and meet you guys,” he said to Lance, heading towards the counter. With a nod, the Cuban boy stepped towards the back area, which was for hanging around. In the corner was Pidge, hunched over her laptop, headphones in as Keith peered over her shoulder, sipping a drink and- wait,

Is his hair in a ponytail?

A slight turn of his head confirmed, yes, he was wearing a ponytail, and he looked good. Lance couldn’t help but imagine how nice he’d look with his bangs pulled back, maybe he could braid his hair…

“Lance!” He was snapped back to reality by a hand on his shoulder, Hunk, who was trying to balance a cupholder of drinks and snacks. “C’mon, man, they’re right over there.”

Lance nodded, walking over to the other two.

“Hey, guys,” Hunk said, plopping down opposite Pidge. She was at a small table, where her laptop took a good amount of the space, but left enough room for Hunk to set his tray down. Lance grabbed the one with the most whipped cream, assuming it was his, and pulled over a chair, straddling it.

“Whatcha workin’ on there?” He asked, pushing her screen down to have a better look.

Instantly, Pidge swatted his hand away and tilted it back up, greeting him with a slight glare. “I’m sending the final songs to Shay, I finished layering everything.”

“It sounds really good,” Keith said, putting down his beverage. Lance saw a tag sticking out from the side- is he drinking tea?

“Yeah, but we still need an album cover,” Pidge closed her laptop now, resting her headphones on it.

Hunk groaned, toying with the straw in his drink. “Why can’t we just do what we did last time? We never agree on covers.”

“What did you guys do last time?” Asked Keith, who was drinking tea! Who the fuck drinks tea anymore?

Lance, dipping his finger into the whipped cream and licking it, said, “It was a picture of the city at night on a black background, and then it said Voltron. I made it on my phone.” It was hideous, but the only thing they could manage to agree on. Plus, the album (is that one an EP too?) did pretty well, so it wasn’t that bad.

“It was heinous. I wanted to die and burn every copy,” Pidge said, snatching one of Hunk’s donuts. If it was anyone else, there probably would have been a riot. But, as put by Hunk, “tiny Pidge” needed it more than he did.

“You always want to do that,” he quipped instead, rolling his eyes.

“True.”

Lance put his hands on the table, straightening up. “Okay, but this time, it can’t be ugly. It’s gotta be cool, but also give a feel for what we’re about. Who we really are.”

“Lance in those stupid sunglasses, Hunk making out with Gordon Ramsay, I’ll flip everyone off, and Keith is shredding the guitar,” Pidge suggested.

“First of all, they’re clout goggles, you gremlin,” Lance spat, pointing a finger towards the smug Pidge. “Second of all, keep everything else. It’s perfect.” That earned a triumphant smile from the girl.

“What if we, like, made it look like a record? But, make it cool somehow?” Hunk asked, and Lance could practically see the gears working in his brain.

“Boring,” Pidge shot him down. “We need something that’s going to catch people’s attention.”

“A shirtless guy.”

Everyone went silent now, their gazes turning to Keith and causing him to shrink down. “What?” He asked, turning his hands upwards. “Always catches my attention…”

Pidge broke the silence with a loud snort, which then caused everyone to break into laughter. This was to the annoyance of some other patrons in the store, especially since Hunk had a loud, bellowing laugh. It made Lance happy just to hear it, but other people just trying to get their morning drink didn’t care for it. Keith was quiet, a mixed look of confusion and panic across his face. He really needs to stop furrowing his brows so much, he’s gonna get wrinkles.

But, he looked like like a kid who’s being left out a joke, (which is kind of what’s happening, but whatever) and Lance felt pretty bad for him. So, while Pidge cackled between “That’s gay”s, Lance pulled himself together.

“That’s actually a pretty good idea.” Now, it was everyone’s turn to stare at him. But, he did see a small smile tugging at Keith’s lips. “I’m serious. It catches attention. Plus, we could, like, paint ‘Voltron’ on it.”

Hunk nodded, pressing a finger to his lips. Pidge opened up her laptop and started typing away. “Lance,” she said, glancing up from it. “Do you still have body paint?”

He likes music festivals, and he likes letting strangers there paint his chest. Don’t judge.

“Definitely.”

Pidge closed her laptop. “Shirtless guys get a lot of recognition,” Lance doesn’t want to know how she figured that out so fast.

“Okay, but, do we need to hire a model or something? Who’s abs are we gonna use?” Hunk asked, looking around the table.

Simultaneously, both Keith and Lance spoke.

“You can use mine-”

“Mine, duh-”

Both boys stared at each other, then glanced down at the other. Lance felt pretty confident about how he looked shirtless, mostly because he worked hard to specifically look good without a shirt on. Keith was never spotted without a hoodie (seriously, did he own anything else?) so Lance just assumed he had nothing to show off.

Pidge snorted, holding a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, this situation is just too good.”

“Well, I know this rockin’ bod catches the eye of anyone who looks my way, so,” Lance trailed off, folding his arms and delivering his best intimidating look to Keith, who was unphased.

“I mean,” Keith began, looking around at the cafe. “I can’t really pull my shirt off and show y’all, so you can go with Lance.”

Y’all?

“Well, maybe we should, you know, check?” Hunk asked, nervous gaze flickering from Lance to Keith.

“Like, see who looks better without a shirt?” Lance asked, a smirk tugging at his lips. For some reason, he just really wanted to be better than Keith right now.

Keith shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie (why was he always in it if he felt so confident about his abs?) and shrugged. “I don’t really care who you pick, I was just offering-”

Lance cut him off, dismissing him with a wave of his hand. “Let’s do it!”

And that’s how they ended up back at Casa Del Hance, Lance and Keith both shirtless in the living room, Pidge wildly snapping pictures with her phone, and Hunk poking Lance’s stomach.

“Hey, buddy,” Lance said, pushing Hunk’s hand away. “It’s solid, no need to test.”

Hunk straightened up, nodding with his nose slightly upturned. They probably should’ve asked Pidge to judge, he took this way too seriously. “Of course.” Hunk cleared his throat. “As the official judge for this hot bod off,” he placed his hands on Keith and Lance’s shoulders. I just want to say both of you have beautiful bodies and you should be very proud of your hard work.”

That was true. Turns out Keith was somewhat of a gym rat, and beneath his hoodie was a torso that could’ve been sculpted by a sexually-frustrated, gay renaissance artist. Lance was lean and slim, with not much visible muscle, but he still looked good. However, Keith had the V. That’s right, those two little lines guys get above their waist when they’re really ripped. Keith fucking had it, and Lance couldn’t help but stare.

“Yeah, yeah, we know,” Lance said, rolling his eyes (partially out of annoyance, partially to pull them away from Keith’s chest).

“However, in my unbiased opinion, Keith should be the album cover.”

“Seriously?” Keith asked, brows raising.

Lance crossed to the couch, picking his shirt up and putting it back on. “It was rigged, anyway.”

“What a sore loser,” Pidge said, crossing towards the kitchen.

“Right?” Keith grabbed his shirt off of the coffee table, looking at Lance. Turns out, beneath the hoodie was also a black tank top, which wasn’t too surprising.

“I’m not a sore loser!” Lance snapped, whipping his head around to meet an image of Keith he will never get out of his head. The fact that he looked good shirtless was already established, but he had the most smug expression on his face- lips curled up in a smirk, one brow quirked as he shook his head. It made Lance very pissed off and mildly turned on. Wait, what?

“Where the fuck are all the pizza rolls?” Pidge shouted from the kitchen, accompanied by the slam of the freezer door.

“Hm, I dunno, maybe SOMEONE ate all of them,” Lance said, glaring at Hunk. He, of course, was not happy to be blamed for this, and instantly went into Petty Hunk Mode. This is when he paces, speaks with his hands a lot, and complains about everything and everyone.

“Really? You’re gonna blame me? Maybe if someone hadn’t eaten my poke bowl that they knew I was saving-”

“How could I have known you were saving it?”

“There was a post-it on it! That means it’s marked specifically for me!”

“Well I’m sorry I came home mildly baked and was hungry!”

“We have a drawer of cheez-its for the munchies! We do not eat expensive raw fish!”

