#if someone told me that they promise by the seven seas that we will meet again???

[maybebi47]

its so rare to find an accurately represented autistic character with truly an insane amount of rizz and yet ayda aguefort exists!! peace and love on earth !

everybody say thank you brennan

[josnhoes]

Halloween.... Spooky scary skeleton 🎶

Okay since halloween is near what if humans do not exsisted in two world but as a myth, like we humans make mythos out of thin air or drugs

And child yuu just appear one day?

I'm assuming you mean twst so I'm going to write it that way. But if you meant a different Fandom feel free to message me again. Also since you didn't pick 3 characters I'm going to do a more general version then focused on characters.

Edit: I ran out of steam and only did the first 3 dorms.

Content warning: Monsters, child reader

In the world of Twisted Wonderland there are a few truths none question; the great seven where revered, the races of monsters where to do their best to keep the peace the great seven created, and humans where nothing more then myths. Though the stories of humans where common, told as tales of fun and whimsy most of the time. There where a few cases of stories where humans where dangerous, abducting monsters to have friends. A set truth about humans aside they didn't exist was if you befriended one, and treasured them in return of their loyalty they would help your magic grow. Young monsters often sought out humans for fun and with hopes of becoming a mage worthy of being seen along side the great seven.

The world of humans was real, a reality mirroring the monster's own. Where humans where viewed by monsters like fairies are to humans; to humans a majority of monsters where to be fear. But just like the monster world their counterpart was viewed as fake.

On rare once a millennium event the realities overlapped allowing for travel between realms. Though usually it was with out incident, but on occasion someone fall through. A monster and a human switched places. But none truly knew of this.

Mc was little even for their age. Though their age was small as well, not even in double digits yet. So waking up in a strange place alone was not ideal. In fact it was the opposite of what any child would want. Alone, lost, and hungry you could do nothing but cry. A cry that caught the attention of a certain Tengu headmaster.

Crowley was in shock to find such a little monster alone in the mirror chamber and approached. Only for the little one to scream. At the fearful wailing he took a closer look and was in shock to find the child was *human*. Oh how fortunate for his school chosen to host such a rare guest! It was a sign and he couldn't wait to see who you chose to bestow power upon, would it be one or many?

Once you're calmed down and reassured no one would hurt you, he asked how you arrived. The answer of you didn't know wasn't ideal but no matter. Soon you found yourself bounced between dorms to find someone for you to bond with.

Heartslabyul was first. The dorm leader refused at first finding no possible way a human could exist, as such he was very hard on you for the first week. The werewolf was strict on everyone but especially himself lest he become a mindless beast. Trey the gentle living doll however was kind and managed to help Riddle realize you where human and not some monsterling shape shifted. Once that gets out the school is vying for your attention. The various monsters in Heartslabyul did their best to keep the havoc to a minimal for your sake.

Savanclaw has a mixed reaction. The sphinx dormleader Leona was the worst at having mixed feelings. He wanted the promised power a human could offer, but you where a child and children where such a pain to deal with..or so he claimed. Most of your care while with them is from Ruggie the resident Knoll and Jack the werewolf wind spirit hybrid.

Octavinelle was the first to have actively tried to bribe your affections. Even with out the bond you brought profits galore. Everyone wanted a deal with Azul the water element Slime, as such his power was growing and growing. The twins a pair of sea serpents where extra busy keeping the lounge in order as many monsters fought to get contracts for a chance to meet the small human.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

18th November >> Mass Readings (USA)

Friday, Thirty Third Week in Ordinary Time

    or 

Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

    or 

Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne.

Friday, Thirty Third Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

Revelation 10:8-11

I took the small scroll and swallowed it.

I, John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me. Then the voice spoke to me and said: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. He said to me, “Take and swallow it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.” I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and swallowed it. In my mouth it was like sweet honey, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then someone said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131

R/ How sweet to my taste is your promise!

In the way of your decrees I rejoice,    as much as in all riches.

R/ How sweet to my taste is your promise!

Yes, your decrees are my delight;    they are my counselors.

R/ How sweet to my taste is your promise!

The law of your mouth is to me more precious    than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

R/ How sweet to my taste is your promise!

How sweet to my palate are your promises,    sweeter than honey to my mouth!

R/ How sweet to my taste is your promise!

Your decrees are my inheritance forever;    the joy of my heart they are.

R/ How sweet to my taste is your promise!

I gasp with open mouth    in my yearning for your commands.

R/ How sweet to my taste is your promise!

Gospel Acclamation

John 10:27

Alleluia, alleluia. My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Luke 19:45-48

You have made it a den of thieves.

Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, “It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” And every day he was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

----------------------------------------

Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(There is no choice between ferial and memorial readings today, because all readings are proper to the memorial)

First Reading

Acts of the Apostles 28:11-16, 30-31

And thus we came to Rome.

After three months we set sail on a ship that had wintered at the island [of Malta]. It was an Alexandrian ship with the Dioscuri as its figurehead. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days, and from there we sailed round the coast and arrived at Rhegium. After a day, a south wind came up and in two days we reached Puteoli. There we found some brothers and were urged to stay with them for seven days. And thus we came to Rome. The brothers from there heard about us and came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul gave thanks to God and took courage. When he entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

   He remained for two full years in his lodgings. He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

R/ The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Sing to the LORD a new song,    for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him,    his holy arm.

R/ The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

The LORD has made his salvation known:    in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness    toward the house of Israel.

R/ The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

All the ends of the earth have seen    the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;    break into song; sing praise.

R/ The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,    with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn    sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.

R/ The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Gospel Acclamation

cf. Te Deum

Alleluia, alleluia. We praise you, O God, we acclaim you as Lord; the glorious company of Apostles praise you. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 14:22-33

Command me to come to you on the water.

After the crowd had eaten their fill, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

---------------------------------

Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Friday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

Either:

First Reading

Deuteronomy 10:8-9

The Lord himself is our heritage.

Moses summoned all of Israel and said to them: “At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to be in attendance before the LORD and minister to him, and to give blessings in his name, as they have done to this day. For this reason, Levi has no share in the heritage with his brothers; the LORD himself is his heritage, as the LORD, your God, has told him.”

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

OR: --------

First reading 1 Kings 19:4-9a, 11-15a Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord.

Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death saying: “This is enough, O LORD! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree, but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat. He looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again, but the angel of the LORD came back a second time, touched him, and ordered, “Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!” He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.    There he came to a cave, where he took shelter. Then the LORD said to him, “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.” A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD— but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake– but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire– but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?” He replied, “I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. But the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” The LORD said to him, “Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus.”

OR: --------

First reading 1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21 Elisha left and followed Elijah.

The LORD said to Elijah: “You shall anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, as prophet to succeed you.”    Elijah set out and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and I will follow you.” Elijah answered, “Go back! Have I done anything to you?” Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant.

-------- ________

EITHER: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. or Blessed are they who delight in the law of the Lord. or The just will flourish like the palm tree in the garden of the Lord.

Blessed the man who follows not    the counsel of the wicked Nor walks in the way of sinners,    nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the LORD    and meditates on his law day and night.

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. or Blessed are they who delight in the law of the Lord. or The just will flourish like the palm tree in the garden of the Lord.

He is like a tree    planted near running water, That yields its fruit in due season,    and whose leaves never fade.    Whatever he does, prospers.

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. or Blessed are they who delight in the law of the Lord. or The just will flourish like the palm tree in the garden of the Lord.

Not so, the wicked, not so;    they are like chaff which the wind drives away. For the LORD watches over the way of the just,    but the way of the wicked vanishes.

Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. or Blessed are they who delight in the law of the Lord. or The just will flourish like the palm tree in the garden of the Lord.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

He who walks blamelessly and does justice;    who thinks the truth in his heart    and slanders not with his tongue.

The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

Who harms not his fellow man,    nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; By whom the reprobate is despised,    while he honors those who fear the LORD.

The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

Who lends not his money at usury    and accepts no bribe against the innocent. He who does these things    shall never be disturbed.

The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 16:1-2ab and 5, 7-8, 11

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;    I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.” O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,    you it is who hold fast my lot.

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

I bless the LORD who counsels me;    even in the night my heart exhorts me. I set the LORD ever before me;    with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

You will show me the path to life,    fullness of joys in your presence,    the delights at your right hand forever.

You are my inheritance, O Lord.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 23:1-3, 4, 5, 6

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.    In verdant pastures he gives me repose; Beside restful waters he leads me;    he refreshes my soul. He guides me on right paths    for his name’s sake.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Even though I walk in the dark valley    I fear no evil; for you are at my side With your rod and your staff    that give me courage.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me    in the sight of my foes; You anoint my head with oil;    my cup overflows.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me    all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD    for years to come.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11

I will bless the Lord at all times. or Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will bless the LORD at all times;    his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD;    the lowly will hear and be glad.

I will bless the Lord at all times. or Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Glorify the LORD with me,    let us together extol his name. I sought the LORD, and he answered me    and delivered me from all my fears.

I will bless the Lord at all times. or Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,    and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,    and from all his distress he saved him.

I will bless the Lord at all times. or Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

The angel of the LORD encamps    around those who fear him, and delivers them. Taste and see how good the LORD is;    blessed the man who takes refuge in him.

I will bless the Lord at all times. or Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Fear the LORD, you his holy ones,    for nought is lacking to those who fear him. The great grow poor and hungry;    but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing.

I will bless the Lord at all times. or Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 103:1bc-2, 3-4, 8-9, 13-14, 17-18a

O bless the Lord, my soul!

Bless the LORD, O my soul;    and all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul,    and forget not all his benefits.

O bless the Lord, my soul!

He pardons all your iniquities,    he heals all your ills, He redeems your life from destruction,    he crowns you with kindness and compassion.

O bless the Lord, my soul!

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,    slow to anger and abounding in kindness. He will not always chide,    nor does he keep his wrath forever.

O bless the Lord, my soul!

As a father has compassion on his children,    so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him, For he knows how we are formed;    he remembers that we are dust.

O bless the Lord, my soul!

But the kindness of the LORD is from eternity    to eternity toward those who fear him, And his justice toward his children’s children    among those who keep his covenant.

O bless the Lord, my soul!

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7b-8, 9

Blessed the man who fears the Lord. or Alleluia.

Blessed the man who fears the LORD,    who greatly delights in his commands. His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;    the upright generation shall be blessed.

Blessed the man who fears the Lord. or Alleluia.

Wealth and riches shall be in his house;    his generosity shall endure forever. Light shines through the darkness for the upright;    he is gracious and merciful and just.

Blessed the man who fears the Lord. or Alleluia.

Well for the man who is gracious and lends,    who conducts his affairs with justice; He shall never be moved;    the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.

Blessed the man who fears the Lord. or Alleluia.

An evil report he shall not fear;    his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear    till he looks down upon his foes.

Blessed the man who fears the Lord. or Alleluia.

Lavishly he gives to the poor,    his generosity shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory.

Blessed the man who fears the Lord. or Alleluia.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Blessed are you who fear the LORD,    who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;    blessed shall you be, and favored.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine    in the recesses of your home; Your children like olive plants    around your table.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Behold, thus is the man blessed    who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion:    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem    all the days of your life.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 131:1bcde, 2, 3

In you, Lord, I have found my peace.

O LORD, my heart is not proud,    nor are my eyes haughty; I busy not myself with great things,    nor with things too sublime for me.

In you, Lord, I have found my peace.

Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted    my soul like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap,    so is my soul within me.

In you, Lord, I have found my peace.

O Israel, hope in the LORD,    both now and forever.

In you, Lord, I have found my peace.

-------- ________

Gospel Acclamation Matthew 5:3

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: Matthew 5:6

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: Matthew 5:8

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: See Matthew 11:25

Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: Matthew 11:28

Alleluia, alleluia. Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: Matthew 23:11, 12b

Alleluia, alleluia. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: Luke 21:36

Alleluia, alleluia. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: John 8:12

Alleluia, alleluia. I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: John 8:31b-32

Alleluia, alleluia. If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, says the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: John 13:34

Alleluia, alleluia. I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: John 14:23

Alleluia, alleluia. Whoever loves me will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come to him. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: John 15:4a, 5b

Alleluia, alleluia. Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit. Alleluia, alleluia.

Or: John 15:9b, 5b

Alleluia, alleluia. Remain in my love, says the Lord; whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit. Alleluia, alleluia.

________

EITHER: --------

Gospel Matthew 19:3-12 For the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.

Some Pharisees approached Jesus and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.” They said to him, “Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?” He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.” His disciples said to him, “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” He answered, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”

OR: --------

Gospel Mark 10:17-30 Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor; then come, follow me.

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.    Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.” Peter began to say to him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.”

OR: --------

Gospel Mark 10:17-27 Go, sell what you have and give to the poor; then come, follow me.

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.    Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.”

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 9:57-62 I will follow you wherever you go.

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

OR: --------

Gospel Luke 12:32-34 Your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”

Or:

Gospel

Luke 14:25-33

Everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[adorethedistance]

Part 2: Concessions Duty - Alive!Luke Patterson x Reader

JATP masterlist

Warnings: Swearing I think ?

Words: 3458

Summary: Luke’s brilliant evening plan puts you in a very uncomfortable spot that not even your best friend can fully remedy.

A/n: Uhhhh are y’all okay??? Everyone who left commentary on part 1 was relating to this a lil too hard and I’m concerned. Also this isn’t thoroughly proofread but I needed to post it before I cut it down to nothingness so, sorry if it’s boring.

 @Lukepatterson: Hey hope u got home okay and ur garden is good im just gonna leave ya my number and you can text me on ur own time ?

Leave it to Luke to spell ‘you’ three different ways in the same sentence.

Even without all the details of the situation, he’s respecting boundaries that I hadn’t even clearly outlined. Of course, he would. Because he’s understanding and respectful and emotionally intelligent and perfect and… in love with Elisa.

The scene of me freaking out at Luke is playing on repeat in my mind all throughout the school day. I find it hard to focus but not in the way I had before the guitar session. Instead of staring at Luke with noticeable heart eyes, I stayed hyper-focused on my work and kept my head down. Naturally, I told Elisa every detail during lunch, and she promised that she wouldn’t ask any more questions once we were in the car on the way home. That promise was a massive relief, because for the first time that day, I’d have a moment of peace from my own mind and my friends’ inquisitive nature.

I puff out an exhausted exhale as I exit the central school building. I’m about to round the corner of shrubbery we meet by, before heading home each day, but abruptly stop after bumping into someone who didn’t side-step me as I anticipated them to. The force of impact nearly knocks me off my feet but they grab onto my arms to stabilize me. Looking up, I catch a glimpse of Luke’s bright orange beanie resting atop his mousy brown fringe.

“Y/n, I need your help.”

“You do?” So much for letting me text him on my own time.

“Yes. Can we meet somewhere to talk?”

“I mean-”

“How ‘bout I pick you up by five-thirty, and we can go to the Vinny’s on Sunset? I’ll buy you a sandwich as payment?”

“Oh… Okay, but we can’t take long. Elisa and I are seeing a movie at seven.”

“What movie?”

“Dune- the one with Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya.”

“That’s actually perfect!” Luke says more to himself than to me, with his typical beaming smile. Why is it ‘actually perfect’? Is it because you’re in love with Elisa and want to spend more time with her?

“Uh, okay.”

“And would you do me another huge favor?”

“Maybe.” Luke’s smile falters once more when he asks,

“Promise you won’t tell Elisa?” Because you don’t want her to think we’re going on a date? Because you’re in love with her? Got it.

“...Sure.” Luke’s smile doesn’t return with my immediate agreement.

“Pinky promise?”

“Are you nine?”

“Promise me, Y/n.” He seems desperate, pleading, almost; I pause for a moment. I really like Luke, but he really likes Elisa.

Coming to the realization that I love Elisa more than anything on this godforsaken plane of existence, I reluctantly nod ‘yes’ and entwine my pinky finger with his. His beaming smile returns to his face when I agree.

“You’re the best. I’ll pick you up at five-thirty. Be ready!” And with that, he’s disappeared into the sea of chattering Loz Feliz students. I shake my head lightly. Have I learned nothing?

Rounding the foliage where Elisa is waiting, she smiles upon seeing me and extends her elbow for us to link arms, her left in my right. I take her offer and we walk to her car together as she tells me how excited she is for our movie outing.

“Are we carpooling or meeting up?”

“I have to…” I do everything in my power not to panic, “-do a few things first so I’ll just meet you there.”

“Sounds good. Did you ever listen to that Shawn Mendes song I sent you?”

“No, I did not.”

__________________________

I’m dressed for my movie outing with Elisa, which entails comfortable jeans and my favorite t-shirt, with my school hoodie because AMC loves to blast the A/C for some reason. I’m arguably underdressed for the night out, but not for the old sub shop and seventy-six degree LA evening weather. I’m sitting on the couch, scrolling through my Instagram feed to kill time as I wait for luke. I told mom where I was going before the movie just in case Luke has a change of heart and decides to abduct me.

At five-thirty P.M. on the dot, I get a text from Luke saying he’s outside.

“I’m leaving now!” I call out to my mom who is in this house somewhere.

“You have everything? Phone, house key, money, a card they can use to identify your body?”

“Yes, ma’am. Love you!”

“Bye,” she hollers, one room over from the one where I was sitting.

Scurrying down the driveway, I hop into the passenger side of Luke’s black jeep wrangler.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” The conversation comes to a screeching halt due to how awkward I am in general. Thankfully, Luke decides to break the awkward silence. He’s always so collected in school, it’s intimidating.

“I want to thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I know we’re not exactly close but I feel like we could become close friends.”

“Yeah, close friends...” I just love this for me, I really do. “So, what did you need my help with?”

“Uhm, you and Elisa are best friends,” he begins strong.

“That we are.”

“Well, I need your help… with her. You know me and Reg are super close, too. Remember how I said he’s too dopey for his own good?” One thought after the other demonstrates how scatterbrained Luke’s stream of consciousness really is; a scowl spreads across my face the longer the conversation drags.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Reggie’s super friendly, so sometimes it’s hard to tell who he really likes, but...”

“I still don’t know what this has to do with me.”

“Reggie likes Elisa.”

“...Did he tell you that?” I ask after a long, shocked pause.

“Well, no, but based on the way he was acting at the mall the other day and how closed off he was about it afterward, it’s pretty clear he has a crush on Elisa.” About five million different questions race through my mind but of course, I just had to settle for the weirdest one.

“And you’re okay with that?” Luke takes his eyes off the road for a moment to look at me like I’m the most bizarre creature he’s ever seen.

“Uhhh, yeah, I guess?”

“You don’t mind if he likes her?”

“I mean, it’s not really my place to ‘mind’, right?” he asks with a sense of incredulity that makes me have a visceral doubt of everything I thought I knew.

“Well… I just thought…” I debate whether or not I should continue my thought, but the softening of Luke’s puzzled countenance makes me less inclined to continue. “Nothing.”

I find myself lost in thought once again as Luke pushes through the thick silence, and rambles on about sandwiches or something for the rest of the ride. Once he places the car in park, I move to get out of the car, but Luke stops me.

“Text me your order and I’ll bring it back to the car.”

“Why?”

“Our conversation stays confidential in the confines of the car.” I open my mouth to speak but can’t find the words I want to say, which Luke takes as a confirmation and disappears into the sandwich shop. After texting him my full order, I turn off my phone and find myself staring at  my hands. How did I end up in Luke Patterson’s car even though we’ve only had maybe five conversations at most? And he’s recruiting me to help pimp out Elisa because he thinks Reggie likes her?

It takes a mere ten minutes of my conflicting thoughts before Luke is sliding back into the driver’s seat with sandwich bags and bottled drinks in hand.

“So, I was thinking,” he says after taking a huge bite of his sandwich, “We could lure them both to the garage after practice, but then you said you’re seeing a movie tonight, and I think we could either stage running into each other and sitting close, or-” he takes another bite that he decides to talk through. “We could show up together, and sit in a specific way that forces them to sit together.”

“That’s pretty good, actually.”

“Thank you. So which do you think would work better?” I think for a moment, running through both scenarios and imagining Elisa’s reactions.

“I think it’d work better if we showed up together. If we just ran into each other she might say hi and then completely disregard you two.”

“Ouch. Are we that forgettable?”

“Your word choice, not mine.”

Luke rolls his eyes playfully, trying not to laugh at my response. I feel my phone buzz in my lap and look down to read the notification as I reach for my drink. Before I can grab my drink, I feel my hand lightly touch Luke’s, and I pull back like I’d been shocked by him. He simply sends me a lazy smile and reaches for his drink with his left hand, and hands me my bottle with his right. I accept the drink, slightly embarrassed by how I had responded.

“Elisa?” I say directly to myself before I read the message.

MESSAGES:

Elisa: Is it my turn to buy icees or yours? Y/n: Yours <3

“What did she say?”

“We’re just talking about concessions. It’s her turn to buy icees... maybe that’s how we force them to sit together: I send her to get concessions and then we can rush into the theater, and sit accordingly.”

“You’re a genius.”

“Oh, I wasn’t being ser-.”

“This is gonna be so good, Reg will just have to owe me one.”

“What does that mean?”

“I mean, we both like her.” I didn’t think that question had a wrong answer but I stand corrected.

“Why don’t you just ask him to confirm?”

“Nah, he gets weird about this kinda thing when he really likes someone.”

“But he’s such a flirt with everyone.”

“Exactly,” Luke takes a short swig of his coke, “So his naturally bold behavior becomes inverted with me when it’s really serious.”

“You say that like it’s an obvious logical progression.”

“You don’t think it’s logical?”

“I think it sounds like pseudo-logic. Wouldn’t he become even bolder with people he likes instead of shutting them out?” Luke shakes his head dismissively.

“I mean, from your perspective, yeah. But he’d shut me out and isolate himself in fear of judgment, and he’d be even bolder with Elisa because he wants to show interest.” My phone buzzes in my lap again.

“How did- whatever. Just hang on a sec.”

MESSAGES:

Elisa: Cool Elisa: I’m leaving now Y/n: I’m like ten min max from the theater

“We should get going.”

“What time is it?” Luke asks through one more mouthful of sandwich.

“Six fifteen.”

“Alright, well, I’m almost done.” He shoves the entire last two inches of his sandwich in his mouth at once and then puts the keys in the ignition. I watch the entire action in a stunned sort of silence. Did I really just witness that? I choose not to comment and just focus on finishing my own food in the duration of time it takes to get to the theater. Luckily Luke drives slow enough that I don’t have to choke it down like he just did.

“Any update on Reggie?” I ask once he’s put the car in park. Luke pulls his phone out of his pocket with a sigh and furrowed brows in concentration.

“He said he’s in this parking garage, A3.”

“Aren’t we in A3- AHHHH!” I scream when Reggie hits the passenger side window. The two of them erupt in laughter much to my dismay. Unbuckling my seat belt and sliding out of the car I fuss, “What if I had a condition and my heart gave out when you scared me?”

“Then I guess I’d have to resuscitate you with CPR.”

“Mouth to mouth is for breathing and lung issues, not heart issues. Chest compressions would be okay though.” A genuine smile appears on Reggie’s face and he nudges my shoulder in greeting. We begin walking into the mall from where we currently stand in the parking deck.

“Glad you could make it.”

“I mean you guys are kind of crashing our plans so…”

“Our?”

“Elisa and I are going to see Dune. You two are just stowaways.”

“Oh.” Oh? What does he mean oh?

“Y/N!”

“Elisa!” We run toward one another and she grasps my arms in her hands as she speaks.

“I thought we weren’t gonna be able to sit together but there’s like no one here for this showing apparently, also t-shirt and jeans? Really? Also, why are you with Luke in Reggie?” She asks the last question in a hushed voice so as to avoid either of them hearing our chat.

“It’s a long story. And leave my t-shirt and jeans alone!”

“What’s up, Elisa?” Luke asks once they’re back within conversation range.

“Did we all buy tickets online?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool. I’m excited to hang out but I don’t know how to feel about the movie,” Elisa confesses as we scan our QR code with the podium attendant.

“Well, maybe that’s because you haven’t seen it yet.”

“Aha ha ha,” she deadpans once the four of us have made it in. I look up at Luke to make sure he still remembers the plan. His nod of confirmation encourages me to speak up.

“Luke and I will go save seats since y’all are on concessions duty.”

“I can get your guys’ stuff if you all want to go sit down,” Reggie offers with a sweet smile. Of course, Reggie’s kindness is a blindspot in this plan. Of course, it would be.

“Are you sure?” Elisa asks cordially. He smiles and nods before saying,

“Yeah, Luke and I can handle it, why don’t you two go get seats.” Looking over at Luke once more, I gauge his reaction and though surprised, he sends me a look that he’s got this and I leave with only a little bit of hesitation. Opening her wallet, Elisa passes Luke a ten before linking her left arm in my right.

“Y/n wants a blue icee and I want red.” And with that, she begins pulling me toward the correct theater.

“So, why are you acting so strange?” She asks pointedly yet casually once we’re out of earshot. I feel my breath catch in my throat. Should I tell her? We never keep things from each other…

“You cannot say anything okay?”

“Uh, okay?”

