#if a shirt's disintegrating no it isn't. not on his watch)

[b4kuch1n]

THEE audiodrama disguised as podcast

[asumofwords]

Smoke, Fire and Ash

Warnings: Depiction of gore and injury, violence, threats and general creepiness.

This is a dark!fic. 18+ only. Read at your own discretion. Please read the warnings before continuing.

Summary: You are the eldest daughter of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen. You are forced to navigate the difficult surroundings of your upbringing and the eventual disintegration between your family and the Hightower's relationship. What will happen when your older and estranged uncle suddenly takes a more sinister interest in you? (Dark!Aemond x Reader)

Characters: Aemond Targaryen X Reader, HOTD characters.

Note: Well, well, well. If it isn't the man of my dreams....

Chapter 6: An eye for an eye

A loud crack ricocheted through your room.

Jolting forward in your bed you frantically searched the room for danger. The lightning flicked across your walls, mind still foggy from sleep before it slowly realised there was no danger, only the storm.

You felt your heart beating frantically in your chest, causing the back of your eyes to throb. Pulling your duvet back, you swung your legs out of bed and dragged your feet across the room to pour yourself some water.

Flashes of light from the storm lit up the room casting shadows, increasing your unease. 

Stepping back to stand next to the fireplace, you looked into what was now mostly ashes as the fire had begun to dwindle. You sipped from your cup, wishing the throbbing behind your eyes would ease. You felt the telltale signs of an oncoming hangover.

Another crash of thunder made your body clench. The feeling of being watched again rolling over your body, ears straining to listen for noises.

Walking towards the window, you look out, and although the rain was not as heavy as it was before, it still poured down. The sky lit up in zigzags of crackling bursts of lightning, crawling across the sky like cobwebs. A large storm indeed. 

Turning back to seek the sanctuary of your blankets, you looked into the dark room. The hair on your arms standing up as your breath caught in your throat.

In an armchair on the far corner of the room near your bed, there was a shadow. You blinked your eyes rapidly, willing the trick of your eyes to go, but the shadow stayed. You thought it must be the way the storm is casting light, or perhaps the wine had muddled your mind.

Taking slow and cautious steps forward, clutching onto your glass you moved, breath shallow to not alert the shadow of your presence.

“You’re quite the heavy sleeper, Princess.” 

A sharp gasp left your lips as the glass in your hand fell to the floor by your feet. Little slices of glass cutting your feet in the process as it shattered beneath you.

Your heart beat wildly in your chest as you struggled to pull air into your lungs. Opening and closing your mouth, you tried to find a way to speak, yet another boom of thunder crashed and lightning lit up the room, illuminating your uncle who sat comfortably on the green armchair, goblet of wine sitting lazily in one hand. 

“Do not tell me you have gone quiet now, hm? You had so much to say at dinner.” 

You could hear the smirk in his tone.

“How long have you been in here?” You hissed, hand coming up to clutch at the front of your dress, willing your heart to slow.

Aemond stood languidly, taking lazy and smooth steps towards you, looking down at his wine, swirling it in his hand. His long fingers delicately grasping the rim of the drink as he did so.

With every step he took, the better you could see him. His shirt had now been unbuttoned at his chest and his coat long forgotten. The sleeves of his white dress shirt had been rolled up to his elbows, showing off his toned arms and veins which stood out on his pale skin. 

“Your handmaidens took such lovely care for you, even fetching your favourite book.” He spoke, casually with no emotion, emphasising the last word.

“You know,” He took another large step forward, still observing the wine as if the conversation bored him,

“Sometimes I would sneak into your room when you were gone and read it.” His eye still on his drink.

Taking a step backwards, you felt a piece of glass slice through the bottom of your foot, embedding itself inside. Pain shot up your leg and you whimpered, taking quick hopping steps backwards, walking atop more in the process.

He still stalked forward, his eye suddenly looking up into yours. Your unbalanced steps took you backwards until your back pressed against the wall next to the fireplace.

Only then did he stop walking forward.

“You reminded me of something at dinner.” He reflected, brow lifted in thought,

“I had not truly seen my dear niece since the day I lost my eye.” 

He walked to the side placing his goblet upon the table next to the decanter, stopping to pause and look out at the storm flashing across the sky. 

Your feet throbbed and you felt the warm sticky essence of your blood begin to seep out underneath them, causing the floor to become slippery and wet.

“We were children,” You said quickly,

“Lucerys was just a boy.”  You looked him in his eye, begging him to leave you be. 

“Hm.”  He hummed, still staring at you.

“I was a child too,” He uttered, looked down at your injured feet, lips curling up in a smirk, then let his eyes trail slowly back up your body to your face. You felt naked in your thin nightgown, goosebumps rising along your skin.

“I think most people forget that.” He hummed in thought. 

Quickly his demeanour changed, a sneer on his lips. He leant forward and hissed,

“I should take out your eye."

Pressing back into the wall you begged your heart to calm, slowing your breaths. How many years had you been preparing for this? How long had you known that this day would come? How many times had you dreamt of it?

You tried to swallow but your throat was dry. Sucking in a sharp breath you pushed your body forward to stand straight, weight painfully on your feet as you felt shards of glass sink further into the tender flesh of your soles.

“If you want to take my eye, then so be it. Then maybe you will stop this obsession. How many years have you waited, uncle? How many? Too many for a sane man.”  Your voice shook as you spoke.

“Hm.”  His eye looked you up and down, measuring you, to see if you were true to your words, or if this was a trick. 

Head tilted to the side he continued to stare at you. Your breath had evened out but your heart still raced. He took another slow step towards you and then another, the light of the small fire illuminating his face. You held strong.

Lifting your chin high, you continued to stare right back, when suddenly his hand slowly rose to the back of his head.

“I want you to see what my sweet nephew did to me.” He said, fiddling with the buckle at the back of his head. 

Slowly the leather straps became looser, sagging against his hair. At this, he pulled the leather patch up and away from his face.

You stilled as you took in your uncle.

The scar cut cleanly up his cheek, through his eye, slowly fading into his forehead. The socket looked shallow and cold, darker than the rest of his face, the scaring changing its shape.

Nestled in the empty socket where his eye once was, sat a shimmering sapphire stone, carved and polished to be the perfect size of the eye that he lost. Where the light of the fire shone against it, beautiful shades of lavender and turquoise shimmered back. 

It was beautiful.

Your lips parted and your hand came up out of reflex, fingers extending as though to touch it.

Your uncle was a handsome man, his jaw had gotten stronger with age and his lips more full. His eyebrows were drawn down into a hard line as his one good eye looked to where your hand had come up.

Aemond rapidly crowded your space, stepping forward pushing you back into the wall of the fireplace, his forearm pressing heavily against your throat.

You desperately tried to suck in a breath, your lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. His eye searched yours as he huffed a heavy breath out of his nose. Then slowly he started to push harder against you, your hands flying up to clutch at his arm.

“Aemond…” You wheezed quietly, digging your nails into his arm trying to get him to ease his weight from you.

His other arm reached behind him, slowly pulling forward a blade, the light glinting off of the tip. The blade was long and thin, a small sparring blade one would normally hide in their boot. The handle was gold with three serpents winding up the hilt to wrap around a large red stone at the top.

“Hm.”  He scoffed, raising the blade to slowly trail it up your cheek, resting it under your eye. Gently he released the pressure against your throat, but kept his arm firmly against you as you sucked in a greedy breath.

“I won’t blind you, I’m no monster.” He smirked, lightly pushing the blade on your skin.

“An eye for an eye. Justice my mother never got.” He purred.

You felt the sharp tip of the blade press harder into your face, a small bead of blood rising to the surface. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, reopening them to stare back into his one good eye and the shining orb that sat in the other. 

“Then do it.” You resigned, waiting for the sharp blade to slide through your flesh, pulling your eye from its place.

He stared at you more intently now, still holding the blade tightly against your skin, eye flicking back and forth to yours.

His face slowly came forward, his sharp nose almost brushing against yours. He huffed a breath, its warmth flowing over your mouth. His one eye looked down at your lips then back up to your eyes.

Turning his head towards your ear he leant forward and whispered breath tickling your neck,

“Perhaps you are a Dragon after all.” 

And with that he pulled back, glancing at your lips once more, releasing the arm against your neck. You gulped down air, lungs throbbing and throat dry. A slow smirk spread on his face once more.

The knife pressed below your eye and slowly slid down, not breaking the skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps following in its wake. Trailing the knife down along your neck, his eyes looked to your heaving breast and then back up to your face.

He towered over you, looking down his nose whilst he tucked his blade back into his pants behind him.

You frowned at him suddenly confused by his change of mind. Was he unsatisfied? Was this too easy for him, had he wanted you to cry in fear? Beg for mercy? Was he to go after Lucerys now? Or Jace?

He watched as apprehension flickered behind your eyes.

“Worry not niece, I wouldn’t want to ruin your beautiful face.” He drawled, looking at you more intently.

“Dōna riña,” (Sweet girl) He said quietly, softly touching where the blade touched your face with the tip of his finger,

“Ao va moriot gōntan emagon se perzys.” (You always did have the fire.) He continued, taking another step back then turning towards the door, hair flipping over his shoulder in a flurry.

“Skoros gaomagon ao nūmāzma?” (What do you mean?) You exhaled, stepping forward towards him reaching out to grab his arm.

He continued to walk towards your door away from you, the same guttural hum coming from his throat.

The reality of your injuries came jarringly quickly as your feet ached. Every step you took left small bloody footprints leading away from the fireplace in chase of your uncle.

“Kepa?” (Uncle?) Your outreached hand grasped his wrist, stilling him before he turned just his head towards you.

"Take my eye now. Let us end this game you play."

The One-Eyed Prince looked down to where your hand was digging its fingers into the skin of his wrist. A sharp tug pulled his arm free from you and he continued to walk to the door, ignoring your demands and faltering steps.

“Craven!" You shouted at him as he finally reached the door.

Anger and fear blended together inside you as your panic for your brothers began to rise. Your feet bled heavily from the new movements, sticky pools gathering under your feet as your heart thrummed in your chest.

He turned one last time to look at you.

“Sȳz bantis zaldrītsos.” (Goodnight little dragon) He hummed, before the door was opened by your Knight.

Aemond paused in the doorway, not turning to face the knight as he spoke whilst looking out towards the corridor, 

“Fetch my niece her maids,” he said flatly, “It seems as though she has had too much wine and has injured herself.” 

And with that he turned and walked away from the room, the Knight bowing as he shut the door to your chambers.

The storm outside raged on, whilst the storm within you built.

Thanks so much for reading along with me, if you wish to be added to the tag list please let me know :) Likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated ! Enjoy <3

Tag List: @izzicle

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

[chadillacboseman]

Some Kind of Torture

Pairing: Court Gentry (Sierra Six) x Agent F!Reader Warnings: Oh boy! Torture, blood, injury, weapons, death, sex (it's protected, though!) Word Count: Like 2k? A/N: This movie is living rent-free in my mind right now. Court needs all the love. Lloyd stans begone.

--

Six is no stranger to pain.

In fact, he does some of his best work when he's in pain. He thrives in it.

There's a dull ache in his face from the butt of the gun that had struck him earlier, and parts of his shirt are wet with blood that has bloomed from the wounds on his torso.

He focuses on the throbbing, the stinging, the burning. Every ache keeps him grounded.

The man in front of him mutters something in Russian to a soldier in fatigues on the other side of the room. Six catches some of it- "battery", "cables".

He knows what's coming.

It's not like the spy thrillers he used to watch as a kid- there's no car battery wired up to jumper cables or live wires pulled from the power box here.

The charger is on wheels, hooked up to two paddles not unlike those of a defibrillator.

Six focuses intently on a crack in the wall.

"Last chance to talk," the man speaks with a thick accent as he switches on the machine and it hums to life, electronic gauges reflecting a voltage Six knows too well.

"I'll pass, thanks," he delivers the retort without a second thought, eyes still focused on the wall. He remembers to keep his tongue behind his teeth.

The first shock is short. At most, 3 seconds.

Every muscle in his body contracts, straining at the ropes that bind him until the paddles leave his exposed chest.

"Not the answer you wanted, Drago?" Six smirks as the man screws up his face in anger.

The second shock is longer.

"You want the pain to stop? Talk."

"Nah, I'm starting to like it."

The man adjusts the dial to a higher voltage. Six ponders the origin of the crack in the wall.

Outside the door, there's a sudden commotion- the sound of bodies hitting the wall and muted gunshots. A man's voice yells something in Russian and a shot pings off the metal door.

"That doesn't sound good," Six cocks his head as the hallway outside goes quiet and the man exchanges a furtive glance with the soldier in the room, "Not even gonna check on your pals?"

In an instant, the metal door is off its hinges, erupting in a cloud of debris. The soldier takes a bullet between the eyes before he can even react.

The torturer isn't far behind. His body hits the floor with a muted thump and the paddles clatter to the floor beside him.

Six's ears are ringing as you step out of the cloud of debris and into focus.

"Took you long enough. The rope almost disintegrated on its own," he jerks his head backward and you roll your eyes.

"A simple 'thank you' would suffice."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot my manners when I had 200 volts on my chest," Six retorts.

You move behind him and slash the ropes on his wrists and ankles. The unblinking eyes of the torturer seem to follow your every move. A thin line of blood oozes between them and curves along the bridge of his nose, pooling on the floor at Six's feet.

"We have no ride home for the time being," you sheathe your knife as Six rises slowly to his feet, "But there's a safe house in Saint Petersburg."

--

The safe house is dull- windowless and devoid of furniture, save for a bed and a kitchen table.

There's a shower, though, and that's all Six cares about right now.

His shirt clings to him as he unbuttons it and peels it from his body, caked with blood and sweat from two days of imprisonment.

You watch him from the doorway, eyes transfixed on his form as he undresses. He has more scars than you can count- a roadmap of his years of service to the agency.

"See something you like?" Six cocks and eyebrow and you laugh in return. He loves that sound.

Hell, he loves you.

Six didn't think it was possible to feel the way he does about you.

He feels like a lovesick schoolboy, able to drop his hardened exterior, if even just for a moment.

The shower is refreshing, melting away the blood that is dried to his skin. Six watches it circle the drain until the water runs clean. He slings a towel around his waist and makes his way to the bedroom.

You're sitting on the bed, engrossed in a novel you've been trying to finish for months. You've re-read the same sentence six times.

"Still working on that book, huh?" Six smirks and you sigh in defeat.

You let your eyes wander across his broad chest, down his stomach and to the frayed edge of the towel that dips just below his navel. You feel as if you're about to vibrate out of your body with spare energy- a way you always felt after a successful mission.

"You need to blow off some steam, baby?" Six croons, his mouth twitching into a sly smile. He loves the way you look up at him, doe-eyed and like putty in his hand.