“And we also do not enact revenge by finishing the pizza roll supply!”

“Oh my god, shut up!” Pidge stood between the two, reaching a hand up to cover both of their mouths. “You’re both idiots, we get it. Go make some popcorn or something, I’m fucking hungry.” Keith chuckled, covering his mouth. His shirt was back on (aw man). Pidge plopped down on the couch, and he followed after.

“You’re so petty,” Lance said, still glaring at Hunk as he headed to the kitchen to make some popcorn. Also, to put soap in his eyes to get that image of Keith out of his head.

Keith is hot, that’s a fact.

He pulled out a bag of popcorn, throwing it in the microwave as he heard the rest of the group chatter in the living room.

But I don’t even know him. Also a fact.

The muted rhythms of whatever music mixing program Pidge used could be heard, she was always making beats when she was bored.

So, I can’t catch feelings. Mega fact.

“Lance! Gimme a melody!” She shouted, turning up the volume on the laptop. Waiting for the popcorn to finish, Lance pulled out his phone, searching for some lyrics he had scribbled down earlier (definitely not while thinking about Keith).

“Hold on!” He shouted back, trying to hear the two simple chords Pidge was alternating through. The beat was kind of cute, shouldn’t be too hard to sing along with. The microwave beeped and Lance grabbed the popcorn, walking into the living room.

“Let’s hear this freestyle, Lance,” Keith said, and Lance averted his gaze. Don’t you dare fucking catch feelings now.

Lance took a breath, waiting for a good moment to come in. “Sometimes I feel like I just wanna go back to my old ways. You're telling me I'm silly, ‘it's no fun in the old days,’” he began to sing, glancing up from his phone and tossing the popcorn over to Hunk. “I'm such a romantic, I never remember how things truly happened, I guess you're attractive.” He didn’t even try to hide the side-eye towards Keith. “Or something.

"Boyfriend" or ‘boy, that's a friend’? It's easy just to pretend That we don't have something real, it's just how we feel.”

Pidge continued with the music as Lance vocalized a little bit, now sitting on the couch. Keith had the slightest smile across his lips.

“I'm feeling something, right? I wanna be the one you think about at night. And I wanna be the one that you would put up a fight for. You know that I adore, that even when you're bored I'd buy you anything and everything I can't afford.”

That’s where his lyrics ended, and Pidge noticed, stopping the music. “When did you write that, man? I’ve never heard it before,” Hunk asked. Lance simply shrugged, putting his phone down.

“Yeah, it was really good,” said Keith, and for some reason that meant a lot more than it usually did for Lance.

Okay, maybe just some feelings.

#fanfiction #voltron #vld #vld lance #vld keith #hunk garrett #pidge holt #takashi shirogane #lance mcclain #keith kogane #keith x lance #lance x keith #klance #laith #modern au #band au #klance fic #pining lance

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jhope-seok · 7 years

Text

Written Down; You Will Live Forever

Disclaimer: All of the things mentioned in this story are all works of fiction and have been made up by me, the author. I did not intend to make anything based on real life, and any coincidences to real life are purely coincidences.

Genre: F L U F F / Bookstore!au

Members: Namjoon x Reader

Length: 6,935

Note: Title paraphrased from Poet by Bastille.

Masterlist

You whispered to yourself as your eyes skimmed over the stack of books in front of you, fingers tracing over each individual spine; smooth paper interrupted by raised letters of authors and titles for the words written within. Glossy hardback covers turning to rougher paperback novels, some with cracks etched into the spine where people had already peeked into the magic hidden within.

You were looking for a specific author, as you’d heard their new book had been released a few days ago and you had to get a copy for yourself. They were your favorite writer but they were lesser known, not as sought after, and all of the bigger bookstores you’d tried already hadn’t had any copies of their new book, claiming they weren’t sure when they were going to get copies in.

So, here you were at the quaint bookstore on the edge of town hoping they had a copy you could claim as your own. It was a long shot, but it was where you came when you couldn’t find the books you wanted anywhere else. You were always surprised with the books you could find hidden in the overstuffed shelves.

This place was a wonderful mix of new books and used books, the smell of fresh print awaiting fresh eyes combining with old pages that had faded over time and many owners to create a scent unlike any other. It was the kind of scent that overtook you, filling your lungs and brain the moment your feet entered the store, the cool, autumn air unable to penetrate past the door. Near the back of the store the smell was intoxicating, coming over your body in such a way that made you wonder how long you would have to stand there for the smell stick to your clothes so you could take it home and never forget it. Your eyes glazed over as you breathed in deep through your nose, momentarily forgetting your reason for entering the store in the first place.

“Can I help you?” a voice sounded over your shoulder, ripping your mind back to the present.

You had been crouched over trying to read the books on the bottom shelf and when you stood up to face the man standing to your right, you grimaced as your muscles released the tension built up from your position near the floor. “Um. I guess?”

The male raised his eyebrows at you and straightened the glasses on his face. “Are you looking for something...in particular?” He paused, glancing to the shelf you stood in front of, presumably trying to get some sort of hint at what had brought you to his place of employment today.

You couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was. His name tag read ‘Namjoon’ and you tried your best to keep yourself from blushing. He was wearing a simple grey button-down shirt tucked into black jeans with a set of thick, square, black framed glasses that gave him an air of polished intelligence. But, his hair was dyed a light silvery grey color that was combed over to one side revealing a side cut that made you think there was more to him and his story than what his cover was showing. When he tilted his head at you, you had to shake yourself out of your thoughts to answer his question.

“Oh! Yes.” You told him the name of the book you were looking for and explained to him the tale you’d told many other employees before him. “I’ve tried a few other stores, and none of them had gotten them in stock yet. So I thought I’d try here as one last shot in the dark.”

He smiled at you, showing off his deep dimples, and your heart beat a little faster. “Well, you’re in luck. We just got our first shipment of them today. We haven’t put any on the shelf yet, so to save your back from anymore pain, let me go get a copy for you,” he waved his hand towards some unseen place and your eyes lit up.

“That would be great! Thank you so much.” The smile that spread across your face left your cheeks aching, but as you watched him walk away you couldn’t seem to return your mouth to its normal resting position.

While you waited, you browsed the other books on the surrounding shelves, eyes scanning title after title, occasionally tipping a book out of it’s place on the shelf to skim over the summary. Two different books caught your eye, so you tucked them under your arm, moving further down the shelves when you felt a light hand on your shoulder.

“Miss?” You turned to face Namjoon again, who was holding out your requested book. “Here you go! Fresh out of the box.”

“Oh!” You had to peel your eyes away from his gorgeous smile to look down and grab the book from him. “Thank you again. You’re a life-saver.” You scanned over the cover of the book, flipping it over to read the first few words on the back cover, even though you knew it would be great no matter what you found written there. Then, without thinking you opened the book and inhaled. When you heard him chuckle, you looked up to see him covering his mouth with his hand, although it was obvious he was smiling behind it, his dimples betraying him as they poked out over his forefinger.

“Oh, jeez. I bet I look crazy right now,” you stammered out, trying to explain yourself as best as you could. “I mean, it’s just--”

“New book smell,” he cut you off. “I get it. Not crazy at all.” You blushed at his words. “I do it too,” he offered you a soft smile, and you found yourself returning it.

“Do you need help finding anything else?” he spoke up after a few moments of silence.

“Um…” you paused to look around at the surrounding shelves. “I don’t think so? I found some other books,” you gestured to the books under your arm, “but I think I’m okay for now.”

He nodded and bit his lower lip. “Well, I can check you out if you’re ready?” His eyebrows raised and you caught a hint of something in his voice, and you wondered if he felt the same as you, wanting to delay the end of this conversation.

“Okay, yeah,” you started. “I think this is all for today. These will keep me busy for a few days at least.” You rocked back and forth on your heels, unsure of what to do. You didn’t really want to leave, after all he was the cutest man you’d talked to in a long time, and he seemed sort of interested in you, but your mind was blanking on ways to lengthen this encounter. All you could think about was the typical romance story and how the two main characters always seemed to have a chance meeting that lead to them falling in love, and how this could be your chance meeting with your true love. Although, your mind was also telling you he was only friendly because it was his job, and that hint you’d caught in his voice was him trying to get you out of the store so he could go help another, prettier customer you couldn’t see.