I let out a sigh as I pulled open the door to the small theater for the two of us to enter on the left side. The metal of the door handle is cold against my skin that’s growing warmer and warmer with each moment I spend bracing myself for the delivery.

“Luke thinks Reggie has a crush on you and wanted my help to pimp you out, but I promise this was all his doing.” A brief silence settles between us.

Then, the laugh Elisa lets out is borderline humiliating. Why are you laughing, Elisa? I’m not laughing. Through small giggles here and there she chokes out,

“I have no trouble believing this was Luke’s idea.” Thank god. Walking a few stairs up, we opt for the empty row above the centermost one, and she leads me into the center of it. She knows I like being in the direct middle, so she opts for the seat one step right from the center. Being her best friend comes with all these little minor but conscious efforts, and being so mentally synched with one another somehow makes me feel worse about the entire situation.

“I didn’t invite them but regardless, there’s not much we can do about it now.”

“So what do you need me to do? Just sit next to him the entire movie?”

“Literally nothing else. We just have to hope they come in from the right side and then walk up the row so he’s next to you.”

“Well, that’s on them.”

“But you have to pretend you have no idea what’s going on though.”

“My theatre training has prepared me for this moment,” she jokes as she opens her purse and offers me some warm vanilla sugar bath and body sanitizer. “Wait, you said Luke thinks Reggie likes me? He doesn’t know?”

“I asked him in the car, and he said something about how he was acting at the mall the other day.”

“He didn’t seem any different?”

“And he said Reggie owed him one because…” I look at Elisa who stares at me in anticipation, “Because he said they both like you.” Her expression resembles one that can only be described as pity-shock.

“Oh, Y/n-” Elisa cuts herself off when she sees Luke and Reggie round the corner of the entrance halls, past my head. They’re not on the right side, but Luke thinks quickly on his feet and once they make it up the stairs to where we’re sitting, he gestures for Reggie to step in first. Moving past the empty seats on the end Reggie comes to the chair on my left and plops down next to me. My mouth drops a little bit and I look up at Luke. He laughs awkwardly and lowers his voice,

“Reg, you don’t wanna move all the way down?”

“I’m good,” he smiles, handing Elisa’s drink to Luke and gesturing for him to move past the three of us. I turn to look at Elisa and she’s just as confused as I am. Reluctantly at first, Luke then decides to move all the way into the row and takes the chair to the right of Elisa. We fucked up, we fuck up real bad.

“Have you read the Dune series?” Reggie asks as he opens the paper around his straw, poking it past the lid, into a dark cola of some sort.

“Uh, no. I haven’t.”

“Me neither.”

“I think Elisa did though. Didn’t you read the books?”

“Just the first one. There’s like twenty of them and-”

“That’s cool. So, are you a big sci-fi kind of person, Y/n?”

“I don’t know if I’d consider myself a huge sci-fi person. Are you?” When I ask the question Reggie launches into a rather endearing info-dump about all things sci-fi, including his fascination with the Star Wars series and his contempt for JarJar. I nod along, only half listening as I pick up on Luke and Elisa’s conversation.

“You look really good tonight.”

“As opposed to during the school day when I look like a 1600s Parisian orphan?”

“No, you look good all the time, but tonight especially.”

“Thanks. I wish I had Y/n’s superpower of being able to wear anything and still looking put together.”

“You’re naturally beautiful though, so-”

“But sci-fi, in general, is just such a large genre and there are so many other movies that I haven’t seen yet, so I might not be the best judge. Did you like the Star Wars movies?” Reggie’s voice cuts back through.

“Some of them,” I answer his question, praying that the conversation would just end there. The fates are on my side as the lights dim and the volume increases for the trailers and pre-show announcements. Picking up my ice-cold, translucent plastic cup, I take a long sip of my icee. This is gonna be a long night.

About a quarter of the way into the movie, Elisa nudges my foot with hers. I look at her to ask what’s going on but don’t need to once I clock Luke’s arm resting across the back of her chair. She looks at me with a straight face but I can see a glimmer of hesitation in her eyes. I just shrug and give her this look of it is what it is. I play at being careless, but Luke’s interest in Elisa is getting to me, and she can tell it’s getting to me. Scooching closer, she lays her head on my right shoulder, ignoring Luke fully. I lay my head on hers, resting my left hand on the armrest of my chair, hovering near my half-finished icee for whenever I’m thirsty again.

The placement was a poor choice because Reggie has read the position as an invitation and slipped his hand into mine. Whispering at a volume that only Elisa can hear, I think to myself once again: this might as well happen.

***

A/N: Y’all are all the pretty best friends in my mind so that’s gotta count for something right?

Taglist: @caitsymichelle13 @kaitlyn2907 @itz-jas @crybabyddl @kcd15 @kinda-really-lost @calamitykaty @morganayennefertyrell @n0wornever @yikesgillespie @dream-a-little-bigger-x @mrstodorooki @vicesvsvirturesfanfic @curlybrownhairedboys @amazinggracy @kaitieskidmore1 @asdfghjkl-fanfics @ghostlygreenbean @juliefromaustralia @merceret @thesweetestsinner @imsydneywalker @lovesanimals @thebloodthirstyvampress @bumbleberry-pie @losers-club6 @tefilovesreading

[marichat-verse]

Mist Memories

Leo Valdez x reader for his birthday ahhhh (even though it's angsty) with a platonic/developing jason x reader cameo at the end (lmao im sorry i couldn't help myself 😭)

Based on this picture I found in pinterest + also [kinda] based on traitor by olivia rodrigo and omg i really recommend u guys listen to this edit because it reminds me so much of this fic that's been stuck in my head for MONTHS also kind of a run away with me prologue lol

Your POV

I nervously made my way across the forest until I reached a limestone cliff. I knocked on the iron door, not really expecting to get an answer.

My boyfriend has been shutting himself in Bunker 9 for the past few weeks. I stood there counting up to seven before knocking again. I knocked again two more times, until he answered in the middle of my last knock.

He removed his goggles and winced as sunlight hit his eyes. He'd grown thinner and paler, making the dark circles in his eyes more pronounced.

"Oh, Leo..." I reached out to brush a few strands of hair away from his face, but he moved away.

"What are you doing here?" He said in a monotone voice.

I moved to walk inside the Bunker, brushing off his hesitation to let me in. "I'm your partner, remember? And I'm really concerned because you're shutting yourself out lately. You know everyone's starting to worry about you. Percy asked me to check on you because you missed pegasus riding with him. Oh, and I'm pretty sure Jason's coming back from Camp Jupiter soon. I was hoping you and Annabeth could be with Piper while Percy and I hung out with Jason because it's been a little awkward since their breakup. Plus Piper wanted to tell you something—"

"Please," he said forcefully causing me to stop and look at him. "Just... Get out."

Normally, he'd shut himself from the world for a few days to work on an important project or because he was feeling really sad and he needed space. But this was getting out of hand. He had never locked me out of his life when I offered to help him. He was never this mean when he asked for space. I was not having this attitude of his.

"Okay, Leo. I tried to play nice. What is so important that you blow off all your friends for nearly a month that you can't even tell your partner, or maybe say hi to your best friend who's coming back from the other side of the country?"

He didn't say anything. He pursed his lips and avoided eye contact. I scanned he room for any signs.

It was messier than usual with all the crumpled paper scattered on the floor, especially on his desk. He could have been drawing up new plans. Something in my gut told me that something wasn't right. There were no new unfinished projects, indicating that he wasn't starting a new invention. Harley's helicopter lay on his bench in the same state it was weeks ago. Huh, not even his siblings could enter the Bunker.

I turned and Leo was already changing Festus' oil. I took this moment of distraction to pick up a few pieces of crumpled paper on the floor and on his desk. I had to process the words a bit longer—too long that Leo took notice. Damn dyslexia.

I heard footsteps speed up behind me, but it was too late. I read enough and got the gist of what he had been trying to do these past few weeks.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He yelled at me. Small embers started to erupt between his curls.

I laughed dryly. "So this is what you've been up to?"

His fists tightened, further crumpling the paper in his hands. His eyes flashed with anger, despair and confusion.

I sighed and focused my eyes on his desk, not daring to look at him any longer. Under some pieces of paper were old photographs of him and Piper from Wilderness School. Yup, those definitely were the mist memories she had with Jason. I read the latest draft he'd been writing:

Dear Piper,

Remember the mist memories from boarding school with Jason? They were real, but they were with me.

I miss you. I miss when it was just us. I miss the night on the roof.

Yours truly,

Leo Valdez

I tried to keep my voice from cracking. "How long?"

I heard him sigh. "Three weeks."

I balled my fists. Tears started to fall and smudge the ink. I wiped them away as fast as they came.

"How?"

"In a dream," his tone softened now. "Hera came to me in a dream and told me to check an old drawer in Bunker 9. I found the photos and the memories came rushing back."

"How long were you dating back then?"

"Two weeks."

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

Silence; then a deep breath.

"No."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Why?"

"Because I knew you'd get upset like—"

"I meant why would you throw away months of our relationship for a couple of weeks of your relationship with her? And without even bothering to tell me? Gods damn it, Leo. We've been together since you've first arrived at camp. And what about those promises you made when we were sailing to Greece? You've been keeping these feelings away from me and you've been lying to me, making me believe that there's still something between us and—"

"Oh, calm down," he said with an annoyed expression and tone, which only infuriated me more, "it's not like I did anything were her yet! I didn't kiss her or tell her how I truly felt for her! She just got out of a relationship with Jason around the same time I had that dream. I had to figure out how to talk to her about it. I've been alone in this Bunker for three. Fucking. Weeks. I didn't cheat on you."

"Oh, and that makes everything better?" I countered. "Being in a relationship isn't about not cheating, Leo. It's about being honest and communicating with each other."

"Oh, like you've been communicating with me? After the war, you take go back to Manhattan for school, and you take a job. I haven't seen you much during the holidays because work has been keeping you in the city. And you won't tell me what you even do for a living!"

I took in a deep breath. "I told you I needed to have a life outside of camp! I needed to know first that I could handle myself in the mortal world as a normal human being. I needed this demigod part of my life to be separate as much as possible! I've been in two wars, Leo. I needed time to myself, too. And I was about to tell you guys in a few more days. But I guess now, I'm glad I've kept you out of that part of my life. At least I have an escape from all of this. And now, especially from you."

I took another deep breath and walked to the door, about to let myself out. I turned back again, both our tear-stained eyes meeting each other.

"If it makes you feel any better," I said softly, "I would've hated the idea of us breaking up. But if you really love her, if you really feel like you have this special connection to her and she makes you happy, then I won't get in your way. You could at least have had the decency to talk to me so we could have left on a good note."

He looked at me with wide eyes, clearly regretting his actions. I sighed and looked around the Bunker, possibly for the last time. Lots of memories were definitely created in this room; all just as grand and meaningful as the inventions they made here. But just like some of Hephaestus' contraptions, some of them were flawed and dumped in his scrapyard, no matter how much potential it could have had.

"Goodbye, Leo."

I sat on a rock on the beach that gave me a beautiful view of Long Island Sound. To my left, the sun started to set, casting an orange filter on everything. My heart broke, remembering how everything glowed orange in the Bunker. Leo always left the fires burning when he was working. The sunlight twinkling against the sea reminded me of how small bits of flame peaked through his hair earlier. I remembered how mad he was at me. Or maybe he was mostly mad at himself.

"Hey."

I jumped when someone sat—or rather, landed—beside me. I turned and smiled, seeing one of my good friends back at camp.

"Hey, you're back," I said weakly. "How long have you been here?"

He smiled at me, although he could maybe sense that something was wrong. "Half an hour, maybe? I saw Annabeth making plans to expand camp to have a city. She made me do an aerial inspection and I told her I'll get back to her tonight. That's when I saw you."

"Mhmm," I mumbled, not really knowing what to say. It was silent for a few minutes before I spoke up again, knowing he was just waiting for me to open up.

"I broke up with Leo."

His head quickly turned to me. I guess he wasn't expecting it to be that bad. "What?"

"Oh yeah," I laughed dryly. "Turns out the mist memories Piper had in Wilderness School with you? They were real. But not with you."

His eyes widened. "Oh... With Leo."

"He locked himself in the Bunker for weeks trying to write a letter. It was heartbreaking. Like, truly heartbreaking. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her and how much he missed them. Then he said how much he missed that night with her under the stars and... It hurt. Like hell."

"Oh," he said. "I guess Piper didn't tell me everything then."

"She knew all along?"

He shook his head. "Maybe not everything, but she told me she's been confused about her feelings lately and she'd been having visions or dreams of possible old memories that were messing with her head."

"I'm sorry about you and Piper," I said.

"Don't be," he said. "I understand her. It did hurt, though. But I think I can get over it some day. We're still awkward around each other, but at least we left on a good note."

I scoffed. "Leo couldn't even give me a good ending to our relationship."

"Hey," he said as he put a hand on my shoulder. "You're a great person, y/n. You've done so much, especially for him. It's his loss that he was stupid enough to let go of you."

"I know that."

"Do you really?"

"I do!" I said. "I'm a great person and I know that. But that doesn't mean what he did doesn't hurt me."

"I know," he said. "You'll find someone who'll treat you like the queen that you are. You're a great person, and I'm not just saying this to cheer you up. I truly think you're amazing."

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Jason. And you'll find someone great, too. Maybe not as great as me but, then again, who is?"

We both let out a laugh. The conch sounded in the distance, signaling dinner. I moved to stand up before hearing Jason speak up again.

"Hey, do you maybe want to just grab a couple of plates and eat out here?"

I smiled. "Yeah. That sounds good. I don't really want everyone else hounding me about the breakup right now."

I don't know how long it was going to take me to get over Leo. We really did gave something special. It was cruel how the universe gave me something so good, to make me have hope that something was finally going right, then have it yanked away from my arms just as suddenly as it came.

He never cheated on me, but that didn't mean he didn't betray every promise we made to each other. I should have known it was too good to be true. Life has always played cruel jokes on me.

Then again, who's to say that things won't turn out for the better, right?

•••

Tagging: @drvrslcense @bubblybubbubs @dreamerball @quteez @aesthetxcimagines @chasingpj @beingleft @wadewilsonsgreatestfriend

[meantforinfinitesadness]

~6 Months Rec List

@redminibike1 I’ve compiled just a few fics to tide you over until I get more, but here are 14 fics that I’ve thought you might like from about 6 months ago!

I’ve managed to not put any on here that contain spiciness, but if you would like some, please let me know (though, be advised, I only read bottom Obi-Wan lol).

(okay, whoops there’s two fics that contains a little bit of spiciness but not all that much. I’ve marked them with **)

Welcome Home by @kittsfics “I owe you an apology.” “You don’t owe me anything Cyare. I understand. From what I’ve been told, you did nothing wrong. You did your duty, went above it even. You saved the leader of the Republic, the way your council thought was best. No-one here will hold that against you.”--Or Obi-wan comes back to the Negotiator for the first time after his 'death'.

Not Denial by @andthepeople  The first time Cody sees Obi-Wan Kenobi, it’s Christmas Eve and him and Rex are bringing hot cocoa to the hookers under South Street Bridge.**

Slow Waters (series) by @brigittttoo  The events of seven days in the mid-autumn of 2025, between the arrival of the Fett brothers -- the three-man Ranger team nicknamed "The Clones" by the general public -- to the Tokyo Shatterdome, and the last mission made against the Kaiju invasion.

You Speak Of Grace by QuickSilverFox3   Cody is about to meet his new Jedi, but he will make sure his men are as prepared as they can be. Little does he know that Obi-Wan is anything but what he was expecting.

feel the sun inside by @imperiousheiress With all the noise and violence of a bolt of lightning, the pieces click into place. The Chancellor, Fives had said. The Chancellor had known about the inhibitor– no, the control chips. Dooku had told him. On Geonosis all those years ago. Obi-Wan’s blood roars through his ears. The Republic under the control of a Sith Lord, he’d said. Hundreds of Senators. And who else has access to so many people, to so much influence, so much power. A person who had known about the chips. Obi-Wan’s stomach drops out from under him. He's going to be sick. Or: Fives lives. Obi-Wan puts the pieces together. Cody makes a sacrifice.

At The Edge of the Dune Sea by @ewanmcgregorismyhomeboy12  There is a hut that has, inexplicably, become a home. (major character death in second chapter)

The Light of another day by @silvermoongirl10swfics Obi-Wan has a vision warning him danger is near on his and Cody's next mission, he also knows the vision isn't a warning to change events, but of what is to come. After three years together at war, Cody knows better than to discount Obi-Wan's bad feelings. '”It'll be okay," Cody promised fiercely. He vowed to himself that the Commerce Guild would not come close to hurting his husband again, they would get to his husband over his dead body.'(Set 7 months after the Clone Wars.)

No End in Sight by TreeOfTime  Commander Cody serves under General Jinn in the Clone Wars. Since the very beginning a mysterious Sith has been plaguing near victories of the Republic and ripping them out of their grasp. Commander Cody isn't sure what his purpose is or what his intentions are but when they finally meet on the battlefield, things go wrong and he must face this opponent alone.

The Evening Arallute by @galateagalvanized “Wait a second,” Rex says, and Cody winces. “You think the spy is Kenobi, don't you? That's why you've set this whole thing up on the night of the Emperor's ball. You still think it’s him." Or: Someone’s been breaking rebels out of imperial prisons, and it’s definitely, definitely not Obi-Wan. **

Dreamin’ about the things that we could be by GentleStorm How if we kept to the cannon just a little bit more, Obi-Wan's nightmares could've ended the war. Now, if only he'd talk about them. This is going to be a multi-chapter exploring every time somebody realized how screwed up Obi-Wan is, but for now, it is complete and stand alone.

knight in shining cargo pants by @goddammitjim Obi-Wan has a split second to notice that the paramedic at the patient’s head, a stocky dark-haired guy with light brown skin and a scar next to his eye, is incredibly attractive, before he glances down at his patient and sees a spill of brown curls he recognizes. (The ER doctor Obi-Wan/paramedic Cody AU no one asked for.)

Sir, this is a toy store by @littledumplingwrites  Obi-Wan needs to get presents for Luke and Leia for their birthday party. He goes to the mall to look for gifts. The only problem is Cody is looking at the exact same gift and there is only one left.

The Breath That Carried Me, the Sigh That Blew Me Forward by @peerlesssunshine  After the Second Battle of Geonosis, the Geonosian Swamp Flu sweeps through the ranks of the 212th and 501st.

[hnychn]

𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐀 [𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍]

summary : armin stood on the beaches shore as the salty breeze cradled his face, and his mind could only wander to you.

warnings : character death, mentions of blood

word count : 2300+

a/n : i am so sorry to armin for writing this, but i love him sm

navigation || attack on titan masterlist

"Let's see the sea together, Armin!"

Armin got off his horse and relished in the feeling of the salty ocean breeze cradling his face, and his mind could only wander to you. 

The two of you grew up together. Your mother had introduced you to a shy blonde boy when you were younger, he hid behind his grandfather’s leg with only half of his face showing, but it was enough for you to see his brilliant blue eyes. There was something about them that gave you hope, despite his timid and recluse nature, whenever you looked into his eyes you felt like you could take on the world. 

It was easy becoming his friend, especially after you found him reading one of your favorite books in an alley. The two of you bonded over your shared interest in books, admittedly Armin had a stronger interest than you and would often ramble for hours about the plot of books and the underlying meanings behind characters and their developments, but the shine in his eyes whenever he spoke filled you with a feeling your seven year old mind couldn’t put a word to; but if there was one thing clear to you, it was that you liked the feeling. And you’d do anything to feel it until your last dying breath. 

Eren and Mikasa were another easy addition to your duo. It was easy for you to bond with Mikasa over your shared protection over the two boys, and Eren was overall an easy person to get along with. Armin introduced the idea of seeing the sea to Eren one afternoon near the river during sunset.

Armin had brought the book he borrowed from his grandfather and told Eren all about the beauties of the outside world, the same excited blush and shiny blue eyes filled with hope and wonder on his face when he told you the exact same. 

Of course, Eren hadn’t believed the ocean was filled with salt, and neither had you. It seemed too far fetched for a body of water as large as Armin claimed to be filled with never ending salt. But the excitement and hope in his eyes stopped you from arguing with him, only nudging Eren with your elbow, a cheeky smile on your face. 

“C’mon now Eren, you’re telling me you don’t believe in that when there’s literal titans walking around our world?” 

Eren only scoffed and nudged you back a bit harder, “Well it’s better than believing dead people become butterflies.” 

Your ears burned in embarrassment as you crossed your arms, a pout on your lips as you sent Eren a half hearted glare out of the corner of your eyes, turning back to the sunset the two of you were watching, “I happen to like believing in it very much.” 

Eren shrugged, “what was the story again?” 

You smiled, “My mother told me our souls are all butterflies and when we die, they’re set free into the world. She said that when a loved one dies, their butterfly will come visit you to say goodbye before flying away and they visit you again when you need it the most.” 

Armin stared at you as you retold the story for the millionth time; but no matter how many times you told it, he always paid close attention. Your eyes would shine brightly and there would be a smile on your face he rarely ever saw, so every time you would smile, he committed it to his memory until the next time he saw it. He never told you, but he believed in the story too, sometimes he finds himself wishing he had told you.

The four of you joined the Training Corps together after Wall Maria had fallen and later the Survey Corps. There were many hardships and surprises as the four of you fought for the freedom of humanity and raised in the ranks of the military. 

You teased Eren relentlessly after everyone found out he was a titan, which only led to play fights and roughhousing in the middle of the Mess Hall. Mikasa never broke these fights apart and Armin stopped worrying about either of you getting hurt, they knew this was your own curious way of encouraging the other to fight their hardest. 

But it was during the retaking of Wall Maria that changed everything. 

Before everything had started, you and Armin snuck out in the middle of the night to stare at the stars and just talk. Peaceful moments like those were few and far between, the weight of jsjdf weighing heavy on both of you. 

“What color do you think the ocean is?” 

You never looked away from the stars above you, your head tilting to the side at Armin’s sudden question. You could feel the build up of hesitation in your chest as your mind went to war of how to answer. Would you allow yourself to speak with your heart and answer his question truthfully? 

You shrugged, “Maybe it’s clear like the rivers.”  

You could tell Amrin was a bit dissatisfied at your less than creative answer, you were disappointed in yourself. You should have been honest. Perhaps you’ll tell him what color you think the ocean is after you retake Wall Maria. 

It all went to hell. Most of Hange’s squad had died when Barthold had turned into the colossal titan and you had been heavily injured when you pushed Sasha out of the way of Reiner’s attack. Nobody had been able to get to you fast enough, and you felt your bones crack when you collided with the ground. 

You heard your friends call out to you, Mikasa’s voice louder than the rest, and your body ached for rest, but you got up. You refused to die by the hands of a traitor. 

You couldn’t die. Not here. Not now. Not after promising Armin to see the sea together. So you fought on. You fought against Reiner, the screeching of your nearly destroyed gear fed into the dizziness you felt from the impact; you fought against the ache in your bones and soul that pleaded for you to stop, to rest; you fought against the pull of your body into unconsciousness, you couldn’t pass out, not here; you fought against the searing pain you felt when you were once again slammed into a building, your body meeting the familiar crunch of the ground; you fought against the tug of your eyelids and the sleep that threatened to consume you whole and never give you back. 

You fought against it all - for Armin. 

The rest of the squad continued to fight, sparing you glances every now and then, but they fully expected you to get up again. They knew you were a fighter -  knew you had plans for after they retake Wall Maria - but after agonizingly long minutes of your body laying still on the blood stained floor, blood of your own beginning to pool around you, panic set in. 

Mikasa was at your side in an instant after a desperate call of your name. You hadn’t responded. When she got to you, she could hear your shallow, desperate attempts to fill your lungs with air, only to choke on the blood pooling in your throat. Hastily placing her hands against the gaping wound on your stomach, she tried to stop the bleeding, her eyes hazy with unshed tears and fear for your life. 

You could just about make out her figure above you through the combination of the bright sun blinding you and the haziness of sleep threatening to overtake you. 

“C’mon, y/n, stay awake.” Her voice was muffled, almost as if your head was underwater, “don’t die, don’t die, don’t die.” 

Weakly, your hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling slightly to remove her hands from your wound. She shook her head, her tears now falling in clumps down her face, landing on your blood stained cheek, “You can’t die.” 

You smiled up at her. She had always cared for you like a mother would, making sure you were fed, making sure you were safe, making sure you were loved. It brought you comfort, especially now that your gasps became louder and your heart pounded loudly in your ears from the lack of oxygen. You would have preferred not to be in this situation at all, every memory you had since birth flashing before your eyes as your body grew cold, but her presence made the process just a bit easier. 

Your eyelids bobbed as you tried to keep them open, but your energy was fading and so was your life, and the only thing you could think to say to the girl sobbing above you, pleading for you to just stay with her was, “thank you.” 

Mikasa could only sob harder as your grip on her wrist went limp and your eyes dulled. She sobbed for her lost friend, the friend she swore to protect the moment she laid eyes on you. She sobbed for Armin, and she couldn’t bear the image of his reaction to your death. 

It was only after the fight, after Armin had been turned into a titan to save him, did Mikasa feel a foreign clump in her pocket. Her hands were still stained with your blood, but she pulled it out nonetheless. It was a letter.

