#i swear i have never been more flabbergasted and speechless in my entire life

[burymeinwillow]

My beloved @junichan is visiting me and SHE GAVE ME?? A REPLICA OF LITTLE JOE’S GREEN JACKET

I’m honestly speechless. I’m oddly obsessed with this jacket AND SHE JUST... GAVE ME A REPLICA OF IT!! I HAVE JOE’S JACKET 

[thefanficmonster]

Holy Crap!

Corpse Husband & Reader (Gender Neutral)

Warnings: Minor SPOILERS for Resident Evil 8: Village, Swearing

Genre: Humor, Fluff, RPF (Real Person Fic)

Summary: Y/N and Corpse bite off more than they can chew with the new Resident Evil game, mesmerized by the tall vampire lady ;)

Requested by Anon. Hi darling! Thank you so much for the lovely request - as someone who is still obsessed with Resident Evil (especially Village), I can’t thank you enough for putting that in a mashup with one of my favorite people of all time! I’m so sorry you’ve had to wait so long for it but here it finally is! Hope the fic makes up for the wait! Love, Vy ❤

“Hello everyone!“ Corpse greets his audience.

“Hi!“ You squeal excitedly, unable to contain yourself as you impatience rises, close to breaking through the goddamn roof.

“Welcome back to Resident Evil Village, last time when we left off we were about to enter what I think is the castle where the tall beautiful lady lives.“ Corpse explains, as his mouse moves to the CONTINUE button on the main menu of the game, “Ready when you are, Y/N.”

“Have never been more ready in all my life.“ You reply, cracking your knuckles as your gaze fixates on the desk, scanning to make sure you’ve got all you need for throughout the stream. Since you’re not playing yourself, you’ve got some snacks handy to gnaw on during the intense moments when Corpse is the bigger entertainment, shadowing the game itself with his panicking and fear.

“Alright...“ He chuckles, amused but not surprised. “Let’s continue then.“

He comes across a gate with a lever switch that needs to be pulled down for it to open. Just as Ethan’s about to complete the action, a cut-scene plays.

“Oh fuck.“ You mumble under your breath, knowing this is probably not gonna be pretty.

“Well, well, well...“ A voice of a man catches Ethan’s attention, turning our first person point of view to look at its owner.

You’re left quite amazed by the sight of him, and you’d be glad to admit it. He looks disheveled and unclean, but his confident stance holds enough power to make up for his lack of self-care in terms of appearance and hygiene.

When you snap back from the momentary daydream, you find that Ethan’s now getting dragged by the fella, his body bound by chains as he powerlessly slides through the darkness, hearing faint taunting remarks from the man.

“Hasn’t this man had enough already?! His wife was killed, his baby was taken, he’s already lost a couple fingers! Let him breath, for fuck’s sake!“ Complains Corpse, all righteous and whatnot.

You, as gone as you are, just mindlessly and a bit too casually slur out, “He’s kinda hot.”

Far too casually, since it flabbergasts Corpse, contrasting your calmness, “The hobo?!?!”

“Hey, don’t call him that!“ You argue back, “It’s just my taste in men, I can’t do anything about it!“

He sighs, exasperated, “If that’s your taste in men I’m so fucking screwed.“

You open your mouth to throw some sass his way but find yourself slack-jawed at the sight on your computer screen before you. You’re eyes have reached the size of plates as you take it all in. Take her in with all her glory.

“Holy crap...“ You mutter in unison with Corpse who seems just as mesmerized as you, neither of you listening to the dialog being exchanged.

Lady Dimitrescu then gets up from the chair she’s sitting in, towering over the ‘hobo’ who’s been introduced as Heisenberg but he’s not even on the back-burner of your mind at this point. Your brain has been invaded and colonized by this vampire lady, leaving you speechless.

“Holy crap!“ This time you both exclaim. You have never seen anything or anyone who holds so much power. You would be laughing at yourself for that strong comment you made about Heisenberg just minutes ago. That is if your entire body didn’t just shut down.

A couple minutes pass before you two come back to your senses, reminding yourselves that you’re streaming and that you’ve worried your audiences with the silence that has lasted far too long at this point.

“What’re we doing?“ Corpse asks, disoriented as all hell as he looks around, realizing he’s in a whole different area and Ethan’s hands are now cuffed.

That’s when you glimpse at the chat telling you both that you need to run Ethan for his life, something Corpse clearly hasn’t noticed.

“Corpse, you’re in control! Run!“ You exclaim, suddenly hearing the howling and growling of the werewolf creatures.

He hears it too and takes off running in an instant, very much not sure of where he’s going.

“HOLY SHIT!“

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[lilxberry]

Underestimated - Thorin’s Company

Requested by: @iwazoomingouttahere​

I think this is how I request haha, could I have a Thorins company x reader where she’s the youngest so they assume she’s not a good fighter so they’re all shocked when she takes out a whole orc pack basically on her own? I loved all your other imagines and now I’m rambling haha sorry.. 💕

You’re the first person to request something, I’m so happy, thank you 

Warning: Fluff. Moody lil’ reader. Mentions of violence. Mentions of blood. The company being absolute smothers. That’s it I think (not too sure if I used any curse words, pretty sure I didn’t this time.)

Words: 1,770

Pairings: Thorin’s Company x Reader (female reader) (young reader)

_______________

Being the youngest seriously sucked. You had at least expected it from the dwarves, but for Bilbo to undermine your capabilities had truly flabbergasted you. ‘HE CAN’T EVEN LIFT AN ACTUAL SWORD!’ The bitter thought was loud as it bounced around in your head.

You trailed behind the company, minus Gandalf who, once again, disappeared to Mahal knows where. You kicked every rock and stone that were unfortunate to be along the path you walked. Your head was down as you mumbled insults about each and every person that walked before you.

“Bunch of elf loving, lettuce eating idiots.”

Granted, your insults were never too harsh when spoken about the people you’ve come to care about and travel with, but they had seriously infuriated you to know end. “Stupid Dwalin and his stupid bold head with his stupid axe, getting in the way of my kill.”

Fíli and Kíli slowed their walk until they fell behind enough to join your side, Kíli on your left, Fíli on your right. “Who are you cursing under your breath now, little mouse?” The older prince spoke as Kíli slung his arms over your shoulder.

“Yeah pipsqueak, why so moody?”

You huffed in annoyance and threw his arm off of your shoulders then folding your own across your chest, picking up speed, forcing the brothers to follow you. “Nothing.”

Fíli and Kíli snickered at your grouchy attitude and rolled their eyes, picking up their own speed to re-join you. “Now, now, don’t get your undergarments in a twist.”

You clenched your jaw and bit down harshly on your tongue, refraining from saying something you may regret to either of the two. Just as Fíli opened his mouth to say yet another snarky, teasing remark, Thorin announces that they were to stop and set up camp.

You breathed out a sigh in relief and quickly headed towards the opening that you’ve come across and proceed to slide your knapsack off of your shoulder and place in on the floor, pulling out your bedroll and setting it up ready for later that night.

Thorin gave orders to everyone, Bombur and Balin to sit tight whilst the others go collect wood and hunt for meat. You marched over towards Thorin with a determined step, chest puffed out, oozing confidence. “What do you want me to do?”

Thorin turned his gaze towards you and flashed you a small smile. “Don’t worry, go sit and read that book of yours, relax.” He ruffled your hair as he walked past you. You let your shoulder slump as you sighed in defeat, trudging over towards your bedroll, sitting down cross legged, elbows rested atop your knees and your face held within your hands.

‘Bloody dwarves.’

_______________

You and the others sat around the fire, an amber glow illuminating each member of the company as they ate the rabbit stew Bombur had prepared with the help of Balin and Nori. They roared with laughter, but you sat there silently, not wanting to partake in their boisterous manners and jokes.

“What’s the matter lass? You tired?” Bofur spoke, drawing the company’s attention towards you.

“Are you tired? It’s fine if you want to head off to sleep.” Nori added, everyone curious if that was the reason for your unusual quietness.

You huffed in annoyance and set your nearly empty bowl of food down by the side of you with a thud, shocking some of the members. “No. I am NOT tired. No in the way you may think.” You uttered the last part of your answer quietly, fed up with how overbearing and annoying yet oblivious they were being. You stood hastily and began to walk to the treeline. “I’m going for a stroll.”

The other members were left stunned by your little outburst as they watched you quickly retrieve your weapon before disappearing beyond the trees. Just as Dwalin stood to go get you to return to camp, Balin placed a hand on to his brothers’ arm, stopping him from following you.

“Let her go, she clearly needs some time to herself.” Of course, Balin was just as concerned as any of the other members but knew Gandalf had chosen you to join them for a reason. Plus, they wouldn’t be far behind if you found yourself in a spot of trouble.

Dwalin grunted something unintelligible as he plonked himself back down beside Balin, still keeping an eye on where you exited the clearing and entered the darkened woods.

_______________

As you wander through the forest, weaving in and out of trees, you cursed the dwarves and even the hobbit under your breath. You leant against a large tree, trying to calm your breathing and will a sense of peace to take over, but all you felt was anger.

Anger towards the dwarves. Anger towards the hobbit. Anger towards Gandalf. Anger towards yourself. Just pure anger.

You closed your eyes, listening to the serene sounds of the woodland area when all of the sudden, a snap of a twig pried your eyes open faster than the crack of a whip. You rolled your eyes, assuming it was your overbearing companions. “I swear to Mahal…just leave me be.”

You noted the silence that followed your statement causing your eyebrows to furrow. You stepped forward from the trunk of the tree and walked to peer around it. That was when you came face to face with a Warg, an orc sat atop of it.

Your eyes widened, the stench of its breath overwhelmed your sense, fear sunk in and overtook your body. You forced yourself to take a few steps back. The beast snarled. You slowly raised your hand and gripped the hilt of your sword tightly as it took a few steps towards you.

The further you stepped back, and the closer it stepped towards, more and more orcs upon Wargs revealed themselves. There had been at least 7 by your rushed and panicked count. You swallowed down the lump in your throat, bringing your other hand to grip your weapon.

Just as the Warg lunged towards you, you unsheathed your sword and swung at its throat, cutting down your first attacker. As the Warg fell and the orc crashed to the floor along with it, a loud pained cry came from the beast as its final sound.

The volume of the cry had been so loud that the sound carried all the way to where the company had set up camp. Everyone was up and alert, already heading towards the forest, weapons in hand, purely concerned for your safety.

“Y/N!” The members called loudly, each panicked, unknowing of your whereabouts apart from the occasional scream, fearing that one of them may have come from you.

“Y/N! WHERE ARE YOU?!” The fear that they couldn’t save you grew, making them more irrational in their choice of direction. They had all spread out, splitting off in different directions, all in the hope of spotting their youngest member.

They searched and searched until finally, Bilbo had spotted you. “SHE’S OVER HERE!” He shouted over towards his companions who soon barrelled towards the direction he was in. But once arriving and witnessing the full extent of the situation, they all became slack jawed and wide eyed.

There you stood, over an orc that scrambled to get away, surrounded by its fellow attackers. You buried your sword deep into its chest, therefor ending its life. Wargs and orcs littered the ground surrounding you, all dead and bloody.

You heaved for breath, chest rising and falling as you took in your surroundings. You were covered in blood also, though majority of it belonging to your enemies. Another twig snapped and you whipped around with your weapon raised in front of you.

But unlike earlier, you were met with the sight of 13 dwarves and a hobbit. You relaxed, sighing as you let your arms drop, sword stained with blood lowering along with them. “Hey guys.”

The company had become rather speechless to what they had just bear witness to. Their youngest, most “fragile” member had just demolished an entire pack of orcs and their Wargs, all on their lonesome.

You furrowed your eyebrows as you stared at them, a feeling of uneasiness settling in the pit of your stomach. “Uh-what’s wrong? Hello?”

Thorin stormed straight towards you, so much so that you even flinched slightly at his sudden movements. Once he stood tall before you, you shrank into yourself, expecting a loud, gruelling lecture about heading away from everyone, but he pleasantly surprised you when he grinned down at you and brought you into a hug.

You froze slightly, unsure of what to do. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He spoke, although you could hear the proud grin through his tone. You smiled ever so slightly as he broke away from you.

“It appears we had underestimated you lass.” Balin spoke, earning nods and hums in agreement from the others.

“YOU’RE TELLING ME??!!” You exclaimed loudly, throwing your hands up in exasperation.

The others chuckled, a grin forcing its way on to your own face. Thorin put a hand on your shoulder and directed you towards the others. Dwalin slapped your back, making you lurch forward. You brushed your hair back which fell in front of your face from the sheer force of his pat and smiled up at him.

“Ye did good lass.” He spoke in his usual gruff voice, although an ever so small smile was present on his face hidden by his kempt beard.

“I know.” You placed your hands on your hips and walked past the group, heading back towards camp, confidence once again oozing off of you. The nights events surely boosted your ego.

Fíli and Kíli had quickly caught up towards you and bumped your side with their elbows. “Honestly, how did you do it?” You laughed and slung your arms over their shoulders.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow. I’m absolutely exhausted from being so badass.” You smirked and the others who trailed behind you back to camp laughed at your antics. “Maybe now you’ve all learned to be a little less judgemental when it comes to age.” You spoke, a hint of playfulness in your tone.

You removed your arms from around the boys’ shoulders and headed over towards your bedroll once you re-entered the clearing where camp was set up. “Goodnight lads.” And with that, you laid down into your bedroll and tucked yourself in, falling fast asleep soon after.

The others smiled at you as many followed your example, excluding those on watch. They were sure to never underestimate you again.

_______________

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MY FIRST REQUEST AHHHHH

Honestly, I really hope I didn’t mess up too much with the story. I was a bit iffy about the ending but I really don’t know how I should finish it up other than what I’ve written

I hope you enjoy and I especially hope that this fits what the requester wanted!

As always, constructive criticism and requests are welcomed and greatly appreciated :D

[writing-of-a-british-bitch]

You Promise?

Fandom: Harry Potter

Specified gender: Female

Pairing: George Weasley x reader

TW: (Y/N) calls Umbridge out, George being adorable, little bit of swearing, lowkey wish I had a relationship like George and (Y/N).

Genre: Mostly fluff

Word Count : 2.2K

Request:  Would you write about George Weasley dating a Slytherin girl? I love the idea since he’s the softer twin and he would never judge. With the family and friends being rather sceptical thinking she is maybe just pranking him, but they actually love each other a lot :)

PART 1- I promise

Masterlist

A/N: I know a lot of this is out of character but George is so sweet and I just-. Also I really didn’t know how to end this - sorry! Hope you guys enjoy

"Let me see," George demanded the second (Y/N) stepped out of the Slytherin common room. He'd been waiting at least twenty minutes for her, ready to walk her to breakfast as he did every morning. (Y/N) raised an eyebrow at the ginger, putting her hands in her pockets, silently. George narrowed his eyes slightly and extended his hand. She pushed past him, beginning to head to the great hall, but he caught her arm. "(Y/N), show me. Please."

(Y/N) released a small sigh and reluctantly removed her right hand from her pocket, allowing him to take it. He slowly removed the bandage, face growing a deep red in anger at the words embedded into her skin. She winced as he gently ran his thumb over it, and he apologies under his breath. Cut into the back of her hands were the words 'I will not corrupt the Slytherin house'.

"She's talking about us," (Y/N) stated quietly. George's eyes shot up to her saddened ones. "In the detention, she wouldn't stop talking how Slytherin's that were friends or in a relationship with any other house were traitors."

"Umbridge can say whatever she wants about us, but that will never stop me from loving you. You have given me some of the happiest moments of my life, and you have my heart entirely," George replied firmly, rewrapping her hand and pressing a light kiss to the back of it. (Y/N) smiled at him fondly.

"God, you have gone soft, haven't you Weasley?" She teased and George dropped his head, letting out a chuckled, pulling her to his chest.

"Careful, (L/N), your Slytherin is showing," He mumbled, pressing a kiss to her forehead "Now if we're quite done pouring our hearts out in front of the Slytherin common room, I'm rather peckish."

"You always have to break the mood don't you?" As if on cue, (Y/N)'s stomach growled and George threw his head back in loud laughter, earning a glare from a group of fourth years as they stepped out the common room. He shook his head and took her uninjured hand and led her to the great hall.

Fred ran over as soon as the pair walked into the great hall, and all of a sudden the trio felt like all eyes were on them after (Y/N)'s outburst the previous night.