“Alright then. Follow me.” His words cut through your thoughts, sharp and succinct. You followed him back through the maze of shelves to the register where he rang up your selections.

“Thanks again for helping me find this book by the way. It means the world to me!” You ran your finger over the title on the cover, the embossed letters beckoning you to open it and read it right there in the store.

“Oh it’s no problem at all.” You looked up to see him smiling so wide his eyes had crinkled shut. “And let me know how you like it. I’ve heard great things about this author, but never had a chance to sit down and read their books. But…,” he paused, biting his lip. “Maybe I’ll have to if you like this one.” His cheeks tinted red, matching the color you suspected had emerged in your own.

“Well if it’s anything like their other books, it will be worth the read. Regardless, I will let you know how it is,” you said as you grabbed the books off the counter and slipped the receipt into your purse. Then, before your brain had time to process what was happening, your mouth had opened and blurted out, “Bye Namjoon!”

As you pushed through the door and stepped back into the crisp fall air, your eyes widened and you halted just beyond the threshold of the door. “I just called him by his name. His name that I read on his nametag. His name that he never actually said. Oh god. Oh no.” Your heart was racing as you realized your mistake and your stomach started to roil. Your instinct was to race back inside and explain yourself, but when you realized that you were still standing outside the door, you figured he was probably watching you through the storefront windows, wondering why the creepy girl who knew his name was loitering outside.

You adjusted your scarf around your neck and raced away, down the street, and hopped into your car, escaping the cold that was already seeping through your clothes into your bones. You hoped with all of your might that you hadn’t made it impossible for yourself to ever return to this store.

----------------------------------one week later--------------------------------------

You’d gotten out of work early and somehow you’d wound up here, outside of the same bookstore. You’d sped through all three books you’d bought the last time you were here, having spent every night wrapped up in a blanket, the fall breeze catching the corners of the pages as it blew through your open windows. Since you finished the last page of the last book, all you could think about was buying more books. But, whenever you thought about it you always pictured yourself going to the other bookstores in the area. In your thoughts you had specifically avoided this bookstore, in order to save yourself from the shame of facing Namjoon again.

Alas, here you were. Standing on the street outside the small bookstore, the air nipping at your nose. You pulled your jacket tighter around your waist and grabbed the door handle, knowing that the longer you stood outside the more chance you gave yourself to be the same creepy girl lingering outside his place of employment. As you pulled open the door and the familiar scents of old and new books filled your lungs, you reassured yourself it hadn’t been weird that you called him by his name. He wore his name tag for a reason, you told yourself. There was no way he’d found it odd at all, other customers did it all the time; you weren’t the first to have done it.

Even still, you ducked behind the first shelf you came to, and made your way through the stacks to your favorite section, hoping to evade contact with him if you could, if he was even working today. ��Which you hoped he wasn’t, but knowing your luck you could bet he was.

You were browsing titles, hunched over to avoid the chance of him seeing you over the shelves, three books already tucked into the crook of your arm, when you sensed someone standing nearby. When you looked out of the corner of your eye, you saw a man standing a few feet away from you, facing the shelves behind you, unpacking a cart of books. Your eyes glanced up to his face and confirmed your worst fears. Namjoon didn’t seem to notice you, so you straightened up and tried to sneak past him to another, safer section.

Unfortunately, you stumbled a bit when you caught a whiff of his cologne and bumped into him, the books in your arms spilling onto the floor. “Sorry!” you muttered under your breath, bending down to try and gather the books off the floor as fast as you could.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. Let me help you with those,” he said as he bent over to help you, grabbing the books before you could. You kept your face down, averting your eyes from his, hoping to keep this unlucky interaction short. “Here you go.” You stood up and took the books out of his hands as he offered them to you, head down. You tried to make a quick exit, thanking the gods that he hadn’t remembered or noticed who you were, but much to your dismay he bent over as you passed him to look into your eyes, which caused you to stare back at him, surprised by his sudden movement. “Oh--Hey! It’s you!” he exclaimed.

You stopped in your tracks and turned around to face him, only to notice the thick, square framed glasses he’d been wearing the last time you saw him had been replaced with smaller, circular wire ones. His hair was swept onto his forehead and you found your breath catching in your throat as you stared at him. Your brain was struggling to process the words he’d said and when you finally came to, all you could sputter out was, “Me! Yes. It’s me!”

“How’d you like the book?” His eyes lit up with curiosity and as you stared into them your brain had a hard time conjuring up what book he was referring to, until you remembered the reason for your last visit.

“It was-it was good. Great. Another great book by my favorite author,” you let out an awkward chuckle.

“That’s great! I’ll read it this weekend.” You smiled as he spoke and tried to rid your mind of the image that was swimming just behind your eyes of you calling him by his name and then running out of the store after your last encounter with him. Staring into his beautiful, deep brown eyes almost did the trick for you, but when you tore your eyes from his you noted that he wasn’t wearing his nametag today.

You were overly aware of the fact that if you called him by name this time, it would be obvious you liked him enough to remember his name. You tried to map out a conversation with him in your head where you could steer clear of a situation where you might blurt it out again, but as silence fell between the two of you, he didn’t give you a chance to get very far into your imaginary conversation before he introduced himself.

“I’m Namjoon, by the way. I own this store.” He stuck out his hand to you, and you couldn’t help but wonder again why he was going to such lengths to be nice to you.

“Y/N--I’m Y/N,” you stuttered, grabbing his hand and giving a firm shake, trying hard not to focus on the rough texture of his palm or the way his fingers wrapped around yours in a way that made you think his hand was meant for yours; the missing puzzle piece. In an effort to keep those thoughts at bay you muttered, “It’s a very nice store,” and cringed internally at your pathetic attempt at a conversation starter, your hand dropping back to your side.

“Thank you. I love books, so it was the only way I could make a living out of reading them all the time,” he laughed and you noted that it came from deep within him, a sound that was so true and hearty, you couldn’t help but laugh along with him.

“I can’t deny that I’m a little jealous,” you brushed a few stray strands of hair off your cheek, as your eyes looked around. “This is like...my actual heaven. I would give anything to be surrounded by books all day,” you breathed out another laugh, a smile tugging at your lips, as you met his eyes again. “I mean, this is quite the collection you have going,” you motioned to encompass the whole store.

His eyes crinkled shut as his lips curled up ever so slightly at the edges and you admired the way his dimples sunk into his cheeks, matching crevices forming where only moments ago there was smooth skin. “Thanks. I’ve been at this for a while now. I started out with just used books, selling books from my family, friends, and neighbors that they claimed they had no use for anymore. Which, is blasphemy if I do say so myself.” Your eyes widened and you nodded in agreement, because who could ever get rid of books with such careless ease. He continued, “then I got more people who were donating old books with a demand for newer releases, so I expanded, and it’s been growing ever since.”

You stared around at the massive shelves scattered throughout his store and wondered how small it must have started, and tried to imagine empty shelves begging to have books occupy their spaces. When you looked back at Namjoon he was watching you, eyes filled with an emotion you couldn’t name. While your heart sensed that emotion was a hint of attraction, your mind reminded you that there was still zero reason for him to be talking to you. Yet, your heart pointed out that he didn’t have to tell you all of this, but here he was opening up to you about the history of his business that he built from the ground up.

“Well,” you started, ignoring the war taking place inside of you. “From what I can see, I’d say you were doing very well for yourself.”

He smiled at you, those same dimples re-forming in his cheeks, and nodded. “Yeah. It’s pretty crazy to think how far it’s come. But, enough about that. Is there anything I can help you with today?”

You bit your lip and stared down at the books in your hands, wondering if you were ready for this conversation to end. You hummed, and then looked back up to find him staring at you, eyebrows raised. “You know...yes. I picked these out because they looked interesting, but what else would you recommend?”

Namjoon seemed caught off guard by your quick change of direction back to him. You were hoping that by asking for his recommendation that you would not only guarantee yourself more time with him, but also subtly convey your attraction to him and your want to get to know more about him. You could tell a lot about a person by what books they liked and what books they recommended, and you wanted to know if he was interested in what you’d already picked out and what he would suggest for further reading.