 A letter addressed to Armin. 

Armin pulled out the worn paper from this pocket of his trousers. The edges were frayed and the paper browned with age, but he still kept it. 

Dear Armin, 

If you’re reading this, it means I didn’t survive the battle. As I’m writing this, you’re asleep next to me, having fallen asleep on the roof during one of your star gazing nights. Nights like these are what keep me going. Everyday before an expedition, I always think back to these moments, and they fill me with determination to experience another with you. 

But tonight was different. You asked me what color I think the ocean is. I laughed and said I had no clue, they were probably clear like the rivers. I lied. I don’t think the ocean is clear like the rivers. It’s blue. 

I say that because whenever I think of the ocean, I think of you. I think about how you always get excited to tell someone about the outside world and what that book your grandfather had hidden said. I think about how blue your eyes look when you talk about it, and how they shine with such brilliance and hopefulness to see it for yourself. I think about how deep and emotion filled they are, how some parts of your eyes are a darker blue than others, how they change shades depending on your mood or the lighting. 

How they fill me with a feeling that terrifies me. 

I know I probably shouldn’t write this, especially if you do end up reading this because it might cause you more pain than my actual death, but I’m going to be selfish for once, and I hope you can forgive me. 

Armin, I love you. 

And I know that’s such a shitty thing to say in a letter you’ll receive after my death, but I do. I love you, and I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner. I’ve felt like this since the moment I met you when we were seven, but I couldn’t figure out why my tummy felt all weird around you. It was when we got into the Training Corps, we were doing hand to hand combat training and you gave me a big hug later that night, proud of yourself for finally being able to take down your opponent. It was then that I could figure out what I was feeling. And it terrified me. Because there we were, training to give our lives to humanity, training to fight against the very beings that took our families from us. 

 And, call me selfish, but i don’t think I could heal from losing you, but I know you can heal from losing me. So I didn’t tell you. I lived with this secret for years, and sometimes I felt like telling you and getting this weight off of my chest, but just the image of you not coming back from an expedition plagued my mind, and I never could tell you. 

Do you remember the story I told you? The one about the butterflies? I hope you do, because I’ll be visiting you and you better not squish me, or I’ll haunt you. 

I’m sorry I broke my promise. I’m sorry we couldn’t see the sea together. Maybe in another life, where we don’t have to worry about titans or being eaten or fighting for our lives and our freedom - maybe then, we can see the sea together. 

Forever yours, 

    Y/N L/N

A teardrop fell on the browning paper. Armin hadn’t even realised he was crying. After he woke up on top of the newly reclaimed Wall Maria, he first inquired about you, hoping to celebrate taking back your hometown with him. That’s when Eren told him everything. Armin was sure he had never cried as much as he did then, never felt pain as painful as losing you. 

They were able to recover your body, Mikasa made sure they did. Armin only sobbed harder when he held your hand, its usual comforting warmth replaced with a coldness that still haunts him, even three years later. 

Mikasa and Eren stood a few paces behind him, giving him some space to take everything in while they reminisced about their own memories of you. 

The salty breeze of the ocean cradled his face, and his salty tears tasted bitter against his tongue. He felt something soft flutter against his cheek, and gasped when he saw a blue butterfly land on the frayed end of your letter. Armin smiled for the first time in a while. 

“I guess you were right, y/n. . . the ocean is blue.” 

The salty breeze of the ocean cradled his face and the butterfly flapped its wings and flew off after a strong gust of wind. Armin was a bit sad to see it go, but he smiled nonetheless. 

Because he knew, you had seen the ocean, too.

a/n: sorry if it doesn't make sense in some parts this is my first time writing a full imagine work thing, and actually publishing it, so i'm a bit worried this hadn't come out the way i wanted it to. either way, i hope you all enjoyed this :)

[hongism]

mists of celeste ➻ twenty-two

➻ pairing: ??? x fem reader ➻ genre: space au, pirate au, space pirate!ateez, angst, eventual smut ➻ Word Count: 7.6k ➻ Rating: M ➻ Warnings: language, violence, guns and weaponry, blood, future warnings tba ➻ summary: Sneaking aboard the ship of a renowned space pirate may not have been the best idea, but you’ll have to make do with what fate has handed to you

⇐ previous | next ⇒ | masterlist

act three ➻ part four

​​​

If your blood could run any colder, it would, but you think you’re already on the verge of passing out because of the impact of Seonghwa’s revelation. Words die on your tongue, nothing comes out, and all you can do is flit your gaze between Seonghwa and the door off to the left. An exit, a getaway, an opportunity for you to run away from this mess – yet you can’t move a muscle. Seonghwa lifts his hands as though to show you that he means you no harm, but your mind is already running haywire. He must notice your wandering gaze because it’s the first thing he comments on.

“I won’t stop you from leaving,” he says, tone almost too steady and calm for your liking. Perhaps it’s merely the panic that pumps through your veins like blood though. “This isn’t – I wasn’t going to tell you yet, but we can talk about it now if you’d like. I don’t want to pressure you into anything you don’t want to do. I promise that you do not have to be afraid of me, Y/N. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Hongjoong. Does Hongjoong know?” You spit out the question, the only thing you’re able to get out in the haze of panic.

“Does he know what? About you or me?” Seonghwa tilts his head ever so slightly. His movements are slow and careful, and even in his confusion, you can tell that he’s trying his best to show you that he means you no harm.

“Bo-Both.”

A sharp inhale, and Seonghwa looks off to the side. His hesitancy leads you to believe that Hongjoong knows about you, but Seonghwa shakes his head in denial.

“He only knows about me, not you. I haven’t told him.”

“How long – how long have you known?”

“I’ve been… suspicious since we met. The moment I saw you, I could tell that something was off and different. I couldn’t pinpoint it or figure it out right away.” Seonghwa lets his hands slowly fall back to his sides as he continues to speak, gaze slipping to the floor rather than at you. “Hongjoong truly believe that fate is what brought you onto the ship, and I have to agree with him. There’s no way that you – a Siren – could’ve just waltzed onto the ship without it being fate. Once you woke up from the surgery and we started talking more, I had some doubts and wondered if I was reading into things or misinterpreted something. It wasn’t until we were on Aegos that I was able to confirm it. The night after we found you and San in the warehouse and we were sleeping in the same bed. That’s when I knew.”

“Did you see my tattoos? Is that what gave it away?” You draw your arms closer to your body by instinct, hugging yourself tightly as you finally manage to look at Seonghwa’s eyes.

“No, no.” He shakes his head several times before lifting his chin. “It was the Dreamscape. I saw you curled up in the water. The old man pointed me towards you, but as soon as I got close to you, you disappeared.”

“H-Hold on,” you stammer and squeeze your eyes shut. “Slow down, I-I – let me process this for s s-second. I don’t understand what the fuck is going on right now, so j-just give me a minute.” Seonghwa extends a hand to you, but the action only causes a surge of fear to shoot through you.

“Don’t open up to anyone.”

“Don’t reveal your identity to anyone.”

“Hide yourself.”

You swat his hand away as the words ring in your ears. Seonghwa backs up at your motions, brows knitting together tightly, and he begins to speak again, much slower this time.

“Can you please sit down with me so I can explain, Y/N?” Seonghwa’s voice is warm, inviting – safe – and you let your hand stretch out towards him again but with the intent to hold his. His lips twitch into a soft smile, and he slips his hand into yours. The contact is warm and soft. When his fingers intertwine yours, it’s like a wave of comfort washes over you and dispels the panic still rushing through you. He tugs you closer to the bed, climbing up on the mattress and bringing you with him. “I’ll answer any of your questions as best I can. I – I didn’t tell you sooner because I didn’t want to scare you o-or… I don’t know. There’s no proper excuse for it, so I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”

You fold your legs under you and stare at Seonghwa’s face for several seconds before even contemplating what to say.

“I don’t – I don’t know anything about any of this. I don’t know what the hell th-that Dreamscape you mentioned is, I don’t know what it means to be a Siren, I never learned any of this shit. I only know that I’m a Siren a-and I have some sort of abilities, but I don’t know what it means. I don’t know why I’m a Siren, I don’t know why I have to hide myself, I don’t know any of this shit. I only know that I’m a Siren because the old man in my dreams told me that when I was fourteen. I don’t remember anything before that, I don’t know who I was or what I was, I don’t know if I knew what it means to be a Siren before joining the military, because all those memories are gone now. I j-just don’t understand any of this, and I hate it. I hate not knowing, I hate feeling so fucking confused all the time, and I don’t know what this means or how I’m supposed to feel about any of this. All I’m feeling right now is fucking panic because I’ve been told for the past seven years that no one can fucking know what I am or I’ll f-fucking die, or some shit like that and–”

Seonghwa stills you, placing a hand over your forearm and gripping you so tight that you nearly wince.

“Y/N, try to take deep breaths. It’s okay to be panicked and confused, but you have to breathe, or you’ll start hyperventilating. Okay?” You nod a few times, lips parted as you listen to him. “Okay, just breathe with me for a bit. You’re okay.” His thumb traces small circles over the skin of your forearm as he imitates deep breaths for you. You follow the movements, eyes lingering on the rise and fall of his chest. It works like a charm really – between the methodical touch on your arm and the deep breathing, Seonghwa manages to calm you enough to have coherent thoughts again.

Seonghwa is a Siren. Your brain can only produce that thought over and over again like it’s a mantra. As you calm down more, your thoughts start to drift and expand. If Seonghwa was lying about being an Elitist, how many of the others are lying about their identities too? Are the military records even correct? Hongjoong never said how many Sirens he had found already. He never specified whether he had found any or not, just that he was hunting them. Why? What’s he hiding? Is he hiding something?

“Okay, I can start explaining what I know if you’re ready,” Seonghwa says, cutting through your thoughts with ease. You blink up at him and nod a few times. “I’ll start with the Dreamscape. Um, it’s how Sirens are connected. The spirit of the Dreamscape guides Sirens to each other if they’re in the Dreamscape at the same time, which only happens if both are asleep.”

“I-Is that – is that Daichi? The old man?”

“Yes, yes. That’s him. He’s the spirit of the Dreamscape, and he only exists in that space.” Seonghwa takes a breath, and you use it as an opportunity to speak again, a question on your lips.

“When… when I first got on the ship, he warned me – um, he told me to avoid nearby danger. That someone close to me is a dangerous threat, one I’ve not encountered before. Why would he tell me that if he’s supposed to be guiding me to other Sirens?” Seonghwa’s lips draw together, and he shakes his head a few times.

“Daichi wasn’t talking about me. He told me the same thing at one point, but I still haven’t figured out what he meant by that. It was long before you arrived on the ship though, so it can’t have been you. His goal – the spirit of the Dreamscape – his purpose is to guide Sirens to each other in the Dreamscape. For you or me, whenever a Siren is nearby, they go to the Dreamscape together and can meet each other in dreams. Through the Dreamscape, they can learn about each other and know what the other is feeling. Let’s say we were in there together, and I felt happy. You would feel that happiness too, even if you don’t know that I’m there. It’s called a Siren’s Intuition in the real world, where a Siren can sense another’s distress and provide comfort. A sixth sense almost. You have that intuition in both the real world and in the Dreamscape, but the emotions and comfort provided through the Dreamscape is considered to be far more potent and effective than real-world comfort.”

“Is it… some sort of connection then?” You inquire, watching Seonghwa’s fingers continue to trail over your skin.

“Yes, it is. It’s not some sort of beacon or signal that tells you where to find a Siren though. It’s moreso feeling a pull towards someone. A red string of fate, whatever you want to call it.”

“H-hold on, I’m confused. If two Sirens are near each other and asleep, they can visit this Dreamscape together?”

“Yes. A black lake with a forest around it and a red moon in the sky. Ring a bell?”

A dark night sky looms above you with its scattering of bright stars. Near the center of the indigo sea lies a brilliant red moon; bright in it’s blinding color. Something about the scene is familiar, the clearness of the sky reminds you of something from your past. No clouds, no breeze, no sounds of nightlife.

“Y-yeah, I know it. Um, so when we slept next to each other in Echidna, you saw me in the water?” Seonghwa nods in response, tongue darting out to moisten his lips. “Why did I not see you sooner? Surely we would have been asleep at the same time before that?”

“Hold on. Let me get something.” Seonghwa pulls away from you, and you find yourself missing the warmth of his touch the second he leaves. He climbs off the bed, moving for a bookshelf along the wall that you hadn’t noticed before. His long fingers trail over each spine along the shelves, and he doesn’t stop until he’s collected three books from the shelf. He brings them back to the bed, placing them in the space between the two of you. You eye his hand as it lingers near your knee. The urge to grab hold of it is very present, but you swallow that desire back and try to focus on his voice instead. “These books explain how the Dreamscape works far better than I could. In general though, you have to be in close proximity with a Siren in order to visit the Dreamscape with them. The exact range of this proximity is confusing and unknown. Sometimes you can both be in the Dreamscape but not see each other. It’s a vastly enormous place, and the forest stretches on and on. When I visit, I’m typically alone, so I’ve spent lots of time just running through the forest as far as I can. Back to the books though. Uh, I used these to learn about Sirens. I didn’t have anyone to teach me while growing up, and like you, I only knew what I was because someone told me. Hongjoong has some books on Sirens as well, so if you want more, you could go to him and ask for them.”

“No, no, no. Absolutely not,” you refute immediately. Seonghwa tilts his head to the side at your quick refusal.

“Why not?”

“H-He can’t know. He can’t know that I’m – I’m a Siren. I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him, and I still don’t know what he intends to do with Sirens when he gets them. I also j-just need time to process the fact that you’re a Siren and that this is even happening because I have always been told to hide myself and not trust anyone.”

Seonghwa’s throat bobs as he swallows roughly, and he maintains his intense stare on you. You find yourself swallowing around nothing as well.

“I don’t know what you’ve been through over the past seven years, Y/N, but I do understand your fears. I was told the same while growing up, told that in real life and in my dreams. Up until I joined the crew. It stopped then, and I know it may not have stopped for you, but I can promise you that Hongjoong does not intend to do anything bad to Sirens. He doesn’t care about killing Sirens or hurting them.”

Suddenly you’re back at the dingy hotel bar in Echidna with the platinum-haired captain beside you, nursing a drink and talking about his intentions and goals.

“It is said that five Sirens together can unlock one of the universe’s most secret and valuable treasures, although no man has ever laid eyes on it or lived to tell anyone where the treasure might be. I want it for myself. I want to find it and be the person who lives to tell the tale.”

Seonghwa continues speaking, and you have to shake yourself out of the memory to focus on what he’s saying.

“You’ve seen what Hongjoong will do to protect his crew. You are part of that crew, Y/N. He will protect you, no matter what. You are not an exception.”

“Because he needs me. He will protect me because he needs me, not because he wants to or cares.”

“He cares about his crew more than anything else.”

“And what would he choose if it came down to choosing his crew or this treasure he’s after? What then?”

“I… I would hope that Hongjoong would choose the crew, but I simply don’t know.” Seonghwa’s voice turns quiet, a hint of frailty in it that has your stomach churning. You let out a scoff.

“That’s not encouragement to tell him what I am.”

Seonghwa’s hand moves from the bed to find yours again. Your breath hitches at the sudden touch, his fingers slipping between yours, and he lifts his chin to look you in the eye.

“What are you afraid of, Y/N? The last time you lost someone, was it because you are a Siren?”

“N-No,” you stammer, shaking your head a little.

“I know that you don’t trust Hongjoong. I want you to trust him, and I wish that I could help you do that, but you have to be the person who tells him that you’re a Siren. You need to take that step and trust him with that when you’re ready.”

“I-I trust you, though.” Seonghwa releases a dry laugh and looks off to the side.

“That doesn’t mean that I should be the person to tell Hongjoong what you are. So, I promise you – swear on my life actually – that I will not tell Hongjoong about you being a Siren.”

“Okay. Okay, yeah, I – thank you.”

Seonghwa offers a small smile, his thumb dragging over the back of your hand, and the overwhelming warmth of his actions hits you square in the chest. The flames on his back suddenly make so much sense. Perhaps that’s why everything about him feels so hot and burning, and maybe the only reason you feel so comfortable with him is because he’s been a Siren all this time. It raises another question in your mind, and this time, you aren’t as shy about voicing it.

“Have you ever known another Siren?”

“I have, yeah. Only one.”

“One of your parents?” You ask, and Seonghwa’s thumb pauses in its motions.

“No, my mother is a Normie, and my father was an Elitist, but I didn’t know him at all. I was the mutation. Got the gene from my maternal grandfather.”

“Mutation,” you echo. “What do you mean by mutation?”

“Sirens can only be born if someone in their bloodline was a Siren. It has to be one of your grandparents though, through second-degree heredity. The gene mutation in a Siren always skips a generation.”

“So… logically, that would mean that it’s possible for there to be more Sirens out there then. More than five, that is.”

“Yes, it’s possible if generations have been skipped.”

“Then why do they say there’s only five left then?”

“There was some mistranslation in some books several years ago. People starting to think that the legends about five Sirens unlocking a treasure meant there were only five left in the universe. It only built up this urgency to get to the treasure with the Sirens or just to have a Siren as a slave to keep others from getting them. The home planet of the Siren race has been ravaged by slavers for so many years that there supposedly aren’t any left.”

“So Hongjoong just wants the treasure. That’s all it’s about to him? Getting some damn treasure?” You aren’t sure where the sudden bout of anger comes from, maybe the idea that if Hongjoong knew what you are, you would be reduced to nothing but a key to some damn treasure. Seonghwa’s lips purse then turn into a delicate frown.

“He puts up a front. There are two reasons why this is so important and crucial to Hongjoong. One that he’s had long before I met him, the other that came about a year and a half ago. It’s not just about the treasure though, even if it seems like it. Whatever he told you about his intentions was most likely a lie. I like to think that I know Hongjoong better than anyone else, and I know that this is important to him in ways that even I couldn’t understand.” Seonghwa’s expression turns melancholy in an instant. The shift happens so quickly that it could give you whiplash, and it seems so out of place compared to what he said.

Silence drapes over the two of you as Seonghwa loses himself further in thought. You don’t know how much time passes, but you don’t want to disturb him, so you just sit tight with your hand still in his. When he finally pulls himself out of thought, he shakes his head and looks up at you.

“Um, the books. You can take them. If you have any questions about them, you can ask me. I’ve read them probably hundreds of times by now, and I always have more if you need them. I need to go sign some papers for Hongjoong, if you’ll be alright on your own.” Seonghwa pushes the books closer to you, but his hand doesn’t leave yours quite yet.

“I think I’ll manage,” you mutter, letting a small smile come to your lips. “Even though you did quite a number on me.”

“I gave you worse when we sparred,” Seonghwa teases, mimicking your smile. His gaze slips from your face down to where your collarbone peeks out, fully exposed thanks to his shirt fitting loosely on your frame. You know what he’s looking at, and a slight flush rises on his cheeks as you catch him staring. “Well, maybe you’re right. I should’ve done worse though.”

You shake your head, refusing to let him have the pleasure of seeing you flustered, and release his hand to pick up the books instead.

“Before you go, Y/N…” Seonghwa calls out. He gets off the bed with you, suddenly towering over you so much that you have to tilt your head back to look at him. “I’m sure you already know, but it’s best if the others don’t know about either of us being a Siren. Hongjoong is the only exception for that.”

“Why?”

“The less people that know means less of a possibility for suspicion. Suppose you’re suddenly going outside the ship with four people around you trying to protect you from harm. In that case, people will notice that you’re someone special. Pirates have a knack for going after special things. Too many people want a Siren, and too many people would go to drastic measures to get one.”

Seonghwa lifts a hand. He seems to want to push the few loose strands of hair away from your face, but he stops himself at the last second and forces a smile instead.

“Let’s keep you safe, yeah?”

…

“Good morning, Yunho,” you greet as you step out of your bedroom to find the healer waiting for you on the other side. It’s nothing out of the ordinary or weird; he makes a habit of meeting you before breakfast so you can walk to the mess hall together, and he claims that it’s also an effort to make sure you actually eat throughout the day. He falls into step beside you as you start to walk down the corridor, hands shoved in his pockets.

“Good morning, Y/N! Sleep alright?” He tilts his head to the side, and you mimic his motions, shrugging your shirt further up. The marks Seonghwa left are far darker this morning, much more noticeable than you anticipated, and the damn shirt keeps sliding down with even the slightest movements. If Yunho notices your awkward shifting, he decides not to comment on it.

“Yeah, I slept well. The medicine helped a lot.”

“I was moreso talking about the hickeys on your neck, but that’s great news too!”

Your heart plummets to your ankles, and Yunho merely grins at you without a care in the world. You duck your head and try to avoid his stare.

“Was it good? Were you safe? Careful? Talk about limits and what’s on or off the table? Sober in the very least?”

“Oh my – Yunho, don’t ask about it,” you plea. Your whole body burns with embarrassment. If Yunho noticed that easily, then there’s no chance you can hide it from anyone else, so you can just hope that the mess hall is empty this morning.

“I am asking as your doctor. I need to make sure that you aren’t doing anything stupid. Did you use protection?”

You press your lips into a thin line and glance over at Yunho. He stares back in silence for a few moments. Then –

“Y/N!” He gasps, smacking your bicep with the backside of his hand. “Do I need to give you basic sex education? Why didn’t you use protection? I know all the crew members are clean, but oh my god, what were you thinking? What was he thinking? I make sure that everyone has protection just in case so why the hell didn’t he use it? Who was it? I’m gonna yell at him.”

“Yunho, please, this is so embarrassing.”

“You’re the one who fucked someone without protection!”

“Could you not scream that maybe?” You press your hands over your face as Yunho’s tone grows louder and louder. You didn’t think it was possible to feel any more embarrassed than you do already, but Yunho is swiftly proving you wrong with each passing second. “I’m clean, and it’s not like I can get pregnant anyway, so it’s really not a big issue. I was sterilized a long time ago.”

“Sterilized? What do you mean?” Yunho’s tone losing all of its teasing nature in an instant. It makes you regret saying anything, especially with the intensity of his stare that won’t leave you. You huff a sigh before elaborating further.

“The military tied my tubes when I turned sixteen. They do it to every female.”

“Not the males as well?”

“They don’t care about men because men don’t get pregnant.” You shrug, more than used to the way the military views and handles their soldiers, but Yunho’s sigh is nothing short of furious. “They can’t have their soldiers getting pregnant, so that’s why they do it. It doesn’t matter if their soldiers get someone else pregnant, because it won’t be their problem. And they need their female soldiers to be able to sleep with anyone on the job without the risk of getting pregnant.”

“That’s awful,” Yunho mutters through a frown.

“I’m okay with it. I’m not someone who wants to get pregnant or have children anyway. My lifestyle simply isn’t suited for it.”

“You still should’ve been given a damn choice,” Yunho hisses. Even though you know that his anger isn’t directed at you, you tense upon hearing his harsh tone. “It’s your body and your life, not the military’s. They don’t own you. The military really has no fucking morals, and neither do whatever doctors operated on you. A good doctor does not operate on any patient without having explicit permission from the patient unless it’s a matter of life or death. But that? You can’t just take away a person’s choice like that.”

“They took a lot of my choices away, Yunho.”

“Does that make it okay?”

You don’t have a response, and it’s good timing at that because you step into the mess hall. It isn’t empty as you had hoped it would be; Jongho and San sit at one of the tables. You want to curl up into a ball and die, but Yunho places a hand on your back and forces you forward until the two of you reach the edge of the table. Jongho slides closer to San, making room for you to sit down beside him, and you slowly lower yourself to the bench. You tug the collar of your shirt further up but can’t know whether you’ve actually hidden the marks or not. Yunho plops down next to you. He’s back to wearing a smile, but it’s strained and uncomfortable to look at, so the information you shared with him obviously upset him quite a bit.

“Where is everyone? It’s never this quiet in the mornings.”

“Wooyoung is still asleep. Yeosang’s in the training room. No clue where Mingi is, though he’s probably with Hongjoong,” San explains, picking mindlessly at the plate of food in front of him. “Jongho made breakfast this morning, so… be careful.”

“Be careful? The fuck are you saying – I am a great cook!” Jongho crosses his arms over his chest, lips furled into a deep frown, and San avoids his glare by smiling over at you. You return the smile immediately.

Just as you’re about to open your mouth and say good morning, San’s gaze flits lower. The sudden deadpan of his features tells you that you most definitely did not properly hide the hickeys. He swallows roughly and returns to pushing his food around the plate. Jongho notices the shift in his mood, turning to glance at you as you tug the collar of your shirt up to your chin. The air at the table has just grown exponentially more awkward, even Yunho pauses to take note of the tension. He narrows his eyes at San then back at you, flipping between the two of you several times before a bout of realization seems to hit him and his eyes grow wide.

“Well, this is fucking awkward,” Jongho remarks through a deep sigh. You twist to smack your fist against his chest.

“You just made it awkward by saying that!” You hiss through gritted teeth.

“Oh shit, we forgot to get our food!” Yunho cuts in, a nervous laugh echoing his remark, and he snags you by the sleeve as he gets up again. You let him pull you along until you’ve reached the buffet bar where Jongho has set out breakfast, then tug your sleeve out of his grip. “Who the fuck did you sleep with?”