Before you can even nod your head, his mouth is crashing into yours, teeth nipping at your lip. He slips the towel from his waist and lets out a lustful groan when your hand brushes against his cock. He slips his tongue into your mouth and swallows your moan when his hand palms your breast through your shirt.

"Lose the clothes," he mutters against your mouth, and you comply without hesitation, pulling away for a moment to shed your shirt and jeans.

"Damn," Six lets the word fall from his mouth before he can stop it, his eyes raking over your body hungrily as you lie back on the bed.

"See something you like?" you echo his earlier remark and he grins in return.

Six rummages in the wallet on the nightstand until he finds a condom, slipping it on before climbing on top of you. He hikes your legs up around his waist and buries himself inside you with a breathless moan.

"Court-" you stutter out his name and he feels his head go light at the sound of it.

No one calls him Court anymore. Only you.

Six wishes he could stay like this forever- lost in you and punchdrunk on the feeling.

Each of his thrusts is overwhelming, the angle lets him hit you so deeply that you can hardly think straight.

"Fuck-" Six drops his forehead to yours as he fucks you, "You feel so good, baby."

It's strange to hear his little terms of endearment fall from his lips- so out of character for the calm and collected agent you see in the field.

He pulls back from you and snakes a hand between your legs, brushing his rough thumb over your clit and sending a shockwave through you.

"Court, please," you whimper and he feels his chest swell with pride at the way he's making you feel.

"You close?" he murmurs and you nod frantically. He wants to send you over the edge. He needs it.

Six works your clit, thumb expertly circling the tender nerves as he fucks you. He drops his mouth to your chest and takes one of your nipples in his mouth, grinning against your breast when you arch up into him.

"You gonna cum for me?"

His words send you toppling over the edge, clawing at his chest as you crest your high and cry out his name.

He wishes he could listen to that sound on repeat.

Six knows he's close now- he can feel the tension in his gut as he rocks against you with with building desperation. You whine beneath him, his name tumbling from your lips as he pushes you far past your orgasm and into the unbearable.

One final stuttering thrust and he's done, panting and sweating in the quiet of the safe house bedroom. He kisses your forehead before pulling out slowly, chuckling when you whine at the sudden absence of him.

"Feel better?" Six glances over his shoulder as he heads to the bathroom to clean up.

"Mhmm," is all you can muster in response.

When he returns, he climbs into bed next to you and you melt into his embrace, resting your head on his shoulder as he wraps a broad arm around your frame.

Six wishes he could have you like this every night- to give you the domesticity he knows you deserve.

But he can't right now. You both know that.

For now, nights like this will have to do.

[aftertheline]

Welcome to the Universe of SpiderLuca !! 🕷️🐠

continue for an introduction of everyone, their story, and more!! 🫶

this is luca! aka SpiderStar-Fish 🌊🐠💫

he's based off of - and was bitten by - a spotted fishing spider! (i won't put a picture for those afraid of spiders but feel free to look them up yourself)

his lighter, land suit is based off of his human form's shirt and the daytime sky. his darker, underwater suit is based off of his seafolk form and space.

this is giulia jane! aka luca's mary jane 💖

this is alberto! aka SpiderDreamer 🌃🌟

he's based off of - and was bitten by - a striped fishing spider!

his lighter, land suit is based off of his human form's tank top and his eye color. his darker, underwater suit is based off of his seafolk form. he has a hooded suit to resemble his tall hair and to parallel spidergwen's suit. this is to hint at alberto being luca's love interest and to acknowledge the parallels in his and gwen's stories.

so...what is their story?

luca paguro was bitten by a radioactive spider when he was 13 years old, and for the past 3 years... he hasn't been up to much..like at all. luca is *very* scared of being spiderman.

not to mention, his parents have a certain idea of his future that just.. doesn't include being spiderman. so for the past 3 years, luca has actively *not* been spiderman. if someone attacks portorosso, then so be it. he pretends not to care, because it's not his fault..right?

that is, until alberto scorfano shows up one day.

alberto scofano was bitten by a radioactive spider when he was 14, and for the past 3 years he's been trying, and failing, to be the spiderman his universe needs. alberto doesn't fit in his dimension as spiderman.

that's not to say alberto isn't a good spiderman! it's just..he seems to let his personal dreams and side-adventures get in the way of the *real* problems occurring around him. but he's still a good spiderman..right?

after the death of his father, alberto decides there's nothing left for him in a universe that doesn't care about him, and creates a one-time-use-only watch that allows him to travel to any universe.

luca doesn't know what to think when he sees a hooded, masked figure swinging through the streets of portorosso. is he not spiderman afterall? did his time run out since he's been idle so long and someone else is here to replace him? no, he's definitely still spiderman.

a few days pass of luca ignoring this new spiderman. he's doing a good job at keeping the town safe, and everyone is so glad to finally have someone to protect them. luca almost gets comfortable with using his webs just for recreational fun.

but this new spiderman isn't clueless.. he's been on the lookout for this universe's spiderman since the day he got there and when he finally finds him, he realizes why portorosso has been deserted of its spiderman for so long and decides to train luca on all things spiderman.

their training sessions proved to be very successful. luca is thriving as spiderman and he and alberto are making a great team. but alberto is disintegrating. he isn't meant to be in this universe and each glitch rubs it in more.

when luca finds out about this, he panics. he needs to help him. so when the spider society contacts him to join the society and explains how he would be able to visit any dimension without glitching if he did, luca knows what needs to happen.

through much convincing - "i wouldn't be spiderman if it weren't for alberto!" - luca convinces the society to accept alberto as their newest member instead and allow him to stay primarily in luca's dimension. being a member of the spider society provides alberto with the opportunities to chase his dreams in any dimension and gives him the sense of community he's been searching for. plus, with luca being able to keep portorosso safe all by himself, alberto gets to choose when to take on his spiderman duties vs spend time on his passion projects.

other info...!

luca's gwen is his childhood best friend. both their parents always assumed they would get married and luca did too until she died in front of him. he struggled a lot with what his life would look like without her since she was a major part in what he thought his future would be.

the dimension alberto asked his watch to go to was "a universe who needs me". it wasn't just portorosso who needed him :)

giulia jane meets luca and alberto during their first training session together, she doesn't see their suits or abilities but she does hear a large "CRASH!" behind her house and hurries them inside to tend to their cuts and bruises, eventually letting them stay for dinner too

(maybe more extra info to come! if i think of smth specific to add)

[dameronscopilot]

if I'm answering this for one of the Miller brothers, it is only right that you balance it with the other.

how does Benny feel about you stealing his clothes?

xx

Stealing Benny's Clothes

Benny loves when you steal his clothes.

Benny Miller isn't what you'd call a morning person by any means, so there's a decent chance you'll be slipping out from under the warmth of the covers long before him on any given day. However, if there's one thing that'll get Benny out of bed bright and early—hair tousled and blue eyes still bleary with sleep as he tiredly sips at a cup of steaming hot coffee—it's the tempting promise of watching you flit about the kitchen wearing nothing but one of his faded old band tees. (You've taken to banning him from his favorite observation post while you're cooking breakfast, though, as his wandering hands and very attentive lips often to see it that the shirt is but a forgotten relic on the floor whilst the bacon burns and the eggs disintegrate.)

When cold weather approaches, Benny readily accepts the tradeoff that at least half of his hoodies will likely be squirrelled away in your drawers or strewn about across places of the house that you frequent. In return, he gets to enjoy the soft, fond feeling that he positively aches with over something as simple as seeing you curled up on the couch, reading a book with the last fading rays of daylight pouring in through the window, nearly swimming in one of his oversized sweatshirts—fingers just barely poking out from the depths of the long sleeves and your face burrowed away in the hood.

And there are few things that Benny loves more than weekend strolls at the local farmer's market in early autumn when the weather's just on the cusp of changing. Though he'll act inconvenienced when you naturally choose his favorite flannel to throw on over your outfit, he'll grin as he kisses you before rolling the sleeves up for you, and—inevitably—he'll spend most of the outing admiring the way the shirt dips down past the hem of your jean shorts, fluttering at the backs of your thighs.

[fragilefawn444]

BLOODLUST, an eddie munson x reader oneshot

Summary : Eddie has been missing for weeks, and nobody has heard from him. Absolute radio silence. Until you receive a text…

Contains : Contains : Suspense, descriptions of blood and injury, minimal explicit language, anxiety and panic, a little angst, manipulation (if you squint) , mention of dead bugs, pet names, vampire eddie <3

Word count : 1.7k

Authors note: I’ve never written anything like this, and I’m super excited about sharing it! Vamp Eddie is a theory that I’ve seen circling around, so I wanted to bring it to life. I also impulsively posted this without checking for typos…oopsies

You haven't heard from him in weeks, and quite frankly never expected to ever again.

The air outside felt thick as you trudged through the mud, using more force to lift your shoes from the muck than it should have. Papers were tacked to the tree trunks all around you, some of them floating in the wind and landing in puddles beneath your feet. You'd seen the posters around town, but never picked one up until now.

“MISSING”

EDWARD ‘EDDIE’ MUNSON, TWENTY YEARS OLD, LAST SEEN WEARING A WHITE AND BLACK LONG SLEEVE HELLFIRE SHIRT WITH NAVY JEANS. WHEREABOUTS : UNKNOWN. LAST SEEN AT HAWKINS HIGH ON FRIDAY, JULY 15TH, 2022. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE HAWKINS POLICE STATION IMMEDIATELY”

The rain from earlier had completely blended the photos of Eddie printed on the page, the ink bleeding across the paper, turning him into a warped version of himself. His facial features seemed to smear together, leaving only an eye or an ear visible. The visual was haunting. The wind around you didn't help with the chill already creeping up your spine, a shiver making its way to the surface.

Two hours earlier, the text message came.

“its eddie. the woods at 5pm. you know which ones i'm talking about. come alone”

You didn't know if it was really him, but who else would know about your special spot? The memories you two had shared there together. The secrets you'd had exchanged when it felt like no one else in the world would listen to you. The kiss you two had shared the day before he went missing. You knew you had to go.

Dropping the paper to the ground, you watched as the wind carried it, floating into a puddle of rain. The page just about disintegrated in front of your eyes, his face fading away with it. He was gone just as fast as he was there.

By this point, 4:45 was rolling around, hardly making it to your destination on time. The old wooden picnic table was soaked, the smell of rotting wood and damp earth tickling your nose as you leaned against the surface. The thick coat you had on wasn't getting the job done in terms of warmth, and impatience was quickly setting in. The slow crunch of leaves under someone's heavy boot signaled you were no longer alone. Turning around, you squint to look farther into the distance. The crunching had silenced, leaving you with nothing but an increased heart rate and the looming feeling of dread.

“Eddie?” You call weakly into the forest, spinning around at the snap of a twig. “If that's you, this isn't funny. I need to know you're okay. Just come out”

A figure appears in the distance, frizzy hair being the first thing you can make out. As they approach closer, the worn out hellfire logo comes into view, and your heart is at ease. He's alive, but that doesn't mean he's well.

A dark red stain engulfs a major portion of the white on his shirt, a tear on the leg of his jeans. The skin beneath however, does not appear to be sliced. Eddie approaches closer, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. He's breathing heavily, like he's been running. Your instinct is to back away as he comes closer, but your legs refuse to take you backward, only forward. Against your better judgment, you meet him in the middle, and that's when you see it.

A drop of blood spilled from between his lips, attempting to travel to his chin before Eddie intercepted it with his tongue. The action was quick, like he didn't want you to see. But you were too observant. Still, though, no injuries were present, so where was the blood coming from?

“You need to understand that I had to disappear. It wasn't safe for me here anymore. Just trust me when I say I needed to see you one last time”

“Why didn't you tell me you were leaving? Maybe I could've done something to help you. I poured my heart out to you in these last few weeks. You told me you trusted me with anything. I thought you were dead, eddie” Your voice shook no matter how hard you tried to keep your composure. You felt utterly deceived. The idea that something so terrible had entered his life that he had to drop off the face of the earth was unfathomable.

“You're not listening to me” His voice had lowered to a cautious volume now, as if he were worried someone was lurking, stalking in the trees surrounding the two of you.

“No, Eddie. I am absolutely listening to you. This entire situation is shitty. Do you know how many people are out there looking for you right now? And you're telling me it's not safe? For heaven's sake, the entire Hawkins police force has been scavenging the area for you. They Are the safest people we've got!- ” Your volume increased with what seemed like every word, but you didn't get to finish.

Reaching forward with a frightening sense of speed, Eddie placed his hands on your shoulders, completely in his control. The grip was anything but light. Never before had he made such a hasty move like this. Something changed him out there in god knows where these last few weeks.

The boy opened his mouth to speak, an almost metallic smell hitting you in the face.

“Keep your voice down” He spoke through gritted teeth now. “You don't get it”. With every word, his face inches closer to yours. As his words trailed off, something you'd never noticed before appeared to occupy the space between his flaky, blood stained lips.

Two white fangs.

Two little piercing triangles sitting in place of where the plain old canine teeth should be. Your entire life, observancy has shown itself to be a blessing and a curse. It was proving itself to be a curse in this moment as your feet froze to the ground, invisible cement sealing you to the earth below.

The fear you felt inside must have been perfecting itself onto your face, as Eddie was clearly taking notice. His lips slammed shut, tongue swiping the surface and taking the dried blood with it. The grip on your shoulders never loosened, no matter how hard you tried to inch away.

“I'm starving…” his voice trembled. That familiar stinging, burning feeling before you're about to cry welled up in the back of your throat, eyes turning misty. The reality of the situation was setting in. He hadn't called you here to see you one last time.

You were nothing but a meal in his eyes. A blood bag.

“Please” he begged, almost pathetically. The sockets in which his eyes sat now looked like two areas void of occupancy, the skin on the rest of his face clinging to the bone for dear life. The lack of nutrition appeared to be affecting him severely now, right in front of your eyes. “Can't you see I need this?’ His ringed fingers curled around your shoulders, pressing into the skin as if to say ‘please don't go’. Fight or flight surged through your body, and you chose flight.

For the first time since you arrived at the spot, your legs finally listened to your brain. With urgency, you sprinted from the scene. Being in the woods, everything looked the same. The same puddles filled with bugs lying on their backs, the sky being the last thing they ever saw. The sky might be the last thing you'd ever see too.

The same trees around every corner. The same missing posters with the monster you hardly recognized anymore. His face was everywhere you turned, whether it be tacked poorly to trees or being carried to some far away place in the wind.

The familiar snap of twigs under someone's heavy foot came from behind you accompanied by a shout.

“Awh c’mon sweetheart. It didn't have to be like this. It could've been over so quickly. Somebodys a runner, huh?”

An evil chuckle slipped past his lips, causing your stomach to drop. Eddie Munson was a fraud. Was everything he said to you a lie? His full intentions were finally laid out on the table now. No more secrets. No more lies.