He reached out his hands and inquired a, “May I?”

“Of course,” you handed the books to him, which he took and sorted through quickly, noting the titles and authors you had procured.

“I see,” he said after he read the third title. His eyes glanced up to the shelf next to you, then he turned to survey the rest of the store, shelves filled with stories far and wide. He hummed to himself and took a few steps away from you, before turning back to meet your eyes. “How do you feel about mystery?”

“I love it,” you offered. “One of my favorite authors is a mystery writer.”

“Great!” he smiled. “Follow me. I have a great book I think you should read.”

That’s how it went for several weeks. You’d stop by the bookstore on your way home after work, having finished all the books you’d previously bought, ready to fill more space on your shelves at home. You and Namjoon would chat at the register, discussing favorite parts, potential symbolism, and give each book a ranking as it compared to other books you’d read. This then led to the two of you to roam the store suggesting to each other the next books to read. You thought of it as a sort of secret book club, just between the two of you. Namjoon didn’t have to read the books while you read them, but each week you came back surprised to hear he’d read them so he could talk with you about them.

It became the thing that you looked forward to every week: that time alone in his store. You and him wandering through the shelves, the mass of books encompassing you both, creating a safe haven that you never wanted to leave.

When you did leave, it was always with at least three books, if not more, a smile plastered to your face and a steady beat in your heart that drove you home to start reading so you could return as soon as possible. Every day that passed between your visits made you more anxious to see him, yet each time when you stepped in the door, leaving the smell of fall behind you, his smile warmed your heart in an instant and you felt like you were meeting up with an old friend after a long time. Except, you knew that from the way your heart fluttered every time you saw him that what you felt for him was more than friendly, and you hoped that by the light in his eyes he felt the same as you.

Namjoon was an incredibly intelligent man, having amassed an incomparable knowledge from all of the books he’d read in his life. Talking with him amongst the books filled your heart and mind with warmth and wonder. Every word he said seemed to fall off his tongue, the next word eager to follow, always knowing the exact right word to use to describe what he wanted to say. He made you love books so much more, and he made you start to see life in a brand new way, his words and statements following you out of the store even while he stayed inside.

When he talked about the worlds authors created, in a simple phrase he had transported you into that environment, more vivid than you believed the author could have ever done themselves. You travelled through mystery, classic literature, science fiction, even romance, and every sentence he uttered seemed more brilliant than the last. His mind was so beautiful and with each moment you spent with him you found yourself more and more attracted to him; drawn into his world, seeing things the way he saw them. You couldn’t help but wonder what his eyes and mind saw in you, wonder what words he would use to describe you, wonder how he would write you in the novel of his life.

So, as you drove to the edge of town to stop by his bookstore today, your smile grew wider the closer you got. All of the leaves on the trees had begun to change and fall to the earth, and with this change in the scenery you hoped you could change your relationship with Namjoon from one that was confined to his store to one that could explore the shared world you lived in. You had journeyed through countless realms created by many different authors, and you wanted to experience with him the adventures that the physical world had to offer.

You had spent the last few days contemplating how you were going to ask him out on a date, worrying that you would come off as too forward. But, every time you doubted yourself you reminded yourself that Namjoon had seemed equally as interested in you as you were in him. Each time you returned to his store, when you entered he always greeted you with the warmest smile, your name rolling off his tongue in the most melodious way. He was the one who, as you walked out the door, new books in hand, always sent you one last farewell with an accompanying, “See you next time!” as if he was awaiting your return as much as you were.

Yet as you entered today, the shop felt different. It was quiet, and there was a younger boy at the register that you’d never seen before. He was hunched over the counter reading a magazine and didn’t seem to notice your presence at the door. The thought passed through your mind that Namjoon had to have other employees, how could he run the store on his own? But you wondered why you’d never seen this boy or anyone else working for the store besides Namjoon. Nonetheless, you approached the register, still hoping that Namjoon was just somewhere in the back that you couldn’t see.

“Hi,” you offered to the new face before you. “Is Namjoon here today?”

The younger male looked up at you. His nametag read ‘Jungkook’. “Sorry, he’s not in today. He’s out at some meeting. Maybe with the bank? I don’t know, he was rushing his words when he called me in on my day off, so it was hard to understand. But he’ll be back tomorrow morning. Can I help you with anything?”

“Oh, no. I’m good right now. I’ll just look around and be back.” You gave him a nice smile and began to immerse yourselves amongst the bookcases.

You found that the idle browsing was marginally less entertaining when you weren’t doing it with Namjoon. You stopped every so often to remove a book from it’s place to glance over the summary, but you found that without Namjoon’s deep voice to recount how a particular book related to something else he’d read, the process to find new books wasn’t as enticing anymore. You realized that he had been pushing you out of your comfort zone when it came to books, always reassuring you that you’d like what he was recommending, connecting it back to your personal preferences in the most thoughtful way.

That was something else amazing about him. From only two interactions with you and from a glance at the titles you’d chosen on two separate occasions, he had picked up on your interests in a heartbeat. He was intuitive in a way that no one else in your life had been, and as you’d gotten to know him more and more over the weeks that passed, he had noticed many things that took your best friends months to realize. But that was the best thing about Namjoon, that regardless of how long you’d known him, he caused you to open up about your deepest thoughts on topics you’d never fathomed discussing with even some of your closest friends.

When you returned to the register ten short minutes later you’d only chosen two books. You’d tried your hand at picking out books outside of your comfort zone, but found that without the extra push from Namjoon, you’d stayed very well inside of your usual box. You set the books down on the counter and offered a half smile when Jungkook made eye contact. He stared for a second longer than you would have liked, unsure of why he was studying your face, so you averted your eyes, reading and re-reading the cover of the books you’d picked.

“You wouldn’t be Y/N, would you?” he suddenly asked.

You glanced back up at Jungkook and his eyebrows were furrowed, as if he was trying to remember something. Your own eyebrows followed suit, wondering where he was going with his question.

“Um...yes? That’s me. Why do you ask?” your voice sounded far less hesitant than you truly felt, but you sensed he had no foul intentions in his question.

“Oh!” Jungkook’s face lit up with a smile. “Namjoon told me you might stop by today. He left me……,” Jungkook mumbled as he bent over to reach for something under the counter you couldn’t see. “Here it is,” he stood back up a book clasped between his hands. “This!”

He stuck the book out to you, and you stared at the book, and then back at him. “What?” you deadpanned.

“Namjoon left this for you. He told me that a girl looking like you with your name might stop by today, and he said that if he wasn’t back by the time you got here to give you this,” he lightly shook the book at you.

Your eyebrows raised, still confused. “He left me...a book?”

“Yeah. He said he wants you to read it....At least I think that’s what he said. He kind of yelled it at me as he was running out of the door. But I’m pretty positive that’s what he meant.”

“O--kay?” You reached for the book in his hands. You turned it over in your hands, noting how the spine had been broken in so thoroughly you imagined it passing from hand to hand, owner to owner, and wondered how each person had experienced it. You glanced at the title and the summarization of the adventure within on the back. From what you could gather the book was a romance novel, a story between two people who’d faced great adversity yet somehow managed to forge through everything to be together. It seemed like something you’d expect Namjoon to recommend to you. He always knew what to suggest and his books never failed to entertain and captivate you.

You look back up at Jungkook with a confident smile this time. “Okay. Yeah, I’ll take this too.”

“Oh, it’s on the house, ma’am. It’s from Namjoon’s personal collection so you don’t have to pay for it,” Jungkook grabbed your other books and rang them up and quoted you your total. As you handed him your cash your mind ran wild about why Namjoon would’ve left you a book to read, especially one from his own personal shelf. Your eyes wandered down to the spine again as Jungkook pressed buttons on the register, and speculated how many times he’d read this particular book for it to look so well worn. You thought about how many times he’d taken the journey from start to finish and questioned if there was something about this book that made it worth reaching for over and over again. You contemplated what about it would let him give it up so easily in order for you to experience the same adventure he’d taken so many times.