"What did that toad do to you?" Fred asked immediately, barely allowing the couple to breathe.

"Freddie, I'm fine, it's nothing worse than what she did to you and George. Don't worry about me," She answered, placing a hand on his arm to reassure him, but she noticed the twins exchange a look that screamed, "we'll talk later." George walked her to her table, kissing her cheek before hesitantly walking to the Gryffindor. A few Slytherin's glared at her, but whether it was because of her relationship with George, the number of points she lost them last night or just the general Slytherin etiquette, she'd never know.

(Y/N) had never been more glad that she shared a class with both the twins, even if it was with the hag. She felt like she was walking with two personal bodyguards, rather than walking with her best friend and her boyfriend. Defence Against The Dark Arts was the only class she had with both boys, she had Potions with Fred and Transfiguration with George but she was sat far away from them in both classes, probably because both heads of houses knew the antics you normally got up to. However, in DADA, she was sat on a desk with Fred, with George on the desk beside her. Really bad planning on Umbridge's part but she'd never complained.

"How's Ron's hand doing? His injury looked particularly bad - I think it will scar," (Y/N) commented absentmindedly. A smile tugged the corner of Fred's mouth and George snorted silently as they thought back to their brother's ramblings at breakfast.

"He's doing fine, love. Think he's more scared of you than anything else," Fred snickered and (Y/N) turned to the ginger, slightly confused.

"He'd never seen you angry before, and with what happened last night, he wouldn't stop going on about how he didn't want to get on your bad side this morning," George rolled his eyes at the memory. (Y/N) giggled at the thought and George didn't even notice the look of adoration he was giving her. But Fred did.

"You guys are so adorable," Fred smiled before scowling playfully "It makes me feel sick," (Y/N) and George laughed so hard it sounded like a cackle, as they arrived at the classroom. Umbridge was stood outside the door, hands placed neatly in front of her, a sickeningly fake smile on her face.

"While I'm sure whatever you are talking about is truly hilarious, boys and girls must remain three inches apart," Umbridge tilted her head and (Y/N) had to bite back a snarky comment. The three shared a look before the twins took an exaggerated step away from (Y/N). She had to force back a snort at the look on Umbridge's face as she stepped into the classroom and to her desk.

All lesson, Umbridge had been getting on her nerves, making her hands clench under the table, though Fred had taken her injured hand a few times to stop her from aggravating the wound further. Eventually, (Y/N) had let out an exasperated sigh, that was a little too loud for her liking. Umbridge's eyes instantly snapped over to her, like she'd been waiting for her to slip up.

"Is there a problem, Miss (L/N)?" She asked, her voice high pitched and irritating. (Y/N) looked up at her, and sat back, folding her arms.

"Several, actually. Though I doubt you really care all that much," (Y/N) shot back and she could feel all eyes on her again. Including the worried ones of Fred and George. Fred knocked his leg against hers under the table, telling her to quit it for her own sake.

"Oh, do tell. The happiness of my students is my key priority," She responded and she heard snickers scattered all over the classroom.

"Alright then, why tell us three off when we didn't do anything wrong?" (Y/N) gestured between herself and the twins. Umbridge's eye twitched slightly in annoyance

"You were disobeying the school rules. All boys and girls must remain six inches apart." "So you're breaking your own rules then."

"How so?" Umbridge raised her eyebrows expectantly. George opened his mouth to try and get his girlfriend to stop, knowing this would only result in another detention. He didn't want her hurt again.

"You have this stupid rule about six inches between girls and boys, but they sit together in the great hall and common rooms. And even if you tried to enforce this rule, please tell me where you'd find space in the common rooms and great hall to ensure they stayed six inches apart. Also, in your own class, you have everyone sat boy-girl. How is that keeping six inches apart?"The class looked flabbergasted and even Umbridge looked speechless. No one quite knew how to react.

"The rule is in place to prevent inappropriate behaviour in corridors and communal areas. In whole student areas, teachers are there to monitor students and punish them when necessary," Umbridge answered after a long pause. (Y/N) smirked slightly, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh? So, inappropriate behaviour in the classroom, would that include a teacher using a black quill on their students, for example?" She questioned, an innocent tone to her voice, though every word was laced with venom. Fred and George couldn't quite believe this was the same (Y/N) who was terrified to meet their parents in the summer. Umbridge stuttered over her words, before letting out an indignant huff, storming to the front of the classroom and commanding the students to turn to page 576.

"(Y/N)!" The girl turned to see the youngest Weasley boy running towards her from down the corridor. She stopped, allowing Ron to catch up "I heard about what happened with Umbridge this morning. Did you actually say all that stuff to her?"

"I mean, someone had to say it eventually, it just happened to be me," She shrugged beginning to walk again slowly with Ron beside.

"Bloody hell, (Y/N), you must have a death wish!"

"Kinda comes when you start hanging out with your brothers," (Y/N) joked lightly, nudging Ron with her shoulder. He let out an awkward chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Look, I, uh, I actually came here to talk to you about something a little more serious. I haven't exactly been the nicest to you because you're a Slytherin and, I know now that you're nothing like some of the people in your house. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry. Oh, and, uh, thanks for yesterday," Ron said, rushed and extremely hesitant as if it was difficult for him to say it. (Y/N) smiled at him kindly, and nodded.

"It's alright Ron, if I had a history with a house like you guys have with the Slytherins, I probably wouldn't be the nicest either," She reassured, Ron nodded uncomfortably before quickly making a quick excuse and dashing off. (Y/N) laughed quietly at how painful his apology was to watch before making her way back to her common room.

"I don't think your brother hates me anymore," (Y/N) commented as she and George sat in the library together, after she'd forced him to actually do his DADA homework.

"Oh, god, what did Ron do?" George asked sarcastically, earning a glare from the librarian, seeing as George had no concept of an inside voice. (Y/N) muffled a laugh behind her hand as George ducked his head.

"He apologised last night, but it was really painful to watch. Something tells me Hermione forced him into it," She explained, still chuckling between each word. George nudged her, a fake pout on his face and she kissed his cheek.

"He wouldn't have apologised at all if he didn't feel at least a little bit guilty deep down," George reasoned, looking back at the book between them.

"Forgive me if I find that hard to believe," She replied, bouncing her foot under the table. George put a hand on her shaking knee, looking up at her.

"Seriously love, if he apologised, he meant it. I told you he'd come around eventually," (Y/N) sighed, sitting back in her seat slightly, raising an eyebrow at George.

"You promise?" She extended her pinky finger and George breathed out a snicker, before linking his pinky with hers.

"I promise."

"Hey, (Y/N), have you seen my tie? I've been looking all over for it and I need to open the shop," Fred called from his bedroom as (Y/N) stood in the living room fixing George's collar. George rolled his eyes playfully, and she let out a small laugh, spying it on the kitchen counter.

"You really didn't look that hard, Freddie. It's in the kitchen, dumbass," She replied and she heard a crash from his room. (Y/N) readjusted George's suit jacket and pressed a kiss to his cheek before going to check on Fred. Fred was on the floor, a pair of trousers wrapped around his ankles, with his duvet all over him. "Do I even want to know how you got in this situation?"

"I fell," He responded sheepishly, untangling himself from his belonging. (Y/N) placed her hand over her mouth to suppress a laugh, and she crouched down beside him to pull the duvet back on his bed. George appeared in the doorway, investigating the commotion and let out a roar of a laugh, having to lean on the doorway. Fred grumbled like a child as the pair laughed at him, even as George helped Fred up.

"And now you know why I nag you to clean your room," (Y/N) pointed as Fred walked to the kitchen, George close behind.

"You don't half sound like our mother," Fred remarked and she smacked his arm lightly, as he put his tie on. George smirked at their antics and took a sip from his cup of tea.

"C'mon we can't be late for our own official shop opening," George interrupted chirpily, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend's waist.

"Because you two are definitely known for your immaculate timing aren't you?" She teased, booping his nose and George dug his fingers into her side in response, grinning when she squealed.

"Are you ready, Georgie?"

"Ready as I'll ever be Freddie."

(Y/N) sat behind the till fingers crossed beneath the table, smiling slightly at the nervous looks on the twins' faces. The brothers shared a look before looking back at (Y/N), who nodded with an anxious grin, and with a small pause, they unlocked the front door and opened them wide. Business was slow for the first hour or so, and (Y/N) could see the disheartened look on the boys' faces but by 11 o'clock, the shop was swamped with adults and teenagers alike. Soon, the shop was as loud as she remembered the Hogwarts courtyard to be, and it was bustling. Fred and George wandered around talking to customers, laughing and joking, and (Y/N) admired the boyish delight that adorned their faces. George looked over at her and winked with the widest grin on his face, before going back to advertising the puking pastilles. George looked back over to her a few minutes later, and when he saw her talking to a small boy with his mother, he couldn't help but think that life could never get any better than this. His dream job, his dream girl and his brother by his side. Nothing would ever be better than this.

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[moonboohoo]

BOOK: DREAM; IN THE STARS

CHARACTER: IWAIZUMI HAJIME X READER

SUMMARY: IN WHICH A GIRL NEEDS TO REPAY HER SINS BY BEFRIENDING WITH A VOLLEYBALL PLAYER.

WORD COUNT : 5158

*LOWERCASE INTENDED.

2.1 ㅡ SOUL. 

warnings: major angst. 

days had stretched into months, and months had stretched into years. the seasons come and go like old friends. they bring memories of seasons past and the promise seasons to come.  even though these seasons were like the circle of life, which means there were some possible new changes and such, but people nowadays still lack a sense of humanity - therefore, you came up with a conclusion that becoming a grim reaper was more likely to be happier than reincarnate into another identity, which you wouldn't face the same thing all over again. maybe the trauma still haunts you, it was hard to forget and move on from what had happened in the past, and the wounds take time to heal.

after going through numerous trials and interrogations, the ruler of the afterlife - kaito-sama had previewed your life throughout these years. you've been told that committed suicide was a crime, and in order to repay your sins - they have given you a task to follow akaashi to guide the deceased to the afterlife.

how many years do you need to follow him? and, do they give you a chance to reincarnate? you have no idea, and you didn't really care about that anyway.

the pale cerise and cranberry pink blossoms of the cherry trees on the streets had fluttered downwards with the end of spring. the temperature was starting to get warmer, you could see people cursing the weather, as they took out their handkerchiefs to wipe their foreheads. nobody knew your existence, after all. you were a spirit, a grim reaper, and you're pretty much happy about it. you wanted to be alone and not interact with humans, you're scared that they will hurt your feelings again. letting out a long sigh, you raised your head for a gulp of air. the sound of the ice cream truck was heard, you saw a bunch of kids running around hysterically calling for their parents to give them money for ice cream. when they got the money from their parents, they went running toward the ice cream truck screaming, "ice cream!" , "ice cream!"

you gulped nervously and ran towards the ice cream truck, you haven't been eating ice cream for god knows how long, and you just wanted to sniff on the creamy, sweet texture to satisfy your desires. there were two kids standing beside you, licking and eating the ice cream happily. one of their cones had sprinkles and candies while the other one had nuts, coconuts and a host of other delicious toppings on them.

"(y/n)..."

no response.

"(y/n), come on." akaashi dragged you away from the scene, you pouted slightly as you followed him. he pinched the bridge of his nose before facing you, and you knew that akaashi was irritated, both of you were on a mission and the fact that you get distracted by an ice cream truck was ridiculous to him. akaashi forced himself to calm down, his angry expression returned to normal. you felt relieved when he patted your head, he usually did that when you're afraid of him, he didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable as he tried not to trigger your emotions, akaashi knew everything about your past events, and scolding you was definitely not an option.

"i told you to walk beside me, (y/n). it was hard for me to keep an eye on you when you're walking behind. moreover, i'm sure that you know we grim reapers, also counted as spirits - we won't be able to eat those, you know. "

you let out a dramatic sigh and walked past him, "akaashi...ice cream is literally the best! i mean, have you ever eaten ice cream?"

"(y/n), you never ate anything since the day you died, and it's been 15 years. and to answer your second question, i never eat that before..." his voice trailed off, as he wore a nervous expression on his face. you turned to him, your eyes widened in surprise. you thought akaashi was joking with you, you're flabbergasted and pretty much speechless. maybe akaashi hates sweet things? but, ice cream was basically a dessert that everyone likes - and he really did mention his favourite was sweet sticky rice, you've tried it before when you're little, and you immediately regretted after eating it because it was too sweet for you. akaashi fiddled his fingers when you squinted your eyes, staring at him curiously.

what was he doing in his entire life-

"akaashi-" just when you wanted to speak, he quickly covered your mouth and waved his right hand around. and for the next second, both of you were standing in the living room. you couldn't even process what was happening just now, as akaashi pulled your ear and dragged you upstairs, you made a whining voice as you tried to protest by pushing him away, but akaashi was strong, by the time when you guys were outside the room; your right earlobe had a light bruise and it was all thanks to your partner.

you crossed your arms over your chest and let out a huff, "kaito-sama told you not to simply use your powers here in case there are any emergencies..." you sighed, pushing the door open without looking at him. there were times that akaashi would suddenly get really flustered when you asked him a few questions that he didn't know how to answer, and as a result; he would end up using his powers and bring you to other places. but today? it was unacceptable. akaashi never did this to you, and you're now fuming with anger because he was acting normal, even though he could sense that you're grumpy because of him.

"(y/n), can you tell me the details about this man?"

"hisnameiscalledfujowararukawaandhe'salready78yearsoldhedoesn'tlivewithhisfamily becausehisdaughterhateshimandhe'sgoingtodieafter10minutesduetoheartattack." you simply told him in one go, without rephrasing your sentences. you pouted your lips and stared at him angrily, you're still waiting for him to pat your head, or giving you his awkward smile as an apology, but that doesn't seem to be the case. you watched the man sink slowly into the bed, his breathing becoming slower and slower and his hands were clutching on his shirt tightly, struggling to breathe. and then, you glanced over to akaashi. he was fiddling his fingers again, he slowly went towards him and put his hand on his forehead, his lips slightly quivered when he saw the man tears streaming from his deep blue eyes, loud, heaving sobs tearing down his throat. akaashi turned away and took a deep breath, he dug his fingers into his soft hands, trying to regain his composure. you couldn't help but worried about him, you nudged his arm with your elbow, he sighed while staring on the ground, not bothered to look at you.

"he's an old friend of mine," he spoke softly.

you didn't quite catch up with his words, and you're confused, too.

"i don't understand, akaashi. this old man is your friend?"

"he was already in his second life." akaashi sat on the chair, he brushed his hair back from his forehead, fingers shaking. "we're friends during the tokugawa period (aka edo period, 1603-1867. the final period of the traditional japan). both of our parents were farmers, and he will always ask me to play with him every day. we went to our secret hiding place behind our houses to build sandcastles and threw pebbles on the tree, we enjoyed talking to each other - and we talked about a lot of things. when i was 13, he was forced to move out with his parents. we made a promise to each other, and i thought our friendship will last forever."

you nodded, not knowing how to respond. "so...you have the ability to see their past memories?"

"y-yes...by touching their foreheads..." you blinked a little and waited for him to continue his story.

"we passed through, every spring. and you know what children are, always swearing internal friendship, then quite forgetting one another when the season has passed. he did not even know me when he came back to my hometown. he is so changed. and both of us were already 19 years old at that time."

you wanted to ask akaashi a lot of things, but your mouth was screwed shut. you didn't want him to think about his tragic past memories, but you're curious about his real identity. you shifted yourself closer and stood beside him, and there was this very one question that you've been dying to ask him a few years ago, but you didn't get the chance to ask him properly. you're contemplating whether you should ask this question or not, and you wouldn't give yourself too much expectation of him answering you since it was too personal.

"akaashi, why do you end up becoming a grim reaper? only people who committed sins are forced to...you know...i mean! we don't have a choice, right? kaito - sama said people who committed sins need to become a grim reaper!" you waved your hands nervously, and you regretted asking akaashi. you're ashamed at your insensitivity towards him. akaashi was looking at the old man, watching him took his last breath as he rolled his eyes back, he stood up and walked towards him as he avoided eye contact with you.

"...i killed my sister, and i ended up becoming a grim reaper for 300 years."