You knew the question was coming, but you still aren’t ready for the confrontation. You dodge Yunho’s prying eyes.

“Was it Seonghwa?”

No response.

“Oh my god, it was Seonghwa.” Yunho pulls away from you, mouth agape as he gauges your reaction. Again heat creeps up your neck.

“Shut up and keep quiet,” you mutter. “I don’t want everybody on the fucking ship to know.”

Yunho lifts a brow. He’s biting his lips to keep from smiling, and his thinly veiled attempts to do so are useless because you can see the laughter in his eyes already. He twists, grabbing an apple from the counter rather than anything Jongho made, then tosses the fruit over to you. He keeps his hand up and points at the start of the trail of marks on your neck.

“That was planned. Calculated. Intentional. Clear as day. He definitely put that where someone would see it.” Yunho shakes his head as he grabs another apple, this time for himself. “Damn, so the lieutenant likes marking and is possessive then, huh? Not bad.”

“Just – Yunho, I can’t stand you. Please just keep quiet.”

“Hey! Let me be fascinated by this new information because Lieutenant Stick-Up-His-Ass actually let loose enough to fuck around. That’s practically ground-breaking.”

“I’m just going to keep my mouth shut and hope that you stop talking,” you grumble out, turning to walk back to the table. Your appetite has certainly gone out the window, but you carry the apple with you anyway. If anything, it gives you something to dig your nails into as Yunho continues talking.

“Listen, sex can be great for stress!”

“What the fuck?” Jongho asks, Yunho’s words carrying over the table as you plop back to the bench.

“Shush, Jongho. I’m telling her about the importance of sex – safe sex – as a stress reliever. We’ve all had this talk before.”

“Jongho might need to know how sex works first, Yunho,” San remarks. He cracks a smile and swings an elbow into Jongho’s side. For a moment, you think that his discomfort with seeing the hickeys on your neck is completely gone. Jongho throws an elbow back at San.

“I know how it fucking works!”

“I hate it here,” you mutter as you try to hide your face in your arms.

“Maybe next time we’re off the ship, you could think about mingling for a night, Jongho!” Yunho’s tone is far too cheery. He seems to be having the time of his life while you’re barely managing not to die from embarrassment. “Sex is great for health. The hormones and chemicals that are released during sex can temporarily reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety. It makes you happier and can take your mind off other things. If you hit it pretty hard and go a few rounds, it can be good exercise for your body. And! Sex helps you sleep better at night. So look at that? Benefits left and right.”

San’s clear and high-pitched laughter resounds through the room, and you push your face further against the table.

“Did I hate it here already?” You mutter, voice barely audible over San’s laugh.

“I do too. I wanna leave,” Jongho sighs.

“Hey, stop that, you two! I am doing my job as a doctor and providing options for stress relief, so you don’t keep running out and getting hurt. You could be doing something much safer that doesn’t involve guns or knives. And if anyone ever needs any sort of protection, you guys know that I’ve got plenty in the med bay if you run out. I have options too to suit all sizes.”

You glance up only to scowl at Yunho, and your scowl turns into a full-blown grimace when you notice that he’s making lewd gestures.

“Stop making hand motions when you say shit like that.”

“I use my hands when I talk! How can you tell me to not use my hands?”

“That’s a joke waiting to happen,” Jongho comments. You sit up fully to send a glare his way now, a warning to not make said joke, and Jongho deftly dodges your stare. Everyone has decided to have impeccable timing today, it seems, because as you look at Jongho, you catch sight of Hongjoong and Seonghwa stepping into the mess hall. Mingi walks a little ways behind them, looming over Hongjoong’s shoulder like a tall shadow.

“You can stop talking, Yunho. In fact, you probably should stop talking,” you mutter, slapping Yunho’s arm.

“I can’t believe you. I am just trying to be a good doctor and give good advice, and this is the treatment I get. No respect. None!”

“What are we talking about?” Hongjoong’s voice cuts through Yunho’s, and you all snap your chins up to look at the captain as he comes closer to the table.

“Just sex,” Yunho replies, waving a hand through the air as though it’s totally casual. Hongjoong’s eyes go wide, and he snaps his mouth shut while Seonghwa chokes on air.

“Nevermind, I would actually rather not know. Changed my mind. We have more important things to talk about anyway.”

“Aye aye, Captain.”

“Seonghwa mentioned that you’re feeling antsy about being cooped up on the ship. The two of us have meetings with some business partners and other captains for the next five or so days. If anyone wants to leave the ship and spend time on the planet over the next few days, they’re more than welcome to. You know the drill on what to do while out there already, but you’ve all earned some time off.” Hongjoong glances down at Yunho. A soft smile paints his lips, a moment of gentleness that you rarely see in the cruel captain, and Yunho blinks back with his mouth agape.

“T-Thank you, Captain,” he stutters back after a moment of silence. Hongjoong shakes his head and drops a hand to Yunho’s shoulder. There’s an unspoken exchange there, no words needed, and when Hongjoong pulls back, Yunho has a smile stretched over his lips.

“Jongho, I’ve got something for you and Mingi, if you have a minute,” Hongjoong says. Jongho nods and stands up, patting your back a little as he goes, and suddenly you’re left with just San and Yunho. You didn’t even see Seonghwa slip away, but it’s probably for the best that you didn’t because you don’t think you could look him in the eye out of sheer embarrassment.

A Siren. Just like you.

Then there’s that, which is significantly less awkward and shouldn’t change anything between the two of you. You tried to read through one of the books he gave you last night, and while it did explain the whole bloodline and gene mutation part, you didn’t learn much that Seonghwa hadn’t told you when you spoke. Perhaps the little nagging part in the back of your mind just wants to sit and listen to Seonghwa explain it all instead.

“Do you two want to come with me to town? I’m itching to get off the ship.” Yunho turns to you, glancing over at San out the corner of his eye as he speaks.

“Sure, I’m already dressed to go now, if you two are,” San responds, sitting up straight and pushing his tray of food further towards the center of the table. “We really need to get a better cook or teach Jongho how to properly cook.”

“Eh, I mean, it looks half-burnt. Better than fully burnt, right?” Yunho eyes the food with a grimace on his face. He’s being kind at best when he says it’s only half-burnt, because it definitely looks wholly burnt to you. “What about you, Y/N? You down?”

“Y-Yeah, sure,” you relent with a shaky sigh.

It’s fine. It’ll be fine. Yunho and San will be there. They’ll keep you safe. It’s only a small town. The military isn’t here. It is going to be just fine.

Your confidence about going outside the ship is dropping by the second, especially as the three of you start walking towards the main airlock. You can’t shake the overwhelming tsunami of anxiety that hits you all at once. Yunho grabs hold of your sleeve and tugs you back a little. San continues to walk on even when you and Yunho slow your pace.

“I’m happy you decided to come along, Y/N,” Yunho says, a soft smile playing at his lips. “This is a huge step so, I’m proud. You’re doing well.”

I’m proud.

You’re doing well.

It doesn’t provide the comfort that Yunho is aiming for, but you don’t want him to feel bad about it, so you plaster a smile across your lips.

“For now, I just want you to try relaxing and enjoying yourself as best you can.”

“I’ll try,” you reply. Yunho beams back at you. The sight of his smile provides far more comfort than his words did. You watch him jog to catch up with San and sling an arm around the shorter man’s shoulders, a laugh bursting through his lips. Too much is happening all at once, but it finally hits you that maybe sleeping with Seonghwa the first time wasn’t the best idea. You already knew that, but it really smacks you in the chest with the force of a typhoon now because as you look at San’s back, all you can envision is the conflicted expression that crossed his features when he saw the marks along your neck.

Needless to say, you don’t pay attention to the town or Yunho once you finally get there. You most certainly are not relaxing or enjoying yourself, because thoughts of San consume you. You can admit that the scenery of the small town is nice and quaint. No guards or military in sight either, which provides a tremendous amount of relief, but every passing glance causes anxiety to bubble in your gut more and more. Yunho carries on without a care in the world, flitting from stall to stall and looking at everything under the sun. San humors him a bit by commenting on some of the things Yunho picks up, but after a while, San falls into step with you and walks beside you in silence. Even like this, it’s quite obvious that the two of you are holding each other at arm’s length and refusing to commit to anything. That bothers you more than it should.

With Seonghwa, everything seems to flow and go smoothly. From the minute you met, it’s been that way. Perhaps it can all be boiled down to the fact that you’re both Sirens, and that is what makes your relationship feel so comfortable and simple. But with San, you can’t catch a break. You know you are primarily at fault for that, because it’s your decisions that have caused this heightened awkwardness right now. More than that though, it’s so difficult to get past your head with San. You know he’s in the same predicament himself.

San is the one who breaks the silence between the two of you. He waits until you’ve made a resting spot of a random bench that looks out into the town’s square. Yunho is still in sight; he wanders around with wide eyes and a smile, perfectly content on his own as he talks to the townspeople. San shifts beside you but maintains the awkward distance between your bodies on the bench.

“Y-You shouldn’t… uh, you shouldn’t feel embarrassed or awkward about sleeping with anyone.”

Of course, he had to start a conversation there. You squeeze your eyes shut. San’s gaze is on you – the sheer intensity of it practically burns your skin – but you can’t bring yourself to look back.

“It’s perfectly natural, and something that used to happen on a daily basis back when the crew was bigger.” Except, San’s tone won’t commit. He’s holding back, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible when you both know that he doesn’t truly think it’s okay.

“I’m sorry,” you spit out without any further hesitation. You snap your eyes open and look over at San. His lips are parted in shock, tongue dragging over the corner of his lips before he recovers and closes his mouth again. You continue. “I know that I was looking for some way to cope with what happened in Echidna b-but that doesn’t mean I should’ve done that or asked him to do that. I – uh, I feel guilty for leading you on in a way. I shouldn’t have done that.”

San forces a smile. It doesn’t reach his eyes, and seeing that is almost worse than the deadpan look he gave you earlier.

“I have no expectations when it comes to you, Y/N,” he whispers, tone hardly audible over the din of the town. “I know what we are and what we aren’t. And I know that in the long run, I wouldn’t be good for you. I’m hardly good for you short term as it is.”

You dart a hand out to grab his wrist, fingers closing around the skin. San inhales sharply and looks down at your hand.

“That’s not true, San.” He shakes his head even as you speak.

“I don’t want you to feel guilty, and I don’t want to make you feel like you’ve done something wrong. In my eyes, you haven’t. If I could go back in time, I would prevent that kiss. At the moment, it felt nice, and I thought it’s what I wanted and needed. But it was something else. I know it isn’t what you intended for it to be, but I meant for it to be a goodbye kiss. Even though I didn’t deserve it, I thought I could be selfish and take that much.”

“A goodbye kiss?” You echo. The pit in your stomach grows larger by the second. “What do you mean by goodbye, San?”

“I don’t want to be a downer on our day off,” he says as he tugs his wrist away from you.

“San.” He dares to look over at you. “San, when you went to the warehouse,… was your intention to d-die?”

The soft-sided and melancholy smile that blossoms over his lips is one that will haunt you.

“I was at peace with it because I thought it was the only way out of the guilt and the pain. And then – then you showed up, then you were in a chair across from me, and I couldn’t let you die. I couldn’t die because you were there. Because I needed to protect you and save you. I didn’t want to tell you when we talked about it the first time because I felt – felt like a failure and weak for thinking that that was my only option. Like I manipulated you in some way or made you pity me for what I went through. And that the only reason you opened up to me or kissed me was because I tricked you into doing so. Even admitting it now, it feels like some sort of emotional manipulation. Before you say anything, I know it’s not. My brain just won’t let me accept it. I’m working through it with Yunho; I see Yunho every day, and we talk about how I’m feeling. But… I feel bad for leaving things awkward between us, I don’t want to drag you down or slow whatever progress you have by not being able to progress myself. So when I say that you shouldn’t feel guilty for sleeping with someone, I mean it. I was never expecting anything beyond a goodbye kiss, yet you let me live. We both have things to work through, but because of what we went through together, we can’t work through it together. At least not right now. I really don’t have any expectations of you. I just have a lot for himself.”

“I…” Your voice dies too soon, and even though you know what you want to say, it’s so difficult to get it out. You blink at the street under your feet, taking a deep heave of air before trying to speak again. “Not once did I ever feel like you were manipulating me. I never pitied you for what you went through. You didn’t trick me into doing or saying anything. It was all by choice, and it was all my choice. I see myself in you really. And now that Cara is dead, I’m afraid to face you because I’m afraid to see you become the person that I became. Maybe somehow, I think that just by being near you, I’ll turn you into who I am now. I-I hate myself so much that it hurts to think about you becoming that or seeing yourself that way. If I can’t save myself, then I at least want to save you. I’ve lost too many people to lose you too. And some part of me thinks that if I push you away, it’ll do some good or do something to save you.”

San releases a dry laugh, head thrown back, and he blinks up at the cloudy grey sky above your heads.

“We really are the same,” he murmurs. He tilts his head and looks you in the eye. You still completely under his stare. “It may be selfish, but I don’t want you to push me away. I would rather be hurt and still have you in my life rather than to be perfectly fine without you.”

✧✧✧ a/n: hI im here oasdmfaisgjiogj geez this one took longer than expect mostly bc the outline was longer than expected and aaaaaaaa im not as confident in this one as i usually am but i hope you guys enjoy it nonetheless ;-;

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[mmvalentine]

What Lives Beneath Our Skin | Feysand x everyone

Customarily, I will post a oneshot when I am between multi-chapter fics, like a sort of palette cleaner and to give them space to breathe a little. My last fic was a soft and fluffy teenage thing, and so I felt the need to write something dark and twisty and utterly the opposite for this spacer. Apologies to those who joined my tag list during the last fic and came here for the cutes😅 CW: trauma, drug use, abusive relationships, orgy, smut oh lord the smut.

Feyre thought that once she left Tamlin she'd feel free, and in many ways of course she did. In other ways, she felt completely, desolately alone.

It was not all as simple as people made it out to be. In an abusive and traumatic relationship, she had also left behind a life, a lovely house, more comfort and stability that she had ever had in her life. And the only friend she had in the world. Yes it was the right thing to do, but Feyre had loved Tamlin, and the way he had plucked her out of her grey and meagre existence beforehand.

So now that she was in her own apartment, with its clean white walls and soft white sheets, she knew it was the right decision. But the future stretched out before her like an empty desert. Gone was the fear, the anxiety, the walking on eggshells, the anger, the screaming into her pillow until her throat felt like glass. Gone was the make-up sex, the apologies under his tongue, the extravagant gifts, the promises of a paradise-life, the addictive intensity of when he said he couldn't live without her, and she believed him. The silence rang in her ears and she had not one soul she could call to fill it. Tamlin had made sure of that.

Over the weeks after her departure, Feyre wandered the grocery aisles, took walks in the park, and packed her few belongings away. By the end of the month, Feyre was so numb she wondered whether she would ever feel anything again. Wondered whether maybe this was the price she paid for falling for Tamlin, and for leaving him. And then a guy on the street handed her a flyer for an underground nightclub, and she thought, fuck it. Sure the whole scene was obnoxious and depraved, but maybe the volume might drown out the white noise in her head.

And that's how Feyre found herself standing outside Ramiel, a club she had not known existed twenty four hours ago. She thought she might be nervous, standing out here in the cold, the bass already lapping at her from inside. But instead, she just felt nothing. Had felt nothing all day, even as she pulled on a short black dress with long sleeves and cut outs over the torso, that Tamlin would have forbade her to wear because he hated it when men looked at her, and that Feyre previously had come to feel shame for. But she'd never thrown it away, and now she was wearing it into a thick crowd of people in the hopes that she might feel something, anything at all. Feyre pushed open the door, and the sound swept over her like a tidal wave.

Inside, everything was not so much a sensory overload as a sensory avalanche. Coloured lights pulsed with the throb of the music, and the smell of smoke machines and a hundred sweaty dancers reached toward Feyre with clawing fingers. She made a beeline to the bar, and swallowed a shot before ordering another.

"Rough night?"

The voice filtered through the chaos. Feyre turned and found a young man leaning against the bar, his head cocked and his smile bright. Feyre tried to smile back, and couldn't quite remember how.

"Rough year," she said, settling for a grimace. The man stepped closer, wearing a singlet and tight jeans, and gold bands on his arms that glittered against his dark skin. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "Are you here with anyone?" "No," Feyre said. "I don't know anyone." "Well, you can know me if you like. My name is Helion." "Feyre," she replied. Helion picked up his drink and they clinked their glasses together. Helion watched as Feyre downed hers without flinching. His eyes were gentle. "You're not doing so well, are you?" he asked. Feyre shrugged. "Is anyone?" "Fair enough. What did you come here for?" Feyre barked a hard laugh. "To feel. Anything." Helion didn't answer for a while. Then he said, "Okay. You need to meet Rhysand."

Helion took her hand and led her to the dancefloor. Feyre didn't protest, just trailed after him and wondered if the press of other human bodies might spark anything back to life in her.

"There," Helion shouted near her ear. "Go dance with him," he said, and pointed her to a black-haired man in the middle of the crowd.

"Aren't I dancing with you?" Feyre shouted back. Helion grinned. "Dance with all of us, honey!" And then he pushed her toward Rhys.

Rhys, at least who Feyre assumed was Rhys, was dressed in black and dancing with his eyes closed. With his golden-brown skin, thick raven hair, and sharp cheekbones, he might well have been the most beautiful man Feyre had ever seen. He had his hands on the hips of another handsome man with white hair and dark skin, who at this moment had his mouth on Rhys' neck. Then Rhys opened his eyes, and without taking his hands from the man he was dancing with, locked his gaze with Feyre's.

Feyre didn't quite know what to do. She stood there awkwardly in the throng of dancers, and then Helion reappeared next to her.

"Oh," he said. "And, take this." He pressed a round, white pill to Feyre's lips, and she opened for him and swallowed. Helion disappeared again, and now Rhys was extending one hand to her. She walked toward him, and the other man looked up at her too. When she touched Rhys' hand, he pulled her between him and the other man, and settled her hands around his neck.

"Hello," he said. It didn't sound like he was shouting, but Feyre could somehow hear him perfectly. "Friend of Helion's are you?" "Sort of," Feyre replied. Rhys hadn't stopped dancing, and she began to move with him now. The man behind her glided his hands down her arms, and began to move up behind her.

"I'm Rhys," Rhys said, "And this is Tarquin." "I'm Feyre," she said, glancing back at Tarquin. "Hello Feyre," Tarquin said in her ear. "Would you like to make out with us?" Feyre looked nervously back at Rhys, and then said, "Sure." So Rhys kissed her with his mouth open, and his tongue tasted like citrus and the sea.

It took a second, it was not an immediate thing like so much thunder and lightning. But rather, her body woke slow like molten rock as Rhys kissed her, the heat pooling in her stomach and snaking lazily down her limbs until she was full of it, and then she opened her eyes and found Rhys staring at her, pupils blown wide and something like stars in the liquid black of them. And in hindsight, that was the moment Feyre would remember that she felt everything, and the numbness that had surrounded her for the past few weeks fell away at her feet.

It wasn't that she felt okay again, it wasn't that she felt whole or happy or healed. But she felt: felt Rhys' hands at her back and the solidity of his chest beneath her fingers, and now there was Tarquin gripping her hips and breathing against her neck, and then Helion found them and he had one hand beneath Feyre's hair and the other in Rhys' back pocket. So she leaned in, wanted everything, and her skin came alive and at least in this moment, she was in her body and not floating twenty feet above it all. And then the little pill Helion had given her kicked in and the night began to speed past in flashes like the strobe lights of the club dictated time itself. It could have been ten seconds or ten hours, Feyre didn't know and really, truly did not care.

One: Tarquin was grinding into her backside, and the movement was pushing her up against Rhys, who had his thigh planted between her legs. She could feel them everywhere- one behind her and one in front, covering every inch of her skin and making her so over-sensitised she was shivering between them.

Two: Rhys had pulled away from her to kiss Tarquin over her shoulder, but now Helion was pulling her chin toward him. His teeth were very white against his dark skin, and sharp against her bottom lip. The pain of it was delicious.

Three: Tarquin's hands had found the cutouts in her dress, and his fingers were skating over the patches of bare skin there, while Rhys was cupping her ass and pulling her against the hardness that was now pressing below her navel. Helion was massaging the back of Rhys' neck, and his mouth had not left Feyre's. The spiral tension inside her wound tighter.

Four: Three new people appeared, Feyre did not remember when or where they came from, but someone told her their names were Morrigan, Cassian and Azriel. At first, they stood in their own group and Feyre stayed with hers. But then Feyre was being handed to them and she had Cassian on her left and Azriel on her right, Cassian's lips on her shoulder and Azriel's hands on her hips. Mor stood in front of her, and cupped her face with so much gentleness before she kissed her.

Five: Rhys had yanked her back to him, but now Azriel stood behind him and Rhys had one of his arms curled up around Azriel's neck as he licked his way up toward Rhys' ear. Cassian came up behind Feyre so she and Rhys were sandwiched behind the two newcomers. He scraped his teeth in the join of her neck and shoulder.The crush of the dancers surrounding them all pushed them even closer together, and Feyre's thoughts swirled in her head.

Six: They were in a car now, although Feyre didn't remember leaving the club. Suddenly it was quieter, and darker. There seemed to be a lot of room- were they in a limo?- which allowed for all six of them to be seated together, hands and mouths wandering, Mor's giggle floating above them and Rhys' hand firmly on her leg the whole time, bumping up a little higher every time the car jostled them. Helion's white smile stayed behind her eyelids like spots after a bright light.

Seven: They were back at someone's house, Helion's maybe. They were piling into his room, shoes were being dropped on the floor, shirts were being pulled over heads. His bed was the most enormous thing Feyre had ever seen. Helion pushed Rhys toward it first, and as Rhys slid up toward the pillows he grabbed Feyre and took her with him. Cassian followed, and as Feyre turned the glow in his eyes as he stalked toward her set her heart racing.

Eight: Feyre was now on top of Rhys, and wasn't sure where everyone else was but knew they were all naked by this point. Rhys was moving her over his cock, Cassian was licking her out from behind. Pleasure bloomed in her chest, for the first time in a very long time. Azriel has his lips on Feyre's nipple while Mor sucked him off. Helion had his fingers inside Mor, and his dick in Tarquin's mouth. Tarquin's hand squeezed over her ass.

Nine: Everyone had moved enough times that Feyre had lost all track of who was where, except that Rhys was with her. Was currently fucking her from behind, while she kissed someone she was pretty sure was Mor. Then someone else had their fingers over her clit, Mor was beginning to breathe eratically into her mouth like someone else was getting her off. She thought she could pick out Cassian's groan but she didn't know where he might be or who might be causing it. She did know that someone was now lightly rubbing her asshole, and she was about to climax.

Ten: Rhys came on her back, and then someone else was pushing into her, Tarquin maybe, pounding her while Rhys slid under her and the fingers that had been on her clit were replaced by his tongue. She came in shudders, for what felt like ages, and then collapsed, Tarquin sliding out of her and fucking Helion instead. Feyre lost track of them, then Rhys was there wiping her off with a towel and pulling her into his arms. Feyre started to fade in and out of consciousness, but could hear others find their release too and start slowing down as well.

When Feyre next opened her eyes, time was moving normally again. Rhys was slowly stroking up and down her arm, and around her, the others slept. There was someone lying behind her, someone lying across the bed at her feet, someone behind Rhys. Helion's bed fit them all.

"So what are you running from?" Rhys asked her, very quietly. "How do you know I'm running?" Feyre asked. "Helion has a way of finding lost souls and trying to help them get some human connection." Feyre was quiet for a moment.

"I have... nightmares. Bad dreams when I'm asleep, and absolutely nothing when I'm awake. Just horrible silence." "And do your nightmares have a name?" Rhys asked. "Yes," Feyre said. "His name is Tamlin. I know the worst is over, but it's like he's still getting to me." "I have nightmares too," Rhys said. "Sometimes, I come here and when I'm surrounded by all these people I don't dream." "What are your nightmares called?" Rhys breathed in deeply, and then back out. "Aramantha," was all he said.

****

Well, I hate to not give you a happy ending but I'm sure you can extrapolate from there. Feyre will call Rhys sometime in the daytime, and being with him alone will be crazy intense but also so grounding for her. And they will both get better.

Anyway this was a super different type of thing for me, from the content to the style so... I hope you still got something out of it.

TAGLIST: @ghostlyrose2 @highladysith @stardelia @feysand-babies @tillyrubes10 @ratabrasileira @live-the-fangirl-life @maybekindasortaace @annejulianneh111 @thebonecarver @rowaelinismyotp @loosingdreams @whythefuckdoiexist @asteria-of-mars

MASTERLIST

[chironshorseass]

part 1 read on ao3

“So you’re telling me that you haven’t Iris Messaged Annabeth in a month?”

“She was with her cousin, Ma.”

His mother stopped the car right next to Goode—the high school he would (hopefully) be attending in August.

She turned to look at him, that motherly stern look that always came up when she knew he wasn’t telling her everything.