Your gut was telling you that it wasn’t out of the ordinary; you and him and been recommending books to each other over the last few weeks, pointing them out as you spotted them amongst his shelves and each reconvening the next to discuss. But, even if he mentioned in passing that he owned a particular book himself, you always left with your own copy; he never went out of his way to loan you his copy. He was a store owner after all; he had a business to run.

You also had a nagging feeling that there was a hidden meaning behind all of this, but you brushed the thoughts out of your mind as Jungkook returned your change and receipt. You picked the books up off the counter and crossed the threshold back out into the cold autumn air.

As the door was shutting behind you, you heard Jungkook yell, “Enjoy the book!”

You turned back to stare at him through the glass, caught off guard at his sudden exclamation. He smiled wide and gave you two thumbs up, before returning to his magazine. You thought to yourself how odd that was, and it wasn’t until you were back in your car, willing your car to heat up faster, that you realized he’d said ‘book’ in the singular sense. You stared at the pile of books in the passenger seat next you, eyes focused on the one Namjoon had left for you. “Did he mean that book?” you thought to yourself. You shrugged, thinking that the whole encounter with Jungkook had just been weird in general, pulled the gear shift back into drive as warm air burst through your vents onto your cheeks, and drove off as the sunset began to stretch its way across the clouds.

After dinner that night, you’d made yourself a cup of your favorite tea and sat down on your couch to relax. The three books you had procured earlier laid in front of you on the coffee table, and you began to reach for one of the two you’d chosen personally until you thought better of it and grabbed the one Namjoon had left for you. You were curious to find out why he’d loaned it to you and figured that the longer you put it off the more anxious you’d be to read it.

You took a sip of your tea, savoring the warmth that spread through your body as it hit your stomach, and inspected the cover one last time. You were still perplexed at everything that had taken place inside the bookstore earlier in the evening and you tried to brush it off, but as you opened the front cover something fell out of the book and onto your lap.

You looked down to see a small piece of paper, a handwritten note scrawled across the stark white of the parchment. Your first thought was that since the book was Namjoon’s that it was a note he’d left for himself during his last read through, maybe something he’d used as a bookmark. But, when you picked it up to inspect it closer, you saw that it was addressed to you. It read:

Y/N--

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I hope you like it as much as I like you.

It’s yours to keep if you want.

--Namjoon

Your heart started to race and your cheeks flooded with color. You remembered how determined you’d been on the way into his store to ask him on a date, to further your relationship with him. And now here you had physical proof that he felt the same way for you that you felt for him. You bit your lip in an attempt to stop the smile that was slowly spreading across your face as you read and re-read the note over and over again.

Your brain focused on the way his strokes seemed to flow so effortlessly over the page; the curvature of his y’s and the sharpness of his k’s. You pictured him writing this note and wondered if he’d written this in a rush before running out the door, or if he’d written many before this one, writing and rewriting this simple message to try and get it just right. Either way, you couldn’t help but want to rush back to his store and let him know how you felt even though it was late at night. But, you thought it better to wait a few days, read the book first, and sit on how best to approach him when you saw Namjoon next.

So, you picked up the book he’d chosen for you, took one last glance at his note, and began to read.

Three days later you returned to his store.

You’d stayed up late the first two nights reading until you fell asleep with the book on your lap. The book had been an amazing journey, one that took you through the highest of highs and tearful lows. It was the perfect love story, one that made you envious, as it was only fictional. You understood why Namjoon recommended it and why he’d read it so many times.

The night after you finished it was spent pacing your apartment going through possible scenarios for what you would say when you saw him. You rehearsed several possibilities, each seeming more pathetic than the last, and decided that you would just have to wing it when you got there. But, now here you were, parked on the street two storefronts down from his shop.

Your heart was racing and your hands were starting to sweat. You stared at yourself in your rearview mirror, unsure if you were ready for what was to come next. Just a few short days prior you’d been so confident, and yet you were more nervous now than you’d been before you knew he liked you. It was something about the way he’d confessed that had your heart racing. You felt as if nothing you could do or say could amount to his simplistic yet powerful note; his confession intertwined as a background plot point. As if his attraction towards you had been apparent all the time. Nonetheless, you opened your car door, took a deep breath of the crisp fall air, and told yourself that the future moments held only good things for you.

You approached the storefront eyes cast down on the sidewalk in front of you. You were careful not to stare through the glass because you were afraid that if you caught his eye before you entered that you’d turn and run back to your car. The bell above the door chimed brightly as you pulled open the door and you finally allowed your eyes to glance at the register.

You were surprised when you found it empty. The worst that could have happened was to find Jungkook there once more, but neither him nor Namjoon stood watch over the front. Your eyes flitted around the nearby shelves, uncertain of where to go next. This outcome was not one you’d played out in your head, and so you stood in your spot for a few beats before deciding that if he wasn’t at the front that hopefully he was somewhere amongst the shelves. Besides, it was a bookstore after all, and you wouldn’t mind picking up another book or two.

You set off through the shelves, following the path you took many a time back to your favorite section, to browse the selections by your favorite author. You passed shelf after shelf and each time as they opened into a new aisle your heart caught a little in your throat, hoping Namjoon would be down one of them, yet every time all you found was more books.

You rounded the last shelf before your coveted section with your heart heavy, convinced that luck was just not on your side today; Namjoon must have been off again. You decided that this was just one more struggle that you’d have to overcome before meeting with him again. You sighed, your eyes falling to the floor as you stepped down the aisle of books. But, your eyes landed upon a pair black shoes standing right in front of where you wanted to be, and you stopped in your tracks. Your eyes followed up his legs, to his torso, and finally to his face. In a sequence of events you never could have planned for, Namjoon stood before you, eyes trained on yours. He had been stocking books onto a shelf, and even without looking you knew that it was the same shelf that he’d found you at that day so long ago, crouched over searching for a book. You thought about how apropos it was that it was all coming full circle, ending where it all began.

Except you hoped this wasn’t an ending.

Neither of you spoke, neither breaking eye contact with the other. You didn’t want to speak, for fear of saying something idiotic, so you were relieved when he spoke first.

“Y/N.” His voice was soft, hesitant, but you could see the question lying behind his eyes. He wanted to know if you got his note.

Your brain was working a mile a minute to try and form any sentence that would make you sound like an intelligent human being. You wanted to convey to him how much you liked him, and how much you liked the book, and how much you wanted to be with him, but you were struggling to come up with anything coherent. It wasn’t until Namjoon began to speak again, the silence having stretched on too long, that you knew what you had wanted to say all along.

“Did you--” he began.

“Namjoon...I loved it.”

You crossed the distance to him and stared up at Namjoon, repeating yourself with more assurance. “I loved it.”

The smile you’d been holding back for three days spread across your face, relieved and hopeful for whatever the future had to hold for you. Namjoon smiled back at you, his dimples that you’d grown to love so much etched into his smooth tan skin. He reached his hand up to touch your cheek, brushing away the hair that laid against it.

“I’m glad,” he whispered, bending down to place a kiss on your lips. In all your years, you’d never had a man kiss you like Namjoon did in this instant. It was delicate and sensual, yet passionate and desperate. You could feel the tension of wanting to kiss him for so long slip away under your fingertips as your hands rested against his chest.

As the leaves outside were turning to signify the changing of the seasons, summer to fall, fall to winter, you could feel the pages turning to start a new story. The story of your life with Namjoon. A story that began within the shelves of his store, but one that would far outshine any of the words written upon any page in any book stacked within them.

#bangtanwriters-net #boy group writers net #btswritersguild #rapmonster.net #namseoknet #namjoon #my works #bookstore au #namjoon x reader #written down; you will live forever

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sufferthesea · 7 years

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Pink Peonies (Kakashi/Reader) Part 2/5

So there are some really awesome people who asked me to finish this story and it ended up being a lot longer than I intended, but a lot shorter than I expected! Hopefully I did it justice and you guys all like it! (It’s only in so many parts so it’s not one giant post, RIP.)

Also @thefoxthief did some really awesome art of my story?! Which is totally mind-boggling to me. I’m still in awe! And thank you to everyone who left such kind comments, all the Kudos on ao3, and the anons who messaged me! I’m glad to get this finished for you guys! (Also, this is maybe my 2nd non-one shot story that I’ve ever completed? So there’s that.) Also tagging @thetoxicstrawberry bc Berry is awesome.