The stale leaves folded and smashed beneath your feet, leaving little remnants crushed into the soles of your shoes. These shoes would forever hold the memory of this moment. Your lungs ached as you swerved through the trees. The odds of you having already run in circles was high. It felt like being trapped in a never ending maze. Or a neighborhood where every house looked the same. The only thing that changed was the distance between you and Eddie's voice. A bead of sweat rolled from your forehead, gasping for air as you slid behind a tree stump.

“Come out, come out wherever you are. You can't hide from me forever”

The wind blew, swirling up the loose papers from the ground once again. No matter where you went, even if he wasn't physically in front of you, you couldn't get away from him. A sinking feeling carved a hole in the pit of your stomach as two boots crept up behind you.

“Found ya, darling”

His arms reached out, encompassing your body with an obvious eagerness. You fell limp, no matter how much your body begged to kick and thrash.

Except you knew you didn't need to run. It was time to pull the trick out from under your sleeve. Spinning around in his arms, you looked into the man's blood thirsty eyes. Part of you felt bad for the stunt you pulled, but maybe he deserved it. A dumbfounded look spread across his face as you used two fingers to pull up your top lip revealing two small white fangs.

His skin flushed pale, devoid of color. You ran your tongue over the two sharp bumps as his hands began to tremble.

“Bet I had you fooled. I can keep a secret too. Surprise.’

[iunctura-arch]

"It's late."

The lights outside twinkle as the night continues on, with Tatsuki resting her head against her knee, staring out the window while sitting on the nook that let her lean against the cool glass. Red eyes watch the lights, staring at the signs of life going to and fro.

She can't sleep. She's still thinking.

So much had happened, so much had changed. And yet, she was hesitating on the final step. She'd planned it, long before she'd met Hibiki, long before they'd practically become superheroes. When things were rough after her recovery, she'd talked to Dark.

On her nineteenth birthday, she'd become one with him. That was the decision they'd made four years ago now. It was slowly approaching her birthday, and the day that their promise would be kept. That Dark would get his wish, on the day that they were born.

Tatsuki stands up, humming a familiar tune. The song she'd heard at the concert that day, before everything went wrong. She closes her eyes, still humming, as she reaches into the shared mindspace.

It's different this time. She's in Dark's side of the mindspace instead of her own, standing there as he sits on the ledge of a really tall wall. He glances over before sliding off the ledge, falling gently to the ground and landing gracefully.

"It's your birthday, isn't it?" He asks. "Happy birthday."

"Mm. Happy birthday, Dark." Tatsuki nods. Midnight had already come, and it was the day of her birth. The day of her 19th birthday, as promised. She reaches over to him, taking his hand in both of hers. "It's time."

"Now?" Dark inclines his head just a bit to the right. "Are you sure, Tatsuki? You want to do this... now?"

She brings his hand up to her face, resting her cheek against his palm. "There's no time like the present. I think it's time that Dark got his full debut, instead of living a half-existence with me. Don't worry, I'll always be with you."

He walks close and kneels down, pulling her into a tight embrace. The song in their heart swells to a cresendo, their voices melding together with the lyrics. Bit by bit, the two disintegrate, their shared mindscape shattering like a mirror and becoming whole.

Outside, their body is engulfed in a bright light. Wings burst from their back, spreading wide as the magic takes hold. Bit by bit, little by little, the light fades.

The body collapses onto the ground in a heap.

---- And morning comes too soon.

Red eyes flutter open, a strange feeling of completeness filling him where it had once been just one and one. Two separate sides. He puts a hand to his forehead, warm skin meeting a slightly cold palm which warms up not seconds later.

He takes a moment to flip through the years of memories. Tatsuki's memories, and his own. They're merged now, his own with hers, a picture now made whole with them becoming one. Tatsuki's voice, which was present before, is no longer echoing in the back of his mind.

Instead, it's in his heart. Their voices, together, in an eternal melody of hope and love.

His hand gently touches his chest, where the scar and his heart is located. Button by button, he undoes his shirt and shucks it off to trace the scar with a finger.

Tatsuki's scar. Their shared scar, which was now his. He shivers a little as he traces it, letting out a shaky breath. Letting himself just explore this new feeling.

These new sensations of having his own body. She'd given him life and song as a birthday present. Unbidden, tears start to trickle down his cheeks from the sheer joy he was feeling. He holds himself, a smile on his face.

"Thank you, Tatsuki." He whispers. He hears her laugh, feels her embrace as his own. She's still with him, she's still here.

Because...

They are one.

[simonloweblog]

I have seen the future......

   "I have seen the future:

Sci-Fi = “science fiction". I now know that almost everything that was previously labeled "sci-fi" isn't fiction any longer.

 When I was a kid I watched "Thunderbirds", a TV sci-fi puppet show. Thunderbird 2,  piloted by Virgil Tracy could land vertically.

Nasa, the world’s leading Space agency never managed to achieve that. Elon Musk's Spacex however has succeeded where Nasa failed, namely, to invent a reusable rocket that lands vertically instead of disintegrating as it plunged back to earth.

Video phones were first displayed in the sci-fi film, “Metropolis” which was made in 1927! and today’s average smart phone has more than 1 million times more memory that the Apollo 11 computer had.

The baby boomer generation can remember many of the extraordinary scientific advances of the past 80+ years. I doubt that Millennials (1981-96), Gen Z (1996-2012) could imagine life without the internet and Gen Alpha (2013-25) would “die” if deprived of social media. But we are all in the dark as to how AI will impact our lives.

During my recent visit to London I went to see, "Crazy for You”, a pre-computer, 1930's Zigfeld follies /Gershwin musical that embraced many of  the traditional features of entertainment that represented life in the early 20th Century and before. By contrast, the Abba concert I saw last week, could not be more different, for although fabulously entertaining is the ultimate in "fake news". 

I travelled almost 90 mins to "see" 2 female singers and 2 male musicians on stage except they were not there!, what the audience of 3000, gyrated and danced to were 4 holograms! This was "ABBA-Voyage", the world of things to come.

Today, zoom calls, fake news, holograms and A1 are producing visions, "facts" and events that we cannot trust because more often than not they are not actual or factual. We can no longer trust what we see or hear. The different worlds of analog to digital, the past viz. the future, the real viz fake are taking us all into a new world of the unknown.

Last week,  a news feed posted an image of Mike Pence wearing a rainbow LBGT shirt over a white suit that went viral; it’s was quickly discovered to be a fake but not until millions had seen it and no doubt many of those who did were convinced that Pence was supporting that movement. Nothing could be further from the truth.

So how are we to cope and how should we interpret the myriad of news that is fed to us via “n “number of platforms, and can Government Corporations, Educators and the general public do anything to control the irrefutable sea change that mankind is about to face.

As an optimist, I believe that man’s quest to remain “king of the jungle” will spur him to maintain his control of machines; pessimists will quote: “Doomsday is near die all, die merrily” (Henry IV part 1). So far, previous predictions of man’s demise have not materialized. From the piercing of the ozone layer to Malthus’s prediction (1798) that we would all be reduced to subsistence levels due to food shortages the pessimists have been proved wrong.

 I do think that it is likely that in the future I will watch the Abba Hologram concert from the comfort of my home on my mega screen; that driverless cars and air taxis will relieve city congestion and parking; that millions of workers will either not work at all or will work substantially reduced hours because they will receive a minimum government salary paid for by taxes levelled on robots that work 24/7 without pay (never mind pay rises) and do not strike.

The mega rich may live till 150 or be frozen till the secret of eternal life is discovered,  or even “rocket off” to live on Mars.

Wars, poverty and ruthless dictators will still hinder many from having a good life, but I firmly believe that vast numbers of humans will be living healthier and longer lives and the calamity predicted by so many of climatic disaster will be proved wrong because science and man’s ingenuity will save the day.

[haileygarciasunshine]

Too late

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Written: May 4th, 2021

Posted: May 4th, 2021

Warning: Fluff, Angst

Word Count: 1,944

Author's Note: For the sake of this piece, Sam has an apartment. Little Mermaid AU ish and Wandavision Crossover.

TV and Movie inspired Masterlist

"Dating is hard." Bucky groaned dropping himself beside you on the couch.

Giggling you nodded in agreement. "Welcome to the twenty-first century."

Bucky groaned again as he closed his eyes allowing his head to meet the back of the couch.

Turning to face him, you became mesmerized by his features. Following his jawline with your eyes, you trailed along to his lips. As you gazed at them, you couldn't stop the thoughts of wondering what they'd feel like against yours. Would they be soft? Would they be gentle or rough?

"Hey." He spoke softly as he gently nudged you. "Did you hear what I said?" Sitting up, his gaze was filled with concern.

"Huh?" You creased your eyebrows together, as you watched his lips mouth his words. "Oh, uh, n-no. Sorry."

"S'alright." Bucky grinned, his eyes gazing around your face. "I asked if you found out any information about your mom?"

"Oh." You whispered. Clearing your throat, you adjusted your position away from Bucky. "Yeah, yeah, I did."

Lifting his gaze, his ocean eyes held intently onto Y/E/C ones. Silently he was pleading for you to tell him what you found.

"Well." You sighed, crossing your legs underneath you. "She was the scarlet witch back in the day..." Your voice trailed off as you shrugged your shoulders. Promptly, your gaze dropped to your lap as you studied your chipped nail polish.

"Y/N." He spoke, his voice becoming soft once again. Bucky's thumb and forefinger found your chin before maneuvering your face closer to his. Bucky's breath danced along your lips at your close proximity.

"That's...That's-"

Sam'ss apartment door suddenly burst open as Steve and Sam filed inside. Neither one spared a glance your way as they rushed into the kitchen.

The sudden noise, caused both of you to jump away from one another. Clearing your throat, you quickly rose to your feet. Smoothing down your bunched-up shirt, you quickly joined Sam in the kitchen while passing Steve on his way out.

Letting out a sigh of relief, you leaned against one of the counters crossing your arms along your chest.

Sam cleared his throat, as he looked at you in question from across the kitchen island. "So, when are you two going to stop dancing around your feelings for one another?" He raised an eyebrow in the process.

Groaning, you leaned your head back allowing you to stare at the ceiling. Opening and closing your mouth several times, you frowned before moving to lean against the island, facing Sam.

"Don't try and deny it," Sam spoke shrugging. "Everyone can see it."

"Sam." You warned letting out a defeated huff. "He doesn't see me that way."

Sam shook his head. Before he could open his mouth, both Steve and Bucky barged into the kitchen bickering about something only they knew about. Grinning to yourself, a silent chuckle fell past your lips. Returning your gaze to Sam, he sent you a knowing look.

"I, rather, Bucky, has an important announcement," Steve spoke proudly, as he clasped his hands upon Buckys shoulders. "Go on, tell 'em what you just told me, Buck."

Both men shared a chuckle before he turned to face, you and Sam. A pit began forming in your stomach as you felt your heart fall into your stomach. Attempting to shake the feeling, you turned to Bucky giving him your full attention.

"I...I have a date." He spoke grinning from ear to ear.

Instantly, the feel of the room had changed from elated to disappointment. Furrowing your eyebrows together in confusion, you felt the smile that your lips had previously been holding falter to a frown. While tears began welling in your eyes.

Your mouth had become dry, while you felt a rasp forming in your throat. "W-What?"

The three men turned their attention towards you. Steve and Bucky shared the same confused yet concerned etched expression, while Sam wore one of sorrow.

"I...I have to go." You muttered, rushing out of the kitchen.

As you gathered your belongings, you felt the droplets of your tears that had fallen from your cheeks. Muffled sobs began falling as you felt yourself beginning to sniffle in the process.

Your mind was quickly clouded, preventing you from thinking straight. Gathering what you could, you quickly put your shoes on before bolting.

Attempting to gather your composure, you made your way back to the compound. You had felt surprised that you were able to hold it together the entire ride back.

Busting into your room, you made your way to the shower in hopes it would comfort you. Changing into a pair of comfier clothes, you laid on your bed, staring out of your bedroom window at the night lights of the city. Your mind was quickly clouded with thoughts of how many other people were experiencing heartbreak as well.

The sound of someone knocking on your door caused you to jump.

"Who is it?" You questioned, hoping deep down it would be Bucky wanting to check up on you.

"It's Wanda." She spoke. "Can I come in?"

"FRIDAY, can you please unlock my door?"

Wanda rushed in making sure to lock the door behind her. Throwing her arms around you, she pulled you in for a bone-crushing hug. Before you knew it, the floodgates had opened. Tears streamed down your face as sobs shook through your body, as your arms laced around her holding her in your iron grip. Without a word, Wanda held you tighter as her hand ran up and down your back. The only sound in your room was the sobs that fell past your lips.

After some time had passed, Wanda pulled away enough to create a slight space between you. Your cheeks carried a pink tint upon them. Your eyes falling down to her shirt that had produced a slightly darker spot upon it than anywhere else on it.

"S-Sorry." You hiccuped feeling tears welling up in your eyes again.

Wanda giggled, shaking her head slightly. "Don't worry about it."

"I don't mean to intrude-" Vision's voice startled both you and Wanda. Turning to face the android, you raised an eyebrow in question.

"Vis." Wanda whined. "We talked about this."

"Oh, yes." Vision spoke glancing back in the direction he had gone through the wall. "I...Y/N, sounded like she was in trouble."

Glancing at Wanda, her expression had morphed into one of being mortified. The sound of hearty laughter bubbled up inside you. It wasn't long before tears cascaded down your cheeks for an entirely different reason. Holding an arm across your stomach, you placed your free hand upon Wanda's forearm attempting to keep yourself sturdy. It didn't take much longer before both Wanda and Vision were sharing your hysterical laughter.

Wiping the remainder of your tears, you got up from your place on the bed approaching Vision. Throwing your arms around his shoulders, you pulled him in for a warmth-filled hug.

Vision tensed as he was under the impression he had miss read the situation.

Pulling away from him, you gave him a toothy smile. "Thank you."

Returning to your previous position beside Wanda, you pulled her in for a hug giving her a smile.

It was a few days before you'd see Bucky again. You had gone out of your way with the help of Steve, Sam, Wanda, Vision, and FRIDAY to make sure you wouldn't run into him accidentally.

Taking a deep breath, you stood across from the living room attempting to steady your nerves. With a sudden boost of courage, you made your way inside, making a b-line for Bucky.

Clearing your throat, you bounced on the balls of your feet slightly. Bucky quickly glanced up from his book before doing a double-take. The color draining from his face as if he had seen a ghost.

"I-Is this seat taken?" You questioned offering him a sweet smile.

"Yeah." He spoke while shutting his book.

Your smile faltering at his confession as you felt heat dance along your cheeks.

"By you."

Letting out a breath you hadn't known you were holding, you nodded before sliding beside him on the loveseat.