───

one of the guards leads the old man to the judgment hall, as you and akaashi went to a small garden beside the south gate, sitting on the bench while looking over the pond. fish were jumping above the large waves, which splashed on the shore. lily pads were swaying in and out of the waves, smaller frogs were jumping from pad to pad, playing as laughter filled the entire pond. you were always amazed by the beautiful flowers growing on the side of the pond, and you've never seen such unique colours before. their petals were surrounded by little blue diamonds, and the people in the afterlife told you that butterflies were reincarnated into those little gems, which you didn't understand why.

"butterflies are meant to shine, (y/n)." akaashi sat beside you, closing his eyes while responding to your question.

"stop reading my mind, akaashi," you stated coldly, clearly still annoyed that he didn't apologize to you. he was extremely quiet, it seems like there were other things occupied in his mind. was it your fault today? asking him in such a casual manner, you felt guilty for not being considerate of his feelings. you sighed again, you cleared your throat as you looked at him, you thought it was better for you to confront him face to face. you took a deep breath, opened your mouth but the words didn't want to come out. your heart was beating fast and it was odd - you weren't afraid of him, but this feeling made you so anxious.

"...today is my last mission with you, (y/n)."

it hit you hard. if you're to describe your feelings right now - sadness, anger and frustration mixed into one. you clenched your fist, your tears fall uncontrollably. you hated akaashi for not telling you, you hated him for being so selfish - he should've told you earlier, and you could spend time together with him as much as you can, it was hard to accept the fact that he was going to leave you, akaashi was there since the beginning of your death. 15 years of him taking care of you, 15 years of him staying by your side when you're depressed, 15 years of him doing a lot of things to you, to make you feel safe and comfortable around him.

"i'm sorry...i...i- please listen to me, (y/n)." he grabbed your hands and asked you to look at him. "after all these years, kaito-sama has finally given me a chance to reincarnate... i've been wanting to tell you since last week, but when i looked into your eyes, i felt guilty. it- it was hard for me too, it's been bothering me for months. (y/n)...i-"

he cried.

akaashi was crying.

when he cried, there was a rawness to it, like the pain was still an open wound. he hugged you tightly, the sobs were stifled at first as he attempted to hide his grief, then overcome by the wave of his emotions he would break down entirely. as much as akaashi tried to hold it in, his tears falling down one after another, without a sign of stopping. you hugged him back as your hands clutching on his black cloak, as you too, couldn't stop holding back your tears. you wanted akaashi to be happy, you wanted him to live a normal life again, it was true that you're still frustrated about him not telling you in the first place but, nothing matters now. akaashi wiped off his tears and pushed you away gently, his hand rubbed the bruise on your right earlobe and smiled; "sorry, (y/n)..."

"i-it's okay..." you hiccuped through your sobs.

"i've never pulled anyone before, except for my sister when she's naughty." akaashi bit his lips, tears threatening to fall. you nodded, his eyes not leaving you. "(y/n), i'm so sorry..."

"it's okay, akaashi...it's not a big deal...even though i was angry with you just now, i-"

"it-it's not fine..." he gripped your shoulders, his whole body was trembling when facing you. your face softened as you tried to draw circles across his back with your fingertips. "(y/n)... i said...i've never pulled anyone before, except for my sister..." akaashi repeated, closing his eyes as his salty drops fall from his chin, drenching your cloak. "akaashi, i know..."

"you don't understand! (y/n)! you are actually my sister!" he shouted as you flinched slightly. at this moment, you couldn't process anything that was happening around you. you didn't know what to think or how to think about akaashi. he was lying, right? those tears were rolling down your cheeks, the world turned into a blur, and so did all the sounds. he looked past your memories, he knew everything about you when he first met you in your room, touching your forehead and soon connecting the dots between you and him; and now this guy - who was crying and sobbing, was your brother.

why? you didn't want to believe him, but akaashi was the only one who knew your past, and you're so confused, you have no memories at all and you couldn't just simply hate him.

but he killed you.

he told you that he killed his sister, which was you... he kept apologizing to you, his nose grew very red at the tip. "i'm-i'm sorry... you are my sister...i don't have a choice really... those armies came to our town, trying to enslave all the girls... you're so scared, you hid under the table and kept screaming my name... i didn't want you to suffer, (y/n)! they're nasty and dangerous, i can't fight back. so...maybe i was thinking, it's better for you to die instead of being captured by them." akaashi's body was wracked with great sobs and he shook like a leaf. you scooted closer and pulled him into a tight hug, your eyes were burning and your chest felt heavy as if it were filled with lead. you smoothed your chaotic hair and wiped the tears from your cheeks which were now blotchy and mottled.

"i don't hate you, akaashi," you reassured him, his crying starting to subside but you could still hear his sniffles, you patted his back as both of you went silent for a moment. you're still in a trance - and it was hard for you to digest every single thing that he had said to you. you couldn't recall your past memories, and it was unfair to akaashi, too. he was trying to protect you from danger, and - even though killing you was not an option, but it was already over. it pains you when you saw akaashi crying to you, completely vulnerable. akaashi was always calm and thoughtful, he wasn't the type to break down so easily...

as much as you wanted to stay like this for a while, but it was time for him to go.

"hey...(y/n). thank you for everything." he slowly stood up, smiling at you. "don't cry, (y/n). i'm trying my best here...please smile for me. take care of yourself, okay? be strong, try to depend on yourself instead of others. if you're feeling lonely, you can always go to other grim reapers, make some new friends and it will make your life less boring. don't be afraid, i'm here for you, always." he pointed his own chest as tears were streaming down his already wet cheeks. he quickly wiped off his tears and you - your eyes now filling tears with glistening in the light, bouncing sadness through the atmosphere.

the pain you carry in your chest was inexplicable. seeing him walk away from you hurts you a lot. even though you wanted to hold him and keep him by your side for a long time, it seems like it wasn't going to happen. you didn't expect him to leave you someday.

"i will never forget the moments that you laughed with me, helped me...i don't regret any of those memories. thank you for everything...once again, i hope you found your happiness," you told him.

he walked towards you and kissed your forehead, "goodbye, mochi chan."

───

2009, March 29.

another 14 years had passed.

it took three years to accept the fact that akaashi had left you, and up until now, you're still thinking about him sometimes. you hoped that he was doing well in his life, as much as you wanted to see him again, it was hard for both of you to meet each other now. he was not going to remember you, and his looks might change...maybe a totally different person, who knows? you sighed as you put the name list on the table, kaito-sama didn't assign any mission to you today. you stood up and stretched your body, letting out a yawn.

"yo, (y/n) chan !!"

you immediately rolled your eyes.

hachiro kazumi, assistant of kaito - sama. you had no idea what he was doing honestly, you only knew that he was good at writing reports and flirting with other grim reapers, especially guys. ever since akaashi had left, kazumi had become your temporary partner. god, this fox boy was annoying, he never stopped asking you silly questions and he was excited every time when he got a chance to go on a mission with you. and also, you didn't understand why he could look into his mirror all day, praising himself over and over again, and also gave himself a nickname called "the charming fox boy". you closed your eyes when he pulled you into a tight embrace, his tail wagging around as he squished his cheeks against yours.

"uh-ow...kazumi, that hurts..." he laughed as he pushed you away gently. "kaito-sama wants to see you right now!" you nodded as you tugged your hair behind, ready to go to the palace. but kazumi was still standing there, his head tilted to the side as his yellow eyes were staring at you, as you've forgotten to do something right before you go to the palace. you scratched the back of your neck and sighed, "right, i knew it." you walked to him and patted his head, rubbing his ears as he purred in satisfaction.

"alright ! let's go, (y/n) chan!"

kaito-sama was already standing there waiting for your arrival. you bowed to him as both of you proceeded to the room with kazumi followed behind. he closed the door as he asked you to sit on the silver chair, kazumi rummaged through the shelves and took out a few documents and placed it on the table. kaito-sama nodded slightly, he read through the yellow papers and gave it to you, as you're eyeing on them curiously. "i have a mission for you, (y/n)." kaito - sama clasped his hands together on the table, your eyes widened in disbelief when you've read through the last paper.

"kai-kaito - sama...eh...uhm...i don't understand..." you put the documents aside, blinking your eyes, utterly confused. you need an explanation from him, why did he assign such a mission for you? kazumi smirked at you, he wanted to say something but was interrupted by his superior. "after several discussions, we're giving a special task for you, instead of guiding the dead to the afterlife, you can spend your time in the real world to complete your mission, isn't that nice?" he smiled as he gave you papers to sign your contract. you hesitated, it was new to you, as much as you didn't want to disobey his orders, you thought it was quite ridiculous for you to take care of a boy for 4 years.

"kaito-sama, why do i need to babysit a boy for 4 years? plus, i'm dead. i won't be able to go to his world and follow him all the time, right? and the documents - it stated that i will be living with the hayato family, they got married but they didn't have any children since then. t-this doesn't even make sense? i'm dead, kaito-sama, i don't understand...why do i need to be friends with him?"

he sighed, scratching his cheeks as he tried to think of a better explanation, to make it convincing to you. "anyway, we are able to change your "parent's" memories. you will become their temporary daughter for 4 years. and also, don't question anything, (y/n). it's for your own good, you got to reincarnate once he's officially 18 years old. you will be going to the same school as him, and when the time you got into the real world, your body will start to shrink - as you know, this boy is only 15 years old, and your physique will be the same age as him, too."

"we can make you alive again, (y/n). only for 4 years."

you rubbed your temples and took a deep breath. kaito-sama didn't exactly answer your question, and you couldn't just disobey his commands. you didn't care about your reincarnation, though. you were just feeling very, very exhausted when you knew you're going to classes all over again. you took a piece of paper and wrote several things about his background, and also the details of the hayato family as well. you put it inside your pocket and signed the contract unwillingly, you tried to stay positive and cheery as possible, you didn't want yourself to be depressed for the next 4 years.

documents ; details of iwaizumi hajime and the hayato family.

kaito - sama smiled at you, "(y/n), as i said, it's for your-"

"yeah, yeah. it's for my own good."

"cheer up, babe! kaito-sama give you a chance to reincarnate! you just need to finish this mission, (y/n)!" kazumi pulled a chair and sat beside you, playing with your hair.

you groaned and looked up to him, "i'm not a guardian angel...you know? i'm a grim reaper."

they lead you into a darker room, which kazumi brought a few spellbooks and gave it to kaito- sama. the spellbooks were from the previous ruler, they guarded them like precious gems. kazumi prepared the circle. the candles glowed and the prepared purification materials were readied. kaito-sama asked you to step into a circle centre, as he took the spellbook and his hands ran over the words of the spell. the light rose up from the ground and circled your body. your body vibrated, your skin turned to silver as the light shot through your body. your head started to get dizzy, you felt yourself drifting further and further and you could hear kazumi yelling at you, but you couldn't hear anything from him.

suddenly, you woke up in an unfamiliar room.

the room was purple with beautiful murals on the wall, hand painted by someone else. there were a few books and papers on the table, and there were dry baby breaths beside you which you didn't know why, but it smells good, though. the vanilla scent lingered around your room, it made you sleepy but you forced yourself to crawl out of your bed. the paper that you've written the details on was on the table, you quickly put it inside your drawer before your so-called parents looked at it. your room was so different compared to your own room many years ago, you're happy when you see a few stuffed toys on the shelves. you hoped that the hayato family was not abusive, as you're nervous and excited at the same time.

you went to your bathroom and looked at the mirror, your face was slightly rounder and chubbier compared to your true form. other than that, nothing changed much. you didn't have much acne on your face, though. you're quite satisfied with your new room and your looks, you smiled as you went out of your room.

"(y/n) chan!! (y/n) chan!!" your heard footsteps approaching you and when you turned around, you saw a woman with black hair grinning at you happily as she grabbed your wrist and led you to the kitchen. your hands started to get sweaty due to your past events - she wasn't going to beat the hell out of you, right? "tada!" she took out the butter cake from the oven and placed it in front of you. "isn't it lovely! we are going to bring this to our new neighbour, what do you think? (y/n)?" her eyes beamed with excitement, sniffing the scent of the butter cake and let out a hummed of satisfaction.

"e-eh... uhm...yes? it-it looks tasty!" you replied, your heart was still beating fast.

"why are you so tense?! my daughter? here," she then kissed your forehead and ruffled your hair, "are you feeling better?"

"...i feel loved." you thought of yourself, you never experienced this kind of thing before, except for akaashi; kissing on your forehead before he left.

"yeah." you smiled, giving a peck on her cheeks. she smiled widely, asking you to follow her to bring this butter cake to your next neighbour, which you're happy to oblige. you felt safe when you're with her, you could tell that your "mother" was an optimistic person. you looked around the living room, you didn't see your dad in your house. "where's dad?" you asked. your mom wore her flip flops and turned around and looked at you, "ah, your dad will be coming home tonight! don't you remember? we are going to celebrate his birthday!"

"ah-ah yes! sorry, i forgot." you smiled sheepishly.

you knocked on the door twice and waited for their response, your mom was holding on the aluminium tray as she whistled softly to you. you could hear footsteps and then the door was swung open, revealing a small, brown-haired woman smiling at us. "i'm sorry, i was washing the dishes!" your mom shook her head, telling her not to worry about it.

" i brought you some homemade cake! hope you will like it!" she told her.

"oh my...i did not expect this! p-please, come in! make yourself at home!" she waved her hands frantically as she quickly took the cake from your mom, leading you guys to the living room. once she put the cake on the table, the woman turned around and asked you, "hi, sweetie! how old are you?"

"ah! i'm 15 years old." you told her, you cringed slightly due to the childishness in your voice.

"oh really? i have a son of your age," she replied enthusiastically as she helped your mom to take out the plates and put it on the dining table. you nodded and sat on the blue sofa nervously, you started to fiddle your fingers as your eyes started to dart around. this is the first day of your mission, and you still need to endure for 4 years. you closed your eyes, trying to calm down your emotions, a part of you wanted to stay with the hayato family forever, but another part of you wanted to abandon this mission and went back to the afterlife, completing easy tasks instead of befriending with a guy in the real world.

"hajime! come down now and serve our guests, please!"

"coming..." you saw him walking down the stairs and yawned loudly, he rubbed his tired eyes as he went to the kitchen, drinking a glass of water before he proceeded to the living room. when he saw you, his face turned red as he quickly poured a glass of orange juice and gave it to you, you laughed at his reactions before you took the glass from him. "i-i'm sorry! i just woke up from my nap, so my vision was quite blurry..." he rubbed the back of his neck.

"o-oh, it's fine!" you tried to hold back your laughter, as you quickly drank your orange juice. he sat beside you, and you could tell he was trying his best to find something to talk to you. "i'm not good at conversations, so i'm sorry if i weirded you out."

"not at all! don't worry about it."

"uhm...what's your name?"

"my name is (y/n) hayato. your name is iwaizumi hajime, right?"

oh shit.

you mentally facepalmed yourself, why did you say something like this? you just blurted out his name, iwaizumi will probably think that you're a stalker, his eyes widened as he questioned, "how do you know my name?"

"i got your name from the afterlife and my boss asks me to take care of you-"

"oh, your mom told me your name!" you winked at him, as you quickly took a sip of your orange juice and faced him again. he nodded slightly, and he asked, "you are the same age as me right?" you replied with a nod as he continued, "which high school are you going to? i'm going to aoba johsai, though. my friend forced me to go with him." he sighed, as he rubbed his left cheek. "just think about him makes me want to - ugh never mind."

both of your mothers shouted from the kitchen, asking both of you to take the cookie jar and placed it on the dining table.

"i'm going to aoba johsai too! wanna walk together to school everyday?"

[justhereforseverus]

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

Chapter 6: There is flattery in friendship

Summary:

After a heavy and choatic sleep, you'll awake restless in the middle of the night. You decide to talk a walk to your usual bench and form a pact that might just change the future..

Notes:

Hey folks. Thank you so much for your kind comments, kudos and hits in general! They really make my day!!! It’s the first thing I’ve written for many years. I used to be a very active poet and writer but lost my connection with it due to some life events. Slowly, I’m trying to get back to it again and alone the fact that people read and enjoy something I’m putting out there is amazing! Thank you! I'm trying to get the next chapters up in a weekly schedule but whenever I have more time to write and finish a chapter, it'll go up.

I’m not sure how to proceed with the timeline/canon/not canon kind of thing. However, I see that in my story Lily and Severus had a fight involving the m-word and then she and others turned their back on him. He thought about joining dark forces and did some stuff but there was no war, Voldemort didn’t succeed and everyone went on with their lives. However, James and Lily Potter live in another country thus Remus and Sirius have more contact with each other than with them. I hope it makes sense somehow. It will be more of a topic later focusing more on Severus perspective and choices.