Let me know if you wanna be tagged in the other parts!

Read part one here: Tumblr // ao3

Read part two on ao3

Words: 2.191

Rating: General

Chapter Summary: Kakashi is a lot more observant than he seems; Sakura and Ino are a lot more determined than they seem; you're a lot more patient than you'd like to be - but, hey, somebody's bound to butt in when you're on a date with the Copy Ninja. Luckily, Kakashi has a plan.

You stood outside of the dango shop, arms crossed, watching the crowd of people pass by lazily in the summer heat. The sun was starting to set, painting the sky in an array of vibrant oranges and deep reds. The sweet smell of rice flour, red bean paste, and green tea surrounded you and your stomach growled loudly. You had half a mind to sneak inside and grab a skewer while you waited. You knew Kakashi had a reputation of being late, but you hadn’t thought he’d be this late, especially since he was the one who set the time! Five more minutes. You’d give him five more minutes …

Your stomach growled even louder this time, drawing the attention of a couple passing by in front of you, and your face burned hot with embarrassment. That was it. You made one last glance around the street before ducking into the shop and sitting at one of the tables. You were going to make yourself comfortable while you waited, since you’d been standing outside for about twenty minutes already. It was a little bit strange to be going on a date with the renowned Leaf Village ninja, but you couldn’t help but feel excited. You’d known the man for about a year and a half now and had apparently impressed him enough - or worn him down enough - that he invited you out for dinner, which surprised you quite a bit. You had only really seen him inside the Hokage office while dropping off reports, or occasionally passed by on the streets. You knew he was the teacher for a genin team, but you had never managed to meet any of his students. But somewhere between handing in reports, accidentally tripping over your own two feet and running headfirst into his back, and once being the judge for a competition between him and Gai, another teacher, he must’ve decided you were worth the time and effort to go on a date. Of course, he never said it was a date, but the fact that he asked you out for dinner to a new restaurant seemed pretty date-ish to you. However, you weren’t going to get your hopes up too much, just in case … Kakashi was hard to read and often his own strangely charming personality came across as flirtatious. But, there was one good thing that could come out of your non-date, whether Kakashi was late or not. You’d finally get to see it - one of the most well-kept secrets in all of Konoha: Hatake Kakashi’s face. Not that was an ulterior motive of yours; it was just a possible perk! “Don’t look now,” came Kakashi’s calm voice behind you, “but we’re being followed.”

Nearly jumping out of your skin, you turned to look over your shoulder. “Huh?” Kakashi sighed heavily. “I said don’t look.” He stood outside of the dango shop, leaning against the wall where you’d been waiting only moments before. “Who’s following us? How - How do they even know about us?” You didn’t mean for it to sound so relationship-y, but Kakashi didn’t seem to notice. “Just a few genin. I have an idea of who it is, and I think I know why they’re following me. You should use a transformation jutsu while you’re in there, and we’ll go separate ways.” “Huh? That doesn’t sound like dinner to me! It sounds like a whole lot of work. Are you just trying to lose me?” “No, of course not. But I didn’t think you’d want our first date to be marred by some curious 12 year-olds.” Your heart involuntarily skipped a beat and your face warmed. Did he just say ‘date’!? “Uh - oh, right, right. Sure thing.” You stood up, trying to think of who to to transform into. You had no idea what Kakashi was planning, but you figured any transformation should do. You settled on one of the civilians you had seen pass by the dango shop earlier while you waited; it was inconspicuous enough, and certainly not a face that would draw a lot of attention. Quickly forming the handsigns, you were engulfed in a cloud of smoke and emerged as a rather plain-looking civilian. Dressed in a pale green yukata and bamboo sandals with your hair hanging down around your ears to frame your face, you stepped outside of the dango shop and looked to Kakashi. “What’s your plan?” you asked, looking the opposite direction so it didn’t appear as if you two were associating. “I don’t know. I figured I’d run ‘em around town a little bit. See if I can wear them out before we go out to dinner.” “Ugh. If I knew this would involve work, I would’ve —” “Would’ve what? Canceled? That’s harsh.” You turned to protest but Kakashi’s one visible eye was closed and you could tell he was teasing you. Huffing, you crossed your arms and surveyed the street. “Actually, I was going to say that I would’ve eaten first. And I was about to when you showed up. Anyway … what do these genin look like?” “About yea tall,” Kakashi said, hovering his hand just above his waist. “It’s two girls - Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura. The latter is my student. The former is her, er - well, her rival, I guess you’d say.” “What are they doing, both stalking us?” “I’m assuming trying to figure out who these are for.” You turned and finally noticed the bouquet of soft pink flowers Kakashi held in his arms. Your stomach flipped and you couldn’t help but smile wide. “Are - Are those for me?” “Huh? Oh - good idea. Here, you take half and I’ll take half.” “What?” Kakashi unwrapped the flowers, handed three of them to you and discarded the brown paper in a nearby bin. “Okay, so here’s what we’re going to do.”

Sakura and Ino hurried down the crowded street, frantically looking into the open doors of every building and scanning the crowds, trying to find Kakashi.

“Is he always this hard to find?” Ino asked as she stopped in the middle of the street, a few beads of sweat already forming along her temple. “At this rate, we’ll never figure out who those flowers are for! Ugh. Just great.” She turned on Sakura and jabbed her index finger at her. “He’s your teacher - so where would he go?” “Don’t you get it?” Sakura barked, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. “I already told you that Sasuke, Naruto and I have tried to tail him before. It’s really hard! But we’ve just got to try harder. Can’t you use your mind transfer jutsu or something to find him?” “You obviously don’t understand how that jutsu works. Of course you don’t - you’re not skilled enough to use it! I have to have a clear target and they can’t be moving. So - no, I can’t use it.” “Well what good is it then?” “Hey, don’t insult my jutsu! What can you do? Last I checked, you were pretty awful at any ninjutsu and you’re too weak for taijutsu!” Sakura balled her hands into tight fists and her face turned bright red with rage. “You have no right to say that! I’ve come so far from where I used to be! And I’m getting stronger every day! I actually train, you know! And I have great teammates to train with! All you’ve got is a shirker and someone who spends his whole day eating!” “You can’t talk bad about my teammates like that! Only I can! Shikamaru and Choji are awesome - you only think you’re so good because you’ve got Sasuke on your team - which was only because they try to even out the skills on the team. You got paired with such a great guy because you have Naruto, the knuckleheaded ninja!” “If I can’t talk bad about your teammates then you can’t talk bad about mine!” “Hey - what are you two fighting about now?” Sakura and Ino whipped around to see Kiba strolling down the street, Akamaru plopped on top of his head. He picked up a piece of takoyaki from the paper bowl he held and raised it above his head. Akamaru grabbed it and eagerly chewed on it, spraying bits of dough and slobber across Kiba’s hoodie, and barked in appreciation. “Is it about Sasuke?” Kiba asked, his face contorting from concern to resignation. “Figures. You two only fight about Sasuke. What’s so great about him?” “Actually, we were —” Sakura stopped herself when she realized she couldn’t just go around telling everybody about her and Ino’s mission. She threw a glance to the blonde next to her, gave a subtle nod, and said, “We weren’t fighting. We were … debating! About where to eat. We heard there’s a new restaurant in town and we wanted to check it out.” “But we couldn’t remember where it was,” Ino added. Kiba turned slowly to stare at the large banners lining the street, decorated with vibrant kanji that said, GRAND OPENING! Botan Restaurant - THIS WAY! A fat arrow pointed in the way of the restaurant. “Can’t find it, huh?” he asked, shifting his gaze back to the girls. They both laughed nervously and threw their hands to their faces. “Oh - well, would you look at that?” Sakura said quickly, “It was right there in front of us! Jeez, no wonder Kakashi-sensei tells us we need to work on our observation skills! Aha ha ha ha!” “Yeah, if it was an enemy it would’ve struck us!” Ino forced a giggle, although she was mentally screaming. Now she looked like a fool with absolute zero ninja skills. “Thanks, Kiba!” “Uh huh … Come on, Akamaru. Let’s go get some dumplings before they close.” The young ninja started off down the street, easily merging with another group of villagers. “Great, now what do we do?” Ino huffed, turning to look at Sakura. “If we got the attention of Kiba, then we’ve probably scared off Kakashi-sensei, right? He’s probably not even on this street anymore.” “You’re right,” Sakura sighed, looking forlornly at the villagers. “We’ll never find him like this. Wait!” She grabbed Ino by the shoulders and shook her. “I know what we can do! We can get Akamaru to sniff out Kakashi-sensei! We’ll be sure to find him that way!” “Okay, but why would Kiba just let us use Akamaru? He’ll want to know what we’re doing.” “Just tell him we’re looking for something you lost - like a ring or something!” “Okay, but Akamaru will have to know he’s sniffing out your teacher!” Ino growled, prying Sakura’s hands off of her. “Either we let Kiba know or we don’t do it at all. He won’t part with Akamaru - and that dumb dog won’t listen to us.” “Okay … We’ll just make sure Kiba doesn’t tell anyone. Or!” Sakura’s eyes widened and a large grin spread across her ruddy face. “We’ll have Akamaru sniff out the peonies! He can do that, right?” “Why would I know?” Ino looked back through the crowds to see Akamaru bouncing above the sea of heads. “I guess that could work. But why would he want to track peonies —” “I don’t care! Make up something! Say somebody stole them without paying! Come on, we gotta catch ‘em before we lose them too!” Sakura grabbed Ino by the elbow and ran down the street after the boy and his dog.