“What?”

She shrugged. “Whatever you say. But physically, you haven’t seen her since last January! I’m just worried that—”

“We emailed each other, though—”

“Yes, but it’s not the same.” At Percy’s roll of the eyes, she held her hands up in surrender. “All I’m saying is to…see if there’s anything wrong. I have a feeling she didn’t want to IM you for some other reason. And I know you, Perce. You have the same feeling as I do.”

He did, but that wasn’t the point. So he kissed his mom on the cheek and stepped out of the car.

“Good luck on your date! And with, um, school!”

He threw her a thumbs up and shouldered his backpack.

Too bad that luck wasn’t on his side that day.

She saw him before he saw her.

He’s grown, was the first thing that came to Annabeth’s mind.

His clothing peppered in burn holes, the smoke wafting further back, and the pretty girl chasing him was registered later.

She saw him before he saw her, and so Percy bumped into her in the alleyway. Her hands went to his shoulders, steadying him.

“Whoah!” she said, laughing. “Watch where you’re going, Seaweed Brain!”

Maybe he thought he’d be late for our date. That’s why he’s in such a hurry.

It didn’t matter. Because he was here, and he was just a bit taller than her—his hair was longer than she remembered, but his green eyes were the same, beautiful color, and...

Then she caught his panicked look. Then she caught the girl behind him and the smoke and his burnt clothing.

“What happened?”

Before he could reply, the redhead called out, “Percy! Wait up!”

Her flip-flops echoed across the relatively quiet street, interrupting Annabeth’s thought process.

“And who‘s she?”

Percy turned to the other girl and waited until she arrived next to them. He glanced at Annabeth, wincing. “It’s uh…it’s a long story.”

“You promised to explain,” the girl insisted, breathless. “About the monsters and the gods and everything.”

“Wait,” Annabeth said. “She’s a demigod?”

“No.”

At the same time, the girl tilted her head and said, “So you’re one of them, too, huh?”

Annabeth felt her mouth fall open in disbelief. She met Percy’s eyes. “You told some mortal about us?”

“My name’s Rachel.”

And my name’s I-don’t-give-a-fuck.

“She can see through the mist,” is all he said.

She shook her head. Out of everything that could happen today…and this was what Fate had decided on.

“Come on.” She tugged on Percy’s arm. “We’re leaving before whatever attacked you comes back.”

He followed her, but not without gazing back at Rachel as though he wanted to stay with her. As though it were easier than being with Annabeth. There was something bubbling in her stomach at that, something that boiled her insides.

“Wait!” Rachel shouted. “You promised to explain!”

She sprinted toward them and took out a sharpie marker she’d sprung out from thin air. Annabeth rolled her eyes. Rachel grasped Percy’s arm and began writing something that looked like numbers.

She wasn’t rolling her eyes anymore.

“My phone number,” Rachel explained. Then she winked at him. “Whenever you can, call me.”

.

“What was all that about?” Annabeth said. She’d already stormed ahead, taking the lead.

He tried to explain. He’d gone to Goode’s orientation tour, just like she knew he would. There, he’d been attacked by empousa cheerleaders, and thanks to Rachel’s Sight, he’d survived.

“I’d be dead if it weren’t for her,” he said, eyeing his marked arm. “I have to repay her in some way.”

“So now you have her phone number,” she said lightly.

“Uh…yeah.”

“She’s really cute.”

Percy stopped in his tracks. She stopped as well and looked back, realizing that he was staring at her exasperatedly.

“Aw, come on, Annabeth. You and I are literally dating, and I just saw her today—well, except for last year—”

“You’ve met her before?”

He scratched his head, shifting from one foot to the other. “I, uh…yeah. Last year at Hoover Dam.”

Right. When he was looking for me.

She kept walking again.

“Are you seriously upset because of her?” He tried to grab her hand, but she pulled away. “‘Beth, I never—”

“Anyway, I don’t think we can go on our date anymore.” Her tone was scathing, like sharp, twisted knives. But she didn’t care. The gods hated her, apparently, because she and Percy could never be a normal teenage couple.

“Oh, so now you can get all angry with me when we couldn’t even call properly because of your cousin? Not even a single call?”

“That empousai said that the camp would go up in flames, we need to—”

“Don’t change the subject.” He ran up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her halt. The few baby fat he’d still preserved back in winter was gone, replaced with the hints of someone older; with a harshness akin to his father, the Sea God. “How much time did you actually spend with your cousin? Honestly. He couldn’t have been with you all the time, and I tried to be nice and understanding, but did you really—”

“If what that empousa warned you about is true, then we need to head to camp. Right now.”

She left before he could talk about anything else involving her pathetic lies. Left before he could see her blinking back tears. She ran directly into Argus’ van, and once Percy had closed the door, she told the bodyguard to drive directly to camp. No detours.

They didn’t talk on the way there. She stared out the window, watching the passing farms and the cotton sky.

Her first meeting with Percy after months apart and it couldn’t have gone better.

.

The thing is: Annabeth had changed her mind about camp. In her plans, she’d stay in San Francisco for longer than usual, just to be as far away from Camp Half-Blood as possible. Then, she’d go to New York City, and her and Percy would be taken to camp by Argus.

But plans changed.

Her mother had come, weeks before Annabeth would leave as initially intended. For some strange reason, she’d knocked on her door like Luke all those months ago.

A spluttering Frederick had answered this time. Annabeth trailed behind him, cautious for anything.

Cautious for anything didn’t mean she’d thought Athena would ever consider stopping by.

“Mom?” she’d said, eyes wide.

After greetings were made, Athena had insisted she go to camp immediately. “They are counting on you to be there, Annabeth. You must go. Before it’s too late.”

Annabeth recalled what she’d told Luke:

“People are counting on you—on me”

But hearing it from her mother, seeing her so insistent—enough so that she’d come, personally, to her porch steps—made Annabeth reconsider.

Anyway, this was Athena. Her mother. Who was she to displease her?

So she buried all her worries about Luke and Percy and followed her; in the blink of an eye, she’d arrived at camp, Athena nowhere to be seen. Annabeth hadn’t even had the chance to ask her about why she’d decided to help, out of the blue.

But Athena was right; camp needed her. Apparently, Clarisse’s top-secret quest from last winter had to do with venturing into the Labyrinth. She and Chiron had rescued Chris Rodriguez, an ex-camper who was scouting it in the hopes of finding an entrance to camp for Luke’s army. He’d fallen victim to madness in those dark, underground walls. No one knew why—only that he needed help.

Not only that, but throughout those few weeks, she’d felt as if her mother’s face was implanted in her mind like a brand; she swore she saw those grey eyes everywhere. While she got familiar with Quintus and Mrs. O’Leary. While planning with Clarisse and Chiron. While hanging out with Silena. While scouring the forest with Grover and his new girlfriend, Juniper—searching for an entrance to the Labyrinth.

It got to the point where she lit a match and watched as dozens of olives burst into flames, in the hopes that Athena would respond.

“What do you want from me?”

“Please answer.”

“What do you know that we don’t?”

Everything.

That’s what she’d say, probably. But Annabeth would never know, because Athena never answered. She nearly burned down cabin seven because of this. In her frustration, she scooped up the remaining olives, stomped across camp, and threw them into the sea.

“Thanks for everything,” she muttered, watching the waves greedily drag the olives away.

She didn’t feel eyes burning into her neck after that, but coming back with Percy restarted the process all over again.

An owl was perched on Thalia’s tree. She ignored it, only for it to come back while her and Percy both sat to hear what the Council of Cloven Elders had to say about Grover’s search for Pan.

.

“Mom. What do you want?”

“Lovely way of greeting your visiting mother, I see.”

Annabeth sighed.

After reasurances to Grover that, ‘Everything will be alright. Don’t worry. I know you’ll find Pan before the Council’s deadline,’ she’d taken to the trees. To where that grey owl was perched.

The owl disappeared, however. Replaced by the goddess of wisdom. So now both mother and daughter stood, a few feet apart, while everyone else gathered on the other side. No one noticed the secret meeting.

“You prayed to me,” Athena said. “Of course I would answer. Even if you did throw the offerings away.”

To where Annabeth threw them away was left unsaid; Athena knew. She knew, and she’d likely come because of it.

Annabeth shrugged.

“You’re angry with me,” Athena observed. “Anger must be controlled, or else unwise decisions happen. Like throwing a prized possession into the sea.”

“Well, Mother,” Annabeth said, jaw tense. “You haven’t exactly been clear about why you’re following me around. Or about why you wanted me to go to camp early in the first place.”

Athena was rarely quick to anger. She calculated everything, patient and firm, just like now.

“Knowing the intentions of the divine can either be a blessing or a curse.”

“But you’re about to tell me something. About to answer me. Am I cursed, then?”

Athena cocked her head, considering.

“No,” she finally said.

There was a glint in her eyes, something that told Annabeth that she was holding back.

“Well, then...I am asking again: why are you here?”

“Because I foresee that you shall lead a quest.”

A pause. Her comment was precise, abrupt as a frigid wind. Annabeth felt herself gaping like a fish. Quickly, she clamped her mouth shut. That was all she wanted, wasn’t it? To lead a quest? But then why did she feel such a profound sense of dread?

“I came to warn you. It won’t be easy.”

She restrained the urge to roll her eyes. “Quests aren’t meant to be easy.”

“Never stray from the plan,” Athena said, ignoring her comment. Her eyes were grey as granite, face hard as marble. “I know that you can…manage your hubris, but this time, it’ll be the ultimate trial for what you can or can’t do. If you can yield or not. You and Perseus both. Hubris can be controlled, but if control itself is the problem...that is very dire, indeed.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I may have made a mistake in assuming Perseus’ fatal flaw. Maybe not. In any case...you must be careful.”

“You assumed what his fatal flaw is?”

Athena regarded her carefully, like one does when studying an ancient scroll. “You can ask him about it. Since you two are...close.”

She said close as if it was a foregin word on her tongue, something she wanted to get rid of.

Of course she knew.

“About that, I don’t care what you—”

“I give you the benefit of the doubt,” Athena said, an eyebrow raised. “My children are known to make wise, rational decisions. I can only hope that you won’t become an exception to that rule. I do not approve, but it is your life. Your choice.”

Annabeth’s mouth felt like sand. Choices. She’d begun to hate them, now.

“What’s Percy’s fatal flaw?”

“Even to me, it’s uncertain.”

“But you have some idea.”

“As do you, my daughter.”

“I thought knowledge is power.”

“Yes. Knowledge is power. But how do you know that the knowledge you possess is true? How do you know if it’s not? Fate, however, is already decided; all we can do is prepare for the worst.”

“What’s going to happen, then?” Annabeth felt like she was barely able to grasp for something to hold on to, waiting— begging —for the ground to steady itself. “What will happen to Luke? What’s my role in all of this?”

Athena only shook her head. “Knowing something and having the wits to use it are two separate things.” Then she turned around, her time at camp over as well as her vague and unreliable warnings. “I must go. Good luck, Annabeth, on your quest.”

“A quest no one has even mentioned —”

“And watch for Percy Jackson.”

She vanished into the canopy, morphing into that same, grey owl. A single feather fell from the sky and settled quietly into the ground next to Annabeth’s sneakers. It mocked her, that feather. She kicked it away, then thought better of it and rubbed it into the dirt with her heel, destroying every single trace.

Your choice.

.

Neither her nor Percy mentioned their earlier fight. It became a discarded page, ripped off and torn into pieces like an old math textbook. It gave her space to breathe, to start over. A part of her knew that it wasn’t right, and that eventually, they’d have to talk about it—but that was eventually. This was now.

During the “now,” she filled Percy in on the Labyrinth.

(The Labyrinth will be the quest your mom mentioned. It can’t be about anything else)

He listened to everything she had to say and stayed even while Clarisse was there, too.

(Probably because they’re friends. They just hate to admit it.)

They ignored the catcalls and the teasing. She expected it, anyway.

(“So the rumors are true,” Malcolm said, wiggling his eyebrows and making her roll her eyes. “You and Percy are a thing, now.”

“Uh…yeah.”

“And you never thought to tell me? Like, I’m not surprised or anything, but—hey! Don’t hit me! Okay, fine, everyone knew since you two held hands and made gooey eyes at each other and stuff last January—stop hitting me!”)

Later, her and Percy sat together by the warmth of the campfire, roasting s’mores. She enjoyed laying her head on his shoulder and kissing his cheek. She laughed at his horrible singing and held his hand later that night, swinging their arms up and down as they walked toward cabin three.

Joking around and taking comfort in the sound of the crickets, Annabeth understood what it was like to love someone. It was a different kind of love than that of Luke. She watched him smile wide, watched the way his eyes crinkled as she rolled her eyes about Clarisse and Silena. That’s when it crossed her mind: their friendship hadn’t changed. Not really.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other for six months or so, and even though their newest step to their relationship had started weeks before that, their esense stayed the same. He was still Percy and she was still Annabeth. And that would never change.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Percy said, squeezing her hand.

“Oh, um. Just...thinking.”

“Well duh.”

“Shut up.”

He grinned at her, even as she shoved him off.

“No but seriously,” he said. “What’s wrong?”

She sighed. Her meeting with Athena had slipped into her mind like passing sticky notes and secret messages. “I want to talk about fatal flaws.”

She felt his hand tense. “What about them?”

“Just, I dunno, like...do you know yours?”

He was looking straight ahead when he said, “Your, uh, mom told me. Is personal loyalty even considered a flaw?”

“That’s what she said? That your fatal flaw is personal loyalty?”

He shrugged. “Guess so.”

So it’s true. She thinks she’s wrong.

“I mean, personal loyalty is considered a flaw, but...do you think it could be something else? Maybe?”

They locked eyes. The faraway hearth lit up his face, sharpening his features.

“Do you think it’s something else?”

“I don’t know.”

Another lie. Or was it? Could personal loyalty be his fatal flaw or could it be something else? Was Athena right? Was she wrong?

Percy raised his eyebrows. “You know something. You have that planning face look.”

“I don’t have a—”

“Uh, yeah you do. But whatever. It’s not like you know what my fatal flaw is.”

“I’m...yeah. I was just wondering since, well, I know about mine. And we’re so close to the Great Prophecy, and if you don’t know by now what your fatal flaw is, well—”

“It’s good that I know, then,” he cut in. “Good that I know my fatal flaw by now.” His eyes flicked to her. “Right?”

“Yeah. Right. Good.”

Nothing else was said after that. He stopped by the porch steps of cabin three and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes, comforted like she had throughout the singalong. Comforted by Percy.

Until he closed his door and left her in the dark.

.

The next day, Quintus’ strange game involving scorpions and ribbons began with her being paired up with Percy. It was just their luck that they’d stumbled into the Labyrinth, of all places .

“So we’re stuck here.”

“Yep,” Percy confirmed.

“You’re not helping.”

“I’m only here for moral support. You’re the brains of the relationship.”

“Am not,” she grumbled. “You’re smart; stop pretending you aren’t.”

It was no use, anyway. She couldn’t find the mark of Daedalus in the darkness. They took a break from searching and calling for help to sit down, bunching up against a wall and leaning against the other.

“I never apologized.”

Percy’s voice in the hollow chambers nearly made her jump. She lifted her chin and tucked it into his collarbone.

“For what?” she said.

“The Rachel thing.”

“To be fair, I’d nearly forgotten.”

“Exactly. So I just…want to clear the air before it comes up again. And to say sorry for doubting you about your cousin.”

She shut her eyes tight. The truth was coming like undigested food; she was ready to spill it all out. But she swallowed the words instead—hating herself and loving this beautiful, selfless boy all at the same time. Round and round. Round and round it went.

“I’m sorry, too.”

“What are you sorry for? You were right to be angry with me. Like, all this time apart and suddenly a girl writes down her phone number on my arm , and then we can’t even have a normal date because I seem to mess that up, too.”

You’re perfect, she wanted to say. You’re perfect and I’m the one who messed everything up. Not you.

“We both reacted in stupid ways,” she said instead. “And anyway, I should’ve found the time to IM with you.”

He kissed the top of her head and mumbled into her hair, “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“Yeah. I know.”

He pulled away from her. She could feel his gaze but couldn’t see him clearly. “Something’s bothering you, Annabeth. What’s wrong? What’s actually wrong?”

She pursed her lips.

“What if…what if we don’t make it?”

Her voice came out barely above a whisper, but in the drifting silence, it sounded like ringing bells, there for everyone to hear.

( “What if you don’t make it?” She could never dare to say that out loud, however. )

She felt Percy lace his fingers through hers. “We’ll be together. That’s something I know for sure.”

They chose silence after that. Annabeth rested her head against his shoulder once more, listening to the constant creaking and shifting of the Labyrinth.

“Hey,” Percy murmured.

She glanced at him. “Hmm?”

Suddenly, she was aware of his hand resting on her arm, of his breath warm against her cheek. She froze, just for a second.

“Can I kiss you?”

Now that she thought about it, they’d never kissed properly—just a quick peck here and there. She nearly laughed at how nervous Percy sounded, at how this was just like last winter as they asked permission for a simple kiss like the awkward teenagers that they were.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

He tucked a stray curl behind her ear and leaned in. He didn’t need to look far, not even in the darkness; she was already inches apart, closing her eyes and feeling their breaths slip by.

When their lips met, she decided that surrender tasted sweet and pure, something she’d willingly do over and over again. He kissed her and nothing else mattered, not Time or the dark or choices.

He was the first to pull away.

“We’ve, um, we’ve been in here for too long,” he said. “Let’s keep trying to find a way out.”

It wasn’t long until they did.

.

By the time they’d managed to slip out of the Labyrinth, hours had passed. Night had fallen like autumn leaves, though she swore that they’d been in the maze for thirty minutes  at most.

By the time the campers and Chiron found them, she already knew that a quest would have to be made.

Just like her mother had promised, she was chosen to lead.

From what the oracle told her, she wished she could hide in her cabin and never come out. She wished that all of this was a dream and that absolutely nothing would happen—to anyone.

“The child of Athena’s final stand,” she’d said, repeating nearly all of her prophecy once Chiron asked her about it.

She paused and didn’t say the last line. The worst line. That line had cut to her bones. A rusted knife against her throat.

“And lose a love worse than death.”

She gazed at Percy. Innocent green eyes gazed right back at her, unwavering. What a terrible person she was, that she’d lead him to this fate because she couldn’t leave without him. How weak.

“Will you come?” she breathed.

He agreed without a second thought.

.

He found her in her cabin. They were alone, for once. And when he asked her what was wrong, when he looked at her like that, she couldn’t take it anymore. She surged to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly and secure, so he could never go away.

She breathed in his scent, feeling tears already trickling into his shirt.

“Hey, it’s—it’s okay. We’ll survive.”

“But what if we don’t?”

His hands drifted up to her back, steadying her.

She lifted her eyes, pulling away slightly, if only to see him clearly. A varying amount of emotions crossed his face. Concern, fear, love. Until he settled on concern and flicked away her stray tears with the pad of his thumb ever so gently. His eyebrows were pinched together.

“I just…” she said, looking away. “I just don’t want anything happening to yo—to any of you.”

“I’ll be here,” he said softly, cupping her cheek and moving it in his direction so that she could understand. “We’ll be okay.”

She wished she could believe that. Wished she could believe it with the same amount of heart that she poured into the kiss that followed. Her hands tugged at his hair, lips moving along with his like they never had before. They were warm and sure, his lips. But they could easily turn blue and cold, as easily as a flame could cease to exist. So she kissed him with everything she had so that his lips would stay warm like this, forever—passed her oxygen to him until there was nothing left to give.

.

Annabeth also chose Grover and Tyson to join her quest. With two more people, the quest team turned up as four instead of three; a feeling told her that she needed them all.

But three is a sacred number. Not four. This is why Zoë and Bianca passed on.

Three, not four.

And lose a love to worse than—

She strolled past the moving walls, the footfalls of the rest echoing behind her. Until she stopped. They were in a lavish room with a muraled painting of the gods, but that wasn’t the problem. The problem was the two doorways, the two paths.

“So?” Grover asked. “Which one do we uh…which one do we pick?”

Before she could answer, a man formed—or rather, a man with two faces. They stood in between the pathways, leering at her.

“Yes, Annabeth,” said one face.

“Which one do you pick?” said the other.

.

She kept mulling it over, what Hera had said. They’d encountered Janus, the god of doorways and beginnings and endings. And choices.

“Choose,” they’d said.

Instantly, images had painted themselves in her mind. In one, she was looking for Daedalus alongside Percy and Grover and Tyson. In the other, she was looking for Luke. “He can be saved,” her imaginary self muttered as she trudged through the Labyrinth alone, on the brink of madness. “If I save him, there will be no more death.”

But then more flashed through her mind. Choose one pathway, and she’d lose Percy, and soon after that, she’d lose Grover and Tyson. Choose the other, and she’d lose Luke instead.

“Choose.”

Everything had come to a pause when Hera arrived. She wanted to help them, apparently—only that that wasn’t true. Gods didn’t help. They only left you confused and disoriented, spinning around with no control.

She hadn’t helped, not that it surprised her.

None of them had any clue how to navigate the Labyrinth, only that supposedly Percy knew the answer. And also that they had to search for Hephaestus if they wanted to find Daedalus.

As a parting gift, she’d said, “I delayed Janus’ visit, but be careful, Annabeth. Your choice will come soon enough.”

“Let’s rest here,” Percy said, sensing her waning steps.

Despite her exhaustion, she insisted on taking first watch. She had to think. Pray. Slowly, everyone else fell into a slumber, but her mind was wide awake, gazing at Percy’s motionless form.

Prophecies had double meanings, didn’t they?

.

Her world was turned upside-down once she heard the explosion, once she went airborne for a few seconds only to hit her shoulder on a jagged rock. Immediately, she felt the sharp sting of pain. She clutched her shoulder, biting her lip. Her hand came back slick with blood.

“You chose this,” the two-faced god taunted her.

Then she heard a strangled scream. Percy’s scream. She inhaled sharply and scrambled to stand up, ignoring the scuttling spider that was getting farther and farther away and the stabbing pain traveling from her shoulder to the rest of her body.

“Percy!”

She ran in the direction from which she’d come from. Too late. Searing heat slapped her in the face before she understood what was happening. Another explosion came, and this time, she wasn’t so lucky.

Her body stumbled back, rocks caving in on her.

The sky. This is like the sky—

And everything went dark.

The darkness formed into a memory:

“No! I can’t leave you!”

“I’ve got a plan—promise!” he insisted. “You follow that metal spider to Hephaestus' lair, tell him about what’s going on.”

“But you’ll be killed!”

This was the choice; leave him or stay. Stay or leave.

“I’ll be fine,” he said. From the look in his eyes, Annabeth knew that she couldn’t convince him. He was decided. “Besides, we’ve got no choice.”

Yes, they did have a choice.

No.

Yes.

She kissed him instead. A quick kiss, a promise.

“Come back to me,” she said, fighting back tears. She pulled on her Yankees cap and left, then ran.

Her sobs escaped from her rib cage by then, finally free.

She woke to that memory and nothing else, head pounding like drums. The spider was long gone, and she stumbled around, drunk with grief. It was a miracle she found Hephaestus at all.

.

Hephaestus, thank the gods, understood her unintelligible blabbering. He took pity on her, perhaps, because he healed her physical wounds and dropped her off at camp. Never mind that Grover and Tyson were gone, on their own path looking for Pan. Never mind that Percy…

She broke down crying for the thousandth time that day when Chiron asked her what had happened. Why she’d staggered into camp all alone. Her heart, her entire being, spilled to the floor like water from an overfilled cup.

“Four went in and one came back. Only Annabeth came back,” the campers whispered among themselves. She saw their faces, saw their horror at realizing that Percy was likely dead, Grover and Tyson gone as well without much of a trace.

It drove her to hide. She stayed in bed for the next three days, not daring to close her eyes in the fear of what she may find there.

She thought that she’d run out of tears long ago, but they came anyway. She clamped her mouth shut so as not to alert any of her siblings who were asleep.

Your choice.

For the first time in the past two days, her eyes fluttered closed. She didn’t dream of anything at all.

.

Clarisse came barging into cabin seven the next morning.

“Come on, Princess,” she said, staring down at her. “You’ve gotta eat.”

Malcolm stood behind her, likely the one who had told Clarisse to come in the first place, since Annabeth hadn’t listened to any of her siblings about eating.

She tried to protest, to fight. But Clarisse was strong and had a purpose; Annabeth had nothing at all. So she sat in the dining pavilion, taking her time with her breakfast and ignoring everyone’s eyes on her.

Clarisse sat next to her, making sure she finished her food.

“Slowly, okay?” she said, then murmured, “Gods, when was the last time you ate something?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Annabeth snapped.

A few minutes passed in relative silence before Silena came to their table, offering solace.

“Hey, girlie,” she said. “How are you?”

Annabeth didn’t respond. Silena softly laid a hand on her shoulder, then decided better of it and pulled her in for a hug.

“You know it’s not your fault, right?” she said gently.

But it was.

Annabeth chose to leave him.

It took everything in her not to break down in Silena’s arms. Annabeth gave her a weak smile once she proposed to do something to pass the time. Like weaving, something she knew Annabeth enjoyed, being Athena’s daughter and all that.