Chapter Text

I returned to my room sometime later and went straight to bed. I didn’t even bother taking off my clothes. Unlike me, I fell asleep immediately and dreamed of potions spilling on an enormous piano. I awoke around midnight knowing only too well I won’t be able to sleep anymore for tonight. I sighed, there go my attempts at a normal sleeping schedule. I decided to take a walk because I was desperate to escape my thoughts dealing with whatever happened today.

The night breeze soothed my spirits and I watched a black and white cat making her way through a flower bed. I sat on my usual bench and looked up. It was a bit cloudy tonight, so I couldn’t see much of the constellations but here and there some stars glistened their way through. I tried to control my breathing to calm down and focus on the here and now – in and out – in and out- in and out. It’s ok. Everything is fine. We can deal with this. Yet, my mind managed to wander back again and again to my anxiety, my pain, my tears and the memories I pushed away for so long. This was not the only thing I felt though. Between all these dark clouds was a warm light. Something I had longed for back then. Something that could have saved me. I closed my eyes to focus on this positive feeling. To push everything else away. Let this light surround and heal me. Everything is going to be ok.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps near me. I opened my eyes and saw Severus standing under the lamppost next to the bench. The soft, warm light fell on his long black hair and I saw that he didn’t have his cloak on, just his buttoned jacket. He held a book in his left hand and his wand in the other still lightened up by the Lumos spell. He looked so elegant and mesmerising in the dim light. He greeted me by saying with a slight sarcastic undertone: “Either my sleeping potion was ineffective or you have slept too much already.”

“The latter. That’s the problem with going to sleep in the afternoon – you’re awake for the rest of the night. Or it’s just me and my body.”

He sat next to me, turned off the light on his wand and looked at the cloudy sky. Neither of us said anything for a while. We just watched the sky and somehow it didn’t feel awkward at all. However, after a while I asked: “What about you? Why are you sitting with a sleepless arts teacher on a bench at 2am on a Saturday night?”

He replied: “I’ve worked until now and needed a bit of fresh air before I go to rest.”

“What did you have to do? Grading essays again?”

“No, not this time. I brew potions for someone who found herself unable to produce them herself.”

“Wait….do you mean me?”

“Obviously.”

“Which potions did you do?”

“All of them actually. They have been put in my personal storage. You can have them whenever you need.”

I was flabbergasted. Shocked. Flattered. Anxious. Basically, all the emotions at once. Classic.

“You didn’t have to do that! Why are you doing me so many favours? We’ve barely known each other. Is this.. a joke? Do you want something in return? I…”

“No, I don’t. Don’t think I’m doing this because of any ulterior motive. I’m not that kind of man independent of what is said behind my back. I simply thought it could help you and make you feel better after today.”

“That’s… sweet. Thank you. But why bother bothering? I’m not saying I don’t appreciate it but I still don’t understand why?”

He sighed and said after a while: “I’m rather attached to muggle fiction. Especially, Shakespeare. I started with one old and rather battered collection of my mum when I was a kid and reread and studied it for years after. Yet, I never saw a play on stage. I turned my back on all things related to muggles when… certain events happened and then I was busy with my profession here. Frankly, I’m also not a person who longs to travel a lot, so it never occurred to me to actively visit a theatre and put myself in a crowd of people. As I’ve mentioned before, I found myself rather satisifed, for once, with Dumbledore’s staff decisions when I heard he had invited you here despite the controversial treatment of theatre in the wizard world. He always tries to support subjects and people, who he deems to be capable of bringing change into this old conservative world. He also gives people a chance whose fate might seem hopeless and one could argue this includes my appointment, too. Recently, I’ve came to the conclusion that if I want change and growth in me or others, I need to actively support what I think is worth it and take an open stand. Therefore, I want to support you. I want you to have everything you need to change their minds and I assure you, I don’t need or want anything in return for my own benefit. You don’t need to defend or stand up for me in any way. You don’t have to mention my name. You don’t need to be sympathetic to me. All of this is of no relevance to me. It’s the cause I want to support… and you.”

I was speechless. That was so sweet and kind. He trusted me with this information and opened up despite everything I’ve heard from others. “He won’t talk with you much. He hates everyone here. Better to leave him alone. He only listens to Dumbledore. He is still mad that he didn’t get the DADA position. He is the Slytherin headteacher so he’ll dislike you as his house is firmly against half-born and anything muggle. It’s just how it is.” He is a respected teacher and potion master but apart from that he is feared and despised. He lives rather isolated from the rest of the staff. That was what everyone apart from Dumbledore told me so I thought I won’t bother. But he is so different to me. And we’ve barely known each other but I feel somehow safe with him. Like he speaks the truth and I can trust him. This could be a mistake but then I decided this was worh the risk. Suddenly, I had an idea.

“Then let’s make it official. You and I will run the drama group. I take care of the performance and the students. You are responsible for the magical effect potions and will teach the students how to brew and handle them, too. For your time and effort, you’ll receive some perks in return.” – he sighed and opened his mouth but before he could interject, I continued – “I insist upon it. You’re welcome at every rehearsal; you’ll have an official title that will be communicated to others and you’ll be a permanent member of my team. Of course, taking into account that we actually survive for more than one year. What do you say?”

He looked at his hands for some moments in deep thought, ever so slightly clutching the book on his lap. He then replied:

“What an unusual offer. I won’t argue with a lady about her requests. However, are you sure that my name won’t cause any distractions and keep other people away?”

“Oh no. Probably the opposite. They’ll be curious to know what made you do it and will flock to us even more.”

He chuckled: “Then let’s make up the most fantastic story and draw them in.”

“Agreed.” – and we both shook hands. His hand was warm and his skin softer than I expected. When our fingers touched my heart skipped a beat. Our eyes met doing so and I swear I could see some joy concealed behind his usual monotone mask. I felt like this was the beginning of something important and certainly something very good.

“YOU DID WHAT?!” – Remus almost choked on his toast on Monday morning and the entire hall looked at us suspiciously. “Calm down Remus, I don’t want the entire school to think I’ve just murdered someone.” I quickly said, doing a quick motion with my wand to refill his glass with orange juice. When he could talk again Remus apologised and continued:

“Oh, I gotta send an owl to Sirius this is hilarious.” I send him an evil look and then he said:

“Seriously though. Severus Snape as part of an extracurricular activity, voluntarily and outside of his office hours is… What did you do to him? Have you managed to put a spell on the untouchable chemistry master?!”

“Come down! No, I don’t think that would’ve worked and is probably very illegal.”

“I swear, I won’t report you to the ministry of magic if you tell me.” – he laughed – “No, but for real. This is very unlike him. However, I do remember Lily telling me once that he used to read a lot of muggle books in his childhood. I wasn’t sure if that continued into his later life as she cut contact with him after the fight. Actually, we all did this in one way or the other. The first time I saw him again was after I started working here. He mentioned that it was a recent decision. I wonder what caused him to do this…”

“Maybe it wasn’t a particular event. I mean people grow old. They realise what they did was wrong and want to change. I sure regret many things I did. I have the feeling I improved much over the years but I'm still working on becoming a better person."

“Yes, we all do that hopefully. Including me. I regret many things I did as a teenager…. or last year for that matter. Yet, he has been so isolated and stuck in the same old grudges, I never thought he’d do something else. I’m flabbergasted really. Maybe you are just the person he needed.”

I looked at the empty chair reserved for Severus in the great hall. He never joined dinners unless they are connected to a big event. I wonder…

[shestillhasherquill]

At the Heart of Darkness (6/11)

First off, thank you SO much for all the likes and reblogs, and the lovely comments and messages. The only best use for DMs. I love you, and I’m sorry.

YOU GUYS. THIS FUCKING CHAPTER I SWEAR TO GOD. This chapter is the reason I signed up for @captainswanbigbang. This is the reason I wrote this fic. It has my most favorite scenes, it has my most favorite writing. I wrote this with so much glee.

@sambethe‘s artwork for this chapter melts my heart. It’s such a tender moment, and it’s just so - It’s SO important, and you will see why. She’s captured it so well, I legit teared up a bit. It’s perfect, and so is the banner and the artwork she did for chapter 2!

Wait till you see what @downeystarkjr has in store for you guys in her video for this chapter, and basically for the whole fic. It’s the best, it’s so cool. and it teases what’s about to come up in the second half of the fic. Make sure you check out the first one if you haven’t already! Whew, I can’t believe we’re halfway there.

And this fic wouldn’t be halfway decent with @accio-ambition and her yelling and her amazing editing and being overall the best beta ever. JSYK, she yelled at me a lot for this chapter, and so did @sambethe.

Summary: Killian Jones lives in the Land without Magic, with no memories of his family. Until Emma Swan comes into his life like a whirlwind, reminding about everything he had lost. He embarks on an adventure to destroy the Darkness, only to discover that Emma might not be telling him the whole story.

Rating: M

Content Warning: Mentions of Miscarriage, Angst, Gothel (I would heed these warnings a lot this chapter. Esp the angst, not so much Gothel)

Prologue: tumblr ao3 ff.net | Chapter 1: tumblr ao3 ff.net | Chapter 2: tumblr ao3 ff.net | Chapter 3: tumblr ao3 ff.net | Chapter 4: tumblr ao3 ff.net

Current Chapter: ao3 ff.net

Chapter 5: Summer lasted for so long

21 years ago: Enchanted Forest

Emma drifted into consciousness in stages. First, it was voices that she heard, bits and pieces of conversation. They came and went, but it was always just two, always the same two. A man and a girl, her baby voice standing out to Emma in the moments she was lucid enough to hear clearly. But beyond that, not much registered in her mind.

Second was very brief moments of actually opening her eyes and catching a glimpse of her environment. Concerned blue eyes swam in her vision each time. Sometimes it was accompanied by the man’s voice. But most of the time, it was the girl’s. She had blonde hair, Emma noted, before she would drift back into a dreamless state.

The third and final stage was, of course, full consciousness and awareness. That did not happen all at once, or for long, at first. But she remembered who the people were - Killian and Alice.

When she had finally come out of her state of unconsciousness and back to the land of the living, it had been quite dark. Her entire body felt stiff and her throat was bone dry. She spied Killian sleeping at the foot of her cot, but could not call out. She barely mustered up enough energy to reach for the jar of water, but even that, she was too weak to hold up and dropped it. At least it served in rousing Killian.

He sat up quickly, looking endearing even when he was sleep rumpled and his hair was all over the place. “Emma?”

She was taken aback when he rushed to embrace her, his arms tight around her as he squeezed her shoulders. “I’m so glad you’re awake, love. You gave Alice and I quite the scare.”

Emma wanted to reassure him, maybe return his embrace. But she could already feel how much the little activity had exhausted her. She pointed to the water, looking bashfully at the mess. But Killian waved off her wordless apology, fetching her a fresh glass of water and even helping her hold the glass when her hands shook.

When her throat finally felt like it wouldn’t just crumble to dust, she finally spoke. “Thank you,” she croaked out. “How long have I been asleep?”

Killian’s brows pulled together, looking almost bemused by her question. “Love, you’ve been in and out of sleep. You were ill for a while before that. It’s been a little over a week, Emma.”

Emma’s eyes widened; this had never happened to her all the other times she had used her magic. Well, that explained the weakness she felt. “Help me sit up?”

Killian nodded, gently pulling her into a seated position and bringing her blanket up with her. “How do you feel, Swan?”

Emma sipped her water, composing herself and trying to think of all the questions she wanted to ask. “Uh, a little weak. What happened?”

Killian sucked in a deep breath, looking down at his feet. “You overused your magic, to save  Alice’s life. You drained yourself, Emma. Madam Adeline said you might have weakened your heart.”

Emma swallowed thickly, unable to comprehend what Killian just told her. That could not be possible. All she did was use her magic. And she told him that.

“Madam Adeline told me that your magic - because it’s light magic - is not limitless. You can never do that again, Emma,” he told her fiercely. “It could be fatal.”

“What?” she scoffed, almost laughing. “You must be joking, Killian. I’ve never heard of this.”

He stared at her incredulously. “Oh, let me assure you. I am not jesting. You need to be more careful with your magic, Emma. I don’t wish to see you like that ever again. Is that understood?”

Emma was flabbergasted by the distress she could hear in Killian’s voice. Perhaps she ought to reconsider how serious the situation was before she dismissed it. She reached for the arm closest to her, which turned out to be his left one. “I’m alright now, Killian. I promise. How is Alice?”

“Oh, she’s fit as a fiddle, thanks to you and Madam Adeline,” he grinned. “She’s asleep now, but she has not left your side in days.”

Emma’s eyes welled with unbidden tears, and she let out a watery chuckle, embarrassed to be crying in front of Killian. “I’m sorry. I’m just - I’m not used to-” She struggled to formulate the gratitude and affection she felt. “So, I - I nearly - what? Died?” she asked bluntly,  indelicate about her own life. That could not honestly be the right way to think about her life, could it? For she could feel the fear lodged between her ribs like a real pain. She could feel it threatening to burst forth and consume her. But she could not allow that.

Killian, on the other hand, seemed quite alright expressing his true emotions; he looked downright devastated at how flippant she sounded. “Aye,” he replied, his words cutting. “You did nearly die. It’s not something to jest about, and yet, that is what you have been doing, Emma. You cannot be so callous about your life.”

“Well, forgive me, but no one had cared whether I lived or died for years!” Emma burst out, her anger propelling everything she had pushed down. “I don’t have my parents. I don’t have my family. I left everything behind, Killian. So what if I died? It would have saved Alice. Who cares?” She was quick to deflate, her outburst taking away most of the energy she had left.

Emma resented the words the moment she said them. She did not want Killian to see her like this: vulnerable, open, and broken. He was looking at her in the way everyone did at her parents’ execution - helpless and pitiful.

“Do you honestly think that no one would care if something were to happen to you? Because I bloody would. Alice would. We would be devastated, you daft woman.” Killian had started off very quietly, but his tone rose as he spoke until he was nearly shouting at her. “I care very much whether you live or die, Emma!” he exclaimed.

“Why would you? I’m nobody!” she snapped back, unable to help her impulses.

“Bloody hell, Swan. When I said you belong here, I meant it. You’re our family. And we are yours. There’s nothing you could say or do that would change that.”

Emma was stunned speechless by Killian’s outburst. She had been overwhelmed when he had told her that she belonged with them, when he had asked her to stay. But calling her family, giving her that position… it left her breathless. She did not even realise she has started crying until Killian reached to wipe them away. She was almost startled by his gentle touch; their gazes met and Emma could see the depth of his sincerity.

“Killian, I- I don’t know what to say,” she whispered, unable to tear her eyes away from his. She felt like she had been drowning for so long and had finally come up for air.

“You don’t have to say anything, Emma,” he whispered, drawing closer. He gave her every opportunity to pull away, but she did not. Their lips met in a tender kiss, barely a graze before he pulled away. “Emma, I am so-”

“Shh, don’t apologise,” she murmured, drawing him closer by the collar of his shirt. Their second kiss was much more heated, Killian only drawing away out of concern for Emma. But he did not go far, their foreheads still touching.

“That was-” he began, only for Emma to finish his sentence.

“- a long time coming.”

He chuckled, pulling away and returning to his seat.

“I’m glad to see you doing well, Swan.”

She leaned heavily on her pillows, suddenly feeling extremely tired. “I don’t want this night to end,” she whined, her eyes drifting closed despite herself.

“Sleep, darling. I’ll be here when you wake up. And so will Alice,” he promised, lifting her hand in his own and pressing a feather light kiss to her knuckles.

-/-

Present Day: Land without Magic

Emma leant against the doorway to Killian’s room, watching him pack for their trip. Emma wasn’t sure how to tell him to leave his things behind, not when some of them clearly meant a great deal to him. “You needn’t pack clothing, Killian,” she said laughingly, as he seemed to be contemplating which of his shirts to take.

“You don’t expect me to wear the same thing every day do you?” he asked, raising a lone eyebrow at her. “Because that would be disgusting.”

“You could wear the clothes of our realm,” she offered, shrugging her shoulders.  “A shirt and some trousers. Shouldn’t be that hard to find.”

“No offense, Swan, but I would be far more comfortable in my own clothing. It’s - it’s quite silly,” he confessed, looking down at his shoes and scratching the back of his ear. “I dislike wearing someone else’s clothing. It’s a pet peeve of mine.”