You were pretty sure Kakashi had just ditched you. That, or this was an elaborate roleplay to see if you were worthy of the date in the first place. He’d just assigned you the task of getting rid of the genin that were following you. Or rather, following him. As far as you were concerned, the two girls didn’t know about you - and they certainly didn’t know you were on a date.

It’s okay, you thought to yourself as you walked down the street, three peonies in your trembling hands. I can call it that. HE called it that. A date. Except … we’re not on the date now. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. I’m going to lose these girls and then I’m going to get dinner with Kakashi! You and Kakashi had parted ways a few streets back, and you had yet to see these two supposed stalkers. Kakashi couldn’t even point them out to you. “Well, they’re not here,” he had mused, still lounging against the dango shop wall. “But they’re trying to find me. I could easily give them the slip, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, it’ll help them to develop some necessary shinobi skills. Plus, I can work up an appetite.” “I already have,” you had muttered, but didn’t receive a response. At least he had given you a brief description of both girls and you figured they’d be pretty easy to spot - especially since Kakashi said they often couldn’t go more than fifteen minutes without breaking out into an argument. It seemed like you’d be able to see (that was, hear) them coming from a mile away. “Now,” you said, taking one of the peonies and twirling it between your fingers. “I just gotta get rid of these. So much for flowers on our first date. Oh well.”

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mcutrio · 7 years

Text

Overpass [4]

Tags: @buckys-little-monster @imaginesofeverykind

Less than an hour later, everybody was shaken awake and told to suit up, given the fact that the rest of the team had figured out what Ultron’s next move. As exhausted as they all felt, the trio were not really in a position to not follow them, considering that Ultron was planning to fry the human race after taking out the Avengers. How he planned to do it, however, still remained a mystery.

“We’ll take Natasha and Clint,” Steve announced, picking up and sheathing his Shield onto his back as Bucky followed close behind, grasping his hands together.

Stark, fiddling with his watch, nodded. “Alright. Strictly recon. I’ll hit the Nexus with Miss Tech and rejoin you as soon as I can. Take the other two along with you, they could be helpful if the twins decide to make an appearance again.”

Steve nodded in agreement, though stopped before the front door to address the situation with Tony.

“If Ultron’s really building a body--” Steve paused.

“--it’ll be more powerful than any of us,” Tony finished, his face blank as fear pulsed in his chest. “Maybe all of us. An android designed by a robot,” Stark shrugged.

“You know, I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me,” Steve cocked his head, glancing over at Director Fury as he pulled his usual trench jacket over his body.

“I’ll drop Banner off at the tower,” he said, “Mind if I borrow Miz Hill?”

Stark smirked. “She’s all yours -- apparently.”

Nick did a double-take, wondering if he understood Tony’s words correctly. He smiled to himself once realising the double-meaning.

“What’re you gonna do?” Steve asked.

“I don’t know,” Fury looked over at the super-soldier before eyeing the three girls steadily, though his eyes seemed to glance past Kat as if she weren’t there. “Something dramatic, I hope.”

“You,” Stark pointed directly at Kat, who rose her brows in surprise.

“Me? What?” She responded.

“You’re coming with me,” he decided, “you’re good with tech. I got some contacts; did a little research. We’re going to the Nexus to figure out what Ultron plans to do once he’s finished meddling with the nuclear codes.”

Kat zipped up her jacket and nodded. “Alright,” she then turned to Tabitha and Courtney, bidding the two goodbye and good-lucks before wandering off with Tony. Nick, who hung back, addressed the two of them with a knowing smile.

Before Fury could step away from the conversation, Steve grasped his arm. “Are you sure we can trust these girls?”

Fury smirked. “Oh, I’m sure,” he nodded, walking over towards Tabitha and Courtenay.

“It’s good to see you up and about,” Fury reported, hands clasped behind his back. “How’re you feeling?”

“Like it's about time we met the man giving us orders,” Tabitha and Courtenay looked at one another for a moment before smiling and shaking hands with Fury, then looking over at a bewildered Steve. “Captain.”

“Oh, I’m not the one giving the orders,” Fury corrected, “just call me… the man in charge.”

“Sure thing,” Court responded, fishing out and grasping a red lollipop from her jumpsuit pocket. Tabitha snatched it from her hand.

“Where’d you get this?” She questioned, unwrapping it.

Court shrugged, pulling out a blue one. “I stole it from the kid's sweet jar.”

“Nice,” Tabitha laughed, taking the sour-cherry flavoured sweet into her mouth, “come on, let’s go kick some metal ass.”

Bucky stared at her for a moment, flexing his metal arm as he grasped the wrist with his right arm.

“Uh… not yours, though,” Tabitha winked, plopping the sweet between her lips for a moment.

“Cute,” Bucky remarked, following Steve out of the house with a smirking Tabitha and Courtenay following close behind.

“A hacker who’s faster than Ultron?” Tony tapped away on one of the computer keyboards whilst Kat, beside him, busied herself with the other one. “He could be anywhere.”

Sighing, Kat took down three of the bots that blocked her from activating the system. “Or she.”

Stark ignored her, turning to the man behind him, “and if this is the centre of everything, I’m just a guy looking for a needle in the world's biggest haystack,” he retorted, looking to Kat’s screen. “Hit that.”

The moment he said that she was able to decrypt the code and looked at him with a successful smirk. He pulled a face at her, unamused.

“How do you find it?” A lady behind Stark asked.

He scoffed as if the answer was obvious. “Pretty simple. You bring a magnet.”

It made sense, really; the moment that Stark and Kat were able to access and decrypt nuclear codes would be the very moment that Ultron’s activity on the web would be focused there, considering it's what he’s been trying to hijack for a few days now.

“Come and get me.”

“Two minutes. Stay close.” Steve reported, overlooking the city, Court to the right of him. Her fingers were twitching and her mind was starting to race; the piercing sound of a car coming to a halt about a few hundred yards to their west caught her senses and she was pulled off focus.

“We need to go,” Courtenay said, her voice quiet. She pulled on glasses that Stark had kindly whipped up in his science lab and pushed her earbud into the ear that was preoccupied with her microphone.

Steve and Courtenay picked up their pace, running into the science lab before Steve broke out into a sprint at the sight of a dishevelled, wounded Dr Cho. By the sight of her, she seemed in pain, though would easily make it out alive.

“Dr Cho!” Steve called out, reaching for a rag and pressing it to her wound as she breathed heavily, trying to control the pain.

She grasped his arm, gaining his attention. “He’s uploading himself into the body.”

“Where?” Steve asked though she shook her head to tell him that she didn’t know. Before he could turn to leave, she snatched his arm again.