A suffocating silence fell between you. Bucky had made a conscious decision to make sure his leg and shoulder wouldn't accidentally bump yours, not wanting to cross any lines.

"So-"

"I-"

Sharing a toothy smile, you began giggling that turned into fits of laughter. Any remaining tension that lingered was disintegrated. Letting his guard down, his leg was pressed firmly against yours. While his arm rested on the back of the couch directly behind your head.

"You first," Bucky spoke, motioning towards you.

Nodding your head, you cleared your throat. "I...I... Um..." Closing your eyes, you felt your heart drop once again. "I have feelings for you...And I know I lost my chance, but I don't want to risk losing your friendship too.." Your voice trailed off, while you dropped your eyes to your fingernail bed, pushing back your cuticles. "I'd...I'd like to hear about your date."

Glancing at Bucky from your peripherals, you were able to see his jaw had fallen slack. The more seconds that passed by, the more you felt hours had passed. Time had slowed down.

"I...I should go." Before he could respond, you raced out of the living room locking yourself in your bedroom.

As the shock of your confession fell away, he reached for his phone. The realization of how long overdue the call was crossed his mind.

Rushing out of the compound, Bucky dashed to the agreed-upon meeting place.

"There you are." A light voice greeted him. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show."

Greeting him with a hug, Bucky stiffened at the contact. Pulling away from her, he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"The name's Agnes." She grinned, holding her hand out expectantly towards Bucky.

"Bucky." He spoke, nodding at her.

"Shall we-"

"Listen, Agnes." He let out a sigh. "This...This isn't going to work out."

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she rolled her eyes. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, this century, but here we are." Moving her arms, time froze around her.

"What-"

Before Bucky knew it, Agnes let out a snarl before lunging at Bucky. Dodging her first attack, Bucky gazed at her with widened eyes.

"Fine. We can do this, the hard way." She chuckled. Moving her hands a purple hue enveloped around Bucky.

Binding his wrists and ankles, Bucky was hovering slightly above the ground. "Why are you doing this?"

"Don't worry, it's not you I want." She spoke circling around him.

Without allowing Bucky to further question her, she pulled her shell necklace out from underneath her blouse. Standing directly in front of Bucky, she held her necklace in front of him. Gazing into his eyes, she saw them change to purple orbs before returning to his previous artic color.

Waving her hand, the purple mist was gone. Time resuming.

"There you are Agnes sweetheart. I was looking everywhere for you." Bucky greeted, placing his hands on her hips gently tugging her into him. Placing his lips upon her cheek, he gave her a chaste kiss.

Agnes, grinned devilishly, as a plan began forming in her mind.

Wondering down the street, you made your way to your favorite coffee shop.

"Y/N!" Bucky's voice called before you.

Your shoulders dropping in defeat as you let out a groan.

"I want you to meet someone."

Turning to face Bucky, you were surprised to see a brunette clinging to his side.

"Y/N, this is Agnes." He motioned to her with his free hand. "My girlfriend."

—

Part Two>

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[jademakean]

Clouded Sea

JJ Maybank x Routledge!Reader

Warnings: Death, Thalassophobia.

Not edited

･*:༅｡.

It had been a while since your brother’s disappearance. You don't recollect how you reacted to the newfound information, in the beginning, your overwhelmed mind blocking out the details. What you do remember is how you spent days in your room mourning until you snapped out of your trance.

Just because they didn't find the boat doesn't mean they aren't alive.

It's John B, he knows how to get out of difficult situations.

He's okay

Of course, your slight change in attitude received attention from unwanted locals, you seemed more eager to leave the house, you didn't cry anytime you came back to the Routledge house, there weren't dark circles under your eyes anymore and it wasn't too long before they understood what you began speculating.

Delusion ran in the family

The pogues were the ones to understood your situation the quickest. On the rare location, John Bs name was mentioned, you spoke of him as though he were still alive. Barely phased by the fact that your brother wasn't around anymore. They also noticed how you'd run off right home to check the mail after hanging out with them.

At that point they began to pity you, believing that you were in denial and becoming obsessed-which you were- they discussed it amongst themselves trying to finds ways to bring you back to reality.

JJ was a different story, he became more distant and quiet. Mostly hanging at his house with his god-awful father. Doing his best at ignoring you because you'd just remind him of his second greatest loss.

As time went on you got some clarity on your surroundings. JJ behavior mostly.

You weren't sure how to approach him at first, he must be having his own battles that didn't need to be brought up, maybe he'd shut you out even more if you tried to ask him how he felt. So you decided to be casual.

You remembered how you had asked him to teach you how to surf before John Bs disappearance. You never learned how  because of your fear of the ocean, and it had gotten worse due to this past event. 

Sweat began to gather on your forehead due to the blazing sun up above. You readjusted you loose shirt, hiding your plain bathing suit. You knocked on the metal door, nervously waiting for who you were looking for and as you were about to knock a second time, a very tired JJ appeared with squinted eyes as the light hit his face.

The air left your lungs momentarily. You hadn't seen his face in a long while but he was here now, in front of you.

You snapped put of it when he whispered your name "What are you doing here?"

Taking a deep inhale, you smiled charmingly. “I came over to get you. You promised me you'd teach me how to surf last year, remember?” It was your fault for holding the plans back for so long, the thought of swimming above water clouded with sand was terrifying to you.

You walked past him, grabbing the beach towel on the floor and some sunscreen. “Right now?”

You answered with a smile “Of course! Better sooner than later. I'm tired of holding our plans off, we should just get it done and over with.”

“That's not what I mean.”

You stopped rummaging through the towels. It was easy to tell my the sound of his voice that he was still struggling immensely, it was also laced with confusion on how you aren't in the state of mind he is now.

“There are barely any waves today. I checked and there aren't many people either, it might be because it's a Wednesday.” You changed the attention the topic was directed to smoothly

“Y/n..”

You interrupted him by grabbing his hand, leading him to where his surfboard was abandoned for these past weeks. “Lets go, the sun is about to set.”

As you previously mentioned moments before, the sea was still. The sun warmed up everything beneath it, almost making you excited to get in the chill water.

Once you reached the shore line JJ began making little mountain of sand beside you “What are you doing?”

“You have to practice on sand before trying the real thing." He sighed.

“Actually-” you caught his eyes “-I was thinking that maybe you could help me get more comfortable with being in the water? I feel like that's the overall most basic step, you know?” You laughed lightly trying to cover up the anxiety spiralling in your head.

And thats what happened for the next few days. You started off small, allowing the water to reach your knees then moved on to mid thigh, and that alone lasted about 20 minutes. However, you didn't mind. You were able to talk to JJ more, which was hard.

It seemed like there was something on his mind that was one fake smile away from being revealed.

You both began meeting by the beach at 4:P.M, you'd stay for a few hours before he'd start help u balance yourself on the pile of sand with his surfboard.

It was all going well. You were always a quick learner when you got excited over something. JJ on the other hand seemed to become slightly closed off, like the only thing set on his mind was to teach you surf and nothing more. Limeted physical contact, no unessesary comments, no jokes.

Oh, how much you missed jokes. You hadn't heard one from him since your brother's disappearance. Your hopes of peeping one from him was slowly dimming away.

"Alrighty! I think I'm ready to sit on the board, maybe go farther out this time. A two in one." You smiled. While pulling down your shorts you decided to keep your shirt on. You excitedly took JJ's hand before guiding him to shore.

The water was cold, as usual, but you didn't feel as hesitant to enter it like before. It was an improvement that you were glad to notice.

Since you had a later shift at work it was already 7:50 P.M and the sun was starting to set, making the sky was a beautiful mixture of gold and blue.

You snapped out of your trance once you felt JJ's hands on your waist.

You were suddenly flustered by his action, and even though he was just helping you get on the board, he hadn't been very physical with you those past days. His a action was simply unexpected.

"Thank you." You said sitting up straight.

There was complete silence between the both of you. The only sounds heard was the waves clashing together gracefully, peoples distant voices and seagulls flying over their heads. This was the normal routine between the two of you, no talking, just the patiently waiting for your fear to disintegrate into ashes until you're able to swim without a care in the world, just like all the Pogues.

You missed them, truly.

There weren't anymore meatups at the Chateau or watching them surfing from your spot in the sand, sunbathing while drinking fresh juice.

"Do ya want to make plans with the gang? We could eat dinner at the diner, and maybe sleepover my hous-"

"What is wrong with you."

JJ interrupted you with a harsh tone, causing your smile to falter. "What do you mean?" You asked, calmly adjusting your body so you could sit with both of your legs on one side of the board.

"You know exactly what I mean." He looked into your eyes this time. And it's now that you have no choice but to look at his face that you notice the dark undereyes, dry lips and messy hair.

He wasn't taking proper care of himself, he probably couldn't if he tried. It was obvious your brother's disappearance took a toll on him. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" You asked, slightly afraid of his answer.

"How are you so okay with everything. I remember when you were locked in your room for weeks on end, and one day you just- came out. I didn't even see you and from what I heard it seemed impossible to be true. But then you just showed up at my door with no warning, with this big smile on your face and- I don't understand. He's your brother." His tone became more exasperated as he let out all the words that had been running through his mind.

"JJ, I'm not gonna stay sad all summer just because John be isn't here. I'm sure he wants me to do what makes me happy and keep taking care of myself. Plus, he's-"

"Stop talking about him as if he's alive!" JJ interrupted once again "He's dead, don't you understand? He's not coming back, or gonna send you some letter. He's dead."

His harsh tone made you feel as though he was purposely trying to hurt you. The worst part is that that's not the case. He's trying to make you see what he sees. "He's not dead."

There was a slight pause, he looked at you as if you were crazy.

"He's not. There's no body, so until I see one he's not dead. He's smart. He's got Sarah, they got away from the police and are probably in some island enjoying themselves."

"You've gotten comeplety insane! Do you hear yourself? You sound exactly like him when your dad disappeared, and you know damn well how that went."

His hurtful words ignited anxiety within your heart, making it feel heavy and sensitive. You were starting to feel too much and you didn't know how to stop it.

"I know he's alive! You'll see. He's gonna send some sort of signal, ofcourse we couldn't just show up out of nowhere when the police is looking for him. Since when does a disappearance automatically mean they died?"

JJ's eyes darkened, he was done with this game. He had to witness JJ obsess over his dad's disappearance only for him to be hit with utter disappointmen, he wasn't gonna allow the same to happen to you. "Face it. Your brother's dead, there's nothing you can do to change that."

His words hit you like a wave, his harshness making the agonizing emotion worse than ever thought possible.

It was so hard to keep hoping. It was exhausting.

"I don't wanna be alone"

Your words came out quiet and shaky. Once JJ looked back at you he took notice of the fact that your eyes were casted down, glossy and relaxed to the point where it seemed as though there was no emotion behind them.

The thought of not being able to hug your brother again- not having anymore long converstation about your future or simply seeing him from afar as he tried to outsurf JJ- was a thought that you refused to accept. However, you had begun douphting yourself and JJ finally saw through that crack.

His tense shoulders dropped, guilt sinking in knowing you were hiding the way you truly felt deep down.

"He's not dead, okay?"

JJ gazed at your expression swallowing the shame building up your throat before nodding his head. “You're right, he's not dead.”

He slowly approached you and got between your legs, wrapping his arms around you. “He's not dead.” You collapsed against him, resting your cheek against his collarbone.

Teardrops fell onto his golden skin, the feeling resulted in a shiver, running through his body as he hugged you tighter.

John Bs disappearance was harsh on everyone who truly knew him, and some learned how to hide it better than others. All that everyone slowly began understanding is that you were all one family and should watch out for each other.

“Do you wanna go grab a bite?”

You could almost laugh at his poor attempt to be casual, but you settled with a smile, pulling away from him while wiping your own tears with your arm.

JJ ran his thumb underneath your eye before kissing your forehead. “Come on, we can listen to Bob Marley on the way there if you want.” He snickered as he guided your surfboard towards the beachfront. You sighed, liking the feeling of the water moving underneath you as he pulled you to shore, observing the fish beneath you.

The sun had already set and all that was leftover of the sky was a pinkish-blue.

You could finally feel the sand beneath your feet. You watched as JJ walked off, grabbing his bag and shirt.

“Here.” He tossed over his top and your flip-flops as he slid in his. “Arent, you gonna be cold?” You asked knowing the shit that laid in your hands was the only one he had.

“What, would you prefer to walk around in your soaking wet shirt? Because I think that'd do more damage to your health than me going shirtless.” He teased with a raised brow.

You paused for a second allowing the realization that you are in fact soaking wet to sink in “Yeah you're right. Suffer.” Your approving sentence got a laugh from him.

You gaped at him. This was the first time you heard him laugh ever since go started talking to him again.

A smile made its way to your lips “Alright, I'm ready.” You stated after pulling a new shirt over your body. “My tapes are in the outside pocket.”

He pulled out the Bob Marley cassette from the bag before sharing an earbud with you. You accepted, untying your dry hair and finally setting it free.

The walk was peaceful, a comfortable silence falling over the both of you. The smell of pinewood from the trees was calming as you walked past the forestry area of the island.

You and JJ would always use this path after a beach day with the pogues. You would separate yourselves from the group so you could discuss about his job, home life, aspirations. Those were all things he never felt very safe discussing about with anyone but you. John B knew, but they didn't have the sort of relationship where they could switch to sensitive topics easily.

JJ liked how listened. You didn't look at him while he talked about such things, knowing he would feel intimidated by your gaze. The way your body slightly turned to him to show that you were paying attention. Most of all how you communicated with him first. When discussing about his father, you would ask if he needed a listener, a solution, or comfort.

Most of the time he would ask for you to simply allow him to rant, however, there were many times where he would ask for you to comfort him, just so he could receive the soothing sensation of embracing you tightly.

During every hug you shared, we're mere seconds of pure relief, relief that there was someone out there who knows about every aspect of his life and is yet to view him as weak.

“I’m really glad you got me put of the house. I hadn't surfed ever since he disappeared.”

It was as if the path you were on gave him the courage to speak with confidence. “And I'm sorry I was so harsh on you. I didn't mean to. I've just been feeling so much and I got so frustrated when you didn't seem as miserable as I am, I should've never been so insensitive.”

You knew he had a hard time apologizing to people, it made him feel vulnerable and he wants to have the upper hand in every situation. He likes being in control to compensate for the how much of it he lacks at home.

You looked over at him before smiling. “I love you too, JJ.” You ruffled his hair playfully before hugging his side as you walked.

JJ returned your smile, grateful for the fact that you resorted to a light-hearted response instead of a heavy one.

Time passed quickly and before you knew if you had arrived at the Chateau. JJ took a deep breath, his nerves increasing. He hadn't seen any of them, just as he hadn't seen you during those long weeks. How would they react seeing him there, let alone seeing the both of you together with smiles on your faces.