So they did. Silena was good at it—good at making beautiful things. In the arts and crafts station, they spent most of the afternoon knitting and sewing as well, with Clarisse begrudgingly accompanying them.

She felt herself forget, her hands the only thing working. Not her mind. Not her subconscious or her guilt or her worry and fear.

It lasted only a moment. Because then she saw what she’d been working on for the past hour. Subconsciously, Annabeth had created a shroud. A beautiful one at that, with different hues of blue and green—just like his eyes. Just like the sea.

As if sensing her distress, the two girls looked up from what they were doing.

Clarisse said, “Is something wro—”

She didn’t need to say the rest, because Annabeth found her legs already moving, racing out the door.

“Let her,” she heard Silena say. “Give her space.”

She didn’t look back, sprinting to the one place where she knew Percy’s presence still thrived. Where she could be reminded that he would come back, just like he promised.

“I’ll be here.”

Cabin three didn’t look like much. Granted, she could barely focus on anything but her breathing—which was rapidly increasing its pace—but even so, she was reminded of how simple yet welcoming cabin three was in comparison to Zeus’.

It smelled like him. Like walking down the beach on a sunny day. Everything was as it always had been—clothes splayed haphazardly on the ground, bed unmade, stray papers adorning his nightstand.

She crumpled to her knees on the worn wooden planks. A great sob escaped her, and she covered her face with shaking hands

“He’s gone, Poseidon,” she cried. “He’s gone, and—and I’m so sorry.”

That night, she threw up everything she’d eaten.

.

“It is time,” Chiron said, his eyes dim with pity.

He preferred demigods dead, it seemed, than to try and look for them. She’d begged. Pleaded. Fallen to her knees until they bled. But it was no use; her teacher was convinced he was dead, and by the time the second week passed without Percy showing up, he was declared as such.

“He’s powerful,” Clarisse had told her. “I trust your instincts. He’s not dead. Can’t be, or else I’d have to beat him up.”

She helped Annabeth try to talk Chiron out of the funeral but to no avail.

And he wasn’t. Annabeth knew, in her heart, that Percy wasn’t dead. Barely anyone believed her, however. She didn’t blame them; no one knew about the last line of the prophecy for her quest.

But a pestering voice reminded her of something else: Percy was not, by any means, her only loved one. That voice sounded eerily like Janus.

What if it’s Luke?

He was nothing to her, now. She swore that he wasn’t.

What if Percy is dead?

That’s when Silena squeezed her shoulder, repeating what Chiron had told her the day prior.

“It’s time.”

Everyone who had gathered by the Amphitheatre waited for her to give out her statement, grim-faced. Chiron stood at the center of it all, the shroud she’d made at the arts and crafts cabin in his hands.

She hated that shroud with all her being, but she took it anyway once she stepped the last of the stairs. The fire next to her kissed her cheeks like the warmth of the sun. But inside, all she felt was cold. His body hadn’t been found…yet the shroud that she clutched in her hands would burn with Percy’s life.

“He…” Her eyes drifted to the shimmering cloth. How could she ever describe Percy Jackson? How could she ever put him into words? “He was kind,” she began. Her voice was unrecognizable, even to her. “He was probably the bravest friend I’ve ever had, and…”

And then she saw him, grinning like an idiot behind everyone else.

.

“Bravest friend you ever had?” was the first thing he said, after their bone-crushing hug.

She wiped her tears away and laughed. For the moment, she didn’t care that he hadn't answered her frantic questions.

“Where have you been?”

“What happened?”

He was here and he was alive. Her arms still clung to his neck; she wasn’t sure she’d ever manage to fully let go.

“You’re my friend above everything else, Seaweed Brain. And yeah, I guess you’re pretty brave.”

A question formed at the tip of her tongue—the one asking once more about what had happened in that explosion, where he’d been all this time; she knew that Percy could tell.

He was about to say something when Chiron interrupted them.

“My boy,” he said, mainly addressing Percy. “We need to talk.”

Percy’s demeanor changed like the shock of icy water to the face.

“Uh, yeah.” Something passed through his eyes; he glanced at her, then at their teacher. “I know how to navigate Labyrinth.”

.

Her relief became a ghost of the past once he explained himself. He told them the plan for the next part of the quest—for finding Grover and Tyson and finally Daedalus—but all she could hear was her ears ringing.  

“I was marooned on an island.”

“I uh…I stayed there for some time, healing from the explosion.”

She was almost certain about where he’d been. And then he’d mentioned his plan to find Rachel, the pretty redhead who wrote her phone number on his arm. Supposedly, she could help them.

“A clear-sighted mortal,” Chiron had said. “Clever, indeed.”

Only it wasn’t. It was her quest. Her choice. Not his.

Annabeth stood from her chair. The screeching noise made Percy wince. “I can’t believe you! You’re asking me to go to that mortal for help?”

Chiron’s eyes were soft when he said, “Annabeth, calm down—”

“No, I’m not calming down, because Percy here wants—”

“It’s the only way,” Percy said, hands wrung together.

“Ohh don’t tell me what’s ‘the only way’ and what isn’t when you could’ve easily come back sooner.”

Percy opened his mouth, but she talked over him.

“You think I’m stupid? You think I’m dumb?”

“No, ‘Beth, I—”

“You were with that goddess,” she said, her voice taking a hard edge. “Calypso, isn’t it? Was she nice company for you? Did you have a good time while I sat here, waiting for you, as my life spiraled out of control because one of the most important people in my life was gone?”

Percy stammered, “‘Beth, please…just—just let me explain.”

She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. “You’re not denying it, either. That’s why you didn’t recount the entire story of your fun little vacation in a beautiful island with a beautiful goddess who was probably all over yo—”

He stood up then, leaning over the table, face inches apart from hers. “Don’t act so high and mighty with me when I know you lied to me about your cousin.”

“Percy, this isn’t even about—”

“No, no. You’re hearing me out. Okay? Hey, stop. Look me in the eyes. Nothing happened between us. Okay, nothing. She liked me, yes, but that is literally her curse! I knew you’d react that way because I’m realizing that you don’t fucking trust me!”

“What? Percy, I trust you with my life—”

“Then how come you never told me what was bothering you?”

“Because I don’t know what was bothering me!”

“Oh, that’s rich, coming from you! You know exactly what bothers you. But guess what? You won’t tell me! So like, don’t even dare accuse me of not revealing where I was when you do the exact same thing, ‘Beth!”

Annabeth felt like falling, but this time, she found no branch to hold onto and crashed to the ground, bleeding out and breathless.

Meanwhile, Percy kept talking, throwing javelins her way. “When you didn’t want to communicate via IM last semester, I agreed because I wanted to give you space to whatever the fuck was going on with you—and something is still going on, but you won’t tell me—and like, all that time while I was with her on that island, I wanted to go!

“I wanted to be with you! Shit, I don’t even know what I’d do without you, but I couldn’t fucking leave because that place is cursed! And when I did, it’s because she’d…she’d fallen in love with me! But I…but all I wanted was you!”

Silence fell over them with the remnants of Percy’s hard breathing. She blinked a few times, telling herself that she would not cry.

Chiron saved her before that could happen. “Now, children. Settle down. Percy. Give Annabeth some space to think about this.”

He obliged, much to her relief.

“This time, it’ll be the ultimate trial for what you can or can’t do. If you can yield or not.”

It all came down to that, to her mother’s words. She understood what they meant, now.

With just enough drachmas in her bag and a bluster assuring her that she would not fail, she grabbed Percy by the hand and crossed the camp border. Argus was waiting down below.

[ssamie]

two. sea of strangers

oikawa tooru x fem langa!reader

(hq x sk8 the infinity)

warnings: spelling mistakes, swearing, 2k+ words, u have langa’s blue hair sorry

gen masterlist.            “snow” masterlist.

"its really hitting me now!" reki exclaimed as he dramatically draped his arms around her frame "you're really leaving?!" he exclaimed as he eyed her countless luggage with distaste. 

"yes reki.. im sorry" she said as she held him tightly by the waist, keeping him upright as he slouches against her torso 

"man, you're really embarrassing" miya muttered out with a sniffle as he attempted to poke fun at reki. "crying and all.." he muttered as, he too, tried to contain his tears. 

"you're one to talk! you're gonna go all red if you hold your tears in!" reki exclaimed as he ruffled miya's hair through his hoodie 

miya grumbled but finally succumbed and fully latched himself onto her back, clinging desperately as he hides his face into her hair "if you leave you're gonna be demoted from heroine to slime" he meekly threatened as he weakly punches her shoulder 

"hm, then we won't be on the same level anymore.." she muttered back as she placed her hand on his head to comfort him 

"exactly.. so you shouldn't leave." miya huffed out 

"sorry miya.. but i have to" she frowned and met eyes with her mom, who simply gave her a reassuring smile in return. 

"there's really nothing we can do but hope for a safe trip" cherry chimed in as he plucked miya and reki off of her "it will be quite a loss but, she won't be gone forever" he said. 

"yeah, but behave out there, rookie" joe mused as he slung his muscular arm around her, making her stagger a bit "dont want ya getting into accidents and shit" joe laughed as he ruffled her hair with a soft smile 

"yeah, we'll visit you after you've settled" shadow said as he jogged over to them, just having finished helping nanako carry her bags 

"hey.." he whispered to joe as he nodded towards reki. joe immediately understood and pushed her towards the redhead. "well go on then, have one last hug with your dearest best friend" joe mused "maybe a kiss as well" 

y/n huffed as she covered her warm cheeks and sheepishly walked towards reki. "um.." she mumbled out, suddenly finding the words get caught up in her throat. "the plane boards in five minutes.." she said 

"i know" reki replied with a sad smile. "what should we do for those remaining minutes? i really don't know anymore" he chuckled 

"um.. what about.." she trailed off as her hands hesitantly met his. "..this?" 

reki blinked and immediately followed along. a smile slowly crept up on his lips as they do their signature handshake. she gulped as the heat on her face worsened by the second. by the time their hands would meet to make an infinity sign, she was fully ready to drop it and leave. 

though unexpectedly, reki pulled her to his chest and squeezed her tight, holding her by her waist with one arm, while the other reaches out to caress her hair. 

"bye, y/n." reki whispered, his lips dangerously close to her ears, making her already flustered state worsen. 

"i'll make sure to see you again. don't find a new partner while you're gone, alright?" he whispered 

though his tone was laced with slight doubt and desperation. she held her hand over her beating chest and nodded. 

"i'll never find someone like you, reki." she said with a tone of sincerity. "let alone someone better." she whispered with a love filled smile. 

reki smiled back and fully engulfed her in a bear hug, swaying their bodies back and forth as he dug his face into her neck 

she gulped and slyly covered her cheeks with her hands. she was most certainly in the verge of overheating from too much joy that had her heart pounding and her palms sweating. 

"oi, oi! don't leave us out!" joe chimed in with a laugh as he slung his arms around them both. "yeah, stop hogging her you slime!" miya hissed at reki as he greedily wrapped his arms around her waist

"hey, i'm the best friend! you're the slime in the situation!" reki hissed back 

soon enough, y/n was getting suffocated under five men who thought it was a great idea to stack themselves on top of her. "can't.. breathe.." she squeaked out as she tried to gasp for air

nanako watched their exchange with a smile of amusement. though they had to move along as to not miss the flight. "y/n, its time to go" nanako said with a smile as she grabbed her daughters hand. she waved at the boys one last time and walked away, with y/n beside her. 

"BYE Y/N, REMEBER OUR PROMISE!" 

"BYE REKI! I WILL!" 

"stop screaming at the airport!" cherry smacked reki's head with a scolding glare 

"ouch! sorry, geez!" 

"ah, the air here in miyagi is very different, huh?" nanako hummed as she looked around the empty streets surrounded by trees and bushes

"i guess so." y/n replied with a nod as she walked past her mother and entered the empty home.

the huge truck filled with their furniture and belongings was parked by their new home, with the men carrying them inside. nanako frowned and followed her inside. y/n simply walked quietly to her new room which was situated upstairs. 

as she arrived, she scanned the room, eyeing the bed on the corner and an empty closet on the other side. "hm." she hummed as she further inspected the place 

nanako watched in anticipation as dread and nervousness filled her nerves. "d-do you like it, sweetie?" she asked, her voice lightly shaking. 

"its okay." y/n replied as she dropped her bags on the floor. 

nanako sighed in relief and patted her on the back. "the movers are gonna help me fix this place up, so why don't you look around the neighbourhood for a bit?" she suggested 

"i might get lost" y/n said. nanako shook her head and handed her her skateboard "no you won't, it's a pretty small town!" she said "and if you do get lost, just call me or ask around, okay?" nanako mused as she urged the girl downstairs and out the door 

"but mom-" y/n couldn't finish, seeing as nanako had slammed the door and was waving her goodbye through the windows

"bye~ have fun~" nanako mused as she waved 

y/n looked back at her with a deadpanned expression and sighed. she got on her board and skated along the smooth concrete, looking past the fairly big houses and few cars driving by. 

"hey hey iwa-chan~ i came to pick you up for practice like the good best friend that i am!" a distant voice cooed out

"shut up shittykawa, it's seven am. you're giving me a headache." another voice, this time more gruff and annoyed, said. 

y/n hummed in curiosity and looked ahead of her. they were quite far, but their loud arguing could be heard a block away, so she didn't have that much trouble. "a ball?" she muttered to herself as she looked at the ball tucked in between the brunette's arms

"weird.." she mumbled before speeding up, not wanting them to see or interact with her in the slightest. 

"hm? are there new neighbours?" the brunette asked. "obviously dumbass. they moved in just a while ago i think." the other replied 

"ooh~ i wonder if there's a cute girl that-" oikawa cut himself off as he felt a gush of wind fly past him

he curiosly turned around, but was only met with a quick dash of something blue. "what is it?" iwaizumi asked him, confused as to why his friend suddenly stopped in his tracks for apparently no reason at all. 

"did you see that, iwa-chan?" oikawa asked him as he pointed to the next block, trying to show him the person, but all that was visible was them turning the corner and disappearing from their sight. 

"there's nothing there." iwaizumi said with an unamused glare "are you messing with me, shittykawa? it's so early in the morning please give me a break" he sighed 

"no i'm serious! there was someone there! i saw something blue!" oikawa defended with a shriek 

"shut up.." iwaizumi grumbled in exasperation 

suddenly, oikawa gasped and excitedly hit his arm. "do you think it could be aliens?" he whispered with narrowed eyes, while iwaizumi simply stared back at him in distaste. 

"shut up!" 

"school already?" she asked with a look of dread as she listened to her mother talk about her schedule as they sit on the dining table. 

"but its hard to make friends.." y/n grumbled out with a grunt 

"yes, sweetie! we have to get you settled in as soon as possible so you'll be more comfortable" nanako explained "plus you can make friends with kids there so you won't be alone all the time, don't you want that?" she asked 

"you and reki became friends pretty quickly, didn't you?" nanako mused "so i'm sure you'll be fine!" 

"reki.." she mumbled out as she stared down at her food with a sad frown, a gloomy aura suddenly surrounding her as she silently sulks. 

"ah crap, maybe i shouldn't have mentioned him" nanako muttered to herself, starting to sweat bullets as she tried to rack her brain for what to do. "a-ahm well!" nanako cleared her throat and shot y/n a shaky grin. "you're a very pretty girl! im sure people will be the first ones to approach you!" she said 

"so you won't really have to do any of the work" nanako reassured her "they're normally very interested in transferees especially since you're foreign." 

"okay then.." she muttered out, though she was still unsure. "im gonna clean up now" she said as she stood up from her seat and made her way to the bathroom 

"sure, but wake up early tomorrow okay? i'll help you get ready!" nanako called out, only to receive a faint 'okay!' in response. 

once she heard the bathroom door close and the water start running, she let out a huge breath of relief and slouched back on her chair. "AGH! i accidentally made her sad!" nanako exclaimed as she pulled don her hair in distress 

"should i call reki? her friends? what do i do?!" she shrieked out. she then looked over to the photo of her husband and sulked 

"help me oliver!!" 

"okay, hasegawa y/n-san, you're in third year class 6" the assistant told her with a kind smile "its on the third floor and the room by the stairway. it should be easy enough to find." he said "unless you want me to guide you?" 

"no, i think im okay." she declined with a quick bow "thank you though." 

"come in!" a voice called out from inside 

she kept her face straight and as she followed the directions, up until she reached the classroom she was assigned. "3-6" she read the sign. she then knocked on the door and waited patiently for the teacher to let her enter. 

she followed and slid the door open, closing it behind her and walking to the front of the class, all while keeping her eyes trained on the floor. 

"is she american?" "dang, she's pretty!" "i hope she sits with me.." "what's with her hair?" "as long as she doesn't steal oikawa-senpai, im fine with her" 

she could hear all of their murmurs, though she simply chose to ignore it, not wanting to interact with them as much as possible. she gripped the strap of her bag and raised her head to face them, keeping the monotonous expression as she side eyed the teacher for permission to speak. 

he then nodded and urged her to go. "mind telling us about yourself?" he asked 

"my name is hasegawa y/n." she said, keeping her eyes straight ahead and briefly scanning a few students 

oikawa and iwaizumi looked up and watched her in curiosity. they were seated at the very back, watching her every move. iwaizumi wasn't super interested, only a bit curious about their foreign transferee. although oikawa is overflowing with both interest and curiosity. not only was he happy to have a cute girl as a new classmate, but he was quite sure he had seen her from somewhere before. 

"..." the class was silent as they waited for her to say more, though was only met with nothing. 

"that's it?" the teacher asked, slyly urging her to say more 

y/n looked over to him and back at the class. "i came from canada and moved to okinawa to here.." she said 

"... anything else?" the teacher swetadropped. she then furrowed her brows and asked, "why? is it bad?" 

"no, you're good." the teacher responded as he waved his hand dismissively. 

oikawa chuckled in amusement, making iwaizumi look over to him with a raised brow. "what?" iwaizumi asked 

"nothing, she's just funny" oikawa replied with a grin 

"alright, you can sit in between rika and iwaizumi, seeing as it's the only vacant seat left." the teacher said 

y/n nodded and scanned the room, looking for the people he had mentioned. she merely blinked as a girl with long black hair, which she assumed was rika, excitedly waved at her. 

"hasegawa-chan! come sit with me!" rika exclaimed with a smile. y/n followed and squeezed through the rays of desks, sighing once she sat down on her assigned desk. 

"..." she gulped and nervously pulled out a book and turned her head down, feeling multiple eyes bore through her. 

but by far, the most eerie and intense stare she had received was from rika, who was not so discreetly peering at her over her book, watching with sparkling eyes as she stared. 

"hi-" y/n couldn't even finish her sentence as rika excitedly perked up and shook her hands. "hi! I'm orimoto rika! you can call me rika though" she whisper shouted with a grin 

y/n blinked in surprise and gave her a wobbly grin, "hi, rika-san.." she muttered "um, you can call me y/n if you want.." 

"okay, y/n-chan!" she replied with a gleeful grin "hey, wanna join me for lunch later? it must suck to eat lunch without anyone. you can join me and-" 

the teacher abruptly cleared his throat and shot rika a pointed look. "orimoto-san, i know you're excited but please save the talking for later" he said. "right! sorry sensei!" rika laughed sheepishly as she retreated back to her desk 

y/n side eyed her one last time before looking back down at her desk, bringing out a pencil and messily sketching on the paper 

"hey" the boy beside her whispered 

she glanced at him and blinked in confusion. "im iwaizumi, nice to meet you." he said with a curt nod of acknowledgement

she didn't immediately respond but quietly inspected him "nice to meet you.. iwaizumi-san" she said. she smiled to herself as iwaizumi nodded once again and simply went back to minding his business. 

iwaizumi was chill. nice. 

she had mentally agreed with herself that she did in fact like iwaizumi. he was very different from reki's overall 'vibe' but it was comforting in a way. 

now.. the boy beside him.. she still wasn't sure if she should just ignore his overwhelming presence or give him a fake smile to satisfy him. 

"yahoo~ y/n-chan~" oikawa cooed with a flirty wave "hey~ im oikawa tooru" he introduced with a smile as he leaned over iwaizumi's desk to get closer to her and wave once again 

"..." she side eyed him and quietly nodded, opting not to respond as she slouched down to hide her face behind the book she was doodling on

beside her rika spluttered and watched with wide eyes as the girl blatantly ignored the oikawa tooru, himself. it seems not only rika had seen the interaction, or the lack of it, more so. 

the girls near her either gasped in genuine surprise or sighed in relief, having found that the new girl was in fact not a threat. 

iwaizumi, however, was simply snickering and trying to contain his laughter as oikawa stares blankly at her with his face as pale as a ghost. 

it seems everyone was enjoying themselves. she sighed and simply rested her head on her desk, wanting nothing more than for class to be over. 

"hey, eat with me later, okay y/n-chan?" rika said with a smile 

y/n looked up at her and simply nodded, blowing the stray strands of hair away from her face as she stares at the ticking clock on their wall. "i wonder what reki's doing.." she mumbled to herself 

she sighed and sat up straight, keeping her eyes on the teacher who was mindlessly continuing his lecture. 

under her breath she mumbled, 

"i wanna go home." 

i added a random 'oc' but i used rika from jjk's name lol. there's gonna be two more i think, but they're not that important lol, just some filler characters ig 

sorry for the spelling and grammar mistakes :<

[taeyongdoyoung]

summary: you are a mermaid and you save a handsome man from drowning but little do you know it’s not his first rodeo when dealing with mermaids. seonghwa, a former prince, is currently hongjoong’s first mate and boyfriend. hongjoong is the captain, the pirate king of the most savage crew across the seas. and you want nothing to do with them. not because they’re pirates, but because they’re humans…

ship: mermaid!reader x prince/pirate!seonghwa x pirate!hongjoong

genre: little mermaid!au, pirate!au, angst, fantasy, romance, fluff

word count: 3.1k

chapter one ☠️ chapter two ☠️ chapter three ☠️ chapter four ☠️ chapter five ☠️chapter six ☠️ chapter seven ☠️ chapter eight ☠️ chapter nine ☠️ chapter eleven ☠️ chapter twelve ☠️ chapter thirteen ☠️ spotify playlist

During the past couple of days spent inside the comfortable pool Hongjoong had built with the help of his crewmates, you felt closer to Seonghwa than ever. He opened up more and shared things about his past you hadn't known before. He told you about his first meeting with Hongjoong and about his life as a prince. 

But the one part you couldn't stop thinking about was how Seonghwa asked a kind wizard (unlike the sea witch who had turned your poor cousin into sea foam) living in a lighthouse to transform his face into something different. So that he wouldn't be recognized by his parents who had ordered Ariel killed. You couldn't stop thinking about...if someone like that really existed, would he help you? But hope was a dangerous thing and you couldn't bring yourself to ask Seonghwa directly. You wanted to be certain your request would come true and only then, could you tell him. What good would it do to give him false hope? So, you decided to approach Wooyoung and San. Maybe they'd heard about this good-hearted wizard. Maybe they would be able to help you find him.

"Woo! San!" you whispered loud enough for only the two of them to hear you without waking Soojin from her afternoon nap.

"Are you sure you want to talk to us?" Wooyoung looked utterly confused.

"I called you by your names, didn't I?" you pointed out.

"Last time I checked, we're neither Seonghwa nor Hongjoong," San joked.

"Right! And you've been spending all your time with these two," Wooyoung observed.

"Aren't we friends?" you pouted.

"Sure, what's up?" San relented.

"Great, I need your help. And I also need your discretion. Can I count on you?"

"Oh, you've picked the wrong person," San chuckled. "Woo's the biggest gossip across all the seas."

"Hey!" Wooyoung groaned indignantly. "Don't listen to my boyfriend. You can trust us, Y/N."

"I'm starting to have second thoughts..." you admitted. "But I don't have another choice."

"How flattering," San mumbled sarcastically.

"I didn't mean it like that!" you defended yourself. "Okay, so, the thing is I want to find this wizard who lives in a lighthouse. But I can't get out of the pool and back into the sea on my own, so here we are."

"Hm, I've heard of him," Wooyoung replied. "But I don't get why not ask Seonghwa or Hongjoong to help you into the sea."

"I mentioned discretion, didn't I? The reason I need to find the wizard is of a very delicate manner so I can't let them know just yet."

"Don't tell me you want to give up being a mermaid!" San exclaimed.

"Shh! Not exactly. But I've been wondering if there is a way to...sometimes have legs, sometimes a tail. I know it sounds impossible, but I can't know for sure until I've talked to the wizard in the lighthouse. I've heard he's really good at transformations. I believe it's worth the try."

"Okay, we'll help you," Wooyoung promised. "But only if you let us come with you. Facing wizards on your own does not sound safe."

"Even if they have a reputation of being nice?" you reasoned.

"Wooyoung is right. Wizards are unpredictable, so we'll have to escort you," San insisted.

"Wouldn't Seonghwa and Hongjoong get suspicious if we're all missing at once?" you worried.

"Not if we return by morning. If things don't go according to plan, we can just tell them you wanted to go for a swim in the sea and we took the boat to go fishing or something," Wooyoung suggested cleverly.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," you nodded. "Let's go rightaway so that we can be back by sunrise!"