“What does your pet have to do with your clothing?” Emma asked, confused by Killian’s terminology.

“Nevermind,” Killian chuckled. “I just find it uncomfortable to wear clothes that aren’t my own.”

“Fair enough.” She looked around his sparse room, when something familiar caught her eye. “You ought to take your brother’s insignia with you.”

“Hmm?” Killian looked up from his packing, before turning to where she was pointing. “Oh. Right. How did you know about that? I assumed it was some old ancestral insignia. I have all of my brother’s medals locked up in a box.”

Emma cleared her throat, “I- uh, I’m not sure about those. But that is Liam’s. You showed it to me once. Back in the Enchanted Forest.”

“Ah.” He grabbed it, running his thumb over the glass case it was nestled in. “I- I didn’t know…”

“Are you alright, Killian?” Emma asked, making her way into the room. “Was it something I said?”

“Oh, no. No, no, Swan,” he waved her off. “I guess I’m still struggling with this false memories thing,” he confessed, chucking humourlessly.

“Just remember that everything you feel is real. The memories might be false, but the past twenty years weren’t. You missing your brother is real.” She drew closer, placing her hand on his chest, feeling it race under her palm. “It might seem unsettling, but I’m here for you. No matter what.”

“Thank you, Swan,” he smiled thinly, squeezing her hand briefly. “Alright. I think I’m about done. Where to next? Your hotel room?”

“Oh, no. I don’t need anything from this land. I have everything I need in my satchel, and the rest back home.” She pulled a small pouch from her bag, requesting Killian to hold out his hand. She emptied the contents of it in his palm - one, shiny magic bean.

“A bean?” he asked, incredulously.

“A magic bean. Are you ready to go back?” she asked, visibly excited.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

-/-

21 years ago: Enchanted Forest

“Oh, Emma! You’re awake!” Alice exclaimed jubilantly, jumping in place. She would have probably tackled Emma if Killian had not held her back. “I was so worried!”

Emma chuckled, reaching for Alice’s hand, which the girl readily offered. “You never have to worry about me, Alice. I would never leave you,” she promised. “Either of you,” she added, looking up at Killian and grinning.

Alice would no longer be held back, jumping into Emma’s arms, ignoring Killian’s alarmed exclamation for her to be careful.

“Starfish, Emma is still weak,” he said uselessly. Neither of his girls seemed to be ready to listen to him.

“I’m fine, Killian,” Emma said finally, rolling her eyes at him, albeit fondly.  Not that he could blame her for her exasperation with him: he had been treating her like a delicate flower, even after he knew that she could throw quite the punch from the many sparring matches. “Could you help me up? I would very much love to walk about the room. I have been sleeping for far too long, my muscles have fallen asleep as well. They aren’t roused as easily as I am,” she joked, poking Alice and making her giggle.

“You’re quite silly, Emma,” Alice laughed, not leaving Emma’s side even when Killian helped her up. Alice held on to other hand, assisting Killian in leading her around the room. They walked slowly in relative silence, until Alice asked in an unusually quiet voice, “Did I do this to you, Emma?”

Both the adults in the room paused, staring at one another in shock before Emma knelt down to Alice’s level. “No, darling. Never. You did nothing to me. I just overused my magic. That’s all.”

“Are you sure?” Alice asked, her eyes quickly filled with tears. Killian joined them as well, gathering Alice in his arms to comfort her. “Papa and I were very worried. I thought I lost you,” she whimpered, burying her face in Killian’s shoulder and sobbing loudly.

Emma’s heart broke, watching as Alice’s entire body trembled under the weight of her sobs. “Oh, my darling. Come here,” she said, holding out her arms. Alice easily acquiesced, crying against Emma’s collarbone, her hand fisting in her hair. “You did nothing to hurt me, Alice Jones. I was just being irresponsible, I swear. I am completely fine, darling.”

“Are you sure?” Alice hiccuped.

“Yes. I am very, very certain. You had nothing to do with my falling ill.”

Alice continued to cry for a while, before she managed to calm down. Killian silently kept rubbing her back, allowing her to purge all her emotions. “You feel better now, Starfish?” he asked soothingly, pressing a kiss to her crown.

“Aye, Papa,” she murmured, still pressed against Emma. “I love you, Emma.”

Emma froze, her heart stuttering in her chest. She shot a panicked glance at Killian, hoping that he would not resent her for this. But he only grinned back at her, nodding to her wordless question.

“I love you, too, Alice,” she whispered, her emotions all over the place. She had never felt so happy before. She had always felt a little broken, like a lost girl who never mattered and who never would. It took her so many years and crossing over to an entirely new reality for her to find her family. She would do anything to keep them together.

Anything.

-/-

Present Day: Land Without Magic

“Alright, are you sure that this will work?” Killian asked, watching over his shoulder constantly.

“Yes!” Emma replied vehemently. “This is a dead-end, an empty alley, in the middle of the afternoon. No one will see us, Killian. And if they do? We don’t need to worry about them! We won’t be here!”

“Fine, fine.” He huffed. “Hold on, what is it like, over there?”

Emma stared at him incredulously. “Really? Now is when you choose to ask that question? It’s a lot of carts and rocky roads. Leather and awful corsets. And a lot of magic, just a whole lot of it. It is going to be alright though because I am there and I will not let anything happen to you.”

“Bloody hell. Alright! I’m sorry, I was just stalling.”

“Evidently.” Emma threw the magic bean on the ground without much ceremony. Killian jumped back when a swirling vortex opened up mid-air. “Ready?”

“Can’t really say no now, can I?” he replied, grabbing her hand. “Let’s just do it.”

Emma nodded, and the both ran head first into the vortex.

-/-

Gothel’s relic activated at the exact moment. She had charmed it to alert her of any travelling spells, and it worked like a - for the lack of a better term - charm. Now all she had to do was follow the duo back to the Enchanted Forest. Perhaps, she might even be willing to reunite father and daughter.

-/-

Present day: Enchanted Forest

Killian looked around him, gaping at the forest that surrounded them. When Emma had mentioned the Enchanted Forest, he assumed it was simply a quirky name. He hadn’t expected to land in an actual forest. He searched for Emma, and spotted her lying a short distance away, her satchel and its contents strewn about.

“Hey, Emma! Over here!” he called out. He started picking up all the things that had fallen out of her bag on his way over to her. Emma looked up, shaking off the dizziness of the travel. She spotted Killian, and what he was doing.

When she realised that the things in her bag were now everywhere, she started panicking. She had to get to it before Killian found it. He could not touch the dreamcatcher: it would ruin everything. Emma started frantically looking around her, rooting through her bag first and then around her. She scrambled from where she was sitting, half running and half stumbling toward Killian, hoping beyond hope that he hadn’t found the dreamcatcher. It held all his memories, and they would return to him the moment he touched it.

“Swan, you alright?” he called out mid-search.

“Yes! You don’t need to do that!” she called out, marching over to him. She let out a sigh of relief when she reached him, taking all of things from his arms and dumping them into her satchel. “Thank you.”

“Of cour- Oh, hey. You missed one,” he said, reaching for the branch above her. “It’s a dreamcatcher.” He grabbed it before Emma could react, and the moment he did, Emma knew that everything had gone to shite. He froze in place, his gaze unfocused, as if he was reliving all of his memories.

She could tell the moment he transitioned from Killian Jones, writer, to Captain Hook. His entire demeanor shifted, his expression changed from jovial into something much, much darker. “Killian?” she asked timidly.

His eyes refocused on her, his expression heartbreaking. “Swan?” he whispered brokenly, rushing forward and pressing his lips against her in a hard kiss. Emma was startled initially, but melted into him within moments, her arms slipping around his neck and pulling herself closer, even as tears slipped down her cheeks.

He pulled back, both of them panting slightly. “Gods, I love you,” he whispered.

Emma let out a sob, hearing those words from him after decades of longing. “I love you, too.”

He tenderly brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, thumb grazing down her cheek. His eyes roamed over her face, as if he was trying to memorise her features. “How could I have forgotten you, my love,” he murmured. “I was so lost without you, Swan.”

Emma nodded tearfully, her lips pressed tight together. “I felt it. Everyday. But we’re together now.” She revelled in the feeling of being in his arms; she knew the haze of their reunion would fade and he would realize what she had done.

“Aye, that we are.” And if it were possible, his grin grew wider. “Alice-” he began, his expression still jubilant. But Emma could then pinpoint the moment he remembered. His face fell and expression grew darker, more distant. He dropped his arms from around her, his jaw clenching.

Emma swallowed thickly, pulling away from him in fear. This was so new to her, and distressing. She had felt many things with Killian Jones - but fear had never been one of them. But now that he knew she had deliberately kept him from his daughter...she genuinely was afraid of what he would do. “My cursed self - when I asked you about Alice. You told me I did not have a daughter,” he accused her, his voice eerily calm. “You lied to me about Alice.”

Emma could tell that the Darkness was attempting to take over, and she had to do something. “Kill-”

Before before she could get another word out, he had her pressed against a tree, trapped both physically and with the threat of his magic. His eyes, now a dark cobalt, never strayed from her own. “Where. The. Fuck. Is my daughter?!” he bellowed, absolutely livid.

-/-

Present day: Dreamscape

Alice Jones had been wandering aimlessly around this strange, new realm. It felt like she had been here just days, but she was certain years must have passed. She had been to many realms over the years, both with and without Emma’s company. But even Wonderland was not as wretched as this place. Many people come and go, but no one seemed to be able to see or hear her. She was all alone in this realm, trapped by her mother’s curse. Alice had been many things in life, but trapped was her least favorite. Or perhaps, trapped alone was even worse.

Of course, she had volunteered to be put under the spell willingly; she had made Emma promise to find her father, and to get rid of the Darkness before Emma returned his memories. She knew her father, and she knew that he would never let anything stand in his way if he found out his daughter was in danger; he would move heaven and Earth and disrupt all life just for her. He was pig-headed that way. He would probably even hurt Emma, the woman who had helped raise her, who was practically her mother. Alice could not bear to see that happen. Gothel had made her choose: either she goes or Emma does. At least this way, Alice was certain Gothel wouldn’t kill her the first chance she got; that might not be the case with Emma.

As for her father? Well, he loved Emma very much, despite how he cursed her to an eternal life without him. It probably made a lot of sense in his Darkness-muddled head, with ghosts whispering all manner of sins in his ear, or something less morbid. He would probably regret it once it was all over; would probably drag Alice around to help him find the biggest diamond ring for Emma.

These were the thoughts that occupy Alice’s time in this place. Thoughts that took her mind far from here and to her happy place. She thought about all the places she had travelled to, wondering what she would share with her father first, which story deserved that honor. Was it when Alice had her first crush? Or perhaps when she lost her first tooth? Or had her first drink? She spent her days deliberating how she would narrate each story, and she had an arsenal of them to get through.

Besides, Gothel never bothered with her…for the most part. There were a few times she had come over, rambling over her slumbering body. Her nasally voice echoed through this realm, grating on Alice’s nerves. She usually tried her hardest to simply avoid listening to whatever that bitch had to say.

She was helpless in her current state, and listening to her evil plans would only serve to make her feel more so. And hopeless. Still, she did not really regret her decision. Emma had sacrificed herself and her happiness more times than was fair. If anyone could get her father through this, and ensure that the both of the survive, it was Emma. While Alice’s own magic was quite powerful, she had never fully embraced or harnessed the power. Perhaps, once this was all over and this bloody curse was broken, she would finally take up Emma’s offer for lessons.

Perhaps they might all finally get their chance to be a happy family.

-/-

21 years ago: Enchanted Forest

It had been more than a week since Emma had regained consciousness and she was slowly and steadily getting back her strength. Her magic had yet to completely return; it had been so frustrating for her the first day, feeling like she had to relearn everything from the basics. She spent the night crying into her pillow, never having felt so useless or powerless before. She still was not certain if Killian had heard her, because the next day he woke her up at the crack of dawn, even carrying her down the tower on his back. Her breath hitched, pressed so close to him, her limbs wrapped around him. He had brought around his horse (she hadn’t even been aware that he had had one), Maximus, the most charming of animals. Killian did everything he could to cheer her up. He made her laugh harder than she could ever remember, trotted her around but still in sight for Alice to watch and cheer.

She had relied on her magic so much all these years, had only that to depend on - it was her armour. To find out that it too had its limits, and be forced to confront the consequences of pushing them - it frightened her, to a greater extent than she was willing to reveal. But she had this- this family now. For the first time, she could finally breathe - there was no place else for her except right here. And once she regained her magic, she would begin to find a way to break the spell.

In the weeks prior to Alice’s illness, and all the drama that had accompanied it, she had reached a wall in her research. None of the spells that she had tried to combine worked, and all of the binding agents she had utilized were futile. Apart from directly seeking Gothel for assistance, there was no other way yet. But Emma was never the kind of person who gave up, and she was not about to begin now.

A couple of days later, Emma sat on the window sill with a large tome open on her lap, taking in as much of the sun as she could before it set. The days were growing shorter, and winter was almost upon them. It would soon be too cold to sit out like this; too cold to leave the window open for long, according to what Killian had told her. She wrapped herself in a warm afghan, drowning herself in the book. All these days she had been looking for spells and magic, but if anything, the past few days had taught her to look outside of that one realm of possibility.

She had started going through Killian’s books of history and mythology, hoping that one of them would lead her to the answer. Killian settled Alice down for a nap and joined Emma, grabbing a book of his own and began reading.

The months passed like this, both of them spending equal time with each other as they did with Alice, using every spare moment going through the books they had. When they had exhausted the collection Killian had with him, they wrote to Killian’s old first mate, and the current Captain of the Jolly Roger, Mr. Smee. He had dutifully delivered the books Killian had requested, along with chests full of treasure and toys for Alice. Mr. Smee was the only other person who knew of Alice’s existence and had been visiting the father and daughter whenever he could, which was not very often. But Alice adored Mr. Smee, looking up at him as one would an uncle.

Emma and Killian grew closer as well, their stolen moments together precious to both of them. Emma wished to tell Alice, but Killian wanted to wait for a while longer. Emma would be lying if she said it did not hurt her feelings, but there were certain boundaries that she would not cross when it came to Alice, and this was something Killian was very insistent about.

He had confessed to her the reason behind the secrecy one night, as the both lay beneath the starry sky at the base of the tower. Emma had laid with her ear pressed against his chest, listening to the steady staccato of his heart.

(“Why do you not want Alice to know about us?” she had whispered. Because of the angle they were in, she did not have to look at him directly.

“I’m not ready for it just yet, Swan,” he had replied just as quietly. “I care for you a great deal, but you are the first person I’ve cared for like this in centuries. And for the past five years, everything I did was for Alice. She comes first for me, always.”

“I know, and I would never expect otherwise,” Emma protested, pulling herself closer. “I just- She asked me the other day if I fancied you. She can tell, Killian. She might be a child, but she is far too perceptive.”

When Killian did not reply for a long while, she began to worry. But then he finally spoke, his words soft, barely a whisper. “I’m falling in love with you, Princess. I’m really scared, and I just want to free my daughter. I feel selfish, being with you when my girl is stuck in that tower.”

Emma held back tears, and she had been only half certain that they were from joy. As much as his confession made her heart race, she finally understand where he came from. She sniffed as inconspicuously as she could. “We are being selfish, you’re right.” She had tried to get up then, but he held her tighter.

“Let’s just be selfish for once, Swan. But Alice cannot know.”

Emma had nodded, turning over and kissing him soundly. “For what it’s worth, I feel the same for you, Captain.”)

Winter took them by a storm, forcing them to remain indoors. Emma constantly offered to use her magic to ensure that they did not freeze but Killian was vehemently against it. It was only after a particularly harrowing night where they had all slept curled up together that he relented. But winter was over as quickly as it had begun, and it had already been a little less than a year since Emma had come to stay with them by the time Alice’s 6th birthday rolled around.

Emma baked the birthday girl Snow White’s special chocolate cake, allowing her the opportunity to remember the good times before Regina had taken the reins to the kingdom.

Killian and Emma arranged six candles for Alice, standing on either side of the little girl as they sang for her birthday. “Happy Birthday, Starfish,” Killian murmured against Alice’s ear, pressing kisses all over her face, making her giggle.

“Happy Birthday, sweetheart,” Emma added, kissing her lightly on her cheek. “Now blow the candles and make a wish.”