You squeezed his hand gently. An encouraging gesture to give him some strength.

You led him inside, the yellowish lights contrasted the night sky beautifully and as you both sat around the wooden table, you removed the earbud from your ear, which prompted him to follow your actions.

“JJ?” You heard Kie from behind you. Once you turned to face her she looked as though a miracle just occurred before her eyes.

Before your brain could acknowledge she dropped her notepad and hugged you both with the strength of an amazonian. “I missed you guys.” she mumbled into your hair.

As you were about to respond you felt more weight on you “We missed you guys.”

You giggled, now aware that it was Pope who was crushing you.

It had been so long since you had all shared such a heartfelt embrace, and you weren't going to let each other go for a while. You were all family. No matter how far you are or how long you don't speak to each other. This is what a true family was, and soon enough you were all going to be together again, as one.

“We missed you too.”

[gummy-dummy]

Hi everyone! This is my first fic on Tumblr, it's just here, for now, I'm excited and kinda nervous too, my native language it's Spanish and I'm trying to be better at English so sorry for the grammars mistakes, I hope you like it, dear reader.

Warnings: Probably bad grammar or mistakes, swearing, mention of knives, mentions of death, kinda cute, kinda soft, confused Dabi, he doesn't know but he a softie.

It was pretty late when Shoto and I started doing our night patrol, it had been 3 months since we graduated from the UA in the hero course, the first 4 of the class were invited to work at Endeavor’s agency, Deku, Dynamight, Shoto and me, Artemis. We were the new pro-heroes with the biggest expectation from the public.

Endeavor wasn't the best at talking but I trust him, also thanks to him I don't have to worry about rent, the agency offered departments near the agency, and the rooms in the agency’s building were comfortable enough, usually, the new group was Split into two for patrol, Deku always had to go with Dynamght, he was the only one who can keep up with Bakugo’s shit, Shoto and me, we already were pretty Good Friends, I even can say we are each other’s confidant, it was a pretty nice night shift together, the absence of noise and people (and Bakugo’s shit), made it go smoothly as always. We are used to talking about everything, in the streets we could say anything, and no one more than us knew what secrets lay between us. There were secrets that Shoto didn’t want his father to know, not that he cares, but just to protect the people that he loved.

The current number one hero thought that the friendship we share will eventually become a love story, but oh boy, little did he know. Shoto had romantic feelings for another hero, I am pretty much the only person that Shoto has physical contact with, hugs and rest on each other shoulders, that's why his dad thinks of us that way. I don’t have family near where we are but the Todoroki family accepted me as one of their own since Endeavor thinks that I and Shoto are together we had to explain to Shoto’s siblings and Mom that he was in love with someone else, they didn’t care at all.

Suddenly the cold wind of the night started to get weird, making the residual trash of the city blow roll in the air, we both started to run there to know what was happening, at the moment we got close enough a black and purple substance started emerging from nowhere, it was a warp, the kind that the League of Villains has Access to, Shigaraki Tomura came out first, being followed by the tall, half-burned popcorn (as Shoto and I like to call him) Dabi, Toga right behind them with other 3 members.

I summoned my light arrows on my bow, I shoot an arrow at the leader and the tall man with black hair just disintegrates it with his blue fire. Like it was nothing.‘What are you doing here?’ Shoto asked the team of villains, Shigaraki just started to laugh ‘We came to get some groceries, what the fuck he is trying to do? Distract us?

I just rolled my eyes and said ‘Yeah well, here, you have something to add to your list I quickly prepared my bow with a new arrow, this time a stronger one, that can’t be destroyed so easily. The amount of power that this one has, with the purple hue and the energy that makes everything feel like an earthquake made the leader of the team look at it with fear in his eyes, Dabi tried to take it with his fire, but nothing happened, the arrow just started to follow all of Shigaraki’s moves, so again the man in front of him tried to catch it with his bare hands, oh what an error was that. The indentation that my arrow left on his right hand wouldn’t heal properly at all, not till I gave the order to my arrow to disappear in the wind.

Dabi just looks at me, while the others started to attack us he just stayed on the side, watching every move I make, (with) Shoto work pretty well with each other, we know our quirks and how to enhance each other's quirks.

There was a lady that appears to be new into the league, I never saw her before, she started to shoot mini grenades from her hand, making me jump to the side to avoid it, one laid between my feet, I didn't notice it until it hit me if that thing blows I die.

I'm going to die here.

The last thing I heard was a scream, Shoto screaming my real name, and then... darkness.

The next thing I know is that I'm in a completely white room, very small, I'm chained to one of the sides of a small bed, being forced to stay seated on the cold floor, if I am in one of the League facilities why they want me here? the murder of a new pro-hero would be an accomplishment by the league, why don't make it while I sleep? it would be something to make all the world feel unsafe, make all the heroes feel in danger. I hear the noise of the door opening, someone calls my name.

Dabi, that jerk, wait he was the one that saved me, at the moment the grenade exploded he just took my arm and yanked me out of the way, and took me in the warp with him.

"Hey Hawkeye!", he looked different than the night of the attack, just with his t-shirt and trousers, not his usual jacket, he looks more laid back than when fighting. He started to look preoccupied while I think how to escape, I'm not responding to him.

"Shit, no, did they do something while I was gone? Hey look at me, can you hear me? oh, these little shits are going to pay, I told them not to touch you" I just roll my eyes and say "What the fuck do you want from me you extra crispy fried ass?" he just stares at me confused for a couple of seconds and says "I'm not- Hey don't talk to me like that I'm your savior, remember? maybe I would let them do things to you, maybe I could take this food and let you starve".

He has a plate in a hand and glass with what appears to be fruit juice on the other. "Why would you feed me? do you know that keeps me alive, right? why didn't you kill me already?" I'm really confused, isn't better to kill someone while they're asleep, or this mother fucker want's to torture me. "That's because I don't want to kill you, dummy hero". Then why did he bring me here? what is the league planning to do to me? so I ask what the league wants from me.

"What makes you think there's a plan behind this?"

"Why else would a fucking villain kidnap a pro-hero if not to use them for something?"

"Well, there's nothing behind this, no one knows why I have you here actually I don't even know why I did it, but you were going to die and I just acted"- oh he should let me die, I'm gonna kick his pretty face when I get the chance.

"What do you want? you know it was going to be easier to kill me while I was unconscious, right?"

"Why do you keep telling me to kill you?"

"This is why"- there's a thing that not a lot of people know about my quirk, the bow, and the arrows are just a form I use it to be more precise, that doesn't mean that's the only thing it does.

With my both hands tied I conjured a little of my energy to make a knife to set me free, I break the cloth that keeps me hand-tied to the bed, throwing a punch at his face, he doesn't move I'm trying to get Dabi down but he is just there, he is not moving or trying to attack me at all, looking at me with sadness in his eyes.

"Hey what the fuck, why don't you attack me? aren't you afraid that I'm going to beat your ass?"- He looks like he is in pain but doesn't fight back.

"I know you could," he says with a sad smirk, what's happening here? by a couple of times, I saw him before he never acted this way.

"Can you please just calm down, let me talk, and I'll let you go if you want"

I intertwined my eyes with him, a beautiful blue, exactly the color of his flames, I don't know why, but I want to hear what he has to say, he looks so sad, but also a little surprised when I sit at the small bed. It looks like he never thought I actually would hear his reasons.

He kicks gently the plate with the food by the side and sits on the little makeshift bed, the bed is so small that we can't avoid our knees touching, he doesn't try to tie my hands again, I could conjure a big weapon, maybe just a simple bat and then scape, I know I can win, so why am I anxious to hear him? he looks at me a couple of seconds, lets out a loud breath, and starts talking.

"Well, when you attacked me, I caught one of your arrows right?" he looks at me and I nodded "Look" he shows me his left hand, inviting me to take his hand on mine.

It's rough, more than calloused, the years of him using his quirk took a lot out of his hands, they were burned, when I touched him I thought it would hurt, but he just opened his eyes a little more in surprise and looked at me again.

"Ok you have your hands burned, what about it? it's your quirk right?" he lets out a little smile that if I wasn't looking at him this close probably would have missed it. "Yeah they're burned, I don't have feeling on them, even if I take something with force or catch anything, can't feel it."

I'm starting to understand what's happening here, but I want him to tell me anyways "Yesterday, when you shot your arrow when I caught it I-"why does he look so nervous? "I felt it, I felt the pain of the arrow, and I felt you, well, your quirk, whatever it is, I just felt your touch"

What I am supposed to say about that?- "I'm sorry?" I say confused "No no it's okay I just want to know how you did it" I don't know why I have the desire to touch him again, I need to help him, he is a villain, a cute one if I say so myself but a villain nonetheless. A villain very dangerous that just wants the world to burn, but look so lost, with the same face you see on a lost child on a Mall

"I don't know, my quirk it's just based on energy, I don't know where it comes from, It just appears when I want to and takes the form I need, I used to lost control over it a lot," I say while moving my fingers letting the violet ribbons go around my hand "Now I can control it using it as weapons, the one that makes me feel more comfortable is the bow and arrow, that way I can control it a little more, but I pretty much can conjure anything" He nodded and looks at my hand.

I show him again, letting a little ball of my energy dance between my fingers and let it go, I made it stay in one of his hands, he started playing with it, like a child with a new toy that was waiting to get for Christmas day, a smile started to appear on his face, not a cruel one, that he usually used, this one was of happiness, he looks handsome, the scars on his face makes him feel unique. I'm not sure what I'm doing till I come back to my senses, I'm catching his face between my hands, he just looks at me surprised.

I run my thumbs right below his eyes, he leans into the touch and closes his blue eyes.

"You know that I can attack you now and escape right?" "I know, but you don't want to do that, I am right?"

He is, he is sure about it and I am too, but why? he probably has me here to lend information about heroes, but he isn't asking anything about it.

"No, I don't want to, why? did you get me drugged or something?" I say smiling at him for the first time "No, Toga tried to get a little bit of your blood but every time she wanted to get a needle into your skin, a purple energy, your energy, surrounded you, Shigaraki wanted to use real knives but I- I didn't let them hurt you, I didn't want them to hurt you".

And to end: this is the first chapter, it's gonna be probably 2 o 3 chapters, I'll probably add some warnings if needed.

Love

Gummy.

[moonlightflower21]

ease my mind

a/n: angst. mentions of death. stabbings. all that good stuff. also includes mafia turtles. might not make sense but people wanted to read it so 🤷‍♀️😂

but anyway, as calm and collected and stoic leo can be, he has his weak points. he isn't immune to panic attacks or bad thoughts. enjoy!

How could this have happened? His world felt like it had crumbled to the very ground, turned into dust and flown mockingly into the air. Reminding how useless he truly was.

Leonardo watched his brothers follow inside the living room, Raph grabbing an ice pack to cool the knife cut bleeding out on his bicep. Mikey winced as he got rid of his waistcoat, untying his tie and letting it hang limply. His shirt was stained more in red than white, indicating his wound was deeper than he originally thought. Yet none of them spoke a word, barely even glancing in the leaders direction.

Leonardo looked at his team, most specifically Raphael. He had been quiet which had certainly been unlike him. Raph was never one to show how angry he was, always giving his opinion regardless of the topic so the silence coming from him was deafening.

"You good?" Leo's voice was slightly shaky not used to his hot headed brother being so silent about the obvious fail they just encountered.

Dark amber eyes connected with his and Leo didn't need to be a genius to know there was fury brewing behind those honeyed irises. Taking a breath in, he opened his mouth to say something but he noticed something else swirling into those eyes. Defeat.

"I'm sorry about.... You know I had-" "Fuck ya. That's.... all I gotta say ta ya. Yer really got some nerve ta put this on someone else. Get one thing straight, we're not indestructible. Not me or ya or Don or Mikey. But why am I wastin my breath on ya? Whatever I tell ya, yer just gonna go ahead and do the opposite. Like yer always do. And I'm gonna be the one ta help ya when yer run in ta issues. Like I always do" Raphael sneered, his hands in tight fists to control his temper. His tone was accusing, malicious towards Leo. And no one cane blame him.

"I'm not gonna bother waiting my time or energy bein' here. I can't do this no more" His harsh voice dropped to a whisper at the last sentence and he's not sure whether it's directed to his brother or to himself. He wanted to say something but nothing would be able to console how he's feeling tonight. Raph clenched his arm tightly, placing pressure in the damaged skin before pushing past his brother and to his own private room.

"Wait!" But the terrapin had left. Turning back to the rest of his team, Leo hoped he could explain what had happened. But their looks were cold and heartless.

Mikey stood tall, his stare in a hardened frown. He let out a small grunt, plastron burning with pain on his ride side.

"Look I'm-" "I've always stood by your decisions, always respected your commands and orders. But tonight was a fucking shit show and had you not lost focus, those innocent lives wouldn't have been taken. Some leader you are" Mikey scoffed, hands tingling with urges to beat the living shit out of someone. Leonardo stood, his brain unable to form comprehensible sentences to his answer. Was that how he truly felt?

"Mikey..." "Don't 'Mikey' me Leonardo. You were right after all. We may be brothers but we are not a team. Thank you for opening my eyes to that tonight" He snarled, a shaky breath as he applied too much pressure to his plastron. He swallowed hard, mind overflowing with poisonous thoughts suffocating his mind. Begging to be in a safe place but he couldn't find any. He didn't think he could ever feel safe anywhere. Not with his brothers or his family.

"Leave me alone. I have nothing to speak to you about, nor do I want to see your face tonight" Mikey uttered sharply, refusing to show any pain despite actively bleeding. He left in the other direction, retiring to his own personal chambers for the night. Leonardo gritted his teeth, trying to hold himself together. Trying to hold his composture together but it was dangerously close to crashing down. Maybe Donatello would listen. He was always good at reading people. Hopefully he could lend an ear before Leo's thoughts drive him insane.

"Don-" "I don't know what you wish to hear Leonardo. Me to say that it went good? That everything went well?? Raph nearly lost an arm, Mikey only has a new painful scar to his collection. You know how bad his plastron is damaged?? There's only so much that can be done to help it. And as for myself... well I'll let it speak for itself" Donnie lifted the side of his shirt, emitting a soft gasp from the eldest in absolute horror.

The wound was weeping, blood trickling down his abdomen soaking the rim of his pants. Leo's heart fell to the ground, his teeth sinking in his bottom lip to stop any vulnerability coming to light. Only know has it registered how much danger he had selfishly placed all his brothers in.

"But none of this matters to you does it? We're just soldiers to command, to help-" "That's not true Donatello!" Leo's voice came as a hoarse whisper, clenching his fingers tightly. Had his brother looked close enough, he would have seen Leonardo teetering off the edge of his sanity. The tremble in his body, the shaking of his arms despite how strong he stood, his eyes turning a deep blue emotionally overwhelmed.