“The real power is in the cradle,” she said, “the-- the gem; its power is uncontainable. You can’t just blow it up. You have to get the cradle to Stark.”

“First we have to find it,” he said.

“Go!” Helen breathed.

Steve turned to a taken aback Court, who looked at him with a wary expression before nodding at him and as he touched his earpiece,

“Did you guys copy that?” Steve asked.

“We did,” Clint sighed, his eyes scanning the ground as he swiftly hovered the SHIELD aircraft.

Tabitha folded her arms, one hand grasping the lollipop stick as she feigned a nonchalant attitude all the while worrying about her friends.

“I got a private jet taking off across town,” Natasha reported, pressing a button on the hologram screen ahead of her. “No manifest,” she added with a sigh. “That could be him.”

“There,” Clint nodded, “it’s a truck from the lab.”

Tabitha leaned towards the window, eyeing the white-and-blue truck that swam through the roads. Natasha lifted her eyes, wondering why a truck was setting off at the same time as a jet.

“Right about you, Cap. On the loop by the bridge,” Barton reported, his fingers tightening around the steering handles. “It’s them. Got three with the cradle; one in the cab,” he said, flicking a switch that readied the firearms to the aircraft. “I could take out the driver.”

“Don’t!” Court yelled.

“Negative!” Steve agreed, hauling himself up the ladders with Courtenay close behind, her fingers ghosting over her iconic minigun strapped to her back. “That truck crashes, the gem could level the city. We need to draw out Ultron.”

Steve overlooked the truck below him, his legs jumping with adrenaline before he turned to Court, who had her body prepared for impact.

“You ready?” He asked.

“As I’ll ever be!” Court answered, taking off into a sprint before leaping over the bridge and taking a hard grasp of the truck, Steve following close behind. However, he lost his footing and stumbled and instead grabbed the swinging doors that Ultron blasted open in an attempt to lose the super-soldier.

“Aw, jeez. Cap, grab on!” Court yelled, her hand stretching out to grab hold of him. However, a further blast unhinged the door and left Cap skidding on the road, his hands reaching for the truck. “Dammit!”

“Well, he’s definitely unhappy,” Steve retorted. “I’m gonna try and keep him that way.”

“You’re not a match for him, Cap,” Clint shot back, shaking his head.

“Thanks, partner,” Steve scoffed before his eyes locked onto Court, a combat knife between her teeth as she pulled out her pistols and began shooting down at the Ultron-bots in the truck, “but maybe we are.”

Another blast from Ultron and Steve was flung from the truck, his shield stopping his body from a harsh impact as he went flying into the front windscreen of a nearby car. Panting, he grabbed onto a van, swinging himself before landing upon the lab truck again.

“You know what’s in that cradle?”

Cap leaned towards Court, blocking a shot from Ultron that sent vibrations, shaking the pair on their feet.

“The power to make real change,” Ultron said, “and that terrifies you.”

Yanking the knife from her mouth, she electrified it the moment Steve threw his shield and she embedded the knife into Ultron’s thigh, hoping to disable the wiring.

“I wouldn’t call it a comfort,” Steve yelled, letting out a harsh breath as he was disarmed of his shield.

“Stop!” Ultron growled, kicking Courtney backwards who clenched her fingers down onto the truck, trying to level her footing.

“Get outta here!” Cap told Court, her knife having made close to no effect on Ultron’s vibranium attire. With another shockwave, Court was thrown from the vehicle, her body smashing onto the ground as cars swerved to avoid her.

“You know how to drive these things?” Natasha asked, readying herself on the seat of a sleek, black motorbike as Tabitha readied herself on a navy blue one.

“Like the back of my hand, yeah,” she shrugged, her eyes swimming to Bucky who eyed the pair unsteadily. “We got this, Buck.”

“I think you and I are gonna get along just fine,” Natasha grinned.

“We got a window!” Clint reported. “Four, three… give ‘em hell,” he said, flipping a switch.

Yanking on the handles the moment the vault opened, the two were sent crashing to the ground before they chewed up the concrete beneath their wheels and made a straight path towards Ultron's truck.

“Am I always picking up after you boys?” Natasha cocked her head, snatching up Cap’s shield and placing it on the front of her motorbike.

Tabitha watched as Courtney steadied herself, and she reached out and pulled her towards the bike where Court then gripped onto Tabitha’s shoulders, her breath taken out of her body.

“What a ride,” she grinned.

“Hard right,” Clint said, “now!”

Natasha and Tabitha swerved their bikes, taking a narrow road that had people jumping aside in order to avoid impact with the beefy vehicles.

“I got the right!” Natasha yelled, ducking underneath the truck as Tabitha closed in on the other side, her palms sweating under the tension. Natasha was taken off course as Ultron unearthed the concrete ahead of her, but Tabitha didn’t take a moment to look back as she sped up alongside the cradle. Court’s hand were harsh on her shoulders as cars toppled and crashed over the road, Steve jumping between them as he avoided getting hit.

“Cap, jump!” Tabitha said, using a surge of violet energy to lift the super soldier off of his feet and back towards Ultron again.

“Send me down,” Bucky demanded, watching as his friend, Steve, was barely able to keep up with the vibranium giant.

“It’s not safe, Barnes.”

“I won’t ask again,” Bucky demanded, his eyes hard.

Clint took a breath, his nose twitching in disagreement before he unlocked the vault and Bucky jumped down, his metal fingers scraping against the concrete a few feet ahead of the truck, only for himself, Steve and Ultron to be catapulted into the nearby public train that sped alongside them.

“I’m going in,” Natasha told Steve, “Cap, Buck, you think you can keep him occupied?”

“That’s the plan,” Barnes reported, his arm clashing with Ultron’s. A shock wave was formed between the two of them and they were both sent flying back, though it wasn’t a moment later that they weren’t up on their feet again.

Natasha leapt into the truck, immediately trying to override the channelling process only to be denied.

“Oh, shit,” Tabitha cursed, pulling the motorbike to a harsh stop as she watched the two Ultron bots clasp onto the side of the truck and lift off into the air.

“Holy crap!” Court breathed, “Nat’s still in there!”

“There’s nothing we can do about it now,” Tabitha kicked her legs back up onto the motorbike, “hang on tight; we’re going to the train.”

The two of them drove alongside the train before they bounded off simultaneously, smashing and swinging through one of the windows.

“Cap, you seen Nat?” Clint asked frantically.

Steve, staring down the train tracks that seemed to end straight ahead of them, cried out: “If you have the package, get it to Stark! Go!”

“Do you have eyes on Nat?!” He repeated.

“Go!” Steve demanded, turning to the twins who had appeared to help contain Ultron. “Civilians in our path,” he said to Pietro, who got the memo and shot off. “Can you stop this thing?”

“Not alone,” Tabitha said, her fingers glowing purple as she nodded to the younger Maximoff twin. The speed of the train immediately began to plummet the moment they both combined their energy in an attempt to stop the astray public transport, which sent Cap and Courtney flying into seats before the train came to an ultimate stop and they were left heaving and unsteady at the control panel.

Steve and Court stepped off of the train, closing in on the Maximoff twins who, although helped them, were not sincerely trusted.

“I’m fine-- I just need a minute,” Pietro said to Wanda who had her hand pressed to his shoulder as he bent over, winded.

“I don’t know about that, kid,” Court frowned, “you’re not out of the clear yet.”

“The cradle, did you get it?” Wanda asked.

Steve nodded. “Stark will take care of it.”

The young girl shook her head in disagreement. “No, he won’t.”

Rogers holds a long stare on Wanda, “you don’t know what you’re talking about, Stark's not crazy,” he said, and although his voice did not falter there was a brief thought towards the psychotic AI his friend had managed to create.

“He will do anything to make things right,” Wanda shot back, frowning. Steve thought about this for a moment, a sinking, cold feeling in his chest.

“Stark, come in. Stark?”

“Kat?” Court asked, her fingers pressed to her ear.

“Anyone on comms?” Steve repeated.

“Ultron can’t tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it,” Wanda told Steve, tilting her head, “where do you think he gets that?”

#mcu trio #marvel imagine #bucky x reader #steve rogers

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