Emma wasn’t sure what Alice had wished for, but she could imagine it quite well. Especially when Alice’s mood seemed to diminish a little afterwards.

-/-

Present day: Enchanted Forest

Killian had Emma pressed against the tree, his anger exuding off of him in waves. “Answer me, dammit,” he growled, his hand clenching tightly around Emma’s wrist, his hook embedded into the tree above her. “Where is Alice?!”

“Killian, y-you need to calm, calm down,” Emma stuttered out. Her heart was pounding violently against her chest, and she was afraid that he might actually rip it out. “Killian, please, you’re scaring me. I’ll tell you everything, but please,” she almost begged.

He had changed so drastically, so quickly. It threw Emma off; it was not supposed to happen like this. She was supposed to have control over the situation. It was exactly for this reason that she had avoided giving him his memories back.

He must have sensed the real fear in Emma’s voice, because he swiftly backed up, pressing his back against the tree that was parallel to her, as if he was holding himself back. He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. Emma had seen this behaviour before, back when he had first become the Dark One. “Ignore the voice, Killian. It is not real. I’m real. I’m here.”

“Where is Alice, Emma?!” he shouted, making her jump.

“She’s with Gothel,” Emma confessed. Killian’s head snapped up, his eyes widened in disbelief, and dare she think it - betrayal? “You have to listen. I did everything to stop Alice, but she had made up her mind. She wanted me to take you to Merlin, and get rid of the Darkness. She told me not to give you your memories back because she knew you would go back for her.”

“SHE IS MY DAUGHTER. Of course I want to go ba- Back?! She’s in the Land without Magic? She’s been there all along?” Killian fired one question after another, and Emma finally decided it was time to tell him everything.

“There- There’s a letter in my bag. From Alice, to you. She’s explained everything in it. I’m just doing what she wanted me to, Killian. I’m respecting her wishes.”

“Her wishes? Bloody hell, Emma! She’s a child. She doesn’t know anything,” Killian snapped, his jaw clenching so tight, she could practically hear his teeth grind together. “You were supposed to take care of her, keep her safe. And you let her be kidnapped by that wench-”

“Hey!” Emma cut him off, her own anger rising with every scathing remark he made. “I did not let her do anything. I almost killed myself trying to stop her - AGAIN. Alice went on her own volition. She went with Gothel, because you need my help defeating the Darkness.”

Killian scoffed loudly, shaking his head. “Alice is my daughter. Mine. All you had to do was keep her safe, and you fucked that up. You have no idea what it feels like right now. You have no idea what it feels like to lose your child.”

Emma felt her heart break at his words. All the ways she had imagined this moment going, none of them had involved Killian being so cruel. She tried to convince herself that it was the Darkness making him say these things, but he must really feel those things. She pushed back her anguish, brushing her tears away, letting her own anger take over. “Well, you left us. You were too much of a coward to face your Darkness, and you left us. I raised her. I was there for all those years. We never stopped loving you - I never stopped loving you. Not even after what you did, forcing parts of your curse on me. You did that to me, told me that you needed me to be there, to find a cure. You corrupted my magic, Killian! So, fuck you too. Fuck. You.

“I did everything you wanted - all of it. You wanted me to be there for Alice, I was. You wanted me to find a cure, I did. You wanted me to suffer the same immortality as you, and believe me, I did. I still do. I did all of that. And I would have died to keep Alice safe, too. She made a fucking choice. She’s not a child anymore; I know that because I was there to see her grow up.”

“That is such a fucked up thing to say. You told me to go, Emma!” He stalked over to her, until he was standing just a hair’s breadth away. “You said it was okay, that you would be okay.”

“Of course I said that, Killian. That was what you needed to hear. I did that too, for you. Just like enduring all these years, waiting until I found an actual answer to the Darkness before I came after you. No matter how much I wanted to jump into a portal and come after you, I didn’t.” Emma’s lip wobbled, her efforts to keep her tears at bay failing. She pushed at his chest. “You broke my heart. I’ve abused it with my magic, I’ve been poisoned. But all of that physical pain, the surgery, and everything else in the Land without Magic? None of that pain compares to what you did. No one has ever hurt me like you did, Killian Jones.”

-/-

Killian was stricken at her words, physically staggering back. “Emma,” he whispered, unable to stomach the pain she described. Had he really been so selfish that he hurt her that badly? He could still feel the rage, but it had simmered down in lieu of his heartbreak, as he watched the woman he loved break apart in front of him - because of him.

“You really should read the letter Alice left for you,” she said thrusting it at him, her voice raspy and her gaze trained away from him. More than her anger, her disappointment hurt him the most. He felt sick to his stomach, unable to bring himself to say anything that could make the situation better. She began walking away, but stopped short, their shoulders almost brushing even though she was faced away from him. “You said that I have no idea what it feels like to lose a child?” She let out a mirthless chuckle. “I lost a child, too. At least you know you will get yours back,” she whispered, walking away from him.

His heart stopped short in his chest at her admission. She could not mean that, no.... It couldn’t be. He turned, grabbing her shoulder, hoping to stop her, to comfort her. But she whirled around, her eyes flashing white with her light magic as she sent a blast his way, sending him flying and crashing against a giant tree, his back smarting. He groaned, knowing that it was only because he was the Dark One that he did not have a serious injury right then. He could still feel the lingering shock of her magic pulse through him.

“You know what the worst part is?” she asked, biting her lip sharply. “I still love you. I love you so much it hurts.”

Killian stood up, his heart swelling with her words. If she still loved him, then there was still hope. But her next words stopped him in his tracks. “I never thought you were capable of being so cruel. To me. I thought you would at least let me explain.” Emma sucked in a deep breath. “I do love you; but Killian, it hurts to love you.”

[rifleshotsandflowerpots-blog]

In which Jade n Jake meet and both the similarities and differences are striking between them. @tallyhothere

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)Last Thursday at 8:36 PM

Your name is JAKE ENGLISH and you are currently galavanting around the not countryside at all. Is cityside a word? It is now! You are galavanting around the cityside as you explore the concrete jungle you find yourself in.

It's been exciting! It's been new! It's been thrilling! But most of all...its been COLD AS THE DICKENS.  So you have found a sneaky technique to beat the chill is to step into random shops and browse around a bit.  Marvel at all the knick-knacks, chat with the clerk a bit.  Then skidoo out for another block or two. 

At this juncture, you find yourself jingling the small shop bell and are greeted with perhaps the best shop you've seen yet! Plants! Flowers! A bona-fide jungle inside a box!  Wonderful!  And warm....very warm.

You step inside, coat a flashing eyesore blinking as you start to look over the various flora. @🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)Last Thursday at 9:05 PM

Your name is JADE HARLEY and you're in your flower shop again. You are.... well, not fine but you will. In time. For now you felt like taking care of your plants!   

You just need to keep your hands busy and well, you think you've done enough murders for the next couple of days. Also you still got orders to finish! Not a lot mind you, but you like to keep on top of things. 

 You're finishing up another bouquet when you hear the bell ring. Another customer maybe? Or a friend perhaps? You do love to chat when it's a dear friend!~ 

"Just a minute!!" You say, tying the final bow for the flowers. Aw, this arrangement is rather pretty actually. Blue's a calming colour.

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)Last Thursday at 9:20 PM

Oh! A voice! Sounds like a lady, but who knows.  "Alright!" you call back.  "Take your time, don't rush?"  You aren't really sure what you are supposed to be saying in this situation.

Walking among the flowers, for the first time since you've arrived you actually feel a pang of homesickness.  The snow is a marvel, the city is fascinating, but...also so unfamiliar.  Being surrounded by greenery feels comforting in a way, even if it is an artificial jungle.

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

Oh! That's an odd accent; maybe a newcomer to the city? How fun! 

You set the lovely arrangement to the side and dust off your hands before walking over to where you heard the voice come--what on Derse is that weird light show coming from among your plant??? 

"Hello??? Sir??" 

No raves in your flower shop! Well at least there's no obnoxious music.

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

Your attention is turned to the voice as you try to make your way towards it.

"Hello! Sorry! Was distracted!  Quite a lovely shop you have heeeeee...."

Your words taper off as you round the corner and for a moment you are confused by the lady in front of you.  She looks like the old photos of your grandmother, down to the hair.  Age her up some and she'd be a spitting likeness.

You blink, shake your head, blink again.  Hwah...wow.  Weird.  Maybe she's related to the Jude Harley fellow?  It suddenly dawns on you that this is another realm alltogether...she could in fact be a daughter or a granddaughter in this time to your grandmother?  The sudden concept that you could have very well a timeline of family who never had to deal with the batterwitch's terrible undertakings leaves you a bit speechless.

So you just stand there flabbergasted.

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

You blink at him. And then blink again just as astonished.

You have absolutely no idea who his guy is before you, but he reminds you alarmingly quickly of your Grandpa. You don't have much in the way of photos, but you remember his eyes, and his voice and it just... leaves you speechless.

Almost choked up even. He looks like a young version of Grandpa--!

Actually the longer you stare the more you kinda see Jude in him. A cousin to him then?? Maybe you and Jude might be more related than you thought.

"Ah.... w-well... you're new!"

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

The vintage memory standing before you speaks, and you are reminded she is in fact a person and not just a surreal memory.  Right, she's....likely someone else entirely.  And you're here staring at her like a buffon.

You look away at the plants and give a laugh that is uncharicterisically shaken.

"Ahaha! I am! Right you are on that!  Bit of a newcomer to this city of Midnight!    Can sort of say I just dropped in really!"  Another laugh, a bit more comfortable sounding this time.

"I must say, been in and out quite a few shops but this one so far gets the egg!  Think I've seen more plants here than I have the entire time I've been here so far!"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

You pick up on that; his nervous laugh reminds you that this guy can't be your Grandpa. He's dead after all. But the way he responded to you... well. You definitely don't think he knows you but maybe someone similar?

"Well it is a flower shop." You smile brightly, gesturing around you. "There's not quite a flower shop like mine in Midnight City! It's my way of bringing a bit of colour to this city~"

You eye his rave coat. "Though I must say, I think you've gotten me beat! I'm surprised that the Fashion Police hasn't stopped you yet."

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"Well I'd have to say you've done a right good job of it.  Bang up to the elephant even!"

Some of the plants are not anything like you've seen, but there's a few that make you think of home.  You lean over to smell one of the more tropical flowers.

The comment about the coat gets a chuckle.  "You aren't the first person to say that...what even is a fashion police?  I've met one policeman so far and he seemed rather friendly.  I didn't think the coat is that bad...though I guess not being able to turn it off really does make it a bit rough on the totsies."

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

Oh god he kinda talked like your Grandpa that's so weird!!!

"Why thank you Good Sir!~" You giggle, hands clasped behind your back as you observe him. "The Fashion Police are exactly what they sound like; they're a whole division devoted to making sure we Derse citizens stick to wearing clothes of the 1920s."

You tip your head as you step a little closer to the Grandpa double. "An off switch would have been smart yes!~ Really, I can't imagine that you came to Derse the legal methods; not that I'd tell anyone of course! Promise!~"

You really do. He's only in his odd coat and short shorts! And it's winter!!! Just how the heck did he get to Derse???

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"Huh....quite the oddity!  Wait....is it the 1920's?"  You suddenly look a bit confused. You thought this was just another planet.  "I swear this whole thing gets more and more tomfuddled the more I hear about it..."

Rubbing the back of your head, you think a moment.  "True.  Granted at this point not even sure if it does turn off. Been going for as long as I remember...but sheesh. I've yet to figure out what the legal methods are so not sure if I am or not? I suppose portal in sky meets ground is on the backlist of no-go.  I appreciate that though, last thing I came here to do was get arrested. Specially for coming here!"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

Oh. Oh dear. He doesn't seem to have noticed much since he got here! When did this guy even arrive to the city?

"Wait wait; first! Not actually the 1920s but because of Prospit winning the war against Derse, they implemented the Technology ban and thus life on Derse has been stuck in the world of Earth's 1920s; yes that does include the alcohol ban too."

"Secondly..."  You narrow your eyes, and place you hands on your hips. "You came here via portal in sky???" That sounded very much like Dirk, but more on purpose. "Where did you come from exactly?"

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

Prospit? War?  You read about the ban in Arq's files but huh...this all just sounded utterly silly.  Then again did you really have room to speak mister wearing shorts in the middle of winter?  Nope!  So you don't speak up on that bit at all.

At her gesture, you make a visible yerk as you are temporarily transported to a time when you were a child and your grandmother made that exact pose. The James Hamilton English what are you doing mister pose that causes the reptile part of your brain to immediately feel guilty over everything you have ever did in life.

"OH!  Well! Ah." You find yourself a bit more tongue-tied than you've been in years.  "It's a bit of a humdinger of a tale, probably going to make me sound more like I'm zozzled out of my gourd trying to sell you a dog."

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

You arch a brow, completely dissatisfied with that answer. He's kind of a dork, this double, but quite open about his expressions. Makes him pretty easy to read!  Poor sod; you hope he has friends that'll keep him from being manipulated then. 

"Well, good thing I already have a dog." Bec was the best boy hands down. "Now spill! If you came via portal, I'm guessing it had to be a very powerful portal to bridge you here from Earth. And since there wasn't any rips in the sky or blinding flashes of light, this portal had to be more discreet to not be spotted." 

All assumptions you make, but you say them to gauge.... this guy's expression.

....you should ask a name soon though.

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

Well, she certainly seems sharp enough to know a bit about portals and things...so maybe this would be more believable.  If anything, worst case she'll think you're a nutter and that's that.

"I think it was discreet?  Hoo. Granted from my perspective I just felt like I was hurtling down from space itself for a bit, so not sure how big or small it was from the other end.   The portal my friends and I hopped through was about uhh....yey big.  Maybe the size of your shop window?"

You gesture as you speak, as if you're incable of speaking and standing still at the same time.

"As for where I came from! Well! From another planet it seems, in a whole other dimension!  Earth, though a different Earth. My friends and I came across time and space to find and rescue one of our dearest friends who vanished when we tried to transportalize him over!"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

If you hadn't experienced Candy Hell and Horror Town you honestly would have thought him nuts! And yet you have and thus you believe him. He is also being openly honest about it too; there's nary a lie that you can see.

He's so innocent; untouched by the city and its own set of poisons and pain. He hasn't experienced what it's like to live in Midnight City, a world blacker than it's name suggests. 

You have a desire to protect that, but push it away. This wasn't like how it wa with Jay. You're both couldn't possibly be related!

"So... you came here. To my dimension. With other people. Just to find a friend??" You admire his loyalty.

Wait the only guy that he could be possibly referring to was--!

"You're here for Dirk!"

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

The idea that it seems odd or perhaps suspicious that a random flower shopkeeper would know Dirk and catch on so quick is completely overshadowed by how excited you are to talk about all of this to someone.

"I am!  I am indeed! You're sharper than a tack!"  You smile wide.  "Days....I guess now months back?  Hoo time stuff. Time stuff I must say is the worst stuff.   Some time back Dirk vanished in our attempt to bring us all together at long last, and so the rest of us put our collective noggins together to find out he fell into some rift or wormhole that had unexpectedly shown up!"

You give a slight spin, coat flowing around behind you as you do.

"So we found a way to get here to find him! And I have!  Which is good, because hoo-diddy did I get very lost for a bit there.  But he's currently having a bit of a trouble spot with one of our other friends so I'm just...hm. Well I'm giving them some time and space to sort that barrel of figs out.  Gives me a chance to explore this whole city thing in all its delights and  marvels!"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

You smile back. My god this boy is too precious and he's probably the same age as you. You might be that sharp but him? Duller than a butter knife. Or maybe you're just jaded and you hide it smoothly with your bubbly personality. One or the other.

You mean, he just told his whole story to you, a complete stranger! You sincerely hope he only did that because you remind him of someone, or that his friends are smarter street-wise; this city will gobble him up otherwise!

"Well, I'm glad you found Dirk then. He's a lovely friend." Good kisser too. "Though I'm worried about this trouble he has..." You figure it has to do with the Felt and Arquius. You do hope they both will be alright, all things considered. 

"Though if you were going to go explore, I have to ask why you didn't put on something a little warmer??" You question, eyeing those booty shorts. If you didn't like wearing pants on principle, you could probably pull off a pair of those too.