"Isn't it?? Because the way I see it, you seem to have completely placed us at the sidelines. What happened to family? What happened to looking out for each other? What happened to your honour Leonardo?? These words you held with great pride are nothing but a jumbled mess of letters at your feet. If you cannot practise what you preach then I highly recommend you stop pretending otherwise. Excuse me, some of us have to help his family" Donatello frowned, walking past the blue cladded turtle to help his injured family members.

Leonardo's breath hitched, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes and spilling down quietly his cheeks. Honour, justice, family.... these words were for heros. Words for people that helped their country, he didn't do any of those things. He was a villain, killing himself slowly with his actions.

Moments like these reminded of his haunted childhood, how Splinter berating him for being worthless, how he would never accumulate to anything. Tonight those very words repeated like a record in his brain, unable to pause or freeze and he sat there listening to it all. Because it was true. He wasn't some warrior or a soldier, he was a mistake. And those horrible words ring in his head like an alarm, he didn't deserve to live.

Leo made questionable decisions tonight but his brothers didn't know how much burden he carried on his shoulders. He wouldn't forget those who passed tonight nor did he forget the injuries inflicted on his brother because of him. Was this how he wanted his life to be? Was this worth the pain and failures? And no matter how much those humans had wronged him, he swore to never turn like Splinter had done. Though now he could see himself follow in those very footsteps, heart twisted with evil and brutal thoughts.

They all lay heavy on his mind, constantly mocking and torturing of him of the leadership he once held with great importance and dedication. But now it started to disintegrate, proving his worst fear true that he was simply unable to protect his loved ones. That he couldn't even help himself. He could feel himself spiralling out of control and its times like these, he wished someone would hold him tight Ground him to reality, pushing those thoughts out of his body instead of laying low waiting to strike at his most weakest.

There he sat, sinking further and further into the pit of depair and self-hatred wondering if anyone could ever rescue him from this prison.

Wondering if he ever deserved to feel any happiness.

Wondering if he was better off being alone.

[iatethepomegranate]

We are not alone in the dark with our demons, Chapter 14

In which Caleb buys a house in Rexxentrum with Beau and Yasha, becomes a professor, learns how to be a person, and does what he can to protect the children (and hurting adults) who came after him in a way he had never been protected.

Content warnings: references to Caleb's backstory but it's pretty mild

Chapter summary: The Mighty Nein have their beach episode, Essek wears a sunhat, Luc learns a new word that isn't a swear, and Caleb has a good day.

Chapter notes: This chapter is pure fluff, with a little melancholy that is well-resolved. Enjoy it while it lasts. Chapter title is from Joy by Sleeping At Last.

****

Chapter 14: It is the calm water in the middle of an anxious sea

Caleb sent a quick message to Nico while Jester ferried the Nein into the street. “Hallo, Nico. Remember my home is open to you if you need anything. Food, shelter. Protection. Anything. Password: Wilkommen. Take care, please.”

Nico didn’t reply. He never did. But Caleb breathed, and he was okay. Essek, disguised as another half-elf, a redhead this time, squeezed his hand.

“Are you all right?”

“Ja. We know he’s alive. That helps.”

“Good.” Essek opened his pink parasol as they stepped into the sun, shielding them both. “Beauregard warned me that redheads burn in the sun more easily than most humans.”

Caleb chuckled, surprising himself a little bit. “Ja, Jester packed a lotion to help with that. I may need help rubbing it in.”

Essek raised an eyebrow. “I believe I can help with that.”

“Hold that thought.” Caleb needed to let Felix know Nico was still alive, before he got distracted. “Hallo, Felix. My cleric friends’ gods have confirmed Nico is alive and has found water recently. Keep talking to him.”

Felix’s response was swift. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would do if… thank you. Uh, how is Nicodranas? I’ve never been.”

Caleb found himself smiling. “Hot and sunny. Not ideal for someone of my complexion, but we have sun protection. My friends are dragging me to the beach.”

A laugh came through the link, quiet and stiff, as if unpracticed. “My parents told me stories about your disagreements with the sun, even here. So, uh, be safe. And have fun with your special Aeor friend.”

Caleb found himself burning another spell, just because he was not about to let this child have the final word. At least, not that final word. “Very funny, Felix. My colleague and I will likely stay in the shade. The sun does not agree with him, either. Spell progress?” Felix had indicated he was copying out Fly from a scroll Astrid had supplied on Caleb’s behalf. Felix was an Evocation specialist, so he had been struggling a bit. Caleb still had hopes of converting him to Transmutation entirely, and teaching him Fly would be a good step, and safer to experiment with than the more-challenging Polymorph without supervision. It was quite advanced for him, however.

“Fine, I will let you change the subject. I have the spell copied, but the somatic element is complicated. I may need help.”

And then Caleb burned one more spell. “I will visit in the next few days and we will work it out together. Remember to take breaks. See you soon.”

“Ja, see you soon.”

“I like that kid,” said Beauregard.

The group linked up with the Brenattos deeper into the city and then worked their way to the beach. Other families were out on the sand, so they wandered a little further afield until they found the same spot the Nein had visited when they had first visited Nicodranas together.

Essek, with Jester’s help, set up the beach umbrella in a shaded area further from the water. Everybody arranged their bags there, leaving enough room for Essek to sit comfortably, along with one or two others. Towels were laid out to keep the worst of the sand out of everyone’s asses, but mainly Essek’s. By now, his disguise was wearing off. The clothes he wore underneath, however, covered most of his skin, alongside the enormous sunhat Caduceus had brought from the Grove. So he didn’t bother re-casting.

Essek settled himself under the umbrella, pulling his spellbook from the pocket dimension. The others disrobed to varying degrees; most of the ladies were straight-up naked, aside from Veth who wore a thin shift dress that would not be too weighed down if she chose to get in the water. The group passed around two glass bottles of a sun lotion developed by Yeza, slapping it onto each other. Caleb slapped Fjord’s pec, as had become customary. Fjord squawked, as was tradition.

Soon enough, the Nein, plus Luc and Yeza, barrelled toward the shoreline. Caleb settled beside Essek, passing him the lotion bottle.

“If you would?”

Essek slipped the spellbook back into its dimension and uncorked the bottle. “Take off your shirt.”

Caleb threw his shirt aside and sat with his back to Essek. He had waited until the others left. Neither Caleb nor Essek were particularly touchy-feely around other people, aside from a few casual things like fixing each other’s hair or leaning against each other. It was less uncomfortable to do so when there was some physical distance from others, even if they were still in view.

This thing between them still felt fragile sometimes. Aeor had strengthened their bond, but they’d had to do a lot of unlearning along the way. A lot of healing. Caleb had disintegrated the one chance he’d had to see his parents alive again. He’d given up the book of letters to bury them between their graves. Essek had begun to peel away years of conditioning to be selfish in his pursuits, of pulling away from people to stay safe, of understanding his worth through a purely transactional lens. Honestly, Caleb was working on unlearning those things himself.

The lotion was a cold streak from one shoulder blade to the other. Essek’s hands were delicate and careful as always, working the lotion into his skin with small, slow circles.

Essek did not touch very many people. Every touch he gave Caleb felt precious. At this point, Caleb was fairly certain he had been conditioned to melt at even the slightest point of contact between them.

Essek kissed his shoulder, ignoring Jester’s wolf-whistle in the distance. “I missed your shoulder freckles.”

“You see them most nights, Essek.”

“It’s different in the light. I can see colours.” Essek’s fingers ghosted the skin, drawing lines between freckles Caleb couldn’t see at this angle. His other hand continued to work the sun lotion into Caleb’s back. Caleb closed his eyes, listening to the soft roars and hisses of waves, the shouts of his friends, their splashes in the water. This was comfortable in a way Caleb still struggled to accept that he deserved. But he was trying. And sometimes he succeeded. Today was better than most.

Essek took his right arm and massaged lotion into the skin, working tension out of Caleb’s muscles and tendons and joints as he went. Heat pooled in Caleb’s gut, and if they had been alone, he would have pushed Essek onto his back and kissed him senseless. Among other things. Instead, he let Essek work, sagging back against him. Essek spent some extra time on Caleb’s wrist, gently guiding him through stretches to stave off a repetitive strain injury from casting. Then he moved to Caleb’s left arm, and repeated the process.

Through the haze of calm, Caleb was dimly aware this was a huge step for Essek. Taking care of each other’s hair, leaning against each other, passing things to each other, taking charge when Caleb was in a bad way… these were all forms of affection he had grown comfortable with in front of the Nein. This was more intimate than Essek usually allowed with an audience, however distant they were at the moment. Caleb was proud of him. He knew it wasn’t easy to be exposed like this. To wear your heart on your sleeve even among people you trusted. How hard it was to trust in the first place.

“You’re cuddly today,” Caleb said quietly as Essek carefully swept his changed, now singular, braid aside to work the lotion into the back of his neck. “I like it.”

Essek rested his forehead on the back of Caleb’s head. “I suppose I am.”

“What brought this on? I would like to repeat it.”

Essek hummed thoughtfully, pulling back. Caleb turned to watch him gaze out at the sea, dissecting his own thoughts. “You are… happier today. I missed it.”

Caleb had become aware during their time together that Essek, while attracted to Caleb in general, was especially enticed by two specific things: Caleb’s mind and his happiness. It was… sweet. Caleb hadn’t experienced that in a relationship before. That hadn’t been Astrid and Wulf’s fault, or even his. They hadn’t had the freedom to be like that. It still took Caleb unawares that he had this with Essek sometimes. A partner so invested in his happiness that it was a literal turn-on for him, essentially a requirement for his sexual interest. And, most days now, Caleb was happy frequently enough that it was practical. And healthier than anything he had experienced in a relationship before.

Essek also looked adorable in his huge sunhat and lightweight poncho that kept most of him safe from the sun’s rays. And a pair of sunglasses Jester had painted for him, pushed down his nose so he could look at Caleb better while they were in the shade together.

Caleb squeezed his knee. “We should come back here tonight. Have you swum in the ocean before?”

“No. Have you?” Essek adjusted his glasses so he could look at their friends playing in the water. Fjord and the clerics were having a magic water fight. Veth and Yeza walked along the shoreline, feet in the water, swinging Luc between them. Veth looked at home there; watching her willingly touch the water for the pure joy of it hurt Caleb’s heart in the best way. The lesbians had wandered off somewhere and probably wouldn’t be back for a bit. Kingsley was working on a sandcastle he had started with Luc, before the boy had been distracted.

“Ja. The first time we came here. You’ll like it, I think.” The vastness of the ocean, the enveloping nature of it… Caleb could remember how much it had felt like looking into the beacon, and how much of a comfort that had been. “Can you swim?”

“I have been taught, yes.” Essek didn’t sound pleased about it. Most of his upbringing had been utilitarian, shaping him in the service of Den Thelyss.

“Just think. You and me. Alone with the moon and the endless expanse of ocean. It feels like the embrace of possibility, if you let it.” Caleb knew that, of all people, Essek would understand.

Essek softened. “That does sound wonderful. Shall we go after dinner?”

“Ja. I will cast the tower afterwards. I want you all to myself.”

It was only because Caleb knew Essek so well that he could pick out the rise of colour in his cheeks. “The feeling is mutual. Go, spend time with our friends. Do not burn.”

Caleb smiled, sliding his pants off and setting them aside. He left his smallclothes on this time, and worked the lotion into the flesh of his legs and feet. Essek cleared his throat and returned his attention to his spellbook. If they had been alone right now…

Caleb pushed the thought away. In a few hours, they would be alone. For now, he had prepared Telekinesis for today and he knew a few friends who would love to be thrown around in the water for a while.

Luc rushed over to Caleb as soon as approached the shoreline. Caleb squished the wet sand between his toes and watched the boy run, managing to catch him when he launched himself at Caleb’s middle.

“Uncle Caleb! Mum says you know a really cool spell that can throw people! Throw me!”

Caleb looked over to Veth and Yeza. Veth gave an enthusiastic thumbs up while Yeza facepalmed, but did nothing to stop it.

“Okay.” Caleb set Luc down. “This spell is called Telekinesis.”

Luc’s eyes glazed over a bit. “Tele…”

“Repeat after me: Tele.”

“Tele.”

“-kin.”

“-kin.”

“-esis.”

“-esis.”

“Telekinesis.”

“Telekinesis.”

“There you go.” Caleb moved his hand, muttering the incantation. “Ready?”

“Yes!”

Caleb reached out the magic and lifted Luc in the air with the spell. “All right?”

Luc kicked his legs about, staring all around. “This is so cool!”

“Ja, so cool.”

“Throw me!”

Caleb looked to Veth and Yeza. “I’ll send him near the others.” He raised his voice so Fjord, Jester and Caduceus would hear. “Incoming!” And he pelted Luc into the water, aiming him in the central point between the three of them. Luc soared through the air, landing with a splash. Caleb pulled back the force a bit so Luc wouldn’t fall too hard. Luc still had the ring of water walking on, but he had an intuitive grasp of its use and had wanted to be thrown in. But it did mean that he was able to pop right up to the surface without issue, jumping up and down on top of the water with glee.

“Oh! Oh!” Jester yelled. “Me next!”

Caleb plucked her from the water with his magic, and managed not to drop her when he remembered she was naked. He threw her across the water, to a point to his right that appeared to be a similar depth from whence she had come.

The spell lasted ten minutes. And those ten minutes were well-used, pelting his friends into the sea. Beau and Yasha returned in time to participate, which was good. Beauregard in particular had always been fond of this.

As the spell faded, Caleb waded into the water and let it take his weight, floating on his back. He gazed up at the blue sky, squinting a bit. The protection amulet lay there, occasionally bobbing away from his chest when he slipped under a tiny bit. He had gotten back into the habit of wearing it since the Vergesson heist, and all that had happened in Eiselcross and beyond. The thing didn’t bother him as much as it used to. Essek still wore his as well. Even if Caleb hadn’t thought it prudent to wear the amulet to shield himself from the Assembly’s prying eyes, even if they would not move openly against him, he would do it for Essek’s sake. It was easier to do these things for other people.

“Hey, Caleb.” The voice was a little muffled as Caleb’s ears were underwater, but he knew Fjord’s voice.

He carefully righted himself and began to tread water, a little clumsily but more easily than he had the first time. “Hallo, Fjord. Thank you for not scaring the shit out of me this time.”

Fjord chuckled; as usual, he had no trouble staying afloat. “Oh, I thought about it. I need to get you back for slapping my tit.”

“I will live in fear until you have found your revenge.”

“As you should,” Fjord said haughtily. “Oh, and Jester keeps demanding I invite you onto our ship. Unrelated to the impending revenge, of course. I have no stake in this at all.”

“Of course.” Caleb enjoyed Fjord’s sarcasm; he could pivot from sincerity to bullshit quicker than almost anyone he knew.