"Not so fast, sweeties," you suddenly heard Soojin's voice. You had no idea she was awake.

"Soojin!" you exclaimed in surprise. "How much of it did you hear?"

"Enough to know you'll have to take me with you. Unless you want me to tell Seonghwa where you're going."

"Are you blackmailing me?" you croaked in disbelief. "My own sister!"

"Call it what you want. I want to come with."

"To stop us or..."

"No, silly!" Soojin laughed. "If there is a way to keep my tail and have legs occasionally, I want to have that, too."

"Oh. Alright, then, shall we get going?"

"I don't see why not," San replied.

After he and Wooyoung helped you and Soojin out of the pool and back into the sea, the two pirates lowered the boat and the four of you embarked on a journey to find the mysterious good-hearted wizard living in a lighthouse. By the time you discovered the lighthouse, it was already night. You and your sister had been swimming for hours, while San and Wooyoung had been rowing the boat. You wondered if it was all a myth or if there was a grain of truth to the whole story. You would determine what it was soon enough. Approaching the lighthouse at a safe distance, you looked at your friends and sister, unsure what your next move should be.

"What do I say?"

"I don't know, Y/N, it was your idea in the first place," Wooyoung pointed out, completely unhelpful.

You rolled your eyes and decided to improvize. You'd gotten this far already, you wouldn't back out now.

"Oh, great wizard of the lighthouse, we have come to seek your assistance!" you exclaimed, a bit too melodramatically. But oh well, it was too late to change your words.

No response came. You sighed, not daring to hope for any.

"Well, we tried," you shrugged and no sooner had you done that than the door to the lighthouse opened.

Out of it, a very tall figure appeared. It was too dark to discern his features properly, but you could tell that he had quite the strong presence. However, you weren't scared of him. Rather, you felt curious to hear what he would say.

"You must new around here," he observed. "Those who've met me know there is no need for such theatrics."

"I'm sorry," you mumbled. "Wasn't sure how to address you."

"Yunho will be fine," the wizard introduced himself. "And you are?"

"Y/N and this is my sister Soojin."

"And we're Wooyoung and San," your friends added.

"What brings two mermaids and two pirates in front of my home?" Yunho asked.

"How did he know we are pirates?" San whispered in disbelief.

"He's a wizard, remember?" Wooyoung responded in a hushed tone.

Yunho chuckled, utterly amused by your and San’s clueless nature.

"Um, I was wondering if there is a way to...have legs at times but not lose my tail permanently," you admitted.

"Same here," Soojin murmured nervously.

"It won't be easy but it's not impossible," Yunho nodded thoughtfully.

"What will it cost?" you inquired. If it meant losing your voice or life like it had happened to your cousin, it wouldn't be worth it.

"What do you mean?" the wizard tilted his head in confusion.

"I mean, what do I have to give up?"

"Give up?" Yunho mimicked your voice. "You don't have to give up anything. Did you think I would take away something from you like that greedy sea witch?"

"Honestly? I wasn't even sure you're real," you confessed.

"Well, here I am," Yunho laughed.

"Is there seriously no catch?" Soojin was stunned.

"Why would you help complete strangers and get nothing in return?" you wanted to know.

"Why not?" Yunho reasoned. "And it's not nothing. If I ever need the help of a mermaid or a pirate, I'll know who to contact."

"I suppose that's sensible. But still, I'm amazed such a selfless person even exists."

"Not a person," Yunho reminded you. "But I appreciate the sentiment, nonetheless. As for the transformation spell, the only solution I can think of is to bind your human nature to the sun and your fish nature to the moon. In other words, you would have legs during the day and a tail during the night."

"Sounds pretty good to me," you cried out excitedly.

"I also think it's suitable," Soojin said.

Yunho sighed, as if disappointed by how quickly you'd agreed to it.

"Are you sure you want me to do this? Once the binding spell is complete, it will be irreversible. It is absolutely mandatory that you two are in the water whenever the sun sets and the moon lights up the night sky."

"Relax, we've survived quite some time in a fishnet without water. I'm sure we can handle anything."

"You don't understand," Yunho explained. "You would no longer be mermaids in the broad sense of the word. Such a binding spell may have unexpected side affects. During the day while the sun is out you would behave more like humans. During the night and especially during a full moon...you could be more like sirens."

"Are you saying there's a chance we could hurt the people we love?" you asked, worried that this whole thing sounded too good to be true.

"Anything is possible. Which is why you must be absolutely certain this is what you want."

You and Soojin exchanged a meaningful glance. You already knew you were on the exact same page.

"Even if it is dangerous, our decision remains the same. We will do our best not to hurt anyone and we'll warn those close to us of the possible side effects."

"I don't know you well enough, but something is telling me to trust you," Yunho admitted reluctantly.

"I could say the same thing about you," you teased. "Oh, great wizard Yunho of the lighthouse."

The tall man simply chuckled.

"Are you ready?"

"Are you?"

☠️☠️☠️

Seonghwa's POV

I woke up to Hongjoong's arms around me. Despite the foolish deal he'd made with some demon, I could understand the logic behind his decision. I probably would do the same thing if it meant saving one of our crewmates. They were all like family to me and I would rather die than let anything bad happen to them. So I was glad that Hongjoong was still here. And determined to make sure he stayed exactly where he was. I didn't care what it would take. I would face the demon myself or come up with a plan. I had finally gained so much. Hongjoong and Y/N - my two loves - were finally getting along. I would be a fool to lose it. I gave Joong a quick kiss and gently removed myself from his arms. I smiled at his sleeping figure and started dressing up for the day. The first destination I wanted to visit was Y/N and Soojin's pool. I hoped they slept comfortably and was looking forward to talking to them.

The minute I walked out onto the deck, I realized something was wrong. The pool was empty. And the whole ship was uncharacteristically quiet. I told myself not to panic but that didn't help much so I hurried towards Yeosang's room, hoping he knew what the hell was going on. I disturbed his sleep in vain, for he seemed just as clueless as I was in connection to Y/N and Soojin's current location. Which was extremely troubling, to say the least. After that, we entered Wooyoung and San's room, hoping they would have an answer. Imagine my distress when I couldn't find them either.

"Should we wake Hongjoong up?" Yeosang suggested.

"We don't seem to have a choice. Two missing mermaids and two missing pirates is quite the disaster."

"I just hope they're alive," Yeosang sighed.

"They have to be."

Once we informed Hongjoong of our disturbing discovery, we were disappointed, but not surprised to find out he also had no clue of these four's whereabouts. We were getting a little desperate, so we went to Mingi, our prisoner, to see if he'd heard anything. Being locked away had made him surprisingly cooperative and pliant so he simply replied that he wished he could help, but had unfortunately, no knowledge on the issue. Him being so nice to us was a little suspicious but we still left him some food and water. We were pirates, but not monsters, after all.

As soon as we returned to the deck again, the three of us saw that the sun had already risen. And in the middle of the sea, a small boat was advancing towards the ship. Inside, there were four figures. It was too far to tell their faces apart but something inside me ignited a flame of recognition. It was them.

"We were so worried that the four of you had disappeared without a trace," I scolded them as soon as the boat was in earshot.

"Aren't you going to congratulate me on my fresh set of legs?" Y/N exclaimed.

"Please, don't tell me what you had to give up," I sighed.

"Absolutely nothing. You'll have to thank your wizard friend for that."

"You met Yunho? Why didn't you just ask me to take you to him?"

"She wanted to surprise you, dumbass," Wooyoung interfered.

"Say another word, Woo, and I'll beat your ass!" I vowed angrily.

"Relax, honey," Hongjoong put his hand on top of mine. "The most important thing is that our friends are safe."

"You're beautiful, Soojin! With or without a tail" in the meantime, Yeosang was gushing at his girlfriend.

"So are you, Sangie! With or without a hand!"

"Ah, young love," San lamented wistfully, abandoned the boat and started climbing on the ship's ladder. "Remember when we were like that, Woo?"

"What are you talking about? We're still like that," Wooyoung pointed out, following him right behind.

"He's right," Hongjoong chuckled. "You guys are so in love it's gross."

"And if it isn't the pot calling the kettle black," San murmured.

"I will kill you both for sneaking out without telling us! We thought you got kidnapped or something!" I insisted, pointing a finger at Wooyoung and San who had just boarded the ship, while Hongjoong and Yeosang were trying their best to hold me back.

"Hey, this was Y/N's idea! Why are you attacking us for simply escorting her and Soojin?" Wooyoung complained.

"Because Hwa is a perfectly refined gentleman. He wouldn't harm a lady," Hongjoong defended me.

"Oh, so I'm a lady now?" Y/N giggled. She had just successfully made use of her legs to get on the ship. And as angry as I was, I couldn't resist the temptation and embraced her tightly.

"You're lucky you're so cute," I whispered.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Hwa," she mumbled into my chest. "Don't get mad at Woo and San, they just did what I asked them to."

"Next time you need anything, just turn to me, okay?" I begged her. "No more surprises."

"I'll have that in mind. Speaking of, I have to tell you something."

"Shall I ask the guys to leave or...?"

"No, it's fine. Wooyoung and San already know, but I think it's sensible to tell all of you."

"Sure, what is it?"

☠️☠️☠️

Hongjoong's POV

When Y/N and Soojin were finished telling their story of their encounter with the wizard of the lighthouse, silence reigned over the deck. While I was happy that they had achieved their wish to have legs during the day and tails during the night, I wasn't very fond of the implications of such a decision. Yunho had warned them of possible side effects and they had decided to go for it anyway. Naturally, I wasn't scared for myself. I'd had my fair share of adventures and facing actual sirens was one of them. And on top of that, I had sold my soul to a demon. So, it couldn't get any worse for me, could it? But I was a bit worried of what these side effects could mean for Seonghwa and Yeosang, in particular. Wooyoung and San were perfectly immune to feminine charms. But Hwa and Sangie’s affections for the mermaids were so strong I feared they wouldn't be cautious enough around them, especially during a full moon. A siren's nature was too captivating and dangerous to control. I had grown used to Y/N and Soojin's presence, but as mermaids. I couldn't picture how they would behave as sirens. As long as I was around, I was confident I could protect my crewmates. But one day the demon would come to collect...And my friends would be on their own. I wouldn't be able to do anything to save them. And that terrified the hell out of me.

"I know what you're thinking," Y/N was the first to interrupt the silence. "But I swear, Soojin and I will learn how to control our siren nature. And if you don't trust us enough to let us remain in the pool at night or during a full moon, we will return to the sea and come back to the ship with the sunrise."

"I'm with her on that one," Soojin added. "We'll do anything to make sure you feel safe around us. The last thing we would want is for you to feel threatened."

"I trust you both," Seonghwa replied in a most serious tone. "But can he say the same?"

Without even looking up, I knew he was referring to me. It was clear that Wooyoung and San didn't worry much about these potential side effects. Yeosang hadn't spoken his mind yet, but I was fairly certain he shared Seonghwa's opinion on the matter. Which left me, of course. I had to weigh in my next words very carefully. I didn't want to put my crewmates' lives in danger. But I also didn't want to lose the fragile friendship I had somehow formed with the mermaids despite all my shortcomings. And last but certainly not least, I didn't want to do something that would mess up things between me and Seonghwa.

"Honestly? I don't even trust myself," I admitted darkly. "But we're all on the same team now. You're welcome to stay for as long as you wish. We'll deal with whatever comes our way together."

Way to go, Hongjoong. That's one hell of a speech that would undoubtedly end up in a disaster. But what was I supposed to say? It would be too cruel to kick them out considering the possible reasoning behind their decision.

To my surprise, Y/N ran towards me in gratitude, landing on my lap and attacking my neck with kisses.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! We won't let you down," she promised.

"You gotta stop doing things like that unexpectedly," I joked, even though a small (okay, that was a lie, maybe it wasn't that small) part of me wanted her to do the exact opposite.

"You kinda like it, though," Y/N observed. And damn it, she wasn't wrong.

To be continued…

[redhoodssweetheart]

By the Sea Part Seven

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Mermaid!Reader

Requested: No (Requests are closed except for a few, see pinned post for details. I also no longer do taglists)

Word Count: 2.2K

Warnings: Angst, fluff, drunk Bucky

Description:  Y/N is a mermaid that longs for the land.  Her friend Natasha tells her that she knows a human who will take care of her and leads her there, she only has one rule: do not under any circumstances fall in love with a human.  But Steve’s friend Bucky is drawing her in, in ways she hadn’t expected.  Will Y/N be able to return to the ocean once her stay in the human realm is complete?  And what happens when Natasha learns that Y/N is betrothed to be married to their king’s son?  Will she drag her friend back or keep her hidden amongst the humans?

“I’m opening my own flower shop!”  Y/N told Natasha excitedly as she sat on a rock admiring the night sky.  “Steve is going to help me get some flowers together, and there’s a free space in the town where I can open it.  Steve thinks that it will do very well since we don’t have another flower shop here.”

Natasha smiled, she was happy to see how excited Y/N was over this.  “So you finally figured out what you wanted to do with your life here, huh?”

Y/N nodded and looked away from the sky to meet her friend’s gaze, “I did.  It’s all thanks to Bucky too.  He was the one that gave me the idea.  We were in his studio and I asked him how he knew he wanted to be a painter.  He told me that it was a part of him, a part of his soul.  He asked me what I liked to do and I always did enjoy watching the flowers grow on the island.  From there he came up with the idea.”

Natasha took one of Y/N hands in hers, “Y/N, tell me truthfully.  Do you have feelings for Bucky?”

Y/N blinked, surprised by Natasha’s question.  “We’re friends if that’s what you mean.”

Natasha shook her head, “Y/N, are you falling in love with him?”

Y/N was taken aback by her friend’s question, “You made me promise that I wouldn’t, and I haven’t!”

Natasha sighed, “I know I made you promise not to fall in love, but sometimes love sneaks up on you and takes you by surprise.  I know you know why I made you promise not to, but.... I think I was wrong.”  Y/N was shocked to hear her friend say this, she hadn’t been expecting it.  “Bucky isn’t like the man that betrayed my trust and broke my heart, he’s different.  He’s one of Steve’s closest friends and he seems kind-hearted.”

“What are you trying to say, Natasha?”  Y/N asked in confusion.

“I’m saying that if you’re falling in love with Bucky, I’d be okay with you breaking your promise to me.  And now that I know you want to stay it’s unfair of me to ask you not to fall in love.  You’re trying to build a life here and if you wish to marry and fall in love with someone then you have every right to do so.  Don’t let my promise stop you from having something great.”

Y/N was quiet for a moment, “I don’t know if I’m falling in love with Bucky, but I know I care about him deeply.  And I know that I love spending time with him.  I can’t imagine not having him in my life.”

Natasha smiled and squeezed Y/N’s hand, “Do you feel this fluttery feeling in your stomach whenever he’s around?  Whenever he smiles at you?”  Y/N nodded.  “Do you find yourself constantly thinking about him or wondering if he’s okay?”  Y/N nodded again.  “Then I think you’re falling in love with him.”

Y/N’s eyes widened, “Do you think he knows?!”  Natasha laughed at her friend’s panicked look.  “This isn’t funny!”  Y/N cried indigently.

Natasha was still giggling, “No, you��re right, I’m sorry.  It’s just… I remember these days and Steve went through the same thing with me.  Don’t worry about it, Y/N.  Men can sometimes be oblivious to our feelings for them.  And if he has noticed then it’s not the end of the world.  Just let things unfold naturally.”

Y/N chewed on her lip before saying, “Natasha, if he loves me back I’ll have to tell him the truth about what I am won’t I?”

Natasha paused, she hadn’t thought about that.  Y/N had a point though.  If she were to truly be with Bucky then she would have to tell him the truth.  “I think that would be best.  You can’t keep something like this from him.  You disappear at night to come here to transform, he would get suspicious.  Steve can help you tell him if the time ever comes, until that day arrives just try to live in the moment.”

As Y/N walked up the beach that night to get back to Steve’s she thought over her conversation with Natasha about how she was slowly starting to fall in love with Bucky.  She didn’t know how it had happened, but she could see it.  The two of them had been spending more time with one another since they had first met and he had taken her to the lookout point.

He was sweet and she loved his smile and how he always seemed to paint her.  How he didn’t mind her endless questions about art and how she always invaded his studio.  He never grew impatient with her or threw her out.  In fact, it seemed as if he wanted to spend more and more time with her.  Some days he would show up at Steve’s to have breakfast with her.

Steve had watched their budding romance quietly, he knew Natasha might not like it, but he couldn’t bear the thought of tearing the two of them apart.  Especially since both of them seemed so happy in one another's company.  Even the others had noticed how close they had grown to one another.  Steve had even teased Bucky about hearing wedding bells in his future.

Bucky was still in his studio surrounded by the paintings he had done of Y/N in the past few weeks.  She was slowly becoming his muse and he loved it when she would smile at him, her whole face seeming to light up.  There was something special about her, something that drew him to her.

He knew he was falling in love with her, but he wasn’t sure if she was falling for him as well.  He was a little scared to ask her for fear of making things awkward.  Clint said that he was being ridiculous and needed to tell Y/N the truth.

Bucky was putting away a new painting of his when the door to his studio opened and Sam entered carrying a bottle of wine.  “Come out with us, Bucky,” he began.  “You’ve been spending all your time here working on your paintings of Y/N that you haven’t spent much time with us in a while.”

Bucky sighed, “They’re not all of Y/N, you make me sound like a creep.”

Sam rolled his eyes, “Whatever, just come out with us.  Steve is joining us and it’s going to be a regular old party.”

Bucky sighed, he knew that Sam wasn’t going to take no for an answer, “All right, I’ll come, but I’m not staying out too late.  I’ve got a busy day tomorrow.  I’m supposed to help Y/N start setting up her shop.”

Sam waved a hand dismissively, “It’ll be fine.  Now come one, we’re supposed to meet the others at Isiah’s bar.”

The two of them hurried toward the bar where the others had already started the party.  Mugs of beer were passed around and some shots of whiskey were downed.  Bucky knew right then and there that he was going to be sorely regretting his choice to come out in the morning.

The others cheered when they saw that Sam had managed to coax Bucky out of his studio and ordered a beer for their friend.  As the night passed on more drinks were shared.  Finally, Bucky stood, swaying slightly on his feet, “I’m gonna go.”  His words were slurred and he rested his hands on the table to keep from falling over.  “Enjoy the rest of your evening, boys.”

They cheered as Bucky stumbled away from their table and out the door of the bar.  At first, he wasn’t sure where he was going, and then he decided he wanted to see Y/N.  He set down the path toward Steve’s home, his mind fuzzy as he walked.  He had to tell her that he loved her.  Yeah, she had to know how he felt about her.

When he reached Steve’s house he rounded the side toward where the water was.  Steve would have given her a room with a view of the ocean beyond.  The house was dark and he pouted, was she already asleep?  How late was it?

He was just about to shout her name when he heard, “Bucky?”  He turned and saw her coming up behind him, a worried look on her face, “Is something wrong?”

He grinned at her, “Y/N!”  She knew instantly that something was wrong.  “I came to see you.”

As she got closer she could smell the alcohol on his breath, “Are you drunk?”

He waved a hand, “Pssh, no! I’m not drunk, I just had a few drinks with the boys this evening, that's all.”

She shook her head, leave it to the others to intoxicate him and then leave him alone to find his way home.  “Come on, let’s get you inside.” 

She took him inside and began helping him up the stairs, “Y/N, I have something I want to tell you.”  

She hummed, “Can it wait until I get you into a bed first?”

They were on the second floor now and he tugged her to a stop, “No!  It can’t wait, this is important.”  Y/N looked up at him, she watched as he swayed and looked down mumbling something to himself.  He took in a deep breath and then looked back at her, “Y/N, I love you.”  Y/N paused and took a step back, Bucky frowned.  “I knew it, you don’t love me back.  I told the others that there was no way, you only saw me as a friend.”  He sunk down to the floor, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting like a child.

Y/N came too from the shock and knelt down in front of him, he wouldn’t look at her, and she wanted to chuckle at how cute he looked when he pouted.  “Bucky, look at me.”  He shook his head.  “Please?”  He huffed and met her gaze.  “I love you too,” that got him to smile, his wide goofy smile.  “But tomorrow when you wake up I want you to tell me again, okay?  I want to hear it when you’re not intoxicated.”

He nodded his head enthusiastically, “I will!”  She helped him to his feet and into one of the guest rooms, he was even more clingy now and he kept telling her what he loved about her.  “I love your eyes, your hair, how smart you are, how you get flustered whenever I ask you to pose for me.”

She covered him up and kissed his forehead, “Get some rest, Bucky.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Y/N?”  She paused and turned back to him.  “Stay with me?”

She smiled, “Get some rest, Bucky.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

He pouted again, but slid under the covers and promptly passed out.  Y/N stood in the doorway for a bit to make sure that he was going to be okay before getting into her own bed and trying to go to sleep herself.

In the morning when Bucky woke up he had a massive headache and he didn’t recognize where he was.  It took a moment for him to realize that he was in one of Steve’s guest rooms.  He hadn’t been awake long before Y/N entered the room carrying a tray with food and some tea.  She had just taken care of Steve and informed him that the younger man was here as well.  Steve had told her what to bring him to help with his hangover.

“Morning,” she smiled shyly at him, wondering if he remembered their conversation.  Steve had explained to her that sometimes people couldn’t remember things from when they were drunk.  She wondered if that would be Bucky’s case.  “I brought some tea and breakfast.”

Bucky groaned and rubbed his throbbing head, “Please tell me I didn’t do anything embarrassing last night.”

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” she teased, which made him want to crawl back under the covers and die.

“What did I say?”  He had to know if he had said anything inappropriate.  

Her face fell a little and it didn’t go unnoticed by Bucky, “Nothing important.  Eat your breakfast while I run a warm bath for you.”

He wanted to stop her to ask her what he had said, but she disappeared into the bathroom before he could do that.  He ate quickly and then entered the bathroom where Y/N was checking the water temperature with her hand.  “Y/N?”  She looked up at him from her spot on the floor.  “What did I say?”

She forced a smile, “Nothing important like I said.  Don’t worry, most of it was just drunken gibberish.”

He stopped her as she went to leave, “I don’t believe you and I hate the thought that I did or said something to upset you.  I can see it in your eyes.”

“Don’t worry Bucky, it wasn’t anything inappropriate or malicious.  Just let it go.”  She quickly made her escape, leaving Bucky alone in the bathroom.

[soybeantree]

a baby changes everything pt.2

pairing: do kyungsoo x (reader) genre/warning: artificial insemination, fluff word count: 3.6k description: when you decided to have a baby, you knew everything would change, but this is not what you expected… parts: o1 | a/n: october installment of our ‘trying to write a kyungsoo story for every month that he is gone’ series.

A fresh pile of folders thuds on your desk, and you raise an eye to the Filing Clerk who offers a weak smile. “You said you wanted the reports from the last three years.”

You did. You need them, but they forebode a long day. “Park wants my analysis by this evening?” You clarify, and he nods. You return the gesture before grabbing a clip and twisting 

your hair up and out of your face. No time like the present to begin. 

An alert sounds on your phone when you’re at the halfway point of the report pile. Resurfacing from the sea of numbers, you check the notification and suppress a string of curses. “Parent Teacher Conference” flashes on the screen. You had forgotten. You had promised your son you would remember, and you had forgotten.

The remaining half of the report pile mocks you. You have thirty minutes until the conference and no hope of making it through in time. You swipe away the alert to reveal your lock screen, a photo from Theo’s seventh birthday. Theo had covered the both of you in cake while Kyungsoo, standing behind you, managed to remain cake-free. You pick up the phone to call in the cavalry.

When you had chosen to undergo artificial insemination, against the advice and protestation of your family, you had been prepared to be a single mother. You knew, or at least thought you knew, the challenges you would face and were prepared to handle each one as they arose. After the first weeks with no sleep, no chance to shower, and no concept of self, you had been more than happy to have someone who would come on the first call.

Kyungsoo answers on the first ring. As the heir and president of a multinational corporation, one would expect to reach a secretary or voice-mail, but he answers each time. 

“If Theo is still insisting that his grandfather will get him a pony for Christmas, know that I have spoken with his grandfather about it.”

“Theo hasn’t said anything about a pony.” You switch the phone to your other ear and close the file in front of you. “Have I missed a conversation?” The other end remains silent.

“Rather than offer other suggestions for your call, please tell me why you are calling.” 

You chew the inside of your cheek for a moment before deciding the parent teacher conference is the more pressing issue. Kyungsoo agrees the moment you mention it. He already had it on his schedule. You can hear him climbing into his car before the call ends. With crisis averted, you return to the pile of reports.

Kyungsoo texts you when the conference ends – it went well - and asks if he can take Theo to dinner and ice cream. You agree. You have nearly finished your analysis but still need to do some grocery shopping, and grocery shopping is always easier without a seven-year-old. 