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"I'm glad too. I was expecting to have to search high and low for him in who knows what wilderness.  It didn't even dawn on me that he'd end up in a city, but perhaps for the best!  It's quite a nice place...full of people!"  you smile brightly.  "Did you know there are friendly trolls here?  Wait why am I asking that, of course you would.  Ahaha...sorry!  It's just been such a plum novelty since I arrived. Everything is so different, magical even!  Street lights, crowds of people, SO MANY PEOPLE, shops of just...things!  And snow!"

You look down at your outfit and chuckle.

"Yeah that was a bit of a blind-shot for me there, really should have thought of that one before I jumped.  It actually skipped my mind that of all the places to go, one may be a place that has more than one season that isn't tropical island. Hahahah...I mean I'm not sure I'll be here long enough to worry about getting pants."

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

Oh no he's ridiculous you want to protect this idiot child so much he rambles!!! You can't help but giggle in delight at his antics! 

"So I guess you were raised on an island then? A quiet one?" You tease just a little bit. "That sounds lovely; I think I used to live on one myself a very long time ago. I think that's partially why I have this flower shop. The city's not quite as colourful as an island!" Minus the red, black and pale light district of course.

"There's troll, humans and carapaces all living in Midnight City. Some are lovely people but others not so much. You best be careful when exploring; not everyone may take kind to you and your shorts~"

"....you know what? I don't think we ever exchanged names!" You can't keep calling him Dork in your head. "So sorry about that! I'm Jade! Jade Harley!~"

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"A bit yes.  Though that's likely another long tale in and of itself. " You grin.  It's just so...novel to be able to talk to another person face to face.  Is this what it's like to have a normal world and normal life?  Is this...small talk?  "It's true...this city does seem to be a bit low on color. But the lights are remarkable!  Just everywhere sparkling like the stars came down to nest!"

The caution is noted...you did expect sooner or later someone was going to get a bit irate at the strange man running around in shorts and flashing lights.  Dirk had offered you some of his clothes but...that felt a bit odd.  Besides, may as well enjoy this chilling cold while you can.

Your smile goes wider at the mention of name exchange, but you can't quite hide the surprise when she introduces her name and you feel yourself once again thrown for a loop.  Ooh heavens to murgatroy, this just got weird again.

Maybe she's an alternate younger version of your grandmother...or maybe she just was named after HER grandmother who would have been your grandmother. Oh god, what if she's an alternate YOU.  There is a bit of resemblence there.

"Ah! Right right.  I'm Jake. Jake English.  Please do m-meet you  G-Miss Harley!  Don't suppose you are related to the Jude Harley fellow I met a bit ago?"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

"That's Midnight City for you! The city that never sleeps~"

Jake English; well not quite your grandpa's name but close! You're pretty sure his name could've been Jake too. Though you vaguely remember calling him Grandpa Harley.

"Please! Just call be Jade! Less I call you Mister English in turn!~" Oh he's met Jude?? He come to think of it, he kinda looks like Jude too! Hmm maybe in his dimension that Jude could've been an adult relative?? 

"So you've met him?? No, no relation of any kind! We just happen to share a last name. I don't have any blood ties." 

A small white lie, but you're not about to tell your possibly alternate younger grandpa about your illegally experimented dog gal sister when you've barely told anyone else.

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"Righto!  Jade it is! Pleasure to meet you Jade."  You give a good proper bow this time, realizing you should have done that earlier.  Human interraction is difficult.

"I have! I well, ran into the poor gent headlong when I shot into the brown on my landing here.  Still feel a bit bad for that really. Should make an apology proper before I leave.  Quite and alright chap!"

You listen to her speak and nod solemnly.  "The Harley name is quite the prolific one I daresay.  Was my grandmother's, though since she passed I think...well shoot maybe it's not that prolific at all now. Well that's a bit of a humdinger....SO! What do people here do for fun?"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

Oh he's bowing; you let out a giggle and curtsy back. He doesn't have to actually but hey, you've always been a go-with-the-flow kind of gal~

"Oh! Yeah I think so; Jude's a sweet guy if a little shy." You like Jude a lot; you might not be related but he's a darling! Especially after learning he's not a stalker.

Ah; how odd! His grandma's dead, yours is too.... or maybe you're grasping at straws with that tidbit. "Well we are stuck in the 1920s so there's a lot of swing clubs and we still have movie theatres and casinos and the like! There's also bars if you know where to go; technically it's illegal to be drinking, but people love their drinks too much to really give it up."

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

The giggle she gives sounds so much like your grandmothers, it's uncanny.  If anything, there was a strange surreal comfort at the idea that perhaps this is another time and place where your grandmother is alive and gets to have a happy life running a flowershop versus well...what all happened in your time and place.

Your eyes light up at the concept of clubs, and theatres!  Casinos...eh not so much cause it isn't like you have any money to gain or lose.  "Fair fair.  Not much for the gigglewater myself what with the whole island thing....though Roxy is quite fond of it.   She'll be glad to hear there's that."

You chuckle, not showing any opinion on the legality of things.  Not like that kind of thing is really your concern.  "A theatre sounds nice though! I don't think I've ever been to one before so I should definitely try to get to do that!"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

"Roxy? Is she another friend of yours that came to find Dirk??" You wonder how many that makes; currently that's four people from the same different universe. How are they going to go home? Would they even make it back successfully...?

"There's are a lot of fun! I don't go often but sometimes it's nice to go watch a movie with some friends and popcorn. I very much recommend the theatre on Main and Bayview; they always get the newest movies first~" 

Honestly that sounds fun; you should probably go see a movie when you get a chance.

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"She is! She's the smartest most talented church-bell I've ever met!  One of my best friends!" One of your only friends, but you aren't going to let that detail get you down.  "Her, Hal and myself all jumped through and here we are. Though I guess Hal is now Arq?  I have noticed people sure love their name changes when coming over here. "

You laugh and then listen, nodding enthusiastically. 

"That sounds perfect!  I'll get to try popcorn for the first time! I've read about it, it sounds delightful!  Thank you for all these suggestions."

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

Awww she sounds wonderful. Maybe with your luck, you might run into this Roxy lady too. She sounds very pretty! And sweet~ "I think that's because there exists in this world a Hal? He's... he's very neat all things considered, but he was here first before your Hal~"

You laugh and smile back. "It's not any trouble Jake! Just be safe! The city is wonderful but it can be dangerous; not everyone is a sweetheart like you!~"

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"True true. I've noticed there seems to be a bit of a double up.  Wonder if there is another of me out there on adventures.  Maybe I'll get lucky and run into him before I have to go."  You like to assume that he is somewhere out there...doing some grand escapade.  Probably is really cool.

"Well if this city is half as pleasant as you are, I can't imagine it being anything but a paradise!  But I shall do my best to stay safe.  I hope I can meet you again before I go though, this has been the most delightful of meetings."  It's true, and admittedly you'd like to see this place once more before you stop off and away.  It feels so much like home, and she looks so much like her that it kind of recalls old feelings you wouldn't mind having at least once before you lose any chance again.

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

"Maybe!" You doubt it, if his counterpart was indeed your grandpa. Who is very much dead. Definitely not alive anymore.

You give another bright smile and before you know it, you're giving him a warm, patented Jade hug. "I concur!  You have been the most interesting person to enter my shop today! You're welcome back any time! You can bring your friends too it would be nice!~"

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

The hug is a surprise, but a welcome one.  Goodness, it's been so long since you've been around people in general. But then you got hugs from Roxy, and Dirk, and Arq, and sort of one from the little green fellow, and now this!  Hands down, this is your best city experience ever.

You are already starting to miss it.

But for now, you smile bright!  "Oh! Definitely! I'll make sure to bring them as well! I expect they'd love this place, and be glad to meet you too! Thank you so much Jade. You've been the jammiest bits of jam!"

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

You give the best hugs! You've been told this many times so it must be true.

"You're very welcome Jake!" You let go after a few moments, hands clasped behind you once more. "You are also quite the darling! I hope you all get home safely. And uh," You eye his coat and shorts, amusement all over your face. "Try to find something warmer okay? City winters can be harsh, too harsh to wait it out."

Mabs (PI/02/gT Jake)01/19/2019

"Can do!" You give her a salute and a smile.  No sense bringing up the whole what is money and how you have none of it, the last thing you want is to come across as a nose bagger.

"Until next time!  Tally ho!"

And with that, you turn and make your exit.

🌺 Shadow 🌺 (Jade/Skylla)01/19/2019

You smile and wave him off, watching as he steps out of your shop and braves the cold once more. What a curious individual! And so very, very trusting. Too trusting even.

You pull out your phone and stare at it a little. Telling the bosses about people apparently dimension-hopping into yours would be pretty important you feel. You'd rather not give those Felt bastards any more potential help if possible. Hmm.... yeah, you should let others know.

Though you do hope Jake goes home. He would be safer that way.

[cruelzy]

movie

ao3 cross

pairing: bakugou/reader

“What?”

“I said,” you spoke offhandedly, eyes trailing the blonde ambling into the room with his mail. “We should go watch a movie on your day off.”

“Oh wouldn’t I just love that?” His voice was utterly drenched in sarcasm as he dropped the package, pressing a hand into the column of his neck with an irritated hiss. He sat without a semblance of grace, kicking the chair back.

“What? Why not?” You whined, begged, leaned over the table to invade his personal space. He batted away your flailing arms with a single hand, eyes never moving from the box he was opening. 

“I don’t have time,” he grumbled.

“Please?” Your muffled voice came from underneath his palm. Peering through the gaps in his spread fingers your tone softened, lips pressing gently to the rough skin. “You’re always training.” The young hero barely had any time to do anything, and it was driving you nuts. “Spend some time with me?”

Bakugou glared down at you. You found yourself being lost in the tunnel of those blood red eyes--a familiar storm within them quietly brewing, calm for now but ready to rage when necessary. 

He grunted a sigh, reluctantly submitting to your request. “Fine.”

You positively beamed, wiggling your eyebrows. “Yes! It’s a date then.”

“Not a date.”

“Shh,” You flicked his forehead. “Get into the spirit you brat.”

This’ll be nice, you thought to yourself as you jumped over the couch, dodging the chair that was thrown at you by the enraged hero. A nice, peaceful escape from the stress and excitement. After all, what could go wrong?

As it turned out, the right question to ask may have been ‘what could go right.’

Because everything was going wrong.

“We are not watching some dumb chick flick,” he eyed the poster of the movie with disdain.

The cashier looked nervously between the two of you from the booth, raising his hand slightly. “U-uh, you guys are holding up the l-line-”

“Shut up!” You both turned on him simultaneously, and he let out a terrified squeakclose to that of a dying animal. 

 You hissed a sigh through your teeth, turning back to Bakugou. “This is supposed to be a time to relax.”

“Sure.”

“Peace. Tranquility.”

“And?”

“What about loud explosions is relaxing to you?!”

His scowl deepened. “Do you even see who you’re talking to?”

“I-If i may cut in,” the cashier spoke again, quickly, rushing over the words lest the two of you decided to turn dark stares upon him again. “How about a c-compromise? There’s the n-newest comedy out?”

You paused. That might actually not be that bad. You turned hopeful eyes to your companion as he groaned for the third time that day.

“Fine,” that seemed to be his favourite word for handling the exhaustion that came with you, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

The cashier smiled, handing you the movie tickets with your receipt. “There you go! I hope you enjoy your date!”

Bakugou snatched the tickets with a bit more force than necessary. “Not a date.”

You rolled your eyes, ignoring the cashier’s flabbergasted expression and rushing to follow after his long strides. “Don’t worry--he’s just shy. Have a good day!”

The movie itself, quite plainly, sucked.

It was corny--and not intentionally so, but the kind that was trying way too hard with every bad pun. The row in front you seated a woman whose extravagant hair-do was attempting to shoot into the ceiling, and consequently you had to find creative ways to maneuver your head so that you could even see the screen. A couple elementary school kids across from you were snickering at everything. And you meant everything. 

You had to physically hold down Bakugou’s hand from blasting them through the wall.

Bakugou himself only got more annoyed as time passed--though you think that attributed more to the people around than the movie itself. He seemed pretty impassive on the film, apart from the occasional smirk whenever the main character would get hurt for comedic effect. Figures that would be what he found funny.

Your own mood increasingly soured with each second. Soon you lost interest completely, the screen becoming a collage of flickering pictures and background noise.

By the time the movie had ended, you had a stiff back from the seats, a headache from the rowdiness, and a strong temporary dislike for children.

“That was dumb,” Bakugou said, cut clear and straight to the point as the two of you walked down the sidewalk. You agreed.

“It was. I always seem to mess everything up yeah?” You mused absentmindedly that you hadn’t seen the stars in a while - what with the light pollution in your neighbourhood. It was nice to admire the twinkling lights for even a moment.

When you glanced back down, Bakugou was looking at you as if you had just said you were planning to go fly to the moon.

“What are you on about now?” He narrowed his crimson eyes at you in incomprehension, small wrinkles cresting by his eyebrows, his mouth twisted down in a familiar yet entirely alien gesture.

“You said you didn’t want to come, but I pushed anyway,” you laughed. “Right?” The laughter wouldn’t stop, and soon you found that words were falling from your lips without passing through your brain first. “Every time we try something like this, it fails. I should have learned my lesson by now, but I guess not. Looks like I’m even more stubborn than you.”

He stopped still, the scuffling of his shoes on the gravel fading to a silence that echoed down the empty street. You didn’t notice, already caught up in the white noise that buzzed and pounded inside your head.

“I don’t know why I even try anymore. Is it pity why you still tolerate me?” you rambled, choking on the laughter that had turned to gasping convulsions of giggles. Self deprecation twisted inside you, burrowed deep, writhing. “Not that I’d be very surprised-”

You tripped.

It wasn’t of your own volition, more a side effect of the hand that had suddenly grabbed onto the back of your shirt and pulled. The collar tightened around the front of your throat momentarily as you tried not to stumble. 

Bakugou released you once you were firmly put back by his side, making you realize you had begun walking without him. When had he stopped moving?

“Baku-?”

“First,” he made abrupt eye contact with you, his storm fully raging now, yet somehow still managing to look almost bored. You couldn’t break the gaze--it successfully planted you to the ground, preventing you from leaving whether you wanted to or not. “Stop with the waterworks.”

You blinked owlishly, mute in confusion, before you slowly registered the wetness on your cheeks. You touched a hand cautiously to the skin in disbelief. You hadn’t even noticed you’d been crying. Your mind further blanked when a coarse thumb wiped underneath your left eye, taking some of the moisture with it. 

“You’re being more of an idiot than usual. How are you responsible for the cashier recommending us that waste of time? Or for the morons in the theater?”

You couldn’t find a rebuttal. “I-”

“Quiet,” he growled, yet the caressing motion of his thumb on your cheek contradicted the harsh statement. “You’re messing up that damn makeup you wailed and fussed over this morning.” You flushed in embarrassment, knowing you over dressed for this simple outing. You couldn’t help it. You had just been so…happy. 

The blonde’s utter disregard of sugar coating the ridiculousness of what you were doing cut through your emotional fog, and you sighed. 

“You’re…right,” You murmured, tugging at the end of your shirt absentmindedly. “I’m sorry.” 

You made to move, already eager to get back home. You were exhausted, the shoes you had chosen to wear uncomfortable and squeezing the life out of your toes, makeup no doubt smudged. Your bed was calling to you, inviting you in its warm embrace.

“Didn’t I just say to shut up?” 

Perplexity and soon annoyance flooded you at his words, and your head snapped up, ready to lay it on him thick. Your mouth opened but any thoughts fell on a noiseless tongue as he slid his hand to the back of your neck, unnaturally warm against your clammy skin, the pads of his fingers pushing you closer abruptly. 

His mouth met yours and the world fell away. 

Against anything you ever would have predicted, it was soft at first. He was gentle even. (That’s it, that’s the sign, you must have been hallucinating, this is Bakugou you were talking about.) He pressed a short kiss to the corner of your mouth, once, twice, barely there, hovering. The third time he noticeably lingered, as if savouring the contact, fingers grazing the baby hairs at the base of your neck.

There was a lull, a split second where nothing was happening at all, merely shared breaths and uncertain hesitancies. You swallowed shakily, letting out a shocked whisper of his name from your lips onto his. 