And, in true Fjord fashion, he pivoted again, dropping right back into sincerity. “In seriousness, though… if you ever need a break from civilisation, there’s always room for you. And Essek. Together or separately.”

“I appreciate that,” Caleb replied. “Knowing our luck, I will choose the perfect time for Uk’otoa to attack.” He did not clarify whether this would be good or bad luck, as he himself was uncertain.

“An extra hand wouldn’t go astray. You have saved my life many times on the sea.”

Fjord had almost been lost forever, killed and transported away. That night had been the perfect example of why Caleb never went a day without preparing Counterspell. Losing him would have been unbearable, especially after Molly.

Fjord’s hand found his shoulder. “Hey, I’m right here.”

“Ja, you are.” Caleb shook off his melancholy. And remembered why he had found Fjord so attractive from day one: whatever shit Fjord had going on, he was always ready to reach out and steady someone else. That, and the fact he had a nice face and an incredible amount of skill both in combat and in conversation. “I’m sure there will be time for sailing. Maybe in a few weeks, depending on how chaotic Rexxentrum becomes. I will try to drag Essek along, if he’s not too busy elsewhere.”

“Sailing the Lucidian Ocean with a pirate crew is an unlikely place to find a drow fugitive,” said Fjord.

“Ha! Indeed.” And, because they were already talking about Essek, Caleb broached a similar subject. “By the way, Essek and I plan to come back here after dinner so he can swim more comfortably. We will not be back until morning; I have the tower prepared. If you could, ah, keep the others distracted so we can slip away without too much innuendo, I would appreciate it.”

“I promise to try.” Fjord glanced fondly towards Jester. “She’s observant and has the best-worst timing.”

“That she does.” One of the wonderful things about her, but Caleb would prefer to shield Essek from that tonight. Essek had become more comfortable with the Nein’s teasing, but he was still a little shy, especially about his relationship with Caleb.

“We’ll make sure you get your date, either way.” Fjord patted Caleb’s shoulder and submerged himself, darting like a bullet towards the clerics. Then, he emerged from the water with a huge wave behind him, but Caduceus had seen him coming and retaliated with one of his own.

Caleb watched the water-fight for a bit before he retreated to the beach umbrella, throwing himself onto the towel beside Essek and closing his eyes for a nap.

***

They stayed out until sunset began to approach. Knowing the Zhelezo would soon close the gates, the group packed up, dressed and headed back to the Chateau. Essek, disguise refreshed, used Prestidigitation as they walked to clear the sand off everyone.

After dinner, Beauregard asked Caleb to send her and Yasha back to Rexxentrum. Caleb drew them a circle in Jester’s old room, sending them on their way while Essek watched him work. There was a quirk to his lips that Caleb now knew meant he was looking disrespectfully.

Then, with the lesbians gone, it was just the two of them. Caleb pocketed the rest of his chalk, and held a hand out to Essek. “We could teleport from here.”

“We could.” Essek glanced at the door behind him. “That may worry our friends.”

“I’ll message Fjord. Let him spill the beans in a few minutes when Jester comes looking for us.” Caleb pulled out his wire. “Hallo, Fjord? Essek and I are about to teleport to the beach. Could you tell them where we’re going when they ask?”

“Will do. Have a good night. You deserve it.”

Caleb tucked his wire away. “We’re good. Let’s go.”

Essek grabbed his hand, though Caleb was now fully aware that physical contact was not a requirement for teleportation. “Allow me.” He muttered a word and Jester’s bedroom fell away. The air and light rushed away, before it all came back in a rush. Caleb took a deep breath.

They had landed on sandy grass, a few paces from the beach itself. The two of them took off their shoes and Essek’s poncho and hat, stashing them in Caleb’s amber. Essek gazed out at the waves while Caleb worked the ritual. A ritual he had originally created as part of his plan to save his parents. Now he used it to stash his partner’s shoes so they could walk on the beach together. That felt like growth. Like allowing himself to be happy. Ultimately, he knew that was far more respectful of his mother and father’s memory than trying to break time to bring them back, putting his own life at risk. Even if he was damn sure it would’ve worked. If he hadn’t collapsed into dust at the end of it all. Part of him still felt like that would have been a worthy price to pay… but he knew they wouldn’t see it that way. Most of him understood that. All they had ever wanted was for their son to be happy. They would have wanted him to live, and live a good life.

Caleb sat there after the amber had claimed their things, staring into the stone. Essek waited patiently, not rushing or peppering him with questions. He knew the meaning of the vault, and had enough context to Caleb’s shit to suspect where his mind had gone. Even if he couldn’t read Caleb’s thoughts.

He would try to live a good life, like his mother and father had always wanted. It was the right thing to do. For them, and for himself. He deserved good things. Caleb just had to keep reminding himself, possibly forever. And the joy of surrounding himself with people who loved him was that they would remind him if he couldn’t.

The best way to honour Leofric and Una Ermendrud was to be happy, kind, and do good for himself and others. Even if he still felt like a piece of shit most days, he would keep trying.

Caleb scooped up the amber and settled the chain around his neck. Essek held out a hand, which he accepted, letting the drow leverage the entirety of his slight weight to pull Caleb to his feet.

Hand-in-hand, they stepped onto the sand. Let their toes sink in, wiggling with the joy of that simple feeling of being enveloped.

The two moons above gave Caleb just enough light to see his surroundings, reflecting off the sea like a mirror. Essek would have no trouble seeing, and he was safe from the discomfort from the sun. And the darkness was a safe enough disguise that he was not forced to concentrate on a spell to avoid detection. They were about as safe as they could be.

Essek lifted Caleb’s hands to his lips, kissing each knuckle in turn, his eyes boring into Caleb’s. Then he tugged Caleb towards the shoreline. There, they let the tide lick their toes, laughing as it tickled. Essek’s laugh was sweet and soft, his smile warm and unburdened. That was rare. So rare. Caleb’s heart swelled.

He leaned down to kiss him. Essek slid in close, fingers splayed across Caleb’s back. And they kissed and kissed and kissed until they couldn’t breathe.

They took a five-second break. And then they kissed again.

[ishipdestiel-lovesofmylifeistg85]

The tension is thick between the Dean and Cas. They've been arguing for over an hour, both stubbornly refusing to give in. Caught up in the feud, neither one realizes that Sam has been in his room, purposely packing as slowly as humanly possible waiting for the bickering to stop.

 

The aroma of buttery popcorn lingers in the room from the night before. The calm, relaxed atmosphere from their family movie night is long gone as they pace angrily around the kitchen. Dean's hands are tightly fisted at his sides and Cas' lips are pursed as they glare at each other wordlessly for a long moment.

 

Cas is the one to break the silence, as he turns to leave the room barking out, "I'm done talking about this. I'm GOING, and you can't stop me." He has every intention of heading to pack his bag, whether Dean likes it or not.

 

Dean's heavy footsteps echo as he rushes toward the former Angel. He crosses his arms and clenches his jaw just as Cas crosses the threshold. "Wanna bet?" he growls, blocking him.

 

Cas pulls at his own hair with a frustrated groan, before swinging back around to face the infuriating man and stepping back into the room. "Goddammit! You and Sam never had any powers and you've accomplished unimaginable things! Why can't you have the same faith in me?"

 

"For the last time, that was all because of Chuck! For fuck's sake, you're gonna get yourself killed out there and I won't stand for it!"

 

"It's not up to you!"

 

"Like hell it isn't!"

 

"I'm not a child! I know you don't think I can handle myself with my powers gone but I deserve the chance to prove you wrong! Besides, if Chuck really was the only reason for you and Sam's excellent hunting, then you're BOTH being stupid by continuing to hunt now that he's gone! So tell me, how is me going too, any different?!"

 

"You're not coming with us Cas, and that's final!" Dean snarls.

 

At that, Cas feels what little patience he had left immediately disintegrate. "What do you want from me, Dean?!" he demands, "I can't just keep sitting around the bunker doing nothing. I can HELP! I'm done being useless!"

 

"You can't really believe that. You think you're useless to us? To me? Just because you're human now?!"

 

Cas' gaze drops to the floor and he doesn't answer, his expression unreadable.

 

Dean licks his lips and sighs, softening his features along with his tone, as he steps into Cas' space. "Cas-"

 

"Give me one good reason why I can't go and fight alongside you and Sam," Cas says, his tone less biting now. Dean can see the anger now mixed with something else in his eyes.

 

Scrubbing his hand over his face, Dean grunts. "Because I fucking love you, okay? Is that reason enough for you?!" he yells again, unintentionally.

 

Cas opens his mouth, then shuts it back. His thoughts are racing now, like his pulse. His eyes shift as he struggles with a response.

 

Taking the opportunity, Dean softens his tone once more. "I won't watch you die, Cas. I can't lose you. Not again," he explains. He looks away, shutting his eyes, attempting to hold back tears from filling his eyes.

 

"Oh, right, because I'm ' family' . Don't give me that bullshit, Dean. Sam is your family too but I don't see you trying to forbid him from going on hunts!"

 

You still don't get it do you? How the hell can I make it any clearer?" Dean asks, genuinely searching for an answer.

 

Cas scoffs. "What is it you're 'trying to make clear', Dean?" he mocks, "How incompetent you think I am? How you still don't trust me?"

 

Dean sighs, the last of his anger leaving him as tiredness takes its place. He roughly massages his temples before answering. "No, Cas. If after everything, you still don't understand how I feel about you... then I'm all out of ideas on how to clue you in."

 

It takes a moment but then hopeful realization strikes. Cas lets out a broken sob as his lip quivers. His eyes sting with threatening tears before he grabs a fist full of Dean's shirt and crashes their lips together in a bruising kiss overflowing with raw emotion. It's a combination of anger, eagerness and need.

 

Dean desperately kisses back as if Cas' mouth is his only source of oxygen. Their arms cling to each other's bodies as suddenly the kiss deepens, sending a thrill through both men.

 

The next thing Cas knows, his back is against the wall as Dean's mouth pulls away to suck marks above his collarbone.

 

"I didn't think you wanted me," Cas confesses, eyes closed as he buries his fingers in Dean's hair. "Didn't think you loved me. Not like I love you."

 

"I was an idiot," Dean admits, looking Cas in the eye before capturing his mouth again. "I should have said something as soon as we got you back from the Empty," he adds, mouthing up Cas’ neck.

 

Cas gently guides Dean back to his mouth by his hair, quickly deepening the kiss once more before slowing. Overwhelming elation and contentment take the place of urgency and need. He stops pulling Dean against him in favor of finding both his hands and lacing their fingers together lazily.

 

Dean pulls back a little to rest his forehead against Cas'. They both try to catch their breath as their pulse begins to slow. He swallows and licks his lips. "I'm sorry," Dean says, leaning back enough to look Cas in the eye again.

 

Cas smirks, cocking an eyebrow at him. He slips a hand out of Dean's in favor of cupping the side of his face. "About not telling me how you feel.. or about trying to boss me around?" he teases.

 

Dean drops his head in shame. "Both."

 

Cas gently tilts Dean's face back up with his fingers now curled beneath his chin. "I'm not fragile," he says, softly kissing him again. "And I know how to defend myself," he adds before another lingering kiss.

 

"I know you do," Dean admits, letting go of Cas' hand to wrap his arms around him. A simple intimate embrace as he closes his eyes, breathes in Cas' scent and simply enjoys the warmth and comfort of having Cas in his arms. He rests his head against Cas' shoulder and runs his fingers through the hair at the back of Cas' head.

 

"I fucking love you too, by the way," Cas says after a moment.

 

Dean chuckles at that, pulling back to look at him again, taking Cas' hands in his once more. "Way to ruin the moment," he jokes, winking at him.

 

"Fucking finally !" They hear Sam say from down the hall.

 

They both laugh, faces beaming as they smile at each other.

 

"Does this mean you're going to stop fighting me about going on hunts?" Cas inquires, searching the other man's face despite already knowing the answer.

 

Dean nods, lovingly caressing Cas' knuckles with his thumbs.

 

"Good. Then, I forgive you," Cas tells him before leaning in and pressing one last lingering kiss against Dean's lips. "Guess I should grab my stuff."

 

"Yeah," Dean agrees, gingerly kissing the backs of Cas' hands before letting go. A moment after Cas leaves the room, Dean pokes his head into the hallway. "I still don't like it, though," he calls after him.

 

"Yeah well, tough shit," Cas replies.

 

Dean can't help the grin that spreads across his face as he nods and heads to pack.

[wingeddbaby]

perfect - shigaraki tomura x reader

Prompt : You're All Might's daughter

This was actually really fun to write

*-•°•-*

You were supposed to be his successor when you finished his stupid training. So why'd he forget about you, and give his quirk to some wannabe hero? You were supposed to be the next hero. But then you were forgotten by him. You were always left alone before this anyway. But then he started training "Young Midoriya". That's all you heard about when he got home. Even though there were rare occasions that he did return home.

He even followed the kid to UA by becoming a teacher.

So, you were forgotten.

But, one day, you stumbled upon the leader of the League of Villains. And everything changed.

*-•°•-*

You walked down the empty streets, a hood covering your wet mop of (h/c) hair. It had recently started raining, and it hasn't stopped since then.

You were sort of kicked out of your dad's house after you started arguing over your personal value in his life. You meant nothing. Now, the number one hero has Midoriya Izuku. You despise the kid, and you haven't even met him. But just the fact that he stole your father from you makes your blood boil.

The shop lights were starting to flicker off as it got deeper into the night. You sighed, reaching into your pocket for your phone, hoping that it had enough battery to make a decent phone call.

2 missed calls from Dad

You scoffed, scrolling through your contacts for anyone that would be able to help you. Right... You only have your dad. You lost contact with all your friends from UA.

Not that anybody would be up at this time of night.

You groaned, pressing the phone icon by your dad's contact. When he surprisingly answered, you started by saying, "Sorry for yelling at you earlier. Can you pick me up, please? I left my keys at the house."

"What? I-I can't hear you, (y/n). Could you maybe call back later? I'm helping Young Midoriya with his training and-"

You ended the call before he could say anymore. Young Midoriya this. Young Midoriya that. All he talked about was Midoriya Izuku. And you absolutely hated him for it. What the hell are they doing up this late anyway? He never pushed your training until this late.

He's making an effort for Midoriya. Even with his weakened state in mind.

You were too busy angering yourself over your dad to see the person in front of you. They bumped shoulders with you, almost sending you to the ground. That caused your fit of anger to intensify. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" You shouldn't have yelled - it was your fault - but it's too late now.

The hooded figure didn't say anything, so you made sure to transfer part of their quirk to you to make them weaker just in case they were crazy. You guessed that they might try to kill you if you did anything too rash.

You glared at the retreating person. You hated it when people ignored you. "I'm talking to you!" You grabbed onto their sleeve, feeling the material disintegrate between your fingers, the missing hood revealing a mess of white hair. The man had extremely pale skin, and his hair covered his face as he stopped in his tracks.