They are waiting at the park down the street from your apartment when you walk by with your arm full of groceries. The bags dig into your arms, and a stray strand of hair refuses to leave your eye alone no matter how many times you blow it out of the way. After another failed attempt, you call out to the two. Theo stops mid jabber and races towards you. His face bright with enthusiasm. He restarts his jabbering as he skids to a stop in front of you. Kyungsoo follows at a milder pace. You glance from your son to him. “I take it you know what he’s saying.” You joke as you shift a bag further up your hip and blow at the stray strand again.

“Only because I was there when it happened.” He reaches forward and brushes the strand behind your ear. His fingertips graze your temple as he does. A shiver races down your spine, and you blame it on the cool autumn breeze. Taking one of the bags from you, he starts down the sidewalk to your apartment.

“I was telling you about the parent teacher conference...which you missed.” Theo huffs as he stretches his legs to match his father’s gait. You walk beside him, sandwiching the boy between you and Kyungsoo.

“I do want to hear all about that, but first what’s this I hear about a pony?” You stare down at him, and he stares at his shoes, his shoulders rising to cover his ears. “Theo?”

“The last time I was with grandpa I just said I would like a pony. I didn’t mean he had to buy me one.” He darts his gaze to you, then to his dad. Kyungsoo keeps a straight face as he stares ahead, so your son turns back to you.

You shake your head, and he smiles a toothless grin. He had lost another tooth a week ago and took every opportunity to show off the incoming big boy tooth. “What have I told you about your grandfather?”

He sighs, his tiny frame collapsing with the loss of breath, but he manages to roll his head back and stares up at the night sky. “Just because Grandpa has all the money doesn’t mean I should ask him for everything.”

“Because?”

“Because things do not make me happy.” His conviction is lacking, but you nod, encouraging him on. “And I have everything I need.”

“That’s right.” You three stop in front of the entrance to your apartment building. “Now, take that grocery bag from your father and thank him for all his help today.” His body droops even further, but he holds out his arms.

Kyungsoo clutches the bag tighter to him. “I can carry it up.”

“That’s okay. You’ve done enough.” The words slip out before you can comprehend their double meaning. Kyungsoo’s face turns to stone. “I’m sure you have work waiting for you.” You try to salvage the situation. “And Theo is more than capable of carrying groceries.”

He nods. A forced smile pushes against his cheeks, but he drops to his knees to pull Theo into a one-armed hug before handing him the bag. When he stands, you two stare at each other. His fingers twitch, ready to reach out for you. And he could. It would be normal, natural, but you remain rooted to the concrete. In the end, he waves, an awkward gesture, and is gone.

Even after seven years, you are still trying to figure out your relationship with Kyungsoo. When you had selected sperm for insemination, you had never expected to meet the donor or have any form of relationship with him. Fate is funny though. Before you had even given birth to Theo, Kyungsoo entered your life. He was there when Theo was born, and within that first month stepped into the role of co-parent. He watched him take his first steps, have his first birthday, go off to his first day of school. But he has also stood beside you when you quit your job, when you needed a plus-one to social functions, when your dad had his heart attack. Co-parent no longer seems to fit him, but nothing else does.

“I think my teacher likes Dad.” Theo pulls you back to the present as you reach your front door.

You unlock the door and hold it open for him, sneaking through with the groceries before it closes on you. “Why do you say that?”

“Because she kept going like this while we were talking.” He faces you and flutters his eyelashes. “And she laughed at everything he said, and you said that if a girl does those things it means she likes you.”

You nod along, the conversation fresh in your memory. He had come home in a state last week with many questions about girls. You had answered as many of them as you could and told him some would have to wait until he was older.

Setting the grocery bags on the counter, you start to pull things out and hand Theo the cold food for him to put away in the fridge. “Do you think your dad liked her back?” The question surprises you.

Theo shakes his head. “No. He kept doing this:” he clears his throat, loudly and pointedly, “anytime she asked him a question that wasn’t about me.”

You smother a snort and mask any sound which may have escaped with the folding of the bags. “That sounds like your dad.” The image of Kyungsoo in a too small desk forcing a starry-eyed woman back on topic threatens to unleash another snort.

“Mom, do you like Dad?” You choke on air as you face Theo. He stares at you all innocence.

“Of course, I like your dad. He’s a good dad.” You grab a handful of groceries and head for the pantry before he can ask a follow up question. “Now tell me what you talked about with your teacher and slower this time.”

He huffs but answers. “She said I should join a sports club because it would be good for my social development.” His voice goes high and airy with the last words, and you know he is quoting her verbatim. 

“What did your dad say?” You ask as you grab the remaining food and head back to the pantry. 

“He agreed with my teacher, and she gave him a list of the clubs.” Theo closes the fridge and climbs up on one of the counter’s stools. 

“Do you have the list?” He shakes his head, and you make a mental note to ask Kyungsoo for a copy. “Do you want to join one of the clubs?” He nods. “Which one?”

“Soccer.”

You change the mental note to ask Kyungsoo what you will need to do to sign him up and who to contact about schedules and equipment. “That sounds fun. Now, you’ve still got an hour of homework time before bed.” He groans, but you pat him on the butt, shooing him off to his room.

“Mom, where are my cleats?”

“In your closet on the bottom shelf.” You hear the clatter of toppling boxes, followed by thuds which you assume are shoes being thrown aside. Someone will have a room to clean after their game. You make the mental note as you finish up the snack pack: almonds, grapes, and dark chocolate, a perfect pick me up during half time.

“Theo, are you ready?” You ask as you dump ice on the top of the cooler bag and zip it up. After two more crashes, your son appears in the kitchen, dressed in his full kit including his cleats. “What have I told you about wearing your cleats in the house?”

“Mom!” He whines, his shoulders dropping in exasperation. He, thankfully, refrains from stomping his foot.

“Don’t ‘mom’ me. Do you see those scuffs on the floor?” He twists his torso to glance at the living room floor he nonchalantly raced through. Thin white lines scar the dark wood. He faces you again and offers a grimace in apology. “Take them off, put them in your bag, and wear your sneakers until we get to the field.”

He opens his mouth, ready to protest, but one look from you silences him. He crouches down and begins to unlace his cleats. “Is dad almost here?” Kyungsoo had offered to pick you and Theo up, saving you from a forty-five-minute bus ride. 

“Yes,” you grab your phone from the counter to double check his last text. “By the time you finish what I told you to do, he will be here.” Tucking the phone in your back pocket, you grab your purse.

“Which car is he bringing?” Theo glances up at you, cleats in hand. His eyes shine with expectation. 

“Why does that matter?” You cross your arms and arch a brow.

He has the decency to look sheepish. “I was just wondering.”

“And I was just wondering how long it’s going to take you to put on your sneakers.” He darts off and you shake your head. 

Theo reappears wearing his sneakers and with his athletic bag slung over his shoulder. You do a final check of the apartment before grabbing the cooler bag and heading down to the parking garage where you know Kyungsoo will be waiting. 

He is waiting by the elevator doors. The cooler bag is off your shoulder before you even start your greeting, not that you have a chance to give one. Theo is off, talking a mile a minute, as soon as he sees his dad. Kyungsoo smiles and nods along to the excited chatter. He offers you a smile, the only greeting he can manage with Theo’s barrage. You return the greeting as you follow him to his car which to Theo’s delight is the Range Rover. 

“Soobin is going to be so jealous!” He comments as he climbs in.

“One of his teammates.” You answer Kyungsoo’s furrowed brow. “Apparently, he and Theo have a bit of rivalry about whose dad is better.”

“Mine is. Soobin is stupid.”

“Theo!” You scold. Kyungsoo closes the door, saving him from your reprimand. You glare at him, but he is already walking to the back to place the cooler in the trunk. “Boys.” You sigh as you climb into the car. 

Theo’s team wins. While neither of the goals was his, he did have an assist. Soobin did score a goal, and the brewing foul mood was visible to both you and Kyungsoo which was why you both enthusiastically celebrated his skills when he trudged over after the game. Kyungsoo picked him up, a feat which will become impossible in the coming years, and promised dinner at his favorite restaurant.

The three of you sit around a table laden with food. Kyungsoo had also promised him he could have anything he wanted off the menu, and Theo, the growing boy that he is, ordered more than he could consume in five dinners. You throw a look at Kyungsoo as the waiter places the last dish on the table, but he shrugs and helps Theo load food onto his plate. You grab a plate of your own and begin to fill it more modestly. 

“Has work calmed down at all?” Kyungsoo asks as Theo’s mouth is too full to continue talking.

You shake your head. “Unfortunately, not. I have a pile of folders on my desk waiting for me on Monday, and I’m sure more folders will be added to it before Monday even arrives. Mr. Park said he would hire an assistant for me, but I have yet to hear of any interviews, though I’ve reminded him.” You pause, biting on your fork as you think. “Three times now. I’m ready to send him a very nasty email depending on how bad Monday is.”

“I do know the CEO of your company.” Kyungsoo suggests as he leans across the table to grab a side dish. “We’ve attended social functions together.”

“Don’t you dare.” You wag your fork at him. “I am more than capable of handling Mr. Park. Besides, he’s not that bad, and I wouldn’t want him peeing his pants after a phone call from the CEO.”

“You still pee your pants as a grown up?” Theo joins the conversation, horror contorting his features. He had to wear pull-ups to bed until he was four. When he went a whole week without wetting the bed, Kyungsoo had taken you two on a weekend trip to the beach. 

“Some people do, especially if you get a call from your boss’s boss’s boss.” You side eye Kyungsoo. He smothers a smile. “You don’t have anything to worry about though. You dad would never let that happen to you.”

“Of course not, because dad is going to be my boss.” Confidence brims from his eyes as he inhales another mouthful. You glance at Kyungsoo who shakes his head. 

“Theo, where did you hear that?” He asks.

“Grandpa.” Though with all the food in his mouth, it sounds more like “fampfa”. He swallows and continues. “He said that when I grow-up I’m going to work at the company and when dad is done working that I’m going to have his job.”

“Do you want to work at my company?” Kyungsoo’s question eases the chokehold that you have on your fork, and you reach for your glass of water as you remind yourself to remain calm. 

Kyungsoo put an end to his family’s machinations to steal your son long before Theo was born.

Theo’s lips purse, and he rocks his head from side to side before shaking it firmly. “I don’t think so. Your work is boring. I want to have a fun job.” Kyungsoo snorts. The uncharacteristic gesture pulls a laugh from you. Within moments, the table is full of laughter.

The combination of the game, a full meal, and the gentle hum of the car ride puts Theo to sleep before you reach home. Kyungsoo carries him up to the apartment for you. While you know you should wake him to shower and change, his face, soft with sleep, convinces you to let Kyungsoo place him in his bed. You need to wash the sheets anyway.

Kyungsoo returns to the kitchen as you are pulling a bottle of wine from the hiding place in the pantry. “A nightcap?” He asks, stopping at the counter. 

“I need a drink.” You go to the cabinet and pull out two glass. “Would you like some?” He nods, and you fill both, yours a little more generously than his.

He cups the glass, swirling the liquid, as you take a large gulp of yours. “Is this about my father?” He watches the dark liquid coat the edges of the glass.

You lean back against the counter next to him and nod. “I’m grateful that Theo has a relationship with his grandfather, but I need him to realize that Theo is not his heir and that he can’t just buy him whatever he wants. At the same time though, I wonder if I am a bad mom because I’m stopping someone from buying him a pony.”

“You’re not a bad mom. Theo doesn’t need a pony. If he was going to pursue Equestrian Sports, maybe.” He shrugs, smiling at you. “But I think he is happy with soccer.”

You snort, taking another sip of your wine. “Did you do Equestrian Sports when you were his age?”

“No, but I did have a horse.” You raise a brow. “I barely rode him. There wasn’t time. My father was training me to be his heir.”

“And that’s exactly what I don’t want for Theo.” You glance at Kyungsoo and find that you have slid closer to him. The wine warms your body, and you find your attention drawn to his lips as he speaks.

“I know. I’ll talk with my father.”  His voice is low and husky. His lips vibrating with the words. Wine coats them, making them shine in the dim light. Perhaps, you should have turned on more lights than the lamp in the living room. Theo’s question comes back to you. Do you like Kyungsoo? “Y/N?”

You shake your head, clearing the alcohol from your thoughts. A stray hair falls into your face. “Sorry. Thank you.” You try to focus, your hand going to brush the hair out of your eye. 

Kyungsoo’s hand reaches it first. He tucks it behind your ear. His hand lingers on your cheek. His fingertips light on your skin. “Sorry.” He whispers. Your cheek grows cold as he reclaims his glass and swallows a gulp. “I should call a driver. This wine is hitting harder than I expected.”

“Or,” the word slips out, and you blame the wine for loosening your lips. “You could stay the night. The couch pulls out, and I have a spare set of your clothes.” You keep your gaze fixed on the living room lamp. “It’s been a bit since we’ve got to enjoy one of your breakfasts.” You add on when the silence stretches between you.

“I see. You just want me for my body.” He breaks the tension.

You snort. The wine in your glass sloshing and threatening to spill out. “If that’s what you want to think then sure.” 

He takes the glass from you and sets it on the counter next to his. You’ve both had enough wine for tonight. “Do you have stuff for breakfast tomorrow?”

“My fridge is stocked with every healthy thing imaginable.”

“Healthy.” He scrunches up his nose. His glasses fall down the bridge when he relaxes it, and you fight the urge to take them off.

“Is that a yes or no?” You speak around the lump in your throat.

He thinks. The moments tick by as you berate yourself for asking something too stupid and risqué. Kyungsoo is Theo’s dad.  No matter how blurred the line between you two grows that line will always be as crisp as a fresh stroke on paper, and you should be avoiding anything that could complicate that relationship.

“Yes.” You blink at Kyungsoo and wonder if hope has spread a filter over your ears. “Y/N?”

“Awesome.” You answer, assured that you heard correctly. “I’ll go get the clothes.” You start towards your bedroom but throw over your shoulder. “Since it is still early, but only if you’re up for it, there is this new movie on Netflix that I’ve been wanting to watch.”

“So, Netflix and chill?”

Stuttering to a halt, you whip your head around. He smiles at you all innocence. “You’re ridiculous.” He shrugs. With a shake of your head, you march into your room, his laughter trailing after you.

[xbaepsae]

the ebb and flow | part seven

“The son of Poseidon stares at you with an intensity you’ve never seen before. It seems to burn hotter across your skin than the fire is right now.”

[demigod!jeongguk x demigod!reader]

genre: percy jackson!au, mythology!au, demigod!au, enemies to lovers!au

word count: 1.7k

rating: pg-13

warnings: language, the usual character tension

a/n: merry belated christmas (to those who celebrate)! and happy (almost) new years! stay safe and healthy everyone. hope 2021 is a better one for all of us. xoxo

→ series masterlist!

the fifth summer – in which you fall (quite literally)

At the end of your first week of cleaning the stables with Jeongguk, you manage another capture the flag win. Nothing brought you more joy than seeing the look of absolute anguish on Park Jimin’s face when you ripped his red flag from right between his hands.

“Better luck next week, Park,” you teased as your cabin raised you up on their shoulders. “Guess we all can’t be winners.”

Your cabin celebrated with its allies at the campfire that night—singing and dancing to your heart's delight. Normally, you’re not one to dance much; the act is entirely too embarrassing to do in front of so many people. However, maybe it’s the stress from the week or the high from the win, but you feel the need to shake all your worries away.

And dancing proves to be a great stress reliever.

To the beat of drums and lyre playing, you sway your body beside your friends. Haru takes your hands in her own and spins you around, to which you can’t help but laugh. The two of you must look ridiculous right now. She spins you around in another 360 and you close your eyes, taking in the heat from the fire. When you open your eyes, you meet the cool gaze of someone you didn’t expect to still be here.

Across the campfire, Jeon Jeongguk stands by himself. You didn’t expect him to be here because his cabin was on the losing team. You thought that maybe he would be sulking in his cabin like Jimin probably is right now. Instead, his eyes seem glued to you. The son of Poseidon stares at you with an intensity you’ve never seen before. It seems to burn hotter across your skin than the fire is right now.

Even though he is yards away, you feel incredibly exposed at this moment. His round eyes are illuminated by the fire, and they seem to pierce you like he can see right into your soul or something. After another second, you force yourself to look away—the tension is just too much to take right now.

“Are you okay?” Haru’s voice breaks your thoughts.

Looking up, you notice concern clouding her eyes; however, there is also a gleam of interest there—probably wondering what made you stop dancing.

“I’m fine,” you tell her. “Just dizzy, I guess.”

Haru doesn’t seem to buy it, but she doesn’t pester you about it again. “Well, too bad—I want to keep dancing with my best friend!”

The next morning, you make your way towards the stables feeling more exhausted than usual; body still slightly aching from last night’s festivities. When you arrive, Jeongguk is already there leaning against the gated entrance. Probably hearing your footsteps draw closer, he looks up; however, you don’t meet his gaze. Instead, you pretend the rising sun has captured your attention.

Fishing the key out of your back pocket, you unlock the gates and greet the Pegasi already vying for your attention. And much like the other days, you both work in silence again; you even go out of your way to avoid passing by him or having to make small talk. During your other hours here, the silence was at least kind of bearable. However, today, for some reason, something feels different and you don’t like it one bit.

As the hours pass by, the silence seems to eat you alive. It’s all that you can hear. Or maybe it’s just your heart racing and blood rushing past your ears. Whatever it is, you’re about to reach your breaking point.

“Are you joining your cabin later?”

You nearly drop your broom at the sound of Jeongguk’s voice echoing through the thick silence. Styx, he scared you. “What’s happening later?”

Even though he’s on the other side of the stables, you can feel him take a step closer. “You know, the canoe races. The one that’s always held during the summer around this time.”

In all honesty, you’d forgotten all about the canoe races. And this isn’t like the recreational, free time canoeing you can do. No—this race is one that all the cabins participate in. It’s just as intense and competitive as it sounds. You’ve never participated before, so it must’ve slipped your mind. But unlike you, Jeongguk has always participated—you know, being the son of the sea god and everything.

“I usually don’t, so probably not,” you say.

“It’s your last summer, right?” he suddenly asks.

You turn around at the question. “Why, yes. As a matter of fact, it is. I’m planning to attend college in New Rome.”

Which means, you don’t know when you’ll ever be back at Camp Half-Blood since New Rome is equally as safe for demigods. The thought makes you feel bittersweet since Long Island is your home. You’d always thought you’d be here, probably continuing to offer your services to the camp. However, there’s an opportunity to expand your life on the other side of the country; you’d be foolish not to go.

“So, you should participate then,” Jeongguk breaks your thoughts.

“I think we already settled on who would participate. Besides, there’s always more cabin canoe races throughout summer,” you add as a rebuttal. “Maybe then.”

“What a shame,” he hums. “I really wanted to beat you this time around.”

Jeongguk’s mention of obtaining a win begins to turn the gears of your rivalry in your head. You should’ve known he would do something like this; the son of Poseidon just loves to egg you on. And sadly, you always seem to give in.

“We’ll see about that.”

***

“I’m going to participate in the canoe race.”

Namjoon looks at you like you’ve lost your mind. “What? I thought we already decided on who would participate.”

“I know, but I want to do it. You know, I’ve never participated before,” you tell him. “I should try this year.”

“You’ve never participated because you—”

You cut him off. “I have to beat Jeon Jeongguk at his own game. I will not settle for anything less.”

Namjoon rolls his eyes. “You and that damn rivalry. I know you hate the guy, but I don’t think this is worth it.”

“Jeon is a thorn at my side; beating him during the canoe race is my chance to gain some leverage on him,” you say, ignoring what your half-brother just said.

“Whatever,” he sighs. “Just don’t say I didn’t try to talk you out of it.”

***

The breeze from the Long Island Sound whips your hair. You put it in a braid earlier to keep it at bay, but your baby hairs don’t seem like they want to cooperate today.

“I’m so excited, y/n,” Harrison, a second-year in your cabin, practically vibrates with serotonin beside you. “Thanks for allowing me to join.”

“Of course,” you offer him a smile. At least, you hope it’s a smile.

A part of you wishes that you listened to what Namjoon said earlier. Because at the end of the day, he’s one of the few people that know you well and maybe he’s right; maybe trying to beat Jeongguk today isn’t worth it.

“Are you okay?” Haru is suddenly in front of you. “Namjoon told me to come and talk to you, and try to talk you out of this because—”

“I’m fine, Haru,” you lie through your teeth, forcing a smile. “I’ll be okay.”

Your best friend raises a brow at you. “You know, I’ve gotten pretty good and figuring when you’re lying to me. I know you always feel this intense need to beat Jeongguk at everything…though, I do wonder now if you’re starting to feel something else towards him…”

“Haru,” you warn.

She laughs a little. “Only joking.”

“I promise, I’m okay; don’t worry about me. This race will be quick anyway.”

“Whatever you say, y/n.”

Once everyone else arrives and the canoes are pushed into the water, you settle behind four others from your cabin. Harrison is seated in front of you, that beaming smile still stretched across his lips. “This is so exciting.”

The gentle rocking of the canoe does nothing to ease your nerves. If anything, it actually makes you feel sicker than you already are. “Let’s win this, for Athena!”

For Athena, your half-siblings mimic as they reach for their oars. Next to your canoe is none other than Poseidon’s cabin—whoever’s idea that was is definitely going to get a mouthful from you later—which means you-know-who is already staring at you.

“See you from the other side of the finish line,” Jeongguk taunts with a smirk. You try to return the same attitude tenfold.

“Don’t even think about any of your dirty tricks, Jeon.”

He scoffs. “Poseidon always plays fair.”

“Sure,” you roll your eyes. “We’re in a huge body of water—nothing could possibly go in your favor.”

You don’t know if he catches your sarcasm, and you don’t have time to. Because before you can even think about it, the race begins at the blow of a whistle.

Sure enough, like you already predicted, Poseidon’s cabin gets the immediate lead. But you don’t let it faze you; this actually motivates you to work harder—commanding your cabin to row faster.

However, what you fail to realize is that what originally seemed like a beautiful day on the lake is suddenly shifting in the blink of an eye. Because you’re all concentrated on reaching the finish line, you don’t see the sudden storm clouds looming in on the horizon. The wind picks up and water begins to rise, rocking the canoes dangerously.

You grab onto the sides of the canoe for support, but it’s no match against the current. The gods must be angry. And when a wave crashes against the canoe, you lose your balance and plummet headfirst into the water.

Through the muffled sound of water rippling past your ears, you can hear echoed screams. But they seem terribly far away as you struggle to break the surface. Your hands grasp for air, but the tows of the current feel like a weight on your ankles as you begin to sink deeper into the water.

Worst of all, you can’t swim.

[universestreasures]

@fatedsoare​​

The sun had risen brightly that morning, it’s gleaming rays shining all over the kingdom in the south seas. The prince and his dragon companion had already been up and about, both doing some light sparing before they went to get some breakfast. During such time, however, he was pulled aside by the queen of this country. She told him she had asked someone to help train with him for the day, saying this person would be a mentor of his own if things worked out between them. Tasuku, having come to this land to not only solidify his country’s alliance with Sindria but also to learn and grow from all those here, was grateful to the royal for the arrangement and accepted it gladly.

Tasuku, Jack, and Queen Kagome all then went to the lily fountain near the palace’s entrance to wait for the man of the hour to arrive, and thankfully for them, they did not have to wait too long as the man in question was an early riser himself. Ruby hues stared at the man as he approached, scanning him from head to toe. He certainly did not look like your average citizen of this country, but his clothes did not scream that he was a member of the palace in anyway. The prince was curious to find out who the stranger was, thankful to the queen for starting introductions as soon as he came to meet them. 

“Akihiro, good morning! Thank you for coming on such short notice! Allow me to introduce the young man you’ll be taking under your wing so to speak.” The woman then gestures to Tasuku, the prince doing all he could to look as proper and mature as possible. Tasuku knows the other will probably comment on his age, but he can’t let it deter him. It was a hurdle he always had to face, after all. 

“This is Prince Tausku of the kingdom of Dragonica, which as you know is one of the allies we have in the Seven Seas Alliance. With him is his dragon companion, Jackknife Dragon who will be there to observe. And Tasuku, this is Akihiro. He’s a dear friend of mine and Sinbad’s who is quite an expert when it comes to both magic and combat. He is also Lady Cresselia’s husband, the head of the Lunar Trading Company you met the other day while touring the town. I’m sure you’ll be able to learn a lot from a battle mage like him, and perhaps Akihiro will be able to learn from you and Jack as well.”

“Lord Akihiro, thank you for the opportunity to learn from you.” Tasuku starts, bowing his head in respect that is then followed by the same action from his dragon partner. Even if the queen did not address him so formally, the fact he is the husband of a noble like Lady Cresselia is enough for the use of a title. Though, they would have shown him respect regardless of them. That was just what kind of people with were. “I desire to grow stronger for the sake of my country and my comrades, and I promise to work hard and do my  best to grow from this experience. I am in your care, sir.” 

“I also express my gratitude for the time you are taking to train with my partner, Lord Akihiro.” Jack speaks, wanting to say his own expressions of gratitude to the other. “Lady Kagome has spoken very highly of you to me and Prince Tasuku, and I know her faith would not be ill placed. Please, please do all you can to help the prince to grow into a stronger version of himself. If you can help with that, I will be eternally grateful.”

~