The moment snapped and then his hand was suddenly tangled in your hair, and he was kissing you. You swear you felt sparks, bursts of heat running along your skin--and there was a good chance that it wasn’t your imagination, steam rising in your peripheral from him. He took advantage of your slightly parted lips--open from the words you never got to say--and dove deeper, pressed his free hand into the arch of your spine so that he could close the distance between you forcefully. You tried to think, comprehend what was going on, but anything other than the feel of his hands on your skin, the desperation curling in your chest, the taste of him was shoved to the back of your mind. 

It was over all too soon, and you opened your eyes (opened, when had you even closed them?) to see him studying you with an unreadable expression. He licked his lips briefly, causing your heart to stutter, before he turned wordlessly.

“Terrible date,” he spoke, but his words had no bite as he began to walk once more. You stood for another second, speechless, before a grin spread contagiously across your face.

“You admitted it was a date!” You yelled as you ran to catch up with him, nearly face-planting from your unsteady feet.

He snorted.

“I knew it!”

[ohmytheon]

arya x gendry and impending parenthood worries pls

“Oh my god, your brothers are going to murder me.”

For a brief moment, Arya thought that Gendry was being a little melodramatic, but then she thought of what Robb and Jon had done after they’d found out that Sansa’s ex-boyfriend had hit her and… Okay, maybe he had a fair point. Her big brothers are a tad overprotective.

It wasn’t a bad thing – Arya herself had slashed the tires of the boy’s Ferrari out of spite – but things were a little different when it came to her. They knew that she could take care of herself just fine. No boy was ever going to treat her badly or there would be a reckoning before her brothers even knew what happened. They let her handle most of her problems on her own, only stepping in or offering advice if she asked. Jon was especially good at that, not being as nosy as Robb, which was why she often went to her half brother for everything.

This though was something entirely different and she didn’t really know what to expect, much less know how they would react. It wasn’t like Gendry had hurt her or anything – in fact, it was quite the opposite – but things were definitely going to be awkward. Super awkward. Now that she was thinking about her brothers, her mind drifted to the rest of her family and horror finally began to set in. What were her parents going to say?

In front of her, Gendry paced the small living room back and forth. His apartment wasn’t much to speak of, but it was a step up from the studio he’d lived in when they had first met. First of all, he had actual, separate rooms with doors. Still, she knew that it made him uncomfortable sometimes considering the size of the house that she had grown up in. The first time he’d met her parents for dinner at their home, his eyes had gone so wide that she’d laughed. He hadn’t thought it was very funny; he had looked like he was ready to bolt and kept tugging on his clothes the entire night.

However, unlike then, Arya didn’t really know what to do to soothe him now. She felt equally helpless. All she could do was sit on the couch and watch him, feeling both numb and flabbergasted at the same time. No one would ever accuse her of being quiet, but for once in her life, she was speechless and didn’t know what to say at all. She’d never expected to be in a situation like this before. Everyone had so many ideas about where they would be in their life when something like this happened and this was…not it.

To be honest, she’d never given it much thought before, which left her feeling even more adrift.

Finally, after running his fingers through his hair for what had to have been the twentieth time, Gendry paused and turned to face her. His face was pink. Of course he would be blushing now. “I, ah, I thought you were on…”

“I was!” Arya exclaimed indignantly. “I am! I don’t know how–” And then, after hours of wondering and flailing in confusion, it hit her. It hadn’t even occurred to her before. Her face slowly began to match his, just as pink. “Remember when I had a sinus infection?”

“Yeah,” Gendry replied slowly. “You were miserable. Kept saying you were dying. I spoon-fed you the spicy chicken noodle soup from the Thai restaurant down the street from your place.”

Arya didn’t think she had been that bad, but then, she couldn’t really remember. She’d been on a lot of medication and she was kind of a brat whenever she got sick. It was the only time she would ever let her mother fuss over her when she was a child. “Well, I was taking antibiotics and sometimes those can…mess with it – you know, make it ineffective.”

“Oh.”

Silence fell over them. Arya continued to watch Gendry as he looked away from her. For some reason, now that he was still, she was beginning to feel even antsier than when he was pacing the room. She wished that he’d say something – do something – anything, but he just stood there, lost in thought.

When he finally came to, he took a deep breath and sat down next to her, taking her hands in his. They were so large compared to her tiny ones. She loved his hands though, so rough and calloused and always seemingly dirty from his work at the mechanic shop no matter what he did to clean them. “So what do you want to do?”

“I…” Arya felt her throat close up and she looked down at his hands, unable to handle the bright blueness of his eyes. “I don’t know. I mean, I wasn’t expecting this and I wasn’t planning on this happening any time soon, but–” She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

She peeked up at him, but he wasn’t looking at her anymore. There was a strained expression on his face. It was the one he got whenever he was thinking really hard or stressed out, which he was most definitely doing both of right now. But then, without warning, the strained expression faded away and was replaced by something she didn’t expect: shame and fear.

“I’m with you in whatever you decide. You know that, right? I will back you up.” Gendry pulled one hand away from hers so that he could rub his face tiredly. “I know I’m not…” He sighed. “Look, Arya, I know I’m not the best catch, okay? I’ve got a good job, but there are times when I feel like I’m barely making ends meet and I can’t always give you what you deserve. I’ve never been to college. I live in a dumpy apartment and my car only runs because I can fix it myself. I would completely understand if you didn’t…”

Arya jerked her other hand out of his grip, causing him to look up, and glared at him heatedly. “This isn’t about you or what kind of ‘catch’ you are. I wouldn’t be with you – I wouldn’t even be in this position with you – if I didn’t, you know, love you.” She was not one for flowery speeches or talking about her emotions, but hell, sometimes they needed to be said in order to get them through his thick skull. “I’m with you, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but it’s one thing to date someone, Arya,” Gendry told her, “but it’s quite another to have a kid with them.” His tone was neither cruel or hurt; it just…was. Matter-of-fact, like that was the way life worked. “I would know. My father didn’t stick around for longer than a week after he found out my mother was pregnant.”

“Are you planning to leave?” Arya questioned.

“No, of course not!” Gendry protested.

“Then what are you getting at?” Arya folded her arms across her chest and folded in on herself, like she was protecting herself from something.��“Am I…?” She bit her lip, the fear suddenly very real for her now that she was thinking about it. She’d never been afraid as far as Gendry was concerned before. He was always so consistent and there for her, even when they’d just been friends. “Do you not want to have a kid with me?”

“Arya,” Gendry sighed in such a soft voice that she couldn’t help but lean forward so that she could bury her face in his chest. How did he manage to get her like this so easily when everyone else struggled with her? “I would do anything for you. I would do anything with you. I can’t imagine it being someone else. I just… I don’t know. I’d hoped I could offer you more before then and that it wouldn’t be at such a bad time for you.”

Of course he was thinking of her with such little regard to himself. She was only nineteen and a sophomore in college with a part-time job. Right now, pregnancy was the last thing that she needed added to her plate. She was living in a two bedroom apartment with her childhood friend Mycah out of stubbornness since she wanted to prove that she could take care of herself. But adding a child to the mix would change everything.

“I feel like I threw a wrench in your life plans,” Gendry mumbled.

She knocked him in the chest with a fist. “You didn’t get me pregnant on your own, you know. If I recall, I kind of threw myself at you the second I was feeling better.”

When Gendry pressed his face into the top of her head, she could feel him smiling. “You were very insistent.” He took a breath and they both pulled away slightly so that they could look at one another. “So what do we do?”

“I don’t know,” Arya repeated, feeling helpless again. “But whatever it is, we’ll do it together, right?”

“I’m not going to leave you,” Gendry told her firmly. “Whatever it takes – whatever you need – I’ll do it. I’ll get a second job or one that pays better, even if it’s shit. I’ll save up. I’ll go to every doctor’s appointment with you, even if–” A determined look came over him. “I’m not going to be like my dad. I’ll be there with you every step of the way. I’ll be better. I swear.”

“You’re an idiot if you don’t think you already are,” Arya said. It definitely wasn’t the sweetest thing in the world to say, but it made him smile.

She knew that he meant every word though. The first thing she’d ever figured out about him years ago when they first met, back when she was twelve and he was fifteen, was that he was hard-working. She’d never known someone his age to already have a job. The kids she went to school with got their first car before they got their first job. Gendry though was different. He fought for every scrap that he owned and for everything in his life. She could understand that. And she knew that he would do the same now.

For the first time in days, Arya felt at ease and like she could breathe again.

[darkfromday]

band of brothers (24)

Prompt: Day 7 - Tomorrow

Pairing: Owlshipping (Gongenzaka Noboru/Kurosaki Shun/Dennis Mackfield)

This is it. Last one. Thanks to all who read or skimmed by all these! ‘Review replies’ will be coming along shortly. For now, have Gongenzaka being nuts about a head sash.

One morning, Gongenzaka Noboru’s signature head scarf frays and tears as he’s securing it around his sturdy hair.

That... presents a problem.

Not a big one, because Gongenzaka is nearly a full-grown man and he absolutely does not become overemotional or immobile over the loss of some cloth. (Even if his father gifted it to him for his citywide Steadfast Dueling debut. Even if he’s never taken it off since then. Even if the two most essential men in his life have never seen him without his scarf.)

So--not a big problem, no. Just--big enough to have Gongenzaka frantically dialing his ride.

“Moshi moshi...”

“DENNIS, I’VE SUFFERED A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY--”

“What’s happened?” Dennis Mackfield says through the sound of driving far too erratically. “Did someone get hurt? Did you get hurt? Did your pet die? --Actually wait, do you even have pets?”

“Dennis!” Gongenzaka roars. “Cancel the meet-up, I cannot go out like this.”

“Cancel? We haven’t set aside time for this rumble and the trophy grab so you can flake out on Duel Day! The tournament’s been set for months! What has happened?”

He stays stubbornly quiet about his woes, but that doesn’t mean he quits talking entirely. This leads to about five minutes of him and Dennis arguing back and forth about his reticence on the subject, interspersed with the latter swearing at his fellow drivers.

“Fucking merge if you want to merge--Er, ignore that, just tell me what’s happened, Gon-chan--”

“Do not call me ‘Gon-chan’--”

“Tell me what’s wrong and I won’t go any further. But regardless of what you say I will be at your house in five minutes!”

“Gah!” Gongenzaka finally says as he caves, feeling more frustrated by Dennis’ pushiness than by his primary source of stress. “Fine! My very important headband is torn. And it’s never--I’m not--”

“Hey, easy...” The other boy’s voice comes through softer, more like he’s trying to soothe instead of startle and rile. “It’s gonna be okay. I won’t be looking at you any different just because it’s gone, okay?”

“My father gifted me with that band.”

“And he can make you another one, right?”

Gongenzaka pinches his nose to prevent murder. “Hang up now.”

“Aa, you’re right, I shouldn’t talk and drive! These guys are nuts out here. See you soon!”

“No, Dennis, I meant--”

Click.

Gongenzaka doesn’t say one word as he shuffled across town against his will in Dennis’ tiny green abomination of a car.

Not. One.

He asked specifically to be left alone to mourn his headband and--

“Are you breathing over there?” Dennis queries playfully. “I seriously can’t tell, and I can’t exactly do reach-over CPR either.”

Gongenzaka is silent. He’s not sulking--just very, very indignant about having his feelings disregarded. Which is very masculine and mature. That’s all.

“C’mon, Gon-chan. Put on a brave face! We’re at the stadium now so uh, you kind of have to put on some other face...”

Dennis pulls into the lot and parks as he says this--then he has to spend three minutes tugging, yanking and dragging his boyfriend out of his seat. The whole time Gongenzaka protests about honor and dignity and being robbed of both. He likes to look complete and in control when he goes out, and nothing’s wrong with that!

“I am diminished,” he says dramatically with a bite of judgment. “A true man never leaves home without being presentable, Dennis. When have I ever done otherwise?”

Dennis smiles slyly.

“What about that time when we were all home alone and we--”

“Other than that time!”

A pair of boots shows up behind Dennis; seconds later the redhead is hoisted up and literally tossed aside, squawking the entire time. When Gongenzaka looks up his eyes alight on a red bandana scarf, and he thinks oh, great with a mixture of resignation and appreciation.

“You’re making a scene,” Kurosaki Shun scolds. His gold raptor eyes narrow for half a second. Then he smirks. “That’s mostly directed at Dennis.”

“You guys are always so mean!” Dennis whines from the asphalt.

Gongenzaka meets Shun’s gaze and grunts. There’s no way he’s going to be allowed to slink home now. Only I could fall in love with the two people in the world more stubborn than me.

“I can’t join the team for Duel Day,” he admits to their third.

Shun scoffs. “What the hell? Why not?”

“Myscarfrippedthismorning--”

“Say again?”

“My head scarf tore,” Gongenzaka hisses, trying to avoid attentive eyes on them. It doesn’t work--two small girls stare at him like he’s grown an extra dragon head as they skip into the stadium.

“That’s it?” Shun gasps--still on the ground, Dennis nods along and squeaks about how that’s what I said, that’s why I brought him here anyway, why the hell did you throw me over here, Kurosaki you suck.

“Yes, ‘that’s it’. If I took off your bandana would you feel comfortable still being seen outside?”

“Well, since he lost his bandana for almost a year and only remembered it when LDS mailed it to him--”

“I will step on you,” Shun growls to Dennis--then he pushes Gongenzaka a little more playfully. “You’re a man, aren’t you Gongenzaka? Push past your admittedly minor adversity and join us in the stadium. We need you.”

Gongenzaka curses.

It’s easier to ignore Dennis rather than Shun--for Gongenzaka, one boyfriend was too boisterous, too willing to grasp for the spotlight, but the other was much quieter and more measured, much easier to understand and be around. Not so long ago when they had fought side-by-side for survival, Shun had been the first Lancer outside of Yuuya that Gongenzaka had trusted. They constantly partnered together for reconnaissance and preemptive strikes on the enemy. Yet... even then, their partnership had felt incomplete until Dennis started tagging along and constantly invading their space.

Dennis’ betrayal of the Lancers shortly after that broke Gongenzaka in a way no one had ever managed before, and it set Shun back almost irretrievably as well. Their reunion after the unification of the dimensions, ages and ages later, wrung from all three a tentative re-connection, and then over time a promise not to tamper with their brotherhood ever again.

Never again... Gongenzaka thinks now, and sighs as he nods at Shun and helps Dennis up reluctantly. Not even for my father’s gift. Our bond is too important for me to be this upset about nothing.

“All right, all right. I’ll come in. Are our riding suits ready for the D-Wheel segment of the tournament at least--?”

Shun waves a hand. “Already taken care of. Along with this for you--”

He pulls a long black sash out of his coat pocket and ties it around Gongenzaka’s hair with Dennis’ aid, as if he’s not completely changing his life and healing his last hour of sorrow.

“EH?”

“That’s what I was trying to tell you!” Dennis exclaims. “Except, you know, surprise, so I couldn’t. We know how much you care about your sash, Gon-chan--so we wanted to give you another one that you’d care about just as much, but from us.”

Gongenzaka stares at them both, speechless.  Shun just smiles. Unused to quiet moments even now, Dennis misinterprets their boyfriend’s flabbergasted state and blabbers on.

“Hey--not that we won’t fix your dad’s sash for you if you really want it back, jus--”

The magician doesn’t get to finish; Gongenzaka has embraced both of them and is murmuring low thanks over and over. He feels ridiculous for being so obstinate and for nearly bailing on his comrades, but from the way they both return his hug, they don’t seem too torn up about it.

“Thank you,” he says one last time, and feels some pride when he doesn’t tear up afterward.

“Shun-kun picked the color,” Dennis mumbles into a sleeve.

“Don’t call me Shun-kun,” Shun grumbles into Gongenzaka’s other sleeve.

“Ugh, no one likes my pet names! How am I supposed to show my affection for you guys to the world?”

“Duel with us in this tournament,” Gongenzaka reminds him.

Shun adds firmly, “And use only our given names for once. Preferably in private.”

Dennis pouts. “You two are no fun. Why do I bother loving you?”

“We keep you out of trouble.”

“Gongenzaka, we keep him out of jail.”

“Okay, enough!” Dennis huffs, unable to keep a smile off. “Get your scarves and suits on and ready and mess with me more later. For now--we’re gonna be late!”

He’s right, Gongenzaka thinks as the twenty-minute warning blares from the stadium’s jumbo screens and they sprint off to meet their matches. I’ve been dragged all this way for Duel Day, so I might as well overwhelm the other teams in the tournament with my Steadfast-Synchro deck.

With Dennis and Shun at my side, nothing is impossible. There’s no way we won’t win.

It’s time... to duel!