"U-Uh... I'm sorry... I didn't know that your quirk would be-"

He grabbed onto the collar of your shirt - making sure to leave one finger off the material - his hair flying out of his face to reveal excited red eyes. "What's your quirk?!"

You hesitated at the question. "Umm... Why are you asking-"

"It could be useful! Tell me!" His chapped lips formed a creepy smile as he held onto you.

"My dad calls it Theft. He doesn't like it. I can steal half of someone's quirk for twenty-four hours after touching them. It sort of makes them weaker, and I can use it as much as I'd like for that period of time. The only problem is, it lasts for such a long time."

"Perfect! You're perfect!" He smiled widely, gripping onto your arms with one finger lifted on each hand so he wouldn't disintegrate your shirt on accident.

"I-I'm... perfect?" You teared up at the stranger's words.

"Join me!" He was too crazed to stop himself from revealing his plans to you.

You tilted your head in confusion. "Join you? In what?"

"Defeating All Might!" He started to whisper to himself, "She could take his quirk from him so easily..."

"My dad?"

"Yes! Wait- what?! He has a-"

"You want to kill my dad..."

"Not really kill him... Just make him... weak. Get rid of his quirk. But, forget this ever happened. You never met me." He started to walk away, looking disappointed.

"Wait!" He stopped but didn't turn around to look at you. "I'll do it! I'll help you!"

He turned this time to look at you, another big smile on his face.

*-•°•-*

"So you can only take one quirk at a time?" You nodded at the assumption, looking around the small abandoned building.

"What's your name?" you asked suddenly, startling him from his trance of enthusiasm. "You never told me."

"Call me Tomura."

"Then you can call me (y/n)." He nodded, not really interested in the topic. "Can I try something, Tomura?" you asked quietly, fiddling with the glass of water that was given to you. "It'll only take a second."

He reluctantly nodded. He clearly didn't expect you to slide your hand into his. "W-What are you doing?!" He had a look of shock when your fingers wrapped around his hand. "Why isn't anything happening. Why aren't you..." He trailed off, staring at your laced fingers in amazement.

"I guess the quirk doesn't apply to skin-to-skin contact when I take half of it away from you." You smiled at him. "You can finally touch someone without having to worry about turning them to dust."

"Come with me," he whispered, pulling you away from the bar. He dragged you into a small dark room, with a bed in the corner of the shady place.

"Is this your room?" He ignored you, placing his hands against yours. You noticed tears starting to form in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Can I h-hold you? Please?" You were shocked by the question, but you didn't deny his request. "I-I haven't felt- I haven't been able to do this without being scared to hurt someone... I had to-"

His fingers accidentally reached your shirt, causing it to decay. He gasped, pulling away. "I-"

"It's fine. It was going to come off eventually, Tomura. Just... keep doing what you were doing." His cold, pale hands touched your bare stomach, causing you to shiver at the unfamiliar touch.

You sat on his bed, careful not to touch the sheets with all your fingers, knowing that it would be destroyed with a full touch.

He stared at you on the bed, unsure about what to do from this point. You laughed, "Hold me?"

He didn't say anything, kneeling over you on the bed, gripping onto you tightly.

"I know what it's like to crave affection. Deep inside, because you don't want anyone else to know," you said into the darkness, feeling Tomura pull you closer into his arms. "I hardly got any because my dad was too busy being the number one hero. Now he has someone else to take care of. He doesn't need me."

"I need you."

Requests, please? 🥺🥺

[mcshiiin]

Title: Not My Energy

Pairings: KageHina

Sypnosis: A short, sad songfic about the two where Hinata lost his ability to fly

Song used: Not my Energy by IV of Spades

[A/n: Thank you for reading! I hope u enjoy huhu]

"I've ran out of reasons, reasons to comfort my mind."

Harbingers of daybreak busted his windows open. With gleaming dark eyes and sleek black talons, a crow stared straight to his soul. A sudden prickling sensation running from his toes began clobbering his body, rendering him paralyzed. Panting... Gasping... Drowning his mind in a sea of sorrow.

"Illusions, delusions. Confusions are running inside."

Hinata, despite sinking down the shallow waters feels as if he's floating mid-ar, going "boing boing". Slowly plummeting down the sea floor, he never hit the bottom. Instead, he landed rather harshly on the plywood surface of the gym. A familiar stinging pain on his palm smiled at him viciously. Taken aback, he grabbed his thumping, hollow chest and inhaled as much air as he could. An unforgiving force clashed against his torso, almost obliteraring him before the ceiling collapsed.

"Pale lips and dark lies has conquered the dreamer's eyes."

Poring dreamily at the honey glazed tree tops with hooded eyes, a sigh escaped from his drought ridden lips. While licking away the parchness on his lips, a worried yet kind gaze cut through him from the opened door.

"Sho-kun, you're going to be alright. Don't worry sweetie, we're here for you."

"Nii-chan! Hang in there. I love you!"

The warmth from his sister's hug dissipated into thin air. The soft caress from his Mom ghosted above his puffed out cheeks. Forcing his lips to curl upwards, he fooled them. Just as how their words of affirmation and consolidation were mere lies to comfort him.

" 'Cause there is something in those eyes I can never find, boy."

"Hinata boke..."

Shoyo swore Kageyama's voice were softer than ever. Terrified to face him, the bed ridden boy looked away. His bones shaking. His muscles tensed up.

"I don't want to dive in those same steel blue orbs..."

He kept his mouth silent. He kept his resolve solid. Then it crumbled down.

A feverish touch was ignited from Kageyama's fingertips grazing atop Hinata's trembling hand. The setter is careful enough not to break him, delicately and softly, he slid his hand and interwined it with his partner's. Shoyo's ribcage shattered, his throbbing heart and strained heartstrings tore it down.

His orbs stung with pain as he stared back at steel blue ones.

"I'm sick and tired of the noices, the voices. Everything seems magical."

"We're here for you, Hinata."

"Call us anytime!"

"I'm sure everything will be figured out by the adults. Cheer up, Hinata!"

"Let's buy popsicles when you're discharged, ne Shoyo?"

"Here's some food for you, eat up. You're getting thinner. Ne? I'm the best senpai aren't I?"

"gET WELL SOON AND WE'LL PRAY FOR YOU!"

"Don't worry too much. Idiots don't get sick, tch."

"Tsukki's right, you'll be okay, Hinata."

"I--no we, are here for you. Don't worry about catching up to class, I can teach you anytime!"

"Get some rest and take care please."

"I won't bother you with my words, Hinata-kun. You'll be okay, I'll pray for it."

"Rest up well, kid."

Everything and everyone seemed to pass by in a blur. Their faces muddled together like a murky pond. Indis​cern​ible. Chafing. Quaint. As if it never happened, as if he never heard anything.

"I'm sorry but there's nothing that we can do..."

"D-doctor no-!"

What? He heard nothing. His mother's face didn't crumple to despair. Her hands didn't ball into a fist. Her lips did not quiver. She never looked at him with those eyes.

No. Natsu is a sweet and clingy sister, her hugging him to death is nothing. She always said that his hands are rough, calloused, and big. They're also warm, and emollient. Maybe that's why she's holding it tight. Oh? Natsu is drooling. He chuckled, overseeing the shuddering figure of his dear sister.

 

Such an ethereal dream it is.

"And yes, my mind is awakened, dead conscience. Eveyday's a torture for me."

Panting heavily whilst swimming in a sea if sweat, Shoyo is wide awake. But, awake from what? Running away from what, his reality or his nightmares? Scampering to and fro, for what? Just to slam his head on a rock, trying to shake his dreams up.

He doesn't know what's hounding hin anymore.

He run a hand through his thick tuft of hair, unable to get back to sleep. A frown creeping up on his lips as he tries to pry his gaze to his legs. His world stilled. His breathing stopped. His mind blown to smithereens.

It hurts. The seering pain from mid-thigh down to his calf. It hurts, so he screamed.

"No I am not holding on to the darkness, 'cause you're already in my mind."

Natsu must be lying, his hands isn't big at all! She probably hasn't seen Kageyama's slender, setter hands. They look also pretty. Tobio's obviously taking good care of it, he bet that he goes as far as taking it to the nail salon. He's both dilligent and an idiot. He wants himself to be in a perfect condition so he can exert his best every game.

Shoyo wonders what lotion his setter is using. He want to buy one for himself too. How irksome it is to look at your partner's long fingers, perfectly groomed nails (it must be nice to have a manicure once), and mosturized, vanilla scented palms whilst yours is anything like that.

"Hmm spacing out?"

Tobio snaked his arms to his frail waist. Nudging his face deep into Shoyo's neck. So warm. So cool. So comfortable. Too real.

"Nah, I'm barely hanging."

"And if you would walk alone, then just do it. The clock is ticking backwards."

A tall, tall wall looms before him. The view from the top. He wants to see it. But he never can, unless alone.

And now, he's more alone than ever.

"Onigiri, pork buns, curry, what do you want honey?"

He's out in the cold again. Jumping higher, digging deeper, receiving with his face to no end. Wheezing as his body thrives, playing as his blood pulsiates. His heart more alive than before. His grin toothier than before. Hinata Shoyo loving too hard ever than before.

The pure joy from he gets from being with the team. The steam he emitts whenever Tsukishima pushes his buttons as Yamaguchi fell in line with laughing at him. The always fidgetty Yachi and Asahi-san. His superb senpais. That reminds him, he need to ask Nishinoya-senpai to teach him the rolling thunder double. The hardworking second years, the goddess Kiyoko-san, everyone. Even Daichi-san's roaring voice along with Suga-san's refreshing smile.

And of course, the skull-crusher milk boy who knows no word except Boke.

"I'm going alone."

"I ain't got it all, I don't care. You're not my energy."

Extending his arms, reaching with his hands, everyone is too far away.

Lying awake for hours, figuring how to run, how to fly.

Then, his bed decided to swallow him up.

A stringent touch engulfed his throat that produced an acrid cry from his mouth. The need for air is urgent, but his compressed windpipes aches with the mere presence of oxygen flowing through. For a second he thought the hold loosen, then his limbs. were vehemently ripped apart.

As blood splattered, his lower region were mangled.

"Your tears are in laughter while your smile is in despair."

Happiness looks good in Kageyama and Natsu. No doubt, hands down, bets raised.

Their carefree laughter bounced off the four walls of his room. Pearly white teeth are exposed as their lips ae stretched up to a smile. As far as their drinking game goes, Natsu is losing. Yes, they're drinking milk, much to Kageyama's delight.

Shoyo lost a long atime ago and the two milk heads are on it. The way their eyebrows knits together in concentration, noses scrunched up, and cheeks puffed out is a sight to see. You don't get to watch Kageyama with a child that doesn't cry within his mere presence, let alone play with him.

"I can't hold it in! I'm going to pee!"

The shorter ball of fluff ran outside as fast as her legs could carry her. Just a little bit more... three more steps... two... then one. She got in!

Natsu came back to her brother wiping his tears as he cackle like a rooster. He reminded her of the Kuroo Tetsurou that he once mentioned, bedhead, hyena laugh and all. When she glanced to her Kageyama-nii-chan, she was almost blinded. His higantic smiles were presented at her boldly. A soft glow from the dying sun illuminated his face. She can feel the love strongly eminating from these two.

Just as the puzzle is coming on together, someone had to filp the table and topple off the pieces.

Whimpers and hiccups. Rattling and rustles. Disintegrating and decaying. Shoyo-nii-chan is crying.

One end of his lips tugged upward. Blood-curling smirk emblazoned on his dainty face. And as she peek at the door opened ajar, tears came rolling down her rosy cheeks, staining the fabric of her shirt with pure sadness that a child can't comprehend. A younger sister shouldn't see her brother's soul being chipped off like that, you know.

"The poison of your tongue has killed all your truthful words."

His throat is a sand paper being stroked on a piece of wood that produces a nasty sound. It aches. It's painful to shout. It's straining. He too doesn't like sound coming off from his mouth. Disdainful words that tarnishes their bond, lacerating sentences that makes him bleed too.

"I don't need you!"

Yes I do.

"Go away!"

Please stay.

"I didn't like the food. It was awful."

They're my favorite, thank you.

"When I said I don't wan't to it, it means I don't! Don't force me!"

Maybe I'm a bit hungry?

"I AM OKAY. I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP I CAN DO IT BY MY FUCKING SELF!"

I am a lost cause.

"Pale lips and dark eyes has broken the dreamer's lies."

He inaudibly shrieked one morning when he woke up. The world was wet with dew as it sleepily waved back at him. He tried to wave back, but the shock of living in monochrome froze him. Then he tumbled down with a thud.

For a moment he forgot what predicament he's in and tried to stand up only to out balance himself and landed face first down their wooden floor. Natsu, who was never asleep the entire night, came rushing by to her brother's room beside hers. Clearly shocked and bemused at her nii-chan's bleeding nose and busted lip, she stood frozen. A part of her wants to laugh but the other half actually feels bad. And good thing she did, because the next scene was horrifying.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

"N-nii-chan..."

"SEND FUCKING HELP!"

A soul was broken.

"There is something in your mind you can never find, boy."

Searching. Wandering. Roaming around an unprecedented area.

What was he seeking?

He alwas have thought that it was the adrenaline. His heart beating so fast, so loud that he can hear it through his ears. An energy flowing deep within, tingling his senses, pricking under his skin. He enjoys the rush, the pain, the smile in his teammates' lips.

Yet when he stared at Kageyama, he realized it wasn't.

What kept him alive...

"Im sick and tired of the voices, the noises. Everything seems magical."

"Hinata boke..."

"Nii-chan."

"Sho-kun!"

"HINATA SHOYO!"

...was love.

"My eyes are hiding the pavements of my vacancy. You can't take the power from me."

Kageyama wish he could hold Shoyo tighter. Peacefully zoning out in his arms, a small drool pooling below his mouth, and beautiful long lashes. So angelic and breathtaking.

Yet he still fears poring directly in his partner's eyes for they scream,

"I'm going to eat you alive."

Placing a kiss atop his head, a sigh escaped his lips. Then, honey-flecked orbs dangerously stared at him. A tremble was awaken inside his body.

"I love you."

The both of then were taken aback by his sudden words. Hinata was left in awe, speechless while Kageyama quickly recovered his composure. He came into terms with his feelings finally just right now, it's now or never.

"I want you more than any perfect toss. It's you that I want to hit my balls. We're partners, aren't we? I want to be by your side, holding you, loving you. We'll drink hundred liters of milk, we'll eat as many pork buns as you want. I want to spend my life with you."

"Kageyama-kun..."

"I know it'a sudden but Hina--!"

"Loving means being alive. Being alive is being able to love,

But you see, living, is not my energy."

-